Soccer picture day, as I mentioned before, was FREEZING. Andy took Lucy to dance class, so I had the other three. Toby was throwing a tantrum by the end of the game and I was exasperated by the time we got home.
Andy pulled in right behind us. Caleb jumped out of the car and ran to the grass to kick the soccer ball with Andy. As I was getting Nellie out of the car Andy asked Caleb to throw his straw, that he had thrown in the bushes, away. He dashed over and just wiped out. Andy was right next to him and I was just walking out of the garage and saw the whole thing. He immediately looked up and said he broke it. Although he had a long sleeve shirt on, his arm just didn't look straight and Andy and I knew we needed to take him in immediately.
We were worried on how to transport him but we put a blanket under his arm for support and lifted him into the car. Andy was going to take him, but Toby wanted him to stay. Being able to see that a bone is broken has always been one of my nightmares so I was quite worried about going in. Caleb was in hysterics in the car. He was so worried about his broken arm. I told him it might not be broken, although I never believe it. When we arrived at the hospital, I brought out a wheel chair to bring him in. The doctor carried him to the scale and to the hospital bed. The hospital has a separate children's emergency room so the doctor was quite good working with kids. The nurse was nice, but I didn't feel she had the same way with kids. They decided to give him an IV of morphine to help with his pain. She came up to him and said they were going to put a needle in him to make him feel better. He FREAKED. I had to smooth things over a bit before he wanted to sit still for the IV. Once it was in he did not move his right arm until it was removed. I had to scratch his nose, eyebrows, help get his legs untingly etc. because he didn't move a muscle the rest of the time we were at the hospital. I always tell the kids that I hate it when they are sick, but I like that I get a little extra snuggle time with them. I told him that I wished the bed was bigger (they were really small since it was the children's wing) so I could get in with him. He told me that I wouldn't have been able to anyway because he had too much medical stuff on him.
He was lucky that he could stay in the same room/bed the whole time. They brought an x-ray machine into the room. I helped to hold the board under his arm and then on his side. One nurse said she glanced at the x-ray and thought she did not see a break. It was the tip of the one bone was completely broken off and wedged next to where it should be connected (B in the photo).
Because Caleb had a snack after the game, they had to wait until at least 4:00 before they could give him any anesthesia. Andy was able to come to the hospital after Grandma and Aunt Emily came to the house. He arrived right about 4:30 and then the orthopedic surgeon arrived to the emergency room to reset his arm. They sedated him, but he was still conscious. It only took about 20 minutes for him to set his arm. When we arrived back in the room the traction equipment and dust was still in the room, which was a little scary for me. It took Caleb a while to come out of the anesthesia. I decided he is my medical boy...he was born via c-section, has had 3 surgeries and how a broken arm. I think he was a little more shaky than his last surgery He really wanted to eat or drink because he had not really eaten since breakfast (neither had I), but he was not allowed to until the anesthesia wore off. They mentioned a popsicle but then he couldn't eat it for a half hour. He was crying for it. I don't know that I have ever seen him so happy when they finally brought it for him. Finally we were able to go home. He had a huge dinner of a half a piece of bread and went to bed.
He barely moved the whole next day. But by Monday, with a lot of prodding from Mom and Dad, he started doing some things for himself. It was the first day that Caleb every went to school pick up. He was so excited to show off his arm. Tuesday he surprised us with even more independence and was begging to go to school, but they were off on Wednesday.
I think he was the most excited for the attention he was going to get. He thought it was awesome that everyone at school asked him how he broke his arm. The teacher let him get in front of the class to tell everyone at once what happened.
We see the doctor again on Monday and he might get his plaster cast and he can get it signed.
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