Thursday, January 11, 2007

Casting call

Many people comment that Rosebud is our "boy" something about her toughness that prompts this comment. I realize it is so ridiculous since we have so many sensitive boys and scrappy little girls around us (and vice versa for that matter) that it is probably all hogwash. None the less people say this to us. It is like they think I mind that I have two girls so having one sort of like a boy makes it better. I find it all kind of funny but, usually keep my comments to myself. Stay out of trouble that way.

If you knew Papoosie Girl you would know she is so stubborn (hubby's side for sure) she never backs down...she will fall on her magic fairy wand first. And, if you really knew her you would know she has two left feet. She walks into walls and trips over her own feet with great regularity. We actually put foam stripping around our half wall leading out of our kitchen since she used to walk into head first over and over. Hubby wanted to buy this foam helmet we found at WalMart when she was one or two and make her wear it all the time. We didn't but, many a goose-egg later we regretted it.

An example of her grace:

Papoosie Girl: I have to pee.
Me: OK go pee...
Walking up hallway completely empty, not a single thing on the floor.

CRASH!

Me: What happened!!
Papoosie Girl: I was walking along and then I fell. Sob. Cry.
Me: What?! What did you fall on?
Papoosie Girl: I don't know. More sob and cry.
Me: So you were just walking along and then you were on the floor?
Papoosie Girl: I think so.
Me: [In my head, good grief] Well, let's see the damage...big bruise on knee, hand is a bit mangled but you will survive. And, oh yeah go pee.

Now that she is six and wears glasses things are no better I assure you. So that leads us to Monday night. Never in our wildest dreams did we think Rosebud would be the first to break something. The whole event is so tragically boring - she jumped HOLDING her Dad's hand from the second last step to the landing. She immediately crumbled to the floor and from the look on her face and serious crying we knew something was wrong.

We put an icepack and gave her some Advil and after an episode of Max & Ruby she fell asleep on the sofa. Deciding not to move her we left her and she slept most of the night despite the bulge on the top of her foot. We debated taking her to ER then but decided to wait until morning and see how things were looking. In the morning the bulge was the same and she would not let us touch it or try to walk on it so off to ER we go. It was actually fairly painless, a bit of waiting, an x-ray, and the doctor telling us we needed a cast. Uh. Excuse me? She has a growth plate fracture, or Salter fracture I was told. She will need a temporary plaster cast and in a week they will take it off and re-evaluate. If it seems fine we are done, if not it will be re-casted for about 4 weeks. Yikes.

Have you tried bathing a child with a cast? My back is already spasming from carrying her everywhere. I know it could be so much worse so really I am not complaining, well, not a lot anyway.

Guess what else? According to the doctor and Google they occur twice as often in boys.




4 comments:

Bea said...

That's exactly like the cast the Bub wore after he injured his ankle on his second birthday! (I wrote about it in a post called "The Worst Birthday Ever." You'd be surprised how many Google hits I get with that as the search term.)

We did exactly what you did: let him sleep that first night, then took him in the next day when he still wasn't walking on it.

The E.R. doctor said it was a growth plate fracture, though he couldn't actually see anything on the X-Ray, and sent Bub home with a half-cast just like that one. He HATED it and was up for the next two nights screaming. So halfway through the second night we took him to a different E.R., where they removed the cast (exposing the largest blister I've ever seen on his heel), and said that if he wasn't walking in a week, to come back. A few days later he was back up on his feet again - but those were a LONG few days.

Jenifer said...

Oh. I remember that post now! I am not sure if I read it at the exact time or later but, I do remember.

Rosebud was sort of swaying back on forth one minute she didn't like the cast and the next proclaiming, "I have a cast!" with great excitement.

I think the funniest thing has been where we just do stuff and assume she is on the same page. At her first bath I started to put the bag on and tape it up and she started crying and going on about how she couldn't sleep with a bag on her foot. We didn't realize she had no idea what we were doing and that bag was just for bath.

So far things are good. Nothing other than having to schlep her around everywhere. We go back to the Fracture Clinic Monday so hopefully all will be well then.

Glad to be reminded that Bub recovered nicely.

N. said...

Poor Rosebud.

I totally know the helmets your husband is talking about. They were made of high density foam tube covered in fabric. Bump Buddy - was that the name? I laughed and refused to buy one. The next week Dr. Know started to walk and I had non-buyers remorse.

Too bad she has a cast, but is too young to go to school and have her friends sign it. This was my reason for always desiring a broken limb: the instant popularity factor.

Hope she is on the mend. Judging from the big smile, she is well on her way to recovery.

Sandra said...

Poor rose bud. No fun. I am so glad to have found your blog .. thanks for visiting my son's photoblog :)

I look forward to coming back again soon!