So, as you know Will has broken his shoulder, here are a few more details....It's a Friday about 16:30, and so Kate and Will have violin/viola lessons directly after school. Since Paul is earnestly trying to complete our UK taxes, I have taken everyone along to Town Hall (including Iron Man) then to lessons. Rather busy.
The walk home is what I knew would be challenging. K, J, W were on scooters, and then we had T in the buggy, plus J's cello, the viola, violin, a snack bag, three backpacks and my purse. I must have looked like a walking wardrobe. Unfortunately we didn't get far. W fell just a block from school before we even got to the corner of Maresfield Gardens. And as soon as he got up, he was clearly in pain, and demanded to get in the buggy. Great, now I have a scooter on the buggy too, plus I am chasing Iron Man. And Will isn't light! Not sure if that buggy is even going to make it the next two weeks.
Anyway, we finally arrived home, and Paul had a snack ready as Jack very quickly needs to high tail it up to church for Confession (or confection as I have seen him write it in his book. I rather like that term). Will won't eat his fav food, and was literally holding his arm, refusing to move it. There was no swelling, but his actions were un-mistakable pain filled. Will falls a lot, a have the holes in his pant legs to prove it, but this was different.
Ok, so it's getting a bit past 5, and Paul has to walk J up to church. Definitely a week to miss a car, although there is zero parking at church. Shortly after they leave, we pack up the mountain buggy with W in the stroller bit and T on the scooter and walk the 2ish blocks to the hospital.
There were a ton of seemingly broken arms yesterday. Rather eerily so if you ask me,but whatever. So we wait for the nurse. She gives W some Tylenol, then we wait for x r-rays. The pain seemed to be around his elbow, just above, so that is what they x-rayed. Came back ok, and so the doctor called us back to examine. I told her that there was something clearly wrong, and that we needed to figure it out. She was thinking possibly could have been elbow if first responder Kate had pulled him by the arms, but I really didn't think she had done that. so, back to x-ray. Mind you we have to walk back and forth the block long inside corridor through the adult ER wing to get to x ray. yes, I am tired of the Iron Man jokes.
So, back to the waiting room, again. Poor Will is feeling a bit better as the pain meds kick in. Thinks it doesn't hurt anymore so tries some viola bow landing exercises and quickly realises it does really still hurt :(. The whole time since the accident, he has been asking not for a cast, but for a sling. I guess I should have listened. Anway, Paul and J show up sin-free and bringing gifts of crepes and crisps. Pretty yummy. He takes Iron Man and his entourage home, so W and I chill with the other broken-armed children in the ward. At least I didn't push my child like the dad of the 6 year old girl... I was just waiting for DCFS to show up!
Soon we find out that it is taking so long because they have had to get an ortho expert to take a look, and then finally we have our diagnosis of fracture at the growth plate. I tried so hard to get all the details of what I needed to do (sling 1 week, not at bed or shower) and how to make the follow-up appointment. I wish they had given us a pamphlet on the injury, but not even an after-care sheet in writing. Gee, do I miss those colour coded Dupage Med handouts!
The sling seemed to really help, but it will be a long week. And I think he will be wearing J's shirts, as they are easier to pull over his head. W is convinced that Mr. Paco the PE teacher will let him do one-armed things. We will see. It's is right hand, so he will need a lot of help, but of all of them, he is the closest to ambidextrous. No writing, but he might be able to pull off most activities.
Looking back at the scooter fall, we realise how it happened. When he fell he actually landed on his wrist, but with it perpendicular to his arm... the force must have travelled straight up to his little shoulder and been just too much. Hopefully it will heal quickly.
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