Our First Broken Bone

What an interesting weekend for sure!  I got a call early Friday morning that I needed to pick up Brandon from school because he had jumped off the play set, and now had a large bump on his leg and couldn’t put any pressure on it.  I knew what that meant, but was really hoping that it was just badly bruised.  But, at first sight I knew that we would be getting a cast, so we immediately headed to the Children’s urgent care.

      

Upon arrival, the UC wasn’t open yet but Brandon did NOT want to go to the big hospital (he remembered Pawpaw being there one time and did not want to go); he wanted to stay at “his hospital”, so that’s what we did.  Even though it meant waiting for 30 minutes, I was willing to accommodate my baby in any way I could that would help keep him calm.  We finally got called back for triage, but then had to wait again to get a room and be able to have x-rays taken.  Our x-rays, which were a completely horrible experience, did confirm what I had suspected:  broken tibia (the big shin bone).  It was a complete break, which means the bone was broken all the way through. :( 

 

Fortunately the urgent care place also houses several specialists, so we were able to see the orthopedic doctor right away and get a cast on it.

 

Our instructions from the doc were elevation for the next 48 hours, so we spent the rest of Friday laying around watching movies and most of Saturday doing the same. 

    

Ben did have to run Russell to football practice Saturday morning, and since I had clinicals he had to take Brandon with him.  Of course being the worried Mommy that I was, I snuck my phone into clinicals with me (Big no-no) so I could check in.  These were the updates I got:

 

I guess he was doing ok for the moment. :)

I could not wait to get home Saturday evening, and thankfully we were blessed with a short day of clinicals since it was our last rotation for the semester.  As soon as I got home, I assumed my position beside Brandon, and that’s where we stayed for the rest of the night.

It’s been an interesting weekend for sure.  Brandon is certainly getting used to his special treatment, but I know he’s ready for that cast to come off.  Nights have been hard; we all slept on the living room floor on Friday and Saturday nights, and Brandon has been on a pallet in our room since then.  Sunday he had a pretty good night, but last night was rough.  I think I was up with him almost every hour.  He did have to go back to the orthopedic doctor yesterday, and they ended up having to recast his leg.  They did a lot of padding on Friday to allow for the swelling, so after the swelling went down, there was a little room for the bone to shift.  So the green cast got cut off, the leg got reset (completely awful again), and now he’s sporting a blue cast.

Some of the comments from him that I’ll always remember:

To me when getting him out of the car seat at urgent care:  “Are you going to hurt me?” :(

To the x-ray tech:  “Get away from me!”

To the orthopedic doc when asked what color cast he wanted:  “I don’t want nuffin’!” (and then Brandon kicked him with his good leg)

To the doc and nurse when they were putting on the cast:  “You’re hurting me!!”

To me on Saturday when it was time for his dinner but I was still making mine and Ben’s:  “But how are you going to feed me?” (he was eating a corndog…with a stick in it.  Spoiled brat!)

To whoever was listening on Sunday:  “Who’s going to bring me that?”

To the doc yesterday when he was checking Brandon’s leg for blood pooling (before putting on the new cast):  “Stop touching it!” (said with that “duh dumb@$$” tone)

To me last night:  “Mommy, come give me a kiss.”

And notes about Brandon and loratab:  about 30-45 minutes after taking it, the kid starts talking 90 miles an hour.  And it’s LOUD.  I kept telling him to be quiet, but Ben would remind me that talking was the only thing he could do.  So I’m trying to just deal with the noise.  And then as it starts to wear off, homeboy gets GRUMPY.  As in doesn’t want anyone to talk to, look at, or touch him.  Except Mommy.  No one can do anything except Mommy. 

He went back to daycare today, and seems to have done alright.  He sits in his stroller for now, until we can find him a toddler-sized wheelchair.  He did tell me he cried when they put him on the floor for nap, and they told me he cried when they tried to sit him on the floor for play time.  But he and I and the school all survived the day, so I am happy.  Now if the next 6 weeks will just go by quickly…