Very rough weekend

[Guest db99wj]

We were at a soccer game for my daughter Saturday morning and my son was playing on the jungle gym, we (me and him) were about to leave (early) so that we could get to his game at a different school and I hear the scream that causes everyone to stop and turn, I knew who it was. Well I see him walking up this small hill, holding his arm, which instead of being nice and straight, had a big hump, and was shaped like a "S". I can tell from about 40 yards away. There was one guy running toward him, he is about half way between me and him, I make it to my son a few seconds after this guy did. Yep broken, big time broken. This one lady runs up and in one step, pops off one of her flip flops, carefully puts it under his arm, making a splint, ties her sweater around it to secure and stabilize it, then says, "get to the hospital. My truck is about 300 yards away, part of the parking lot is close to where we are, so my wife, a friend of mine and another guy walk my son about 75 yards to that parking lot while I run, I mean I run to my Jeep. Get to the hospital, do the X-rays, broke the Distal Radius and Ulna bones of the forearm, about a half inch from the wrist, they displaced, so the bones broke clean, they moved up and over the other part of the bones. Because they would have to set this, we had to wait until 4pm (we got there about 11am or so) because of food in his stomach and the sedation drugs. Fast forward till then, the Ortho guy is in there, the portable x-ray and tech, the ortho resident, the ER pediatric dr., a nurse and me all around my son. They gave him some "I don't care, I won't remember anyway" drugs, (morphine, versed (sp), and something else) they set the break, x-ray, adjusted the arm again to get better alignment, x ray, put the cast on, X-ray again, looks perfect. The big thing here is that there will be no surgery. Then he got a popsicle, and we came home. He wanted pizza and he wanted a football. I ordered him Papa Johns and went to Target and got him a nice football.

He has been on the couch all day, gets a little nauseated and dizzy when he gets up, I think it is because of the Lortab elixir he is taking for pain.

He has been a brave young man through this whole thing and I am proud of him.

So, that is my rough weekend. Sucks when your kids get hurt and are hurting. Wish it was me that had the broken arm.

[TripleDigitRide]

Holy Smokes!

I'm glad to hear things didn't turn out any worse than they did. I hope the little guy heals soon.

Sad thing is, they are plenty of people who'd be willing to break both their arms for a dose of the drugs that youngin's been gettin.

[G27]

Ugh, sorry to hear. Kid injuries are the absolute worst!

[jay1313g]

Sounds like a trooper!!! Hope he feels better soon.

[PackinMama]

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry for your little guy!! Sounds like he's taking it well though, so good for him. I have a three year old and that would hurt me so bad if something like that happened. You and your wife must have been an absolute mess during the whole experience. It could have turned out worse though, so just be thankful that they were able to get it set without surgery. I hope your son makes a quick recovery and doesn't have too much pain or discomfort!

How old is your son, btw?

[Guest db99wj]

Opps, he is 7 years old, first grade. I have 4 kids 9(girl), 7(boy), 5 (girl) and 11 months (boy).

[Guest db99wj]

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry for your little guy!! Sounds like he's taking it well though, so good for him. I have a three year old and that would hurt me so bad if something like that happened. You and your wife must have been an absolute mess during the whole experience. It could have turned out worse though, so just be thankful that they were able to get it set without surgery. I hope your son makes a quick recovery and doesn't have too much pain or discomfort!

How old is your son, btw?

My wife is a nurse, she is a great nurse, unless it is her child, then she is a mom! I kinda go into a "let's get crap done" mode.

Later, after the kids were in bed,

Me Yuengling Black and Tan and some Miller Light

Wife had some Smirnoff Ice.

[Guest superdrew4000]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Guest Disney]

My wife is a nurse, she is a great nurse, unless it is her child, then she is a mom! I kinda go into a "let's get crap done" mode.

Later, after the kids were in bed,

Me Yuengling Black and Tan and some Miller Light

Wife had some Smirnoff Ice.

Here comes kid #5!!

