trauma drama

I don't know what I am going to do with my third son. His injuries seem to be never-ending. And he's only 2.

Monday afternoon Isaac climbed to the top bunk and jumped off while he was supposed to be in bed napping. He cried a bit; I consoled him. A couple of hours later, when he woke up from his nap, I noticed that his elbow was sticking out at an unnatural angle. He said that it hurt, fussed some, and then his body started shaking a little. I'd like to say I handled the situation with calm confidence, but that would be lying. I flipped. I called Adam. Then I called my friend Jenn, who lives in our neighborhood. Thankfully she was quick on her feet, and was over in a couple of minutes with Tylenol in hand. She took Samuel and Elijah, and I left for the urgent care clinic with Isaac and Matea. I thought maybe he'd dislocated his elbow.

The doctor took x-rays and said that it was more serious than a dislocation. We drove to the ER. Isaac was unbelievably cheerful with his little arm dangling by his side.

To make a 15-hour story fit into a couple of paragraphs, I'll just say that what started as a possible dislocated elbow quickly turned to a broken arm, then the diagnosis of a more complicated break that required surgery on the spot and an overnight stay in the hospital.

All night, we weren't really sure what the outcome for Isaac's arm would be. The worst-case scenario they gave us was more grim, and Adam and I prayed against that all night - that the surgeon would be able to do a quick, smooth fix during the surgery and we could just go home. Thankfully, that happened. His surgery happened around midnight, and we went home at 9 the next morning.

This is Isaac, early the next morning, so happy to eat his Mickey Mouse pancakes (he had to miss dinner because you can't eat before surgery).

And here he is later that day, not too fazed by whole ordeal. He just doesn't like the clunky cast on his arm. He's asked, more than once, if we can take it off yet.

It's been hard to keep him down. He's supposed to keep lying down or sitting with his arm elevated for 72 hours after the surgery. Anyone with a 2-year-old can sympathize with the difficulty of that assignment, and having 2 older brothers, Isaac is a particularly active and fearless little guy.

He is frustrated at the limitations he's experiencing due to his cast. He has zero use of his right arm, and the cast is very heavy for him. He is not strong enough to lift his right arm at all because of the weight. There is a lot that he's used to doing "by myself!" that he can't do anymore. This is very frustrating for him, and has been the source of many temper tantrums. I would like to say that he's learning the hard way that "this is what happens when you jump off of things that you're not supposed to..." but I'm pretty sure it's over his head. (Sigh.)