It started out as a great morning. Just as we were walking out the door to go to playgroup I got an email from the twins t-ball coach saying that practices would start the next week. Isaac and Grace were so excited! Playgroup was at the park and the kids were running around and having a great time.
Then Isaac fell, started screaming that his arm hurt, and ran towards me. He had a jacket on so at first I just palpated his arm. I could tell he was really hurt but I couldn’t feel anything so I took off his jacket. It only took one glance at his arm to know it was broken. Just the thought of it still gives me the willies. It didn’t look good! Thankfully since we were at playgroup I had friends who were immediately ready to help. They were quick to take care of Grace and the friend I was watching that day, and somebody offered to drive me and Isaac to Urgent Care. Unfortunately Urgent Care couldn’t do anything for us and they sent us to the hospital ER. Again, friends jumped right in to get us there and to take care of Grace. Isaac was such a trooper through all of this. He was hurting and scared but he was keeping it together. I was proud of him! At the hospital he had x-rays and we were checked in. Mom and Kaitlin came to help us out at the hospital. Mom stayed with us while Kaitlin left to get Emma to her afternoon activities. The x-rays came back and there was no question, Isaac was the first person in our family to break a bone. Two bones, actually!
He kept amazing us with how well he was doing.
He was definitely in pain, but he was so tough. There was a mix-up with his orders and it took them way longer than it should have to actually give him some pain medicine, so he wasn’t always all smiles, but he kept up a brave face.
As a side note, he sure loves that blue blankey of his. He took it with him in the car to playgroup that day which drives me crazy. But I was so glad that he had it when he needed it!
When they finally got some medicine in him he was an absolute riot. He was chatting away and saying the funniest things. The best was when he told the nurses, all on his own, that he was chasing the girls when he fell. He also admitted that the girls were really fast. Funny kid!
He thought the oxygen cannula looked like a duck beak and was pretending to be a duck.
After quite a wait they finally decided that they would reduce the fracture there and put on the temporary cast instead of sending him up to Randall Children’s Hospital (you’d think after Emma’s appendix fiasco I would have learned my lesson and gone right up to Randall to start with…hopefully there won’t be a next time to prove myself). They did a conscious sedation so he didn’t know what was going on and didn’t remember anything while they were setting it. I couldn’t watch so I hid behind the curtain and only peaked when they were done. The ER doctor did a great job and was obviously pleased with how it all turned out.
Isaac slowly woke up and again was cracking us up. He asked Granny why she had two heads and why my eyes were down by my mouth.
Daddy was able to get out of his clinical early and got there just after they set the arm. He was bummed he missed the whole thing! That meant Isaac got a lift out of the hospital.
I went to bed that night so grateful that Isaac was safe and even more grateful for friends who are so willing to help, even when it was inconvenient for them. Thank you! And I was thankful for my mom who will drop anything to help, especially when her kids or grandkids are hurt. Kaitlin saved me that day too and helped me to focus on what Isaac needed. We love you all! The next day Isaac was still hurting so I kept him home from preschool. He was thrilled when Grace came home with get well cards from all his preschool friends.
Two days later we went to the orthopedist to get the real cast put on. He chose red and was super excited about it.
Again he cracked me up by talking the ears off the doctor and nurses. He shocked one nurse by telling her he was going to get an “indelible” marker so people could sign his cast.
The orthopedist was very happy with how his arm looked, the ER doctor really did do a good job! Since Isaac was again such a trooper, he deserved a lunch out with Mom. He was happy to choose Wendy’s and even happier that he got a toy!
He had promised Emma that she could be the first person to sign his cast, so he waited until she got home to let anybody use the indelible marker.
After her, the rest of us got our turn.
The first couple of days after he broke it, he got frustrated easily that he couldn’t use his right hand, and he kept saying he wanted his “regular arm” back. I was a little worried how we would get through this, but I was shocked at how well and how quickly he did adapt. He was even able to play t-ball!
In the end I think it was more of a pain for me than it was for him! I was so glad when I didn’t have to wrap his arm for a bath and he could take a shower again.
Four weeks later he got the cast off. We got a few last pictures of the cast and the signatures before it came off.
He was a little nervous about getting it cut off, but he was pleasantly surprised with how cool and easy it was.
I noticed right after taking this picture that there was a sign above him saying no pictures allowed. Oops.
They had told me that he would most likely need a short arm cast after the long one. But his arm looked so good that he didn’t need it. Wahoo! His arm has a funny bump that reminds me a little too much of how misshapen it looked when he broke it, but that will go away. He was so happy that his “regular arm” was back, but it was still funny to see that it took a little time to use his right arm. He was still trying to be a lefty for a little while. He had to relearn how to play t-ball, but he’s done it! After listening to his version of what happened and going back to the park so he could show me, we learned that he broke his arm by hitting it just right on the edge of the play structure step when he fell. What a memory, and hopefully he has learned what happens when you chase girls!
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