Last week, as we were getting ready to leave a friend's house, my daughter fell during a game of tag and let out a blood curdling scream. The Mom in me figured out pretty quickly that there was something more to it than a bump she'd get over, especially when that scream didn't end for almost an hour. A visit that night to the ER indicated that there was no serious break, which left me scratching my head and feeling like the mom who worries over nothing. But the next morning, I got a call from the hospital. They had a second technician double check her x-rays and discovered that she had actually fractured her elbow. So, with camera in tow (at the blame, I mean credit, of my husband), we headed downtown to Children's Hospital to see an orthopedist about a cast.
The worst part of seeing a doctor is always the waiting, so I made sure to come prepared. We brought a new book Emma had just gotten from my friend Annie and her new-to-her Tag reading system to keep her busy.
It was interesting to me to see the ways she would favor her injury. She definitely limited how much she used her arm and in what ways she used it. She used her opposite (good) hand to push back her hair, and when she would climb or play, like spinning the stool, she would really only use one hand. Yet, she would still use it to touch or hold things, making me unsure of exactly what was wrong.
Snack is a definite distraction when it comes to, well, anything with toddlers. And my girl was even nice enough to share. The office requested an additional x-ray to verify the fracture (no pictures of that, as I got to comfort and hold my girl), and once I saw it, I could understand why! The crack was so small, but none the less painful. (In case you are trying to figure it out - it is almost straight across from the top of the "L", at the bottom and outside of the upper arm bone.)
Next began the wrapping. {Side note: at 3, nothing about this makes sense and is all pretty scary, so all these wrapping pictures are taken one-handed with my girl in my lap and my arm extended out over us. I apologize for the crazy angles and composition. I was definitely more in Mom mode than photographer mode - rightfully so.} My mom friends all recommended that we spend the extra money to get the waterproof cast, and even now, am I so happy I listened!
Cast color was, of course, purple. As the process went on, there were more tears and cuddling, so I thought the sucker I stuck in my pocket as we were walking out the door might distract her some. It was just the ticket to get us through to the end.
She really did fairly well. The cast dries pretty quick and is obviously vary hard, making the edges rather sharp, but a little trimming and sanding and she was good to go.
It took her a few minutes to let it all sink in, and she was interested in touching it and exploring it to see exactly what the deal was. I chuckled as she scratched at it, almost as if she was trying to get it off.
A few hours after our initial appointment, we were on our way out, making sure to grab a Sofia sticker and wave goodbye to the animals as we left. We have an appointment in a few weeks to hopefully have it taken off, and I hope that is the last visit to a hospital we have for a looong time!
Until next time,
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