Its Official. She's Broken.

Today pretty much sucked.
When you are a parent, the last thing you want is to see your child hurt or hurting, and know there is nothing you can do to change it.
When your child breaks a limb, there really isn't anything you can do to fix it.  You can hold them.  You can snuggle them.  You can whisper in their ear and tell them it will all be ok, but none of that really makes it better, or takes the break away.
Today, we found out The Biggest One really did break her ankle.  It sucked.
First, I had to deal with Balboa.  Not a happy camper.  An appointment that we were told would take about 30 minutes lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes.  I was overwhelmed by their inefficiency once again.  I got argumentative with the Physician's Assistant who ended up taking me into a room and going over the x-ray with me very slowly to make her case.  If she had only led with the statement that the ankle was broken, versus "we treat it like a break no matter what" I might have been more receptive.  She didn't though.  We were shuffled around for what seemed like forever, between exam rooms, x-ray, back to the lobby, again to exam rooms, back to x-ray again, etc.  When it was all said and done, though, what mattered is that she broke her ankle.
     She was a trooper at first.  She was ok until they sent us for a second set of x-rays, to be sure she hadn't broken her foot, too.  As we sat down, she lost her composure completely.  I got her up, sat down, and pulled her on my lap.  "I'm too big to sit on you, Mom."  She didn't want to hurt me.  "Never", I told her. I pulled her to me, and just hugged her.  I told her that I knew it sucked.  It was terrible, but it was simply part of life.  Things happen.  Balloons pop.  We would just have to get through the sucky part, to get back to the good part.  She was so unhappy.
We got a cast put on, and thankfully, they decided she could have a walking cast.  That was a serious blessing, because not being physically gifted to begin with, the crutches were just another accident waiting to happen.  Seriously.
Walking out made her happy.  She walked funny, but she could walk.
Then, we got home, and she started to worry.  She worried about what people would say to her.  She was honestly worried about people picking on her for having broken her leg.  We talked.  We snuggled some more.
Sometimes, being a parent is just heartbreaking.
I wish I could take it away.  I wish I could make it better. I know that I can't, though.
She will be fine in a few weeks.  It is going to suck.  It is going to be a crappy thing to get through, but she will get through it.  When she comes out, she will be a stronger person for having dealt with it all, too. At least, that is my hope.

The Crutch Files

Today we had a follow up appointment with The Biggest One for her ankle injury.  I had sincerely hoped that  it would be over and done with today, and that she would walk out on two feet.  No such luck.
Instead, the Dr looked at her still swollen, ugly, painful ankle, and decided that she needed to see an orthopaedic specialist.  She has to continue to wear the air cast, and stay off her foot until she gets in.  The Dr advised me to call back to the children's hospital, and try to get her an appointment.  Hopefully we can get her there within another week.
I really hope this is just a "better safe than sorry" kind of appointment.  The Dr just couldn't tell what was going on, and I hope she just wants to be sure.  I don't want anything else to be wrong.  This isn't easy for anyone, but its really hard for a child, especially one that can't use crutches well, at all.  She is terrible at them.  I think they are almost more of a hazard to her than a help.  As a result, she has used them very, very little this far and we haven't gone anywhere for a week.
So, keep your fingers crossed for us.  We want this to be an easy turn over, and be all done in a week.

And This Is Why

I have said it many times before, and I will say it many more times, I love all of my children.  They are all special in their own ways.  As such, we treat each of our children differently, according to their own needs, abilities, and demeanours.  The Big One is very intelligent, but not so gifted in the common sense and physical prowess areas.  As such we tend to put things of a physical or sporty nature on the back burner for her.  In fact, we often forget about them all together.  Hence the reason she didn't learn to ride a bike without training wheels until just about a week or so ago.  My Husband had tried.  Honestly he had.  I had tried.  We worked at it.  The Big One was terrified, though, and it just wasn't happening.  So, we never pushed it.  We would try for a while, see how banged up she got, realize that she wasn't ready, and wait a while.
     A few weeks ago, not long after he came home this time, My Husband decided it was finally time for sure.  He was ready for her to be ready.  She is, after all, nearing nine years old.  So, he started working with her again.  She did better.  She did much better.  They would work at it for a few hours at a time.  I would help out when he couldn't take it anymore.  It became a family thing.  The Medium One (I think I like that better than The Big Little One for a name) hadn't ever ridden on a two wheel bike before.  We just pulled out The Biggest One's old bike, and put her on it.  Off she rode.  That one does have training wheels, but I would venture they aren't long for the bike.  So, she would ride while The Biggest One would ride.  The Littlest one would sit in a wagon, a stroller, or even on a little tricycle and get a ride, too.

