18months and a fracture

After a lovely day on Easter, I was taking Zoe downstairs for some Dora time, and she had this little Dora figurine in her hand, so that didn't leave a hand for going down the stairs.. well I went to scoop her up, and I slipped (socks on wood stairs..) and I fell hard, with Zoe sort of in my arms, I think I must have pushed her to sit down onto the stair to keep her from falling.. she was only a couple down.. I hit my elbows, remember hanging onto the railing, and twisting around to hold onto her.. I have a softball size bruise on my rear.

She cried for at least 30 minutes afterward.. I stripped her naked, checked for bruises, marks, etc.. she didn't have any red spots, save one small bruise on the pad of her big toe. But over the next couple of days, she would not walk on it at all, we thought it was the knee, then the ankle, she wouldn't straighten her leg... and at night, she would have these crying jags I could not do anything to help her with.. they lasted at least 30 minutes... so all of this and talking to family, I took her in to the doctor after work on Tuesday. We were too late to get into the X-ray office, our choices were go to the hospital and gets results reported on Thursday, or go Wednesday morning and get results reported immediately (they have to be able to tell the doctor, who tells you what to do). So this morning we went in.. luckily Bruce went with us.. because it took both of us (and tape!) to hold her for 3 x-rays.... well, I had convinced myself I was paranoid.. but it was a fractured and "should not involve surgery, probably just a cast".. I nearly passed out.



























Well... we survived the day... I haven't felt so miserable in so long.. I mean, I'm supposed to be the protector of this lovely.. as a parent, I'm not supposed to break them.. I feel so awful.. Zoe's break is in her tibia, the doctor said it was a "twisting break" not an impact break (which makes sense, there were no bruises)..pictures from the x-rays will be on the blog soon; The Dr. said 4-5 weeks.. we are going back in for follow-up x-rays in 3 weeks. A friend's son (similar in age) had a cast, and at 3 weeks they switched to a below the knee cast.. I like the idea of a below the knee cast, but Bruce said they discourage that because kids pull them off (Zoe would do that.. she is already trying).

The casting process was difficult.. she would not have it.. finally, the nurse swaddled her, like we used to, and she was finally able to calm down (about the time they got the sock, the pad, and two of the layers of casting material on, before they put on the pink part). They finished, I scooped her up, still swaddled, and we headed to the x-ray to check it.. she fell asleep, warn out, and very warm in her swaddle. She slept through the first x-ray, but woke when the turned her on her side.
Her cast is florescent pink.. from mid thigh to toe.. she gets around crawling, and it is getting used it, but keeping up the tylenol seems a must at this point.

Of course, that same figurine from the first part of this story is her favorite by no where to be found.. Rachel spent all night looking everywhere.. so I ran out to get night clothes that would fit over her cast, and find Dora stuff.. I found the perfect thing.. a Dora Mega block set! It seemed to be a good treat for girl who had a rough day.