In the Doghouse

The day itself started well enough. We drove to the local elementary school to meet Ryan’s new speech teacher (he attends speech through the public school system for 30 minutes a week) and when we arrived home, I thought it would be nice to take our dog, Leya, for a walk before starting our school day. It was a beautiful morning, but was forecast to reach the mid-90s by afternoon. The boys balked at the idea of a walk, but I persisted and we all headed out the door.
 

Our walk was uneventful, actually enjoyable, until we reached our front walkway and Leya spotted a squirrel! She went for the squirrel pulling the leash behind Ryan and swiping his feet out from under him. Leya ran and Ryan fell, his head hitting the sidewalk with a sickening thud.
 
Ryan was inconsolable. He was disoriented and crying that he couldn’t see: “My sight is dying.” We rushed to the pediatrician’s office and from there were taken to the ER in an ambulance. Ryan never lost consciousness, but was disoriented, nauseous, and lethargic for almost nine hours. When he was still not able to keep fluids down at 7pm, the ER doctor and our pediatrician decided to admit him to the hospital. He was given IV fluids and monitored through the night, and was released the next morning. A CT scan showed no skull fracture or internal damage, for which we are most thankful.

The day proved quite the adventure for Connor who still talks about riding in a special seat in the ambulance, the sirens, driving through red lights, and playing video games and eating peanut butter crackers in the ER. Ryan remembers none of it, although he did hear me tell enough people at the hospital about the dog’s leash causing his fall to say, “I’m mad at Leya!” Poor pup, she’s really in the doghouse this time! … and she knows it.

The teddy bear the County Fire & Rescue
officer gave Ryan in the ambulance.He doesn’t remember
receiving it, but now says it is his favorite bear.