     It took a few weeks, or weekends at least, but finally, this past Saturday, it all clicked.  She could not only ride, but she could turn, and she was doing it all pretty well.  We were all out there watching the kids ride, until it was time for The Littlest One to get some milk and nap.  The two of us came in, and were inside for about 30 minutes, when the back door came open, and I instantly heard crying.  My husband walked in, carrying something over his shoulder.  It was The Biggest One.  Not a good sign.  He sat her down, and as she is trying to describe her wreck to me, though tear filled sobs, he is standing over her, making gestures and facial expressions  to indicate that it was a nasty spill.  She finished her story, and basically said that she had hurt her ankle, and couldn't walk on it.  I am particularly sensitive to injuries like this, having a lost a year to of my life to an ankle injury with 5 surgeries when I was younger.  So, I checked her carefully.  She really couldn't move it.  It hadn't started to swell, yet, but I feared it would soon.  I decided we would give her 30 minutes, and then recheck.  My husband ran out to get gas, just in case, and came back just in time.  The recheck was worse.  It was still extremely painful, but had started to swell, even with ice on it.  I called our insurance to let them know we were headed to the ER, and we all got ready.  The Biggest One was so upset, she couldn't even think about hopping.  So, her father fireman carried her over his shoulder again all the way out to the truck.  We all loaded up, and off we went the Rady Children's Hospital, which is thankfully only a mile from our house.
     When we got there, My Husband dropped the two of us off at the ER.  I helped her hobble inside, and sat her just in the door while I went to check in.  After waiting in line a bit behind people who think the ER is where you go when your kids have a cold, we got called up.  I told the Triage Nurse what had happened, and pointed out The biggest One, still sitting near the door.  Thanks to the head injury that resulted in an ambulance ride there, she was already in the system, and it only took a minute to get her all registered.
     Actually, I have to say that this was one of the fastest visits to an ER ever.  We only sat in the lobby for about 10 minutes at most before we were called back.  I put her in a wheel chair, and took her back.  They did a quick exam, and sent us straight to x-ray, then back out to the lobby.  After about another 10 minutes, they came to take us to a room.  The nurse put us in the room, closed the door, and it opened right back up by the Dr.  So fast that I said comment about it out load.  The Dr did another exam, and by this point her ankle was nearly the size of a grape fruit and was extremely painful.  The news wasn't great.  Not terrible either, though.  There was no break on the x-ray, but at this age, their growth plates are still open, and there could be one in there.  Those breaks don't show up on x-rays.  So, we have to go back in a week and take a second x-ray.  If there is a break, it will form a calcification as it heals, and that will show up.  That is the only way to tell if she has a break or not right now.  She also has a really bad sprain for sure.  She has to use crutches and wear an air cast.  Not fun stuff.
     All of that is a total bummer.  She was upset.  I'm worried.  A lot.  Like I said, I'm very sensitive to this king of thing since my was changed forever by having an ankle injury.
    The only upside is that for now she is still out of school, since she is on a year round track.  We have a week to get better before we have to worry about going back and dealing with crutches and school, which I think do not mix.
     I'm hoping for the best.  It could be just a sprain and were done. Fingers and toes crossed.

The People Who Make A Difference

Today, we took the Little One to her follow up appointment on her Boo Boo Sock. Today, we were to find out if she had actually broken her growth plate, and needed a cast for longer, or if she would be free to roam again.
I have to say, before i tell you how the appointment went, that experience was actually a pleasure. No really. I mean it.
We are fortunate enough to live within 2 miles of one of the vest children's hospitals this side of the Mississippi, Rady Children's Hospital. Also fortunately, since this is the closest hospital to us, our insurance will allow us to go there, and not force us to use the military medical centers, in an emergency. This time, they even let us go back there for her follow up. After three total trips to this hospital, I am now a huge fan. This place, and these people, really make a difference. I can't imagine how different our experience would be if we had been forced into the military hospital for all of this.
At Rady's, they understand that you are dealing with children who are scared and unsure of what is going on around them. They take the time to be as patient as is possible. All three times we have gone, the girls have walked out with not only stickers, but a little stuffed animal, meant to keep them company though the scary parts. Today, the Big One was the first to get one. She had to turn her back on the table where the Little One was laying, getting her cast cut off. The man, who happened to be the one who put the cast on the Little One, standing there noticed her, and right away gave her a teddy bear to hold. Then, he gave her one for her little sister. It isn't even that they get stuff, so much as the fact that they are doing something to reach out and comfort the children on an appropriate level for the child. They are all specially trained, and deal with children in a most impressive way. Aside from just the bedside manor, they are good at what they do. Their knowledge is far superior, I feel, to what we would have gotten elsewhere, and I truly value their expertise.
On top of all that, you have other little things, that really add up. The place is all decked out for kids, from paint schemes to room theme, interactive displays, and the icing on the cake, volunteers who come in to work with the kids. In our first waiting room was a man making origami out of dollar bills, and doing magic tricks. In the second, was a man who brought in a small wooden harp, and was singing and playing for the kids. It was really neat to experience. Honestly, the visit was almost a please, aside from the fits of crying and the nervousness of not knowing what was going to happen to my baby, of course.
So, I have to say thank you to all those at Rady's, who are fantastic beyond words.

