Black-Eyed Jacob

One day in December Jacob was tossing a football around with some friends after they got off the bus.  He walked in the door holding his head saying that he and Blake has collided as they both ran at full speed for the ball while looking at the ball and not where they were going.  He then took his hand off his head and I about fell over.  There in the middle of his forehead was the BIGGEST goose egg I had EVER seen!  I immediately laid him down and put ice on it while double checking my parenting book and the internet on signs for a concussion.  Then Blake's mom called to check on Jacob while on her way to the ER.  Blake got 7 stitches in 2 layers since he got hit right on the eyebrow and the cut went all the way to the bone.  Jacob seemed fine but I tried to keep him down with ice for most of the night. 

 

The next day he went to school, still with an enormous bump.  By the time he got home his eyes were starting to turn black and blue.  Since that was one of the signs to watch for a concussion I started to worry and called the doctor's office.  I talked to a nurse who asked if the bump was getting soft at all.  I felt his lump and sure enough it was soft.  She panicked and told me that was a sign that he had a skull fracture and to take him immediately to the ER.  WHAT!?  The whole time I kept thinking of what happened a couple of years ago to that reporter who ran into a tree while skiing and ignored the symptoms and later DIED!  I told the nurse he didn't have ANY other symptoms and to please talk with the doctor first.  The doctor said it was no big deal and Jacob should be fine.  Well, after having 2 such conflicting reactions I didn't know what to think.  I decided to get another opinion and the next day took Jacob into a different doctor who ordered a CT scan just to be safe.  It came out fine and Jacob was indeed healthy!  Whew!  Maybe I'm paranoid but peace of mind is worth a lot when it comes to your kids.  Jacob looked a lot like that guy from Star Trek for about a week because his head and between his eyes was so swollen.  The bump did become soft and drain into his eyes, and his eyes turned dark black and blue.  Apparently if you get a bump right in the middle of your forehead like that you get black eyes.  Good to know for anyone else out there with boys!  He really looked terrible for about 2 weeks.  He was embarrassed to go to school, and people at the stores gave me dirty looks - like I would do that to my sweet son!  Good grief!  These pictures don't even come close to doing his face justice.  The camera just can't capture all the discoloration and the dimensions of the bump and swelling.  He looked at least twice as bad as it looks here.  We're glad you're okay, Jacob!  Way to be tough!