Sam-AKA- my accident waiting to happen child

Sam really is my accident proned child! Last week, on Monday, we were playing in the back yard. Ike and Sam were swinging. Sam was swinging high and then would jump out of the swing. You know, like every kid does! Well at 12:30 she swinging very high and jumped out, landed, fell over and rolled. I saw the whole thing. I knew instantly her arm was broken. So I called to her not to move. I helped her put her arm across her stomach and told her to hold onto her wrist. The break was right above the elbow. I called Pete at work and asked if he could come home. He works very close by. We went to our doctor office since they can do broken bones and that way we aren't paying the insanely high priced co-pay. They said they could fix her up unless it was in a certain spot (sub something or other... technical name :)) So they took Xrays of her arm and shoulder (she said her shoulder hurt too). Unfortunately the break was in that one spot that would require hardware. We then had to go to Downtown Children's Mercy hospital. The doctor had called ahead and they were concerned about vascular problems. That is why we couldn't go to a closer place.

So we get checked in and then she gets an IV and start getting pain meds. Finally she gets surgery along with 3 pins. She got to go home that same night. It was still a LONG day. we got home about 9 that night.




She requested a red cast. She got it but they then wrapped it in that blue stretching bandage stuff. They split the cast on both sides to allow for swelling (which I'm thankful for... and wish she had that done 5 years ago when she broke her arm). Yesterday we went for her first follow-up. The Xray looked fine. The bone still wasn't straight but the dr said it looked good. I'll take her word for it. We go back in 3 weeks to get the pins out. It sounds rather easy... we'll see! At the ER/OR they said they take the cast off, pull the pins out and recast it. However, yesterday the Dr said they take it all off and leave it off. No more cast. They want her moving her arm as much as possible. So she will have her cast on for only 1 month! It was a rather bad break even. They called it a class or grade 3. Something like that. it was scale of 1-3. 3 meaning it was far from where the bone should be. By the time she finally was going back to surgery you could see where the bone was wanting to poke through her skin. It was getting bruised pretty good as well.

It hasn't slowed her down too much though. Except she had to stop martial arts (karate/judo/ju jutsu), gymnastics and piano for a little bit. Also not so much fun at the park where only climbing and swinging toys are available.


She lost a tooth the day after she broke her arm.. it was pretty loose.