We Interrupt This Message...

So, my happy little glowing post yesterday was brought to an abrupt halt when my five year old was injured by my two and a half year old.

I was talking on the phone when I heard Kes start to cry and say that Hayden hurt her arm. I told her to go sit in the living room and I put him in time out, which he promptly ignored. Anyway, fast forward to about fifteen minutes later when I finally hang up and I go to check on Kestrel and she says in a teary voice "how am I going to dress myself with my arm like this?" I asked her where it was hurting and she pointed to her elbow. I asked her what happened and she told me "Hayden sat on my arm and twisted it". I think "Great. Nursemaid's elbow - AGAIN." I inform hubby and we decide that I should take her to the hospital and he'll hang with Hayden.

Okay. I guesstimated three hours and we were there for three and a half. Now not all of that was waiting, but it was torture nonetheless. There were obvious infectious kids in the waiting area (can't they quarantine them?) and I was squirming in my seat every time a kid hacked or sneezed. Thank goodness they had antiseptic gel everywhere.

So we consulted with the doctor and I explained what happened and that this was, like, the fourth time. He tried to "reduce" it (as they call it) twice and she screamed her head off. I told him that it wouldn't go in the last time either and they had to x-ray, blah-de-blah-de-blah. He decides it should be x-rayed. Back to waiting room, wait some more. Get escorted to x-ray. Wait. Try to console child as she screams her head off for the x-rays (three different positions). They give her a stick-on tattoo and a bendy pencil. Back to waiting room. Get called back into room by another doctor who asks some questions, like "was the arm pulled?" I say no and at this point, Kestrel's story has now changed to "Hayden was twirling around and fell on my arm". He decides since she is kind of old for nursemaid's elbow and that it wasn't pulled that it should be casted. They can't see any fracture on the films, but tell me that doesn't mean it isn't fractured. At the very least, since it hurts so much it will be immobile. Back to waiting room while another kid gets a cast on his foot. I promise her a pink cast and cross my fingers that they have that colour. Previous kid comes out with blue so it looks promising.

Help doctor by holding her arm in position as he applies cast. Bright pink as promised! Then he tells me that he is referring us to the Orthopaedic Department. Giant alarm bell goes off. Brain goes "HELL, NO". In case you are wondering why I will never ever visit the ortho department at BC Children's again, please read this, the clubfoot saga. I leave and immediately spring into action (bit slow on the uptake that girl she is) to get an appointment with our beloved Dr. Pirani.

Most of today was spent obtaining a referral and the x-rays to take with us tomorrow when we see him. So I will be putting aside the sewing yet again to attend to this, but hopefully it can be resolved by the end of tomorrow. Plus, if she needs a different cast, I totally trust the cast technologist there - Milt rocks!

Poor muffin. She woke up crying tonight as she was in pain. We gave her some pain relief and I reassured her that it will be looked after tomorrow. Pray God it is so.