Coffee Pot 1 - Ethan 0

Tuesday began like many other Tuesdays have at our house. Josh was home from work and we were planning on having some friends visit in the afternoon. I sent Emma up to wake Josh up around 8:30 to help me straighten up the house for our guests.

Josh came down and we got into our routine to feed everyone and start our day. I turned the oven on to start making cinnamon buns for breakfast. Josh started his little one cup coffee pot. I do not like coffee so Josh has this little coffee maker that makes coffee directly into a travel mug.

Josh went back into the living room to wait for his coffee to brew and Emma asked me for some juice. I went back into the kitchen and Ethan followed me in. I turned away from him to get the juice out of the frig and then I heard him scream. I turned and I don't really remember what I saw or what I said. Then next thing I remember was scooping him up, feeling him hot, putting him into the sink and turning the water on. Josh was then next to me ripping off his clothes.

Ethan had pushed Emma's step stool over to the counter and climbed up on it to reach the counter. He pulled the coffee cup over and it spilled over the counter and then down the front of him.

His skin looked like he had a terrible, peeling sunburn. Ethan was just inconsolable and just wanted to be held. Josh tried to call the doctor but it was busy. We decided it was best to have him checked and got everyone into the car and take him to Hasbro Children's Hospital. Emma was wonderful through this whole time. She is three and acts like a three year old quite often. Not on this day though, she did everything we asked and listened really well.

We got to the hospital within about 30 minutes of the accident and they rushed us right in. I really did not think it was all that bad at this point. I thought that they might give him a shot and dress it and send us home.

The nurses came in to start his I.V. then he would have some Morphine to help with the pain. The burn doctor came in and examined him and they began to wrap his wounds. He felt much better already and this is what he looked like after:

It's tough to see your little man hurting so bad but he was so brave and strong the whole time. The doctors told us that he would have to be admitted to the hospital to help with is pain management and the changing of his dressings. It was hard to hear that but it was what was best for him. Soon we were heading up to the 4th floor to Ethan's room.

For the rest of the day they monitored Ethan and made sure he was comfortable. Everyone there was so wonderful to us and really took wonderful care of little man.
Soon Ethan was moving around and walking the halls. He ended up finding the toy room, it really didn't take him all that long. I had to chase him around with his I.V. pole while he tried everything out. He was naming everything he knew and it was great to see him feeling so much better already.

One of the nurses, that wasn't even Ethan's nurse, nicknamed him "the mayor". He would just walk around saying, "Hi"to all the babies and anyone else he bumped into.

I stayed with him that night and he slept fantastically. When he woke up the next morning we began the wait to for the dressing change. Josh and I were really nervous about it. We knew that it would hurt Ethan and we were scared to see what it looked like.

Just after lunch it was time and we went into the treatment room. Ethan didn't like it at all but soon it was over. We were so relieved to see that the doctors were able use a new product on Ethan. It looked like a large sheet of felt and it had silver embedded in it. Keith, the Physician's Assistant, and Dr. Harrington explained to us that bacteria cannot grow where ever there is silver. Once they applied the sheet to Ethan's burn it would stick and harden. He can keep this bandage on for 10 days to 2 weeks.

This was great news. Before we were going to have to go through that painful dressing change everyday and a visiting nurse was going to have to come to do it. Now we could just take care of him on our own and he could be discharged that day.

Before we knew it we were on our way home with our little man.
It was the best feeling. Our little family could be back together and Ethan could heal at home. Ethan adores Emma and could not wait to be with her. The next morning, he tried to cuddle his sister while they ate their breakfast.
Luckily, Ethan should recover just fine from this. The doctor said that when we go to see him in 2 weeks most of the burn should be healed. Their might be one spot on his side that might take a little longer but he will be well very soon.

Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers for our little man. He is a well loved, special little guy.