With our recent traumatic experience, we were in a conundrum regarding our travel plans. We were rather looking forward to visiting our friends in Switzerland, a trip we had been planning for quite some time. Lake’s burns were at the moment gnarly yet we could see how quickly he was healing. Nonetheless, the burn team strongly advised against leaving the country for two weeks. They required follow up at 7-10 days, no exceptions. Even though he was expected to be completely healed by then? Our plane tickets were for Saturday morning and the burns occurred Monday evening. It was awkward timing to say the least. A Friday follow up appointment was too soon to be useful, a follow up at three weeks would be pointless if all healed according to his good prognosis, or it would be much too late if a problem or infection were to arise. If we rescheduled our trip we would not be able to avail ourselves to the reduced plane fare for Lake under the age of two it’s 10% of the ticket price. As it stands we fly home the day before his second birthday. If we postponed our departure by nearly a week we would be foreshortened in our holiday and pay and even higher per diem jet lag tax.

Michael was a strong advocate for our trip continuing as planned. Lake was indeed healing at such a rapid rate it was as if he’d been touched by the Shape of Water creature. So I packed for two. As a seasoned traveler and longtime advocate for traveling light, I set out to pack for both Lake and myself in the space I normally us for just myself. The carryon sized rolling suitcase and a simple carryon backpack. Well, come morning of, there were suddenly so many extra items (jackets, diapers, food and water) and we were already totally packed to the maximum that I was forced to toss them into a folding cloth bag and run out the door. Michael was driving us to Vancouver BC to fly Air Canada. The border agent did ask us why we weren’t flying out of Seattle. This way we could avoid an untenable 6 hour layover in the Vancouver Airport. As it turns out, flying with The Canadians is much nicer anyway. (The TSA has practically managed to squeeze all joy out of air travel with its very militant approach.)

As we were checking the rolling carryon suitcase I lamented I couldn’t check all the unwieldy odds and ends and keep the easy to manage rolling luggage with me. Michael wisely recommended I just leave the extra bag behind and that I would be much happier traveling lighter. He’s right however there were important items in there and I didn’t have the time or energy to completely repack. Maybe remove a few shirts and dresses that I realistically wouldn’t be wearing? Learning point 1: don’t be afraid to check luggage when traveling as a twosome where one is carrying the other. And learning point 2: there’s no prize for smallest checked luggage. It’s better to move up a size and check more items than to have a couple extra I’ll-packed hand luggages.

Despite having Lake in the Ergobaby on front, his backpack on my back, and a tote full of last minute foods and waters, we made it through the length of several airports and made both our flights. The flights, though totally booked with zero extra seats, were surprisingly well tolerated made so by the most baby-friendly seat-mates one could have conjured up. Though they admitted only to being a grandfather or a father, I believe they must have actually been Krishna God or Buddha in disguise. In the course of the flight from Montreal to Geneva lake managed to have not one but two blow-out diapers that involved getting the miracle seat-mate a fresh seat cover. Airplane bathrooms also seemed to have shrunk since I last flew to Switzerland four years ago. The air kept drying out his wounds thus requiring unpopular yet frequent applications of Egyptian Magic to his healing burns. Somehow in this fashion we arrived in Switzerland intact.

Lake even proclaimed himself a “Happy Baby” once more! A perfect adventure… I’m glad I’m spending it with you!

We chose to come home after one night instead of staying another day. We discharged from Harborview at 5:30pm Tuesday. We made it home with Lake in good spirits and soon he was asleep. He still looks like a war survivor with his raw, peeling and oozing face. The big task for us at home is staying on top of wound care. He has sustained a partial thickness burn to 2-3% of his body. It looks more alarming than it reads predominantly because it’s his face that is most impacted and edematous with eyes squished shut. Being so young, however, he is anticipated to heal completely in 10-14 days. There will likely be sensitivity and possibly discoloration to the burned areas that will hopefully resolve with time.

He’s not a huge fan of the face net which he calls No Hat and my friend Cami accurately pointed out looks like an Asian pear net. This we are doing our best to replicate day after day at home.

He’s recovering by leaps and bounds every day. The first day home in the kitchen he was clearly having significant flashbacks, uncomfortably reliving the trauma.

Tea… boosh…

Tea… boosh…

Daddy…

He was with Daddy in the kitchen making tea when the jar of fresh boiled water broke as he excitedly ran over to be near his beloved tea. Boosh! Right into his face. His face and chest and arm, predominantly the right side, caught the brunt of the gush. Daddy got his quickly undressed and into a cool water bath in the sink, then brought him to his sick napping mama for comfort. As I slowly oriented myself I put two and two together when his face was red and he wouldn’t breastfeed. Badly burned. Hospital. Must go now.

Children’s Hospital or Harborview Medical Center? Pediatrics or Burns? Close or not too far, depending on traffic. Aid car or drive ourselves?

Harborview. Regional Pediatric Burn Unit.

What time is it?

7:20pm? Okay, traffic has died down. We’re going directly to Harborview. We’re driving.

Decisions were made judiciously and expediently. We dressed him in loose Cozy organic cotton shirt and pants and I sat in the back and sang to him while Daddy drove us to the Hospital. He was courageous and quiet. Once at the Emergency Department we were greeted, waited, greeted waited, and on and on as we made our way through all the layers of admission as Lake incrementally became an inpatient patient of Burns followed by Peds. It was after midnight when the debridement occurred. It was a very intense experience for all involved, for me, imagine witnessing your child be skinned alive. Our night nurse Rachel was professional and skilled, as were both the conglomerate teams of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and staff that continued to care for Lake during his stay.

We’re home convalescing now, breastfeeding almost continuously and very clingy to Mama but otherwise energetic and curious. He’s enjoying the exuberant company of Nana and Baba who were kind to come and visit. We’re managing wound care with the compassionate skills of Michael and Luisa. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers. As aforementioned Lake has shown true courage, grace, and resilience throughout this experience.

Lake and I went on a bicycle adventure this morning to the Wallingford Center. We had an artist date! Ellie, the owner of Bootyland Kids, was hosting Kerry Cook on location. Kerry Cook is a local artist with 40 years experience in hand cut paper likenesses. Her parents had a booth at art fairs and festivals that she tagged along with. One day after expressing interest in this style of art, her dad set her up with a side booth: free portraits. As the day progressed, so did her line. To modulate supply with demand, her father kept increasing the cost on the makeshift signage, from free to 10c to 25c and so forth. By the end of the day she had made $9 and she thought she had hit the jackpot. Talk about someone alive with their dharma! She was ten years old. The price has gone up somewhat but at $25 it is still an amazing value. She cuts the silhouette freehand with her scissors live while you’re present. She is so efficient that even your two year old can sit for his portrait. The results are guaranteed to deliver. She literally asks you if you’re satisfied with the likeness. I was. If you’re interested, no need for sorrow that you missed this event today. She’ll be back at Bootyland Kids this November, just in time for the holidays!