So... What happened?

The long version? Or the epic one?


Essentially it started that we had to travel down to Chula Vista (over an hour away) to retrieve our trailer from the person who was borrowing it, who was supposed to have brought it back, but couldn't and called the day before and said, it needed to be picked up Wednesday. SOoooo...


I go there to get it, left no less than 3 messages on his voice mail- we'll be there in 3 hours, we're on our way and "we're here to get the trailer, WTH are you and when are you going to answer your phone??!!!"


So.. I wasn't really about to drive an hour and a half back home for him to call and say, 'oh, now's a good time' so we were hanging out in the driveway with me calling his phone every 2 mintues until he had his assistant answer it. (I knew he was just ignoring it and I figured if I called it enough the annoyance factor would get him to pick it up, which makes me even madder about this whole situation)


SO... I explain to his assistant the situation, she puts him on the phone and he tells me the hitch is in his garage (it wasn't. I was in his garage, his landlord was there and let us in and use the restroom because the kids had to go...) So, no hitch to be found. At that point, he decides it must be at the new house, so he'll leave in 15 minutes to go there, get it and tells me he'll be there in 20 minutes. (his clock runs on a different time. It was an hour by my watch) calls me from the new house says, no it's not there either, he'll go get a new one and be there in 15-20 minutes..


Now... all this time the kids had NOTHING to do. so.. they're stir crazy, bickering, hungry and thirsty. (because I didn't think I needed to pack dinner or more than the snack they had eaten on the way down there)


SO.. that sets the stage for when after all is said and done and the new hitch arrives, the trailer is on the truck and we're ready to leave and I say

"everyone in their seats and buckle"


And the bickering over the front seat ensures. (the second row of the SUV where the window rolls down)


So..


I tell Sonia to climb into the back, it's Joey's turn.


Rather than go over the seat that's folded down for just such a reason, she decided to try to climb/jump over the seat.


However- rather than make it over the seat, she hit something and fell backwards out of the truck and hit the back of her head on the pavement.


No blood, lots of crying, but it was time to go home, we'd get tylenol, ice and food when we got home.

not 10 minutes down the road, Sonia, the girl who does not ever sit still nor sleep was falling asleep in the back of the car. THIS made me nervous- pull over, so a mini mental exam- eyes PELLRA, equal grip strength, orientated... move her to the front seat, Joey to the back..


Back on the road in rush hour San Diego traffic, praying to get home asap, calling Larry on his cell phone who did not answer. (he still has not answered or apparently checked his messages since he has not called home yet- he's on call in San Diego his month.)


At this point, she vomits and then falls asleep. I pull over again "SONIA! wake Up!!!" she looks at me briefly and her eyes roll in the back of her head


I'm ready to vomit- pull off the highway looking for the hospital. Call 411 for the hospital phone number, they connect me and I swear a pay phone in the janitor closet was ringing, not the main line because it rang 30 times without anyone answering.


I am lost downtown, see no blue H hospital sign, no map in the car and Sonia barely responding to me.


Oh, and draging the trailer.


Can't find a hospital, much less the Navy one that Larry's is at.


Call my parents for advice from my dad on the head injury and for my mom to look up the navy hospital phone number - no one there


So I call 911 for directions to the hospital


"ma'am, what is your emergengy?"


(summarize the head injury, falling asleep, vomiting)


"Where are you?"


uh, on 4th at the junciton of market


"what direction are you going?"


it's a one way road- the only way it's letting me


"ma'am you need to pull over so the paramedics can find you"


I don't want paramedics, I can't pull over, I'm in rush hour traffic, pulling a trailer, there is only parrallel parking here, no open spaces and I can't back up with this thing, much less parallel park it!!! Just twll me where the hospital is!!!


"Ma'am you need to calm down and pull over for the paramedics to get to you"


WHY can't you just tell me where the hospital is???!!!


Fast forward- I pull into a bus stop space and the firetruck and ambulance are there shortly


Tell them no less than 10 times what happened.

Sonia was suddenly more awake with 10 men in funny outfits hovering over her, putting a neck collar on her and strapping her to a trama board.


I can't leave the truck with other kids and trailer, so I have to drive it to the hospital. I ask them to take her to the Navy hospital, so I have a chance of reaching Larry who didn't answer any of the 800 calls/messages


No, they say it's a trauma, they have to take her to a children's hospital. (apparently there are 2 here)


I couldn't find A hospital, and you think I can find a children's one? OK, fine, I'll follow you


"well, ma'am, we have to go with lights and sirens, it's protocol for trauma in a kid"


How am I supposed to get there?


"don't you know where Children's is?"

NO, we just moved here. I couldnt' find ANY hospital, that's why you're here.


"Do you know where Escondito is?"

no

"the 163?"

no I do not know anywhere here!!!!!!


So.. firefighter guy writes down directions which would have been fabulous.. IF I knew how to get to the first highway he had on them


The ambulance leaves and Joey is flipping out that they are taking Sonia away.

So.. we follow the best we can- but they're going through every red light and there is one at every block, so in a matter of seconds there were 5 red lights between us.


BUT I could see it long enough to follow it to the highway which was the first in mr firefighter's directions.


Of course, I don't know how fast they were going on that highway, but I was going over 80 and never caught up to them.


I get off the highway and follow the hospital sign and then the emergency sign.

And it's a city hospital- there is only parking garage parking.

Ever tried to manuver a King size SUV with trailer in a parking garage?

I'm not that good a driver- find a surface lot with a "for patients of this building only, all others will be towed sign, take up 1/2 the parking lot and run - put JM in the stroller, dragging Kayla and Joey to the Big red ER sign, get in there and they don't have Sonia.


Oh my GOD please help me!! Where is my child?!


Ah, you see, that was the adult ER for the adult hospital- 2 blocks down was the entrance to the Childrens' hospital. The 3 minutes for the ER clerk took to relay this info felt like an eternity.


RUN/carry Kayla/drag Joey/Push stroller to the Children's er.. get there and yes, they have her.


Bring us alll back to the bay they are holding her in..

They explain that she's been acting fine since she arrived, no more vomiting, and a little sleepy but no further eyes in the back of the head stuff and she responded fine to the others there..


Feed her (and her siblings) a popcicle, it stays down. The DR says that a CT scan would be too much radiation for a 5 year old, so they'd rather not.. (and at this point she's looking much better and I'm ready to go home now.. )


They keep her another hour for observation and let us go. It is now their bedtime, they haven't had dinner other than that popcicle and they are tired, hungry and don't want to walk to the truck which I have no guarantee of it actually being there.


And I have no idea of where we are and do not see any magical McD's anywhere.


Sonia's shoes were in the truck, so she went in the stroller, JM behind her in the way I used to cram 2 kids in the single stroller before and Kayla I half carried half dragged while she and Joey whined with every step that they were hungry and didn't want to walk..


The truck was there and the stroller bent with that much weight in it.


Well, we came on a highway, right? but I didn't see the entrance to that highway there. Follow the highway signs and eventually get on it thinking I was going the right direction...


Sigh..


sorta the right direction.


Eventually find a Taco Bell for dinner at 9:30 PM.

Remember what a spectacular driver I am? try a narrow drive through with trailer.

At least the trailer already had some yellow paint on it from previous scrapes.


Get home, tuck Sonia into my bed, the others into their beds. Check on her every hour. The adrenealine rush kept me away pretty much most of the night anyway.


And Larry still hasn't checked in.