It’s actually been hard for me to work up the energy and emotional stamina to draft this post for many reasons (sleep deprivation being one of them), but I suppose it’s time to rip off the bandage and spill the events of our past week.
The headline:
On Tuesday, my Chicklet BROKE HER FREAKING LEG.
(I’ll pause for a moment while you let that sink on in.)
Now here we go with the most streamlined version of the story that I can manage.
On Tuesday, we were at a place in Tulsa that’s basically like a hyped-up Chuck E. Cheese (think: mini roller coaster and theme park rides inside). Of course, the place came complete with a trampoline park within the complex, and we’d been jumping for about two minutes when Chicklet collapsed sobbing and screaming.
Of course, I didn’t actually see the incident since Little Man was young enough to require an adult companion (and that companion was I), but I was very close by and immediately went to her.
Based on cousin reports, she jumped on a tight trampoline that had no give, and that’s when she went down for the count.
The doc (reporting to me later, of course), said this exact injury happens in young children all the time when they are on a particularly firm trampoline and their weight isn’t strong enough to properly force the trampoline to give. Basically, the trampoline wins, the impact radiates up to the kiddo’s hip and then flares back down, breaking the weakest bone along the way.
And that’s what happened to my poor, poor Chicklet.
Fractured tibia, right below the knee, resulting in a full-leg cast from hip to ankle.
It’s kind of crazy that the above pic has us both smiling, but by that point, we’d been through hours of her discomfort and crying and we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
By brave little girl had been through the ringer many times over, but she settled down miraculously as soon as they set the cast, praise the heavens. In fact, she came out of the cast room declaring it was the “best ever,” when I can assure you that the events leading up to that point most certainly were not.
However, we definitely had blessings along the way—in the form of my sister-in-law’s amazingly responsive pediatrician, who got us in to be examined far sooner than we would have managed through the ER.
And then, upon confirming the break, he made the swiftest arrangements to send us straight to the orthopedic doctor—who, again, was lovely.
From first appointment to cast completion (separate offices, across town), the process was around 2.5 hours. Amazing.
I just can’t imagine how things might have gone with lengthier waits and less helpful medical professionals. We were blessed indeed.
My girl has still be through the ringer the last few days in terms of acclimating (especially during the nighttime hours) to her new constraints, but honestly, that will have to be a post for another day, when I feel better fortified to “talk” it all through.
For now, I’m very much still adjusting to our vastly altered second-half-of-summer plans and praying for the stamina and positive attitude to tackle it all.
I’m sooooo grateful for the resilience of these young babes and the smiles Chicklet has dredged up from heaven knows where!
And I’m also soooooo grateful to be home with the hubby, who was in Dallas for all of this drama.
Man, was it yucky to be separated from him—ironically, I think it would have been tougher for him to be involved in the process live as it was happening (papa bear takes kiddo injuries hard), but, boy, was it hard not having him there in the aftermath, when the reality set in.
But nobody, I mean nobody can make Chicklet feel better like her Daddy, who she was thrilled to see. :)
More later as all things return to our new baseline, but for now think happy thoughts for smoother nights for my healing girl, and creative distractions for a four-year-old who’s not used to sitting still!
Over and out.
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