Mad Props

I have nothing but love for the urgent cares and ER for children in the Northwest Valley. Yesterday I received a card in the mail for the new Phoenix Children's Hospital Urgent Care that opened at 51st Ave and 101, and if you didn't already know, I love PCH and hope to be on the Board there one day. Not sure how I will accomplish that, but it is truly my dream "job"! I don't know if it was fate that landed the card in my hands Saturday morning, but Jackson threw himself backwards on our bed, but instead of landing on the bed, his head landed on the metal bar of the futon frame that is right next to our bed. His head swelled up pretty big in the area that made contact, about the size of a red potato. He wasn't symptomatic (throw up, passed out, etc), but Pat called the PCH Urgent Care listed above. I am not kidding you when I tell you that he SPOKE WITH A DOCTOR there, who proceeded to tell him to take him to the ER because they didn't have the stuff that would be needed at the Urgent Care, so she CALLED AHEAD to Mendy's Place at John C Lincoln Deer Valley, and then proceeded to CALL ME IN THE CAR and let me know that it was all set, and that they KNEW I WAS COMING! HOLY CRAP! I don't know about you, but after sitting in the waiting room for about three hours with my rupturing appendix, this is SERIOUS SERVICE!
Jackson and I walked into Mendy's Place to be greeted with smiles, two wonderful nurses, and A COMPLETELY EMPTY WAITING ROOM. I was filling out Jackson's name on a sheet of paper while he had his blood pressure, temperature, etc taken, and I messed up about 20 times because there was a waiting room to the left and one to the right, and I kept peeking my head around poles and wondering where everyone was. They did say that it was slow, but it was 4:00 PM on a SATURDAY! It's not like the rest of the kids had somewhere else to go, but whatever, I am not going to complain. The rest of the visit went VERY SIMILAR. We were in and out within an hour. It is exactly what I envision an ER visit should look like. I don't go to the ER for fun, and I most CERTAINLY do not have 3 hours to sit and wonder if Jackson has a concussion. About four different people came into to check his eyes, he was well cared for, and I think the $200 co pay was worth the peace of mind I received from medical professionals, even though my BIL (EMT) and dad's girlfriend (nurse) said the same thing. If you haven't read about Shannon's nightmare ER trip, click here or here! She was incredibly jealous of my service time!
We had to wake him up in the middle of the night every few hours to ask him questions and make sure he was still "with us". The first time we woke him up, he out right REFUSED to tell us his name. He was sobbing, about to throw up (which I was sure meant I should take him back to ER pronto), until finally I asked him where he would want to go in the morning if he could pick out a toy, what would he get from Trader Joe's when we go there (orange chicken), and then I was satisfied and let him go back to sleep. The next few times, I didn't even mess with the name question. I asked him where his birthday party was, what toys McDonald's has right now, where Lainey's birthday party was, and other questions involving toys, food and parties!
I am sooooo happy to report that all is well, he has been spoiled to death today: Einstein's Bagels for breakfast, Hot Wheels from Target, Orange Chicken from Trader Joe's, and lots of hugs and kisses. I am sure I completely over reacted by taking him, but I have NEVER felt anything like the knot he had on his head, it completely freaked me out! Very similar sick feeling formed in my stomach as when he hit his front tooth at the doctor's office last year, but this time it was much more serious because I knew his tooth wasn't going to kill him, JUST ME!

Needless to say the Annual Grill-Off was about to start when the whole Jackson episode transpired. We didn't have as many contenders as last year, but it was a whole lot of fun. I was sad to miss some of the preparation festivities, but everyone saved me some of their ribs, and I was able to sample them all before voting. It was a close vote Paul receiving 170 points, my dad receiving 173 points and Pat finishing with 176 points! All of the ribs were AMAZING!!!!!! I am a rib lover, so it was hard for me to choose a favorite. Pat's rib on display were a little burnt because a few of them got burnt during the grilling process. The ones that weren't burnt were amazing, I am sure that people gave him some sympathy votes since he was grilling while Jackson was at the ER! HA!