And then came the phone call that no parent wants to receive whilst their child is away at camp...
"Don't panic, she is okay, but MiniMe had an accident this morning..."
Apparently she fell off something called a "blob", knocking her two front lower teeth ~ one of which has come loose. Not badly, but wiggly enough to cause her distress.
She cries when I speak to her on the phone, but says she's okay. She wants to stay at camp. She doesn't want a fuss. But it's obvious that she's distressed. She doesn't get upset easily. The accident happened in the morning, the fact that I'm only just now being told is testament to the fact that she tried soldier on. But clearly it's concerning her and she is very upset.
She is a good two and a half hours' drive away and due to return home tomorrow.
Camp nurse cannot advise what's for the best.
School dental nurse cannot advise without seeing her.
We needed to get her to a dentist ASAP. It could be minor. But if it's serious, delaying a further 24 hours could mean she loses one or both of the teeth.
I'm thinking the best thing is to get her seen by a local dentist.
But we couldn't possibly get to her before 5:30pm.
So we called her grandmother who thankfully was only half and hour away and whilst she makes arrangements to get to her, we find a local dentist who is able to see her at 5:00pm.
Then we wait for the verdict... do we need to bring her home or can she stay until the end of camp?
I cancel tonight's theatre plans.
And wait.
And wait.
And wait.
It is excruciating being so far away from my girl. Helpless. Not knowing how she is. Unable to see her. Unable to comfort her.
Finally a call. It is after 7:00pm. She is fine. They waited for over an hour to see the dentist. X-rays show no fractures. There is a small chip missing from one of the teeth and the other is slightly out of alignment but should return to it's proper position on it's own. They cannot tell if there is any nerve damage at this stage but if she has issues in the future, it will be covered by ACC.
So she's heading back to camp. With a course of antibiotics and instructions to eat soft food for the next week.
I feel relieved.
But I still need to see her and hold her to fully know that she's okay.
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