It was just last night, I think, that I was IM’ing with a friend and I said, “Next week Simon starts going to school for 3 days extended (until 3pm) and Sophia starts swim camp! I won’t know what to do with my free time! But I’m willing to find out.”
You know the old saying: “Man plans, God laughs.”
Today I got a call from the preschool telling me that Sophia had broken her arm.
It happened on the playground. I imagined she had fallen off the monkey bars or something, but no: she had been sitting at the Art Table, and as she was getting off the bench she slipped and fell on her arm. She was being very brave when I came to get her—no tears, stoically holding her arm covered in ice packs. She had cried, she told me. All of the teachers were quite amazed at how brave she was being. I took her to the doctor and from there to the pediatric orthopedic doctor. She started to lose her composure, though, after she had finally gotten the X-rays (“Like Curious George got when he went to the hospital”) and we had to wait in the exam room.
“I want to go home now,” she said. “I wish I’d never hurt my arm.”
The ortho tech came in to give her a splint (she’ll have a splint for a couple of days and then get a cast on Thursday), and can I tell you how worrisome it is to have an ortho tech who is a dead ringer for Ian McShane as Al Swearengen wrapping up your daughter in gauze? (I’m totally serious. He didn’t have grease in his hair, and he didn’t have the little beard under his lip, but other than that: yup.)
So now she’s on the couch, watching “Dragontales” with her arm propped up on a pillow (to keep it above the heart). She’s eating a couple of cut-up apples and cheese sticks (“because that’s all I can eat now, Mommy”).
She’s upset because she’s not going to be able to do all the swimming she was planning. I’m upset because my little girl got hurt. I assume that after a day or so we’ll adjust to the new regimen. Of course, she can’t go to her last day of preschool tomorrow, because they’re having “Water Days,” and she can’t get wet.
The weather’s finally gotten extremely hot around here, and she can’t get her splint (and in a few days, her cast) wet. Neat.
I’ve never broken anything (knock on nearest wood sprite)—does it affect your outlook on life? She has an adventuresome spirit and I hope she’s just as energetic after this little incident as she was before. At the moment she’s even lost her sense of humor.
Followed a link here from an other blog, first time visitor… to find the post about your daughter. Anyhow, just wanted to say BTDT, wtih my daughter, 18 months ago and it’s so hard. Because they are hurting and you wish you could take all the hurt away. For some reason, they understand the basics of broken bones much better than they do, say, tummy flu and seem so mature about it, so mature it breaks your heart.
My daughter was abit older when she broke her arm, it was a few days before her 6th birthday. I don’t think it’s done any long term dammage. One thing I did find out: MDs dno’t think kids need pain meds when they set bones. I wasn’t with her, dh was, and they set her bone with no meds except the Tylenol I’d given her an hour or so earlier. So holler if they don’t offer at least Versed or something when comes time to set the arm, if it needs setting. My kid broke both bones and one was slightly angulated. And she broke it when she fell on her butt from a sitting position… My kid, the total daredevel on the monkey bars!
Best thoughts to her. My daughter’s comment at about 24 hours post injury was “well, I guess I’m going to learn to do a lot of things one handed”. I hope Sophia heals well and quickly and that she learns a few new tricks.
Oh. And compressed air is your friend. Cool air, blows out dirt… better than nothing. We used an air compressor at a very low setting… I wouldn’t use the cans, but if you have a compressor, testing that abit to determine a safe setting and trying that under the cast to alliviate some of teh eventual discomfort…
Diane, (gory alert! gory alert!)… I severed my right thumb when I was six and the surgeon had to reattach it (rebuilding the joint and reconnecting the nerves). It may have slowed me down slightly once the cast finally came off, but within a few months, I was back to doing all of the outdoor stuff I used to do. I was very much a tomboy and played football in the neighborhood and later on, became a pitcher for a softball team. I think I took my cue from my mom who acted like it wasn’t a big deal and there was no reason for it to slow me down. (Or maybe she was just oblivious!)
I’m sorry to hear about your little girl’s arm. The two of you should start working on a new, more adventurous tale of how it happened, pronto.
I fractured my skull as a kid, but I don’t think it changed much about me. I was cautious and over-sensitive before and after the incident. I’m sure she’ll be fine.
You, on the other hand….
🙂
Harry C (not the popular one)