Having 4 kids means we are fully aware of our chances of our kids getting hurt. Fortunately, we haven't had any major injuries until this summer. Earlier in 2016 W fell off a playground and got a green stick break in his collar bone. There wasn't anything to do so he just had to deal with the pain and there's still a slight bump. Well W struck again and made us take our first trip to the ER in July.
Every year, the kids stay with my dad and Ella for the weekend while B and I move into camp. This year was no different. Saturday evening we got a text that W jumped out of a swing while at the park and hurt his elbow. It was pretty swollen, but they got an ice pack for it and were giving him children's Tylenol.
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| Sunday, July 10th swollen right elbow |
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Sunday night it was still really swollen so my dad called and asked if we wanted them to take W to the ER for an x-ray. We told them not to do that because they were supposed to bring us W in the morning anyway. Monday morning Ella brought the kids to me and I was very excited for them to be there at camp. W's elbow (arm) was very swollen and I took him to see the camp doctor and she immediately told me I needed to take him to Forest General for an x-ray. I wasn't expecting that, but it's good to know important Hattiesburg people because she called ahead and had the ER expecting us. So W and I left camp and R, A, and E stayed at camp with Bryce. When we arrived at the ER, we did not have to wait long before they called us back and wanted to know what happened. I had a hard time really describing the accident because I wasn't there and W wasn't sure exactly how he had his arms when he jumped out of the swing. W was taken for an x-ray and my mom showed up while we were in the room.
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| Pre-surgery TV watching |
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| Post surgery sleepy Wes |
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At first a nurse came in and started prepping him for a hard cast, but then she stopped and Dr. Whitehead's assistant, Dr. Randy came in and started talking to us about surgery. This option caught me totally off guard, but I didn't argue because I wanted his elbow to be fixed. He fractured a bone in his elbow and there was a ton of swelling. Dr. Whitehead said it was actually a pretty common fracture for kids and it's important to make sure the bone heals correctly otherwise the arm grows back crooked. Dr. Whitehead told me they would actually just insert pins into his elbow and not perform "surgery" but W would still have to be put to sleep. At this news, my mom went back to camp to get B, and the other kids stayed at camp with Bubba and Gilly. Once B arrived, the three of us were together and watched some cooking shows until W fell asleep. The doctor came and got W for surgery and was happy he was asleep because he was expecting W to be scared to leave us. B and I left to grab some lunch and then waited in the waiting room for a call that W was done and in recovery. We got a call from Dr. Whitehead that W was done and it went perfectly. Once W was awake, B went back with him and then I joined them when W was getting moved to his own room. W had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia and was in a foul mood. He ate a little dinner and drank some Sprite.
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| You can't even see W but I promise, he's there! |
By the time the rest of the family got there, W was acting himself. Bubba and Gilly came straight from camp and brought R, A, and E. My mom and Chuck also came for a visit and brought W some candy. AC showed up as well so it was a nice little family reunion. W had to spend 1 night in the hospital and I slept with him on the hospital bed. I think we slept about 5 hours off and on, but I'm sure I had better sleep than B, who tried to fit his 6 foot body on that little chair that folds out to a bed.
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| Much happier in the morning |
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| Taking a walk around since it was boring |
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| B's bed for the night | | |
The next morning, July 12, W was discharged and able to leave the hospital. I stayed with W for the day in Hattiesburg, and B went back to camp. Since B's job was the pool and mine was an area parent, we felt it was important for B to be there during the day and I was needed at night. I drove down with my mom Tuesday night and then B went with her back home to stay with W. After that first night home, B and I both stayed at camp with R & A, and my mom took care of W and E. He couldn't get his arm wet or sweaty, so that was really difficult for him in July in the hot MS heat.
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| W had to sit out while the rest of us swam |
He was a trooper and besides the phase of coming off the anesthesia, he never complained. After camp, we drove to Grapevine, TX for the SACSCOC conference (where he couldn't swim) and then back to Richmond. We made an appointment at Richmond Bone & Joint and saw the same doctor that did our cousin's knee surgery. Dr. Davino did not have good things to say about how W's arm was treated and handled, but what was done was done.
W got a hard cast and picked the colors red & blue. He had to keep his cast on for a few weeks and then could get it off and the pins removed. Assuming everything went as planned, he would have his cast off before the first day of school. The pictures are a little gross because one of the pins started to get pushed into his arm and his body was trying to push it out. It all healed and his arm is 99% back to normal.
The next pictures are sort of gross of where his pins were in his arm....PG-13
