Last night, we were at a school skating party about half an hour away. It was the first one we had been able to go to, because they are usually held on Thursday nights when our kids have music lessons. So Jacob, Katie, and Emma were very excited to go. I had a friend who needed to talk and Katie had a friend who needed a ride, so we all headed over. Not too far into things, Katie's friend came skating over and said Katie was hurt. She never falls roller blading, but this time she did as she was trying to slow down on the carpet. She started to fall backwards and landed on her left arm. Our principal was very helpful finding staff at the skating place to help us and also rounding up a mom who is an ER nurse. We headed to the office where they used a round piece of cardboard like what comes on the bottom of a frozen pizza to splint her arm. She was calm but shaky and very clammy. The ER nurse advised calling an ambulance because they could splint it better to keep her more comfortable, and also because we would get seen more quickly. My friend sat with Katie and the other adults while I scrambled around making arrangements for Jacob, Emma, and Katie's friend to get home. The ambulance came quickly after that, and Katie was carried out on the gurney.
The EMT's actually left the makeshift splint alone because they said it was working well. We did get taken right back to a room, which was a huge bonus. The doctor didn't think at first that it was broken because Katie was so calm and because it wasn't "deformed." Her pain tolerance is amazing. She never shed a tear. As she sat there calmly, and they asked her to rate her pain on a scale of 1-10, she said "9 or 10."
I stood in the room with the x-ray tech looking at the computer screen when they took the x-ray. Immediately when the picture popped up on the screen, I could see a long line going about half the length of her forearm on the inside (thumb side ) bone of her forearm. I asked if that was a break and the tech said yes. No need to wait for radiology to read it. There is also a small crack in one of the wrist bones on the pinky side of her hand.
During our time waiting last night, Katie told me she still wanted to go bathing suit shopping today as we had planned. That's my Katie!
This morning I got on the phone as soon as the doctors' offices opened, and found an orthopedist here in town who could see her this afternoon. Katie and I went back to the hospital to get a copy of the x-rays, and then we went shopping. She powered through the pain and managed to find some cute suits and some much needed church clothing as well. She was one happy girl, broken arm and all!
The main break in her arm is a "buckle fracture," for those of you more familiar than I am with medical terminology. The big question at the ortho was what color of cast. She is in a "long arm cast" for three weeks, and then she will have a short arm cast for 3 more weeks. The thing goes all the way to her shoulder! I know it will be driving her crazy soon enough, but right now she is having fun decorating it.
Last night after the ER
Today, with the full cast
What a way to start Easter Break!