As for the appointment, the results were just as good as the visit. They saw no break on the x-rays again. They couldn't see anything. So, the Dr said it could have just been a deep bruise. They let her walk around a bit to check her out. While she does favor the leg with a good limp, and complained about walking at first, the Doctors felt that was due to her being in a cast more than anything else. After a little exam and some discussion, they told us to get out of there. No more Boo Boo Sock. Just watch her and bring her back if she gets worse or doesn't get better.

So, tonight, she gets a bath. A good play bath, at that. Were talking colored water, bubbles, and toys. The works for this one. I'm sure it will be a great wet time. We have to be careful not to rub the leg hard. She already took too much skin off, rubbing at the joint in her ankle making it bleed. In a day or two, though, she should be as good as new. She is already terrorizing the house with all her might. In two more days, we should start fearing for our sanity again, and I look forward to it.

The Boo Boo Sock

Sometimes, when you think life just can't get much harder, it does.

This past weekend, the Little One had a bit of an incident.
The husband decided to take us all to a huge inflatable bounce house play place for a family day. It in one of those places where they have a ton of huge bounce slide things set up. I hate those things. I cried twice when I was at the top of one. It was actually a great time, though.
Right up until the the accident.
The Little One was coming down a slide, and go her right leg tucked up behind her, with her knee bent at a bad angle. When she came down, she fell, and started crying. I grabbed her, and could tell that she was really upset. I got her to calm down, and held her under some shade for a while. I thought it might have just been the heat. She was tired, and sweaty, and apparently done. So, I held her for a few minutes while The Big One and The Husband played just a little more. Then, we packed up and went home. She was out before we ever got out of the parking lot.

We took her home and let her sleep. My Mom stayed with her while the Husband and I ran out for just a bit.

When we got home, The Little One was on the couch, and Mom said that she couldn't stand. After a few minutes checking her out, and verifying that she indeed couldn't put any weight on her leg, we called her Dr, and then headed off to the ER.

We had a nice long visit, with multiple trips to the x-ray machine. When it was all said and done, the orthopedic doctor said that he thought she had broken the growth plate in her knee, but they weren't sure. She needed a full leg cast for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, we go back in for more x-rays, and then we find out for sure. They will be able to see healing on the x-rays if it had been broken. If they see something, she gets the cast for longer, if not, she is good to go.

For now, she is couch bound in her big purple "sock". She has to be carried everywhere. This is great when you are in the midst of potty training. I mean fun times. Really, though, I should be thankful that she is handling it so well. She has been a champ though it all. We have only had one big bout of crying, but other than being a little clingy, which I can handle, she is just going with the flow.

Let's all keep fingers crossed that when the cast comes off, the x-rays will be clean, and she will be free to move about the house, causing terror in her wake again.

Listen to Your Mother

If only my daughter had, today. I tell her over and over again, not to run in the house, but she just doesn't listen.

Lilly was running through the house today, tripped on something and fell, head first, into the edge of a wall. She busted her head open pretty badly. It looked like the corner of a wall was taken right out of her head.

It was really terrifying as a parent, to see something like that happen right in front of you. You expect kids to get hurt, but this so out of the blue, in our own home, a place you feel safe, that it was even more mortifying.

We had to call 911, something I had never worried about before. In fact, when we moved here, we selected Vonnage as our phone company, not even considering that 911 was different, and it does take just a little longer. Something we will always consider from here on out.

The first responders and an ambulance came. We had kept a towel and ice on the wound the entire time. So, it wasn't bleeding profusely anymore by the time they got here. The crazy thing is that I knew the fire fighter who seemed to take the lead! His wife has been in my moms group for a while. I had no idea that he worked right by our house. Made that a little more comforting.

A friend of ours and her son were at the house with us when this all happened. Thankfully, my friend volunteered to stay with Ava while we went to the hospital. They took us to the ER by ambulance. Lilly was pretty cool the during the ride. She was even trying to impress the EMTs by doing math for them on the way. I guess math is impressive to a five year old.

She had to get 6 staples in her head. They couldn't numb her before hand, because she wouldn't' let them. It was pretty horrible, but she was a tough little trooper all in all.

As petty as it may sound, I am really glad they didn't have to shave her head with school starting next week. Bless her little heart.

Now, I keep telling her, this is why you should listen to me when I tell you not to bounce on the couch, run in the house, etc. Let this be a lesson to all kids everywhere. We as parents try to look out for you, not try to keep you from having fun. We don't want things like that to happen to anyone. Read them this post, and show them the picture. Tell them that they should always listen to you. Hopefully she learned a lesson from it all.

Lilly will be fine, and no one will ever see her scar unless she shows them. She will have a gnarly one to show off when she wants, for sure, though.