Two weeks ago at this time we were just getting back from a trip to Mercy Clermont Hospital to get a nasty cut stitched up that Chris got when playing on an exercise bike.
It all started off when I heard a terrifying scream downstairs. Chris was screaming uncontrollably and trying to come up the stairs with Mercy by his side. He had blood all over his legs and they were scraped up pretty bad, then I saw the back of his leg - there was a deep gash and it was laid open. For one minute of horror I wondered if something could have happened with the dog. Could she have gotten silly and accidentally hurt him? She was right there with him and was trying to figure out how to help. Finally he calmed down enough to tell me what happened. He was pedaling the stationery bike we just got and when he tried to get off the pedals were still going fast and the sharp edges cut him.
My mind immediately flashed back to the time he cut his foot about 3 years ago and had to get stitches. It was a horrid experience. He screamed in terror for about an hour and the experience at the hospital was overwhelming. People he didn't know, so many talking to him and touching him. The sensory overload and the way his body experiences pain makes this kind of situation far worse than for most kids. How were we going to get through this, especially now since he was having a LOT of anxiety about illness and dying?
It sounds odd, but I wasn't sure if we should take Mercy. How was I going to control his bleeding, drive AND handle a dog? I tried to put her in her kennel but to no avail. She was NOT going to leave him. Her boy was hurt and she had a job to do. Decision made. I grabbed her leash and my purse and out the door we headed.
I needed not worry. Mercy was good as gold. She snuggled next to Chris and even though he found it a bit annoying when she nuzzled him, it did seem to take his mind off of things. The reception desk was a little taken aback at the sight of a dog in the ER. Our local hospital is quite small and in a rural area and I suspect they don't see a lot of service dogs. Chris had calmed down a bit by now and other than the same questions over and over, things were going ok. It wasn't until we got called back when the nurse stopped short and told us that the dog couldn't come back to the treatment area. Although I felt like screaming inside, I calmly but firmly told her that Mercy was an autism assistance dog and we really needed to have her there. I felt like kicking myself for not putting on her harness before we left, but with all the commotion I had left it behind. Luckily I always have her 4 Paws bandana in the car as well as her tags. The nurse seemed to sense that I wasn't going to budge, and it was obvious that Chris was in head butting mode. The nurse seemed suddenly to 'get it' and went to find the best room to put us in.
The wait seemed to take forever, but the experience was far easier than it had been the last time. Chris began to relax as the nurse explained what the process would be. They soon saw that Mercy was a calming influence for Chris and that she wasn't presenting any problem. The young doc was a lover of golden retrievers as well and told Chris about the dog he had. This was another hidden benefit of an assistance dog in a situation like this. Chris seemed to enjoy the 'dog talk' and it helped take his mind off of the medical procedures. The whole ordeal took about 4 hours but having Mercy with us seemed to help the time pass a little easier. By the time we left, Chris was actually being silly and making jokes about "Mercy" going to a hospital with the same name. The whole experience was a complete 360 from the last time he had to get stitches. Given his anxiety issues I truly believe it would have been far worse than last time without Mercy there, distracting him and being her loveable, pettable self.
Thanks again to 4 Paws and everyone who helped us get Mercy.
