A&E (not the TV station, but the London ER)

Yes, we've got kids (and rambunctious ones at that), so we knew it would inevitably happen.
The visit to the local ER.
 Here, that would be Accidents and Emergency, or A&E.
On April 28th, I was taking Ally from one friend's house to another friend's house.  Unfortunately I was running late and so she wanted to rush, and borrowed a scooter from the first friend. 

I could tell right away that this was a bad idea.  First of all, it was very wet - it's been raining for weeks - so the sidewalks are almost slippery.  Secondly, the scooter was definitely too small for her to use.  She had several little tumbles with it in the first block, and at one point I said, that's it, let's take this thing back, this is not safe for you to use!  Why didn't I persist a bit more ~ probably because I was feeling guilty for running late.

Well as we are going along, I'm on my bike, and I suddenly hear screaming, look next to me, see NO Ally, look behind me, and see a crowd lifting her off the street.  

I thought she had been hit by a car!  There was blood everywhere on her face and ladies were digging in their purses to get kleenex to put on her wound.

I ran back and in a panic I yelled "What happened?"  And she said she just fell, off her scooter, that the scooter sort of slipped from under her (on one of those areas that are "bumpy" that are on the sidewalk as you reach an intersection), and unfortunately her head came down onto a post!!  She was not in pain, and was insisting on heading straight to her friend's house! We were near a street market, and the crowd that gathered around us all agreed that we needed to get to the A&E that was just blocks away.  It is a small cut but it was deep.  

 

It wasn't so terrible, just quite deep...

 

 

I have been dreading this day.

I hear that the NHS A&Es are not fun places.  This was a local NHS hospital, St Mary's, near Edgeware Road and Marylebone.  Even walking the 6 blocks or so to get there, people on the street just sort of pointed us in the right direction; they knew our destination.

When we got there we had to queue, there were about 7 people in front of us.  The waiting room was a place of misery, people did not look good.  Once we reached the receptionist, she took Ally's name and our address (we have done the paperwork at our local clinic to be properly registered with the NHS, so we're in the system) and then we were directed to the Children's Area, which was much better.  They saw us come in and immediately motioned for Ally to come back, seeing some sort of head injury!  

The nurse was lovely and kind, she used some cold glue (no stitches - she said they really don't do them anymore at all) and put those butterfly bandages to keep it closed.  

After that we saw a doctor for a couple of minutes and then we were sent on our way.  

Not ONE paper to sign, no co-pay, wow, it's so weird!!  I guess this is why our council tax is so high!  

 

Feeling better

 

 Although she could not swim for five days, the cut seems to be healing well and we are hoping there will not be much of a scar.

Another adventure here in London.... a visit to the A&E.  Let's hope we won't be back soon.