Injured Leg

Yesterday at about 4:45 I heard a banshee-like scream from my bedroom and Silly came running to tell me that Bubba had jumped off my bed with no pillows to land on and nobody to catch him (apparently jumping off the bed is safe with pillows or someone playing catcher).

I sat Bubba on the couch and looked him over, his right foot looked the tiniest bit swollen and when I straightened both legs out to compare the two, he kept pulling his leg back. After about 10 minutes of sitting he decided to get up. He limped from the couch to the stairs, tried a step, then gave up. Not good signs. I called my mom for a medical consult. She not only said I'd better take him in, she also informed me that my sister was having pins put in her broken elbow. She fell holding her baby and sacrificed her elbow to save his head.

I called the doctor's office, waited an hour for them to call back (why do the people who answers the phones at the after-hours answering services always have such bad attitudes!?! I have never yet had someone who sounded happy to help.) and for Scott to get home from work then set off for CHKD's Emergency Department. We got there at 6:40. We were in the waiting room until 8:30. We left at 10:30. Really, really made me wish I lived in Richmond so I could just walk right into the ER and declare that I am Dr. Ramsey's daughter and get the royal treatment. Those were the days.

Bubba was quite entertaining in the waiting room. There were two little baby girls there and he was having a good time watching and talking about them. It was pretty cold in that place, but luckily I had thought to bring his blanket, baby and nekkie mole. And we had fun playing with his disposable BP cuff. I kept blowing it up then he would squish it. That was probably an hour of fun.

They took lots of X-rays of his foot and leg. The X-ray tech told me he had to make sure the pictures came out right before we were done. I told him, "Sadly, I know the drill."

Dr. came back and told me there were no visible breaks, but referred us to orthopedics, same one we saw with previous broken arms, and sent someone in to splint his leg. She put a splint up to his knee, but then the Dr said she wanted it all the way up his leg so she had to do it over again. Bubba just sat there watching her.

We got home just before 11 and he slept until about 1:45 then woke up a few times crying. I think mostly he was just uncomfortable and hadn't figured out how to maneuver his big, awkward leg yet. Eventually Scott just put him in our bed. I don't know where Scott went. Bubba slept sideways the rest of the night. This morning he doesn't even want to stand. Poor little dude.

 

Silly playing with the BP cuff

 At least my kids decide to injure themselves in warm weather so I don't have to do things like cut off sleeves and pant legs. But, I'm supposed to be leaving all my kids in Richmond all next week. Having one in a cast will definitely complicate matters.