[Reservoir Dog]

Glad he is going to be okay. Good thing he broke his arm, and not something worse. I broke my collar bone when I was in the 2nd Grade. Talk about pain!! I had to sleep in a recliner for two weeks because it was too painful to lay down.

[R1100R]

The same thing happen to my nephew a couple of weeks ago on a jungle gym at

school. I'm glad all is OK. Hope he will get well soon.

Edited September 15, 2008 by R1100R

[Volzfan]

It sucks when someone that we love is hurting like that and there is so little that we can do to ease their pain except for being there to comfort them. It just never seems that we are doing enough. I always feel so helpless in those situations.

Hope everything goes smoothly and he has a quick recovery.

[Guest RISC777]

Mine had an open fracture, both bones. Plates and screws on both bones, and the wrist surgeried due to it being the third break at/near the wrist (had to adjust the growth plate). Boys will be boys, too extremely sometimes. Hope he feels better soon!

[Guest jackdog]

hope he heals fast, sign jackdog on his cast for me.

[TGO David]

Sorry to hear it, glad he's ok. Part of having a son. This is probably the first of a few broken bones, especially if he plays sports. Just keep him comfortable and remind him that the little girls love war stories.

[Guest db99wj]

Thanks all.

[Guest sermon8r]

"So, that is my rough weekend. Sucks when your kids get hurt and are hurting. Wish it was me that had the broken arm."

I believe the Lord feels the same way when His Chirldren are hurt......

I Pray it heals soon.

[Guest db99wj]

"So, that is my rough weekend. Sucks when your kids get hurt and are hurting. Wish it was me that had the broken arm."

I believe the Lord feels the same way when His Chirldren are hurt......

I Pray it heals soon.

Amen I say to you. Thank you for the prayers. (I'm sure he thanks you as well!)

[Guest Medic908]

Great action by the lady with the shoe and sweater...early splinting can prevent significant debilitating injury. Dad always kept a couple of LIFE magazines and some cloth tape in the trunk during baseball and football seasons when I was a kid (they were used more than once...fortunately never on me!)

I hope the young'n feels better soon - take comfort in the fact that kids usually heal well and without complication as a rule.

[TnShooter83]

Hope he gets well soon....

[Guest db99wj]

I found out that the lady that splinted his arm with a flip flop is a nurse practitioner. Evidently there were several other nurses and a doc or two at this game, but she was the first on the scene. I am meeting with her Thursday to give back her flip flop and sweater, and of course to thank her.

Met a guy tonight at a meeting, his son is in my son's Tiger cub scout den, he is an Orthopedic surgeon and told him everything that happened. He said the break is in a "good" place as far as location, a little toward the front, the growth plates could have been affected, further back in the middle of the forearm, and it is harder to keep the bones straight and flush with each other so they can heal properly.

My son is doing better today, he didn't go to school and we hung out. He gets to go to school in the morning. He only had ibuprofen today, so no major pain killer which kinda made him dizzy. So the pain is getting less.

[Guest Ghostrider]

The "s" shape you described is called a "swan's neck deformity" and it's a classic sign of this type of break. Glad he missed the disk (growth plate) and it wasn't too far up the arm.

We used to do a ton of these in the ER/trauma unit where I used to work. Typically, they go home as soon as the cast if fairly setup.

It is a "good" injury and will heal wonderfully (you'll be surprised) and that part of the bone will actually be stronger than it was before.

This injury typically happens when the person trys to "catch" himself on his palm with the arm outstretched. Is his elbow sore? This type of injury can often jam the elbow as well, it seldom breaks but may be painful, swollen, or tender for several days after the injury.

But what do I know....

[TGO David]

Going back to school with a cast on my arm was one of the more fun things about being a kid. Everyone wants to sign them.

Be sure to warn him not to stick a ruler down in there and scratch no matter what the other dork kids tell him to do.

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Tell him that he could qualify for an Olympic medal.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI0Zl-tMRf4[/ame]

[kckndrgn]

Just saw this today, your son has my prayers for a speedy recovery. Fortunately he's young and will heal quickly.