Tough Kid

Saturday night we went to my Brother's house to have dinner with my family that was in town.  The kids were enjoying playing on the trampoline, which was a new thing for them.  Ethan LOVED the trampoline, but was unsteady and all over the place (which he thought was hilarious).  The tramp did have netting all around to protect people from falling off, but we had too many kids jumping at the same time.

Anyway the kids were all jumping together with all of the adults standing right there and watching.  Brielle bounced on top of Ethan and he came up with the long-SILENT-scream and then caught his breath and started crying.  His arm went limp for a minute.  I calmed him down and checked his arm.  It wasn't swollen or bent, and then he started using it as he was playing.  He put pressure on it climbing up the stairs, was holding things and everything.  

Sunday it was still tender.  He was using it fine, but if I held that hand he would tell me he had a boo boo.  

I thought since he was playing with it and didn't seem to be in pain unless it was touched, that it was just bruised or sprained. James was concerned and insisted I take him to the doctor.

Monday morning we had cousin pictures scheduled.  So we raced from pictures to the Doctor.  It was a crazy busy Monday at the doctors office for some reason so everything went slowly.  We saw the doctor, he looked at and touched his arm, said it was probably just bruised, but since I told him Brielle had walked on her leg when it was broken, he said he'd send us for x-rays.  We went over and waited to get x-rays (for which Ethan sat amazingly still for!).  We went back to the doctor's office and the doctor came out and said "That is one tough kid!"  He confirmed it was actually broken.  He said it was a buckle fracture, so the bone is bent and if more pressure is put on it, it can snap and make it worse.

We were then sent down to Orthopedics for the casting.  Ethan again was able to sit still (amazingly, since in all these waiting rooms he was a crazy man!).  He had a hard time choosing between a blue and green cast.  He wanted both.

After he got the cast on (which went over his elbow) he was trying to bend his arm and said 'why my arm not working?' I tried to explain the cast and purpose for it.  After we got home he was tired tells me 'Mom, take it off!'.  And last night as I was putting him to bed he was asking questions about it again.  

It doesn't slow him down any, just gives him a weapon to use (which he doesn't need!).  He did have a hard time eating dinner that night, and was frustrated his food was falling more than usual.

Anyway, he is scheduled to have the cast on for about 4 weeks.  We go back in 2 weeks, where hopefully he can get a short arm cast on.  They wanted a full arm because he is so active he could hurt his arm even through the cast.