The Break

Our extended holiday weekend took a turn for the worse on Sunday night. We dropped the kids off with Brad's mom and his g'mom for them to babysit while we went to see a movie. When we got home, they gave us the news that Brenna had apparently taken a fall. No one actually saw what happened, but they found her at the foot of the stairs, starting to get up, and crying profusely. So, in hindsight, I'm certain she crawled up a few stairs and fell down them. By the time we got there, she was sort of back to normal, not crying or anything, but kind of holding her arm wierd. It was a little sensitive, but only in certain spots. She was moving everything, she was even using it to carry things! It kind of looked a little bowed out, or maybe it was just swollen. It was obvious she had hurt it, but we never dreamed how bad it would turn out to be.

So, we determined that, at most, it might MIGHT be dislocated, but maybe just bruised the bone. Since Urgent Care was closed, we decided to wait to see how it was in the morning. When I got her up on Monday, it was no worse, but no better. So, for peace of mind sake, I decided to take her in to our primary care dr. Glad I took a shower beforehand, because the rest of the day, starting at that 10 o'clock appt was a whirlwind!

The dr looked at and said it wasn't dislocated..he tried to 'pop' it and nothing happened, but even had trouble finding her 'sensitive' spots. He sent us for Xrays to be able to get a better look. So, we went down the street to the radiology dept. After the xray (which was torturous, having to hold her down for that!), the tech told me..."I'm not supposed to say this, but just to prepare you, it IS broken." My heart dropped into my stomach. She told me it was a green stitch break, meaning its not snapped in half, but merely bent like a straw. Ok.... So that doesn't sound TOO bad. She told me to go ahead and call the dr back to get further instructions and she would prepare the report. That that is why she wanted to go ahead and tell me, b/c it would need to be immobilized and the quicker I start trying to get whatever appts I needed, the better.

So from there, I called our dr's office back (who had told me to wait to hear from them) and gave them the news. They said they'd have the dr call me back. Within 10 min, the phone rings and its his office, calling to give me the news that her arm was broken - "in two spots". Huh?!?! That sounded a lot less reassuring that what the tech told me. And they went on to say that I was to now see an orthopedic surgeon, who we would hear from within the hour. Ugh....

We had just gotten back home and ate lunch. Brad took off from work and stayed with Brenna while I tried to continue Brooke about her day, taking her to Kindermusik, while I waited to hear from the orthopedic surgeon. Our primary dr then returned my call, wondering if I had questions? Apparently he didn't get the note that his staff had already talked to me. He talked to me a bit, was more reassuring and calming, when my phone beeped, with the orthopedic surgeon on the other line. So I talked to them, they told us to be there with Brenna in an hour. I take Brooke to Kindermusik, but we leave early to get Brenna to dr in time.

Now, I will stop and say here, that I did have a complete meltdown. In the time period, while the girls were eating lunch and while we were waiting on phone calls, I went to a back room and cried my little heart out. All I could picture was my poor baby falling down the stairs, BREAKING an arm, and now in a cast for the whole Christmas season! Silly thoughts came to my head...would she need surgery (pins?)?, how would she sleep since she sleeps on her tummy with her arms tucked under her?, how would we get her in and out of the carseat?, should I go put them in Christmas dresses and take some Christmas pictures before we go to the doctor and get a cast?, how would they hold her down and still long enough to put on the cast? Just all these thoughts.... So I had a breakdown moment (or moments for sure) for the short time that I had to process this. But it quickly picked back up with more phone calls and waiting rooms, etc....

