Wednesday, May 18, 2011

...7..8..9..10....Cast or Not Here We Come

For me it has been a week. Just busy. All the mom hats I keep juggling. This week we took Flutter Nutter to the ENT for post-op follow-up. A+, Great ! But since it is in the same building as our other doctors, the stories from April come up. AND...We were there just lask week to get Flutter Nutter's cast removed and arm x-rayed again. We will be there next week, for one more follow-up on the broken arm. Not to mention all the other "little" incidents. Have I ever mentioned the ladies at the front desk, who check us in, know us. They KNOW us. THEY KNOW ALL my kids by NAME. THEY KNOW them so well, they often don't have to ask us for birthdates to verify who we are. THEY KNOW US!
So this crazy, busy week as I try to get ready for FUN MOM's 15th birthday. Yep, 15! I am little buzzy over that one. Driver's permit here she comes if she ever finishes her freshman year. I may just fail her in a couple of subjects. Of course, 11 year old Hockey Player, has this light fuzz of a mustache going on and he'll be 12 soon. Little Princess cries at the drop of a hat, slams doors and is sooo obviously becoming hormonal with her 10th birthday looming around the corner. It is so much fun, when Fun Mom doesn't understand why Little Princess is being "so, so, so WHAT is wrong with her???" Well let's see, when did you hit puberty, Fun MOM? Her response, "10.5-11 years old???"
MMMhmmm, and how old is she???
Fun Mom immediately collapses in "No Way ! ! NOOOooooOOOOoooOOO, she is my LITTLE sister."

But back to topic, what does casting got to do with all this. Defintely not fishing this time. I am in this little tumbleweed called life. A friend is over, taking care of late afternoon stuff. Feeling a bit overwhelmed cause I am having difficulty finding the correct feathers. Another topic in of itself. But they are needed for the birthday this week.
In this tumbleweed, of my so called life, walks Flutter Nutter sobbing. He has tripped over Gus. Gus is our friendly bark-o-meter. He likes to be underfoot. Unfortunately.
So perceiving these cries were more of indignation, I ask Flutter Nutter, "Is this a hurt cuz something is broken and we need to go to the doctor."
FN: "No" He comes to get a hug and walks back off to go play.
Minutes later, in walks two of the neighbor boys, "Hockey Player is hurt."
OKay, my brain switches pathways and I think, is this the kind of hurt that is bothering them more than Hockey Player. Well, I don't hear crying, must be okay. Didn't quite register that Hockey Player doesn't cry, holler, sob or wail, he just gets very stoic and even more quiet.
But wait, here comes Hockey Player, and in my experienced mom way I ask, "Anything broken?"
To which he responded, "I don't think so, it just hurts."
OK. Good, go on doing your thing. Back to the tumbleweed.
30-45 minutes later, things are calming down on the homestead some. House is quiet and my nerves and thoughts have quieted some as well. In walks Hockey Player, very quietly, "My arm really hurts."
OKKKkkkkaaaay.
I have him come to me. I manipulate it, touch, poke, prod. Get some "oOoOOOows", and some "that doesn't hurts." What did you do exactly? I was hiding, and Daddy's Buddy was in the suburban. I didn't know he was. He opened the door and... WHACKED his brother good. Where is the eye ball rolling dizzy little emoticon for a time like this? ? Who knew Hide and Seek could be so dangerous?
Call the doc, cause it is 4:30, and maybe they can give me some guidance. I am sooo very tired of walking in there with injuries this Spring. There is no bruise, no swelling, just a bump. But it is a bump with a scratch. I get those bumpy scratches too. Nurse tells me, yes, can have a broken bone with no swelling and no bruising. Really ? ? Learning something new, again!
However, if his arm is broken, all they can do tonight is Xray it and confirm one way or the other. No casting till the next day. So, we have a choice. Keep him comfortable for the night and go in the next day or go to the doc possibly 2 days in a row. Hockey Player, opted being kept comfortable and waiting for 'tomorrow'.
At one point, he gets nauseated from the pain. But then he is fine. Ice and elevation. This morning it hurts more. At the doctor's office, it doesn't hurt that bad, BUT he is trying to tie his shoe with one hand. It doesn't hurt so bad, as long as he doesn't move it.
Off to X-ray. Where they know us very well. However, I did have to clarify this visit was for a new injury, different child. I am holding a brace in my hand. Forgot to mention, Fun Mom pulled out her brace from when she sprained her wrist, just happened to be for the left arm, and gave it to Hockey Player the night before, for stability. The reception asked us, if we had come into the doc and got the brace, or we had one already. Laughter, and yep, we had one at home that happened to fit. From there the conversation digressed.
In some families, the kids wear hand-me down clothes. The Clark household wears hand-me down casts and braces. We wondered if we could hand-me down stitches as well. And mind you, we do have the casts from the past. So we could rubber band those on. Good to know, if we ever find ourselves without insurance. So, I am psychotically laughing by now. X-rays are done and it is time to get the news. No Broken Bones, a Bruised Bone. To which the doctor tells Hockey Player, you can milk this one for a while. He then proceeds to pulling out a sling, telling us Hockey Player should keep his arm in the sling until he feels his arm is doing well enough without it. I, of course, ask how long this typically is. 10 days or so. WOW! Hence, the permission to milk this one for a while. Fortunately, he hurt his left arm. So he can still do work. I graciously pointed this out and that if he really wanted to get out of school work, he would need to get a serious concussion that would prevent him keeping his eyes open and keep his head hurting enough so that thinking would be difficult.
Bruised Bone. A new one for us.

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