Long day. Emotional day. Hard day. Alex (my 5 year old) slipped on the monkey bars on Sunday and broke his arm. We knew the second he showed us where it hurt because his lower arm wasn’t the right shape (rather ’s’ shaped). After 7 hours, one surgery and two temporary casts (the first bone setting didn’t stick so they had to redo it) we were sent home.
He broke both of the bones in his lower left arm, making life difficult – since he’s a leftie! He’s quite the trooper and oh so brave!
As a parent, it was one of the hardest days for me. I could see how bad he was hurting – and there was nothing I could do for him. We sat and waited for hours and hours (part of the waiting was because he had eaten lunch, so they couldn’t give him the anesthesia right away). With nothing but some pain meds and some cartoons. I felt so helpless, there was nothing I could do to fix my baby. I just hate seeing them in pain.
The doctors surgically set his arm, put him in a plaster splint and sent us on our way. Yesterday we went to the Orthopedic Doctor and got our real color-cast put on! It was a very exciting day – we’ve been mulling over colors since the ER – trying to make a choice. We could see immediate relief from the new cast, his confidence levels boosted and he was trying to use his broken arm fingers to do things!
I wouldn’t wish a scary day like this on anyone! I’m glad my little man is doing better – I hate that he is broken, but we’re healing and learning together!
Do you have a broken bone story to share? Tips for dealing with a 5 year old who has lost the use of his dominant arm? Share!
XOXO
Manda (Nibbles Skribbles)
Actually Manda my little 5 year cousin just did the same thing Sunday himself. broke his right arm the same way Alex did except his was from falling off a fence. Surgery and all. Just got casted yesterday. Little ones are resilient. PJ ( or Junior as he is called) broke his right arm which is dominant. He is already figuring ways to do things a different way. They hardest thing though is with bathing. Both of my kids have been in casts so finding different tricks to protect the casts have been interesting. we have used 13 gallon garbage bags, little bags ( the ones you bring groceries home in) empty bread bags etc.
Sorry that happened to Alex. Hope he heals fast!
Two weeks after being completely potty trained, and just before his 2nd birthday, my son broke his thigh bone. He had to have a cast from his waist to his toes. That meant he could not bend at the waist, so I had to hold him as he lay across the potty to go #2. He doctor said he would be walking on the cast in a week and he was. So #1 was not a problem. Poor guy had to be in that cast for 6 weeks during Sept. the hottest month where we lived. At least it was just a fracture, they said if it had been a complete brake he would have been in traction in the hospital.
My 6 year old grandson, Lucas. just got his cast off of his left arm (he’s right handed thank goodness). He was climbing a tree and fell on the way down. His cast was orange and if he had another one it would have been blue but he only had one! The hardest thing about his cast was he couldn’t play soccer. His doctor said he could but the rules of the league said no. None of this slowed him down! I hope Alex heals fast!
When I was 8 I broke my leg and it didn’t slow me down much. I jump-roped on one leg and had races with another kid who was on crutches! lol! That was back in the late ’50s and the cast was standard white(boring)! I broke my foot in ’98 and was thrilled to learn about colored casts! I had bright pink! It was awesome! lol! I sure wasn’t as speedy on my crutches that time, though. Hope your little guy heals quickly, I know he’ll be fine!
My little granddaughter broke her right arm when she was 5 years old too. She was in kindergarten for all day and was so concerned how she was going to be able to graduate when she couldn’t do the writing assignments. Her concern lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes and then she immediately started to try writing with her left hand and actually got it down pat in no time. She had a great graduation ceremony with her arm in a cast. Kids are amazing, aren’t they? I think we adults worry more about our poor little loved ones than they do.
[…] mom off at home and headed to the ER with Alex. It was a slightly different break than last time (My Broken Boy) and required IV’s and his oxygen level was a little low, I think from the hyperventilating […]