So, we take her in at 2, and wait, and wait...and wait........and wait. Busy day for broken bones apparently? We had to wait for a "casting room". So anyway, we FINALLY get back to a room around 4, had to spend a few minutes with the dr, who explained to us, it was indeed broken in two spots...on each of the forearm bones. The best analogy he could give was that of being a green limb off a tree, as opposed to a brown stick. Little little kids' bones are flexible and don't break clean in half, but it is broken...just like a frayed edge. Anyway, I can picture it, but can't explain it very well. He said if she was older, he would want to operate and put pins in it, but since she is still so little (aka - fragile), he thought he could do it himself with his own two hands. So we spent 10 minutes looking at her bare arm for the last time for a while and picking out a color for a cast. Seriously...that was a big decision! Then, he came back in and the casting began. When he got it all on, but before it dried, he took his hands on either side of her arm (as if you were holding a pole) and squeezed it together, pushing the bones back into place. Yeowch! Right??? But honestly, I think she was more upset about being held down and having something scary done.

So, then it had to dry and we had to do another xray for him to determine if he did a good enough job on 'setting' it. He did. So, we got our cast care instructions and came home. It is a waterproof cast, but better to not get it wet as it takes forever to dry. Also, a big recommendation was to try to keep it elevated as often as possible. They admitted that would be difficult with a 19mo old. And we will take her back in a week so he can check the cast since the little ones aren't able to express if their arm is tingly or if its too tight or whatever. Then after that appt, its on till after Christmas at least... Then we'll see from there.

((sigh))

Fun. Times.

So, we didn't get home till after 5, when I realized I hadn't eaten all day. I hadn't even gone to the bathroom! I think I was just going on auto-pilot or something. So, we finally got to pause and take a moment to eat, drink, and pee!

Today is Day 2 of living with a cast. It's tough. Really really tough. Yesterday she was a champ and hardly cried (she is one tough cookie!!!), but today she has been MAD! She keeps saying "Off. Off. Off" and holding her arm up. She has tried to bite it off. She hits at it over and over again. But the worst is trying to see her maneuver. If she falls, she can't get up on her own. She can't climb up on the stool. She can't get in a chair. She can't pick up hardly anything...since most things require two hands. Even her cup of milk, she can't hold on her own. (note to self - find a skinnier sippy cup) It just breaks my heart. I almost burst into tears at her Kindermusik class today when she was trying to pick up an egg shaker. :-((

Anyway, trying not to be Debbie Downer. I promise I'm not in a pity party over here. But its a process to get her into the carseat (like a puzzle!) or get her dressed. I have been reassured that its a learning process for all of us and she will adjust soon. My newest thing is ...to find a one-armed jacket. It's gotten cold here now and I can't get any of her jackets/coats over her cast!

So, its just all the little things we are going to have to learn, or re-learn how to do with a big overstuffed arm. My poor little baby girl.

Ok, so I'll stop pitying over here and share some pics of our ordeal yesterday....


Here's the last picture of her with no cast (well, for a while anyway). Notice her left arm is bowed out a little? And she constantly held it in that position. Otherwise, there were no other 'symptoms' that it was broken.

Having to hold her down was by far the worst part, here she is getting wrapped up...

And here she is about to give up on crying. Its not really working. And getting the color part of the cast. We went with red since its Christmas-time. ;-)


The second worst part was not being able to pick her up for several minutes to console her, while it dried...The completed cast...my poor sweet baby girl...
And after we get back home, she's all happy again. Doing her makeup in the bathroom. :-)
At night, after I got home from work, I went in to check on her and tried to prop her arm up the best I could. Now, her shoulder looks all disfigured, but the one part of all this...she is still sleeping good? And seems to be comfortable while she sleeps? However, you can tell, she's still trying to tuck her arm underneath her. Day 2...decked out in Christmas wear and happy as can be. Of course, now she's starting to get mad, mad, mad. And frustrated. And pathetic looking, when she tries to do something she used to be able to do and now can't. :-(....
So, after yesterday, I need about a week of sleep. I am exhausted! Emotionally and physically spent. (did I mention that I swear the cast adds 5lbs to this child?!?!) I am not looking forward to dealing with this for a month, but what choice to I have? We have been dealt this challenge and will go through it!