Fractured growth plate in the elbow.
That's the official word on Eli's arm. We took him in for an MRI on Tuesday. In order for him to remain still during the procedure he had to be sedated. Eli was fine for most of the MRI prep, up until it was time to lay him on the table and give him the mask with the gas. I don't care who you are, or how well prepared you think you are, but having to physically restrain your child while they're screaming and thrashing is heart-wrenching.
Mike and I left our son in good hands and spent the next hour waiting. When they finally came to get us, only one of us was allowed back with him. I rushed back to Eli's bed, anxious to hold him and console him. I was lucky enough to have a couple of friends who had been through similar situations prepare me for what Eli would be like when he was coming out of anesthesia. Again, you think you are ready for anything, but seeing my little man delirious, inconsolable, kicking and head-butting? Heart-breaking. Nothing helped – not me, not Mike, not even his beloved Rita. After 30 minutes we were finally able to get him still enough to drink some juice and he slowly calmed down enough for us to get him dressed and in the stroller. Once he realized that he was about to break out of that joint, he was much more cooperative. In his own words, he was "all done doctor."
We spent the rest of the day snuggling together on the couch, both of us glad to be at home with the other as close as possible.
Later that evening we got the call from our specialist. Eli has a fractured growth plate in his elbow. He's to wear the cast he got last Monday for 4 weeks. After that he'll get a new cast, which he'll wear for an additional 2 weeks. We're to go back to the office next week for x-rays to see how things are healing.
He's been a trooper with the cast. He's not too keen on using the injured arm for much of anything yet, but he'll try just about anything one-handed. He even attempted to ride his balance bike yesterday. If he's anything like his mother, he'll milk this injury for all it's worth.
On the flip side, we have one very sorry sister. When we told her that Eli's arm was broken, she was distraught. "Has anyone ever done this to their brother before?" she asked. Mike and I don't have any experience with this – he's an only child and by the time I was born my siblings were old enough to know better, so I'd love your help with this one. If you have a sibling-on-sibling-smack-down story to share, please do so in the comments. Because, how does that saying go?
"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And then it's hilarious."
We could use a little of the funny around here.
I whacked my sister in the head with a small garden rake, which drew blood. I was grounded for a week.
My little sister blacked my brother’s eye once, but we were lucky enough to escape childhood without broken bones. (Oh, except my brother who fell off a skateboard – which I reminded my dear hubby of before he took up the sport. Didn’t stop him from breaking his elbow.)
I, however, officially broke Brenia’s leg when she was 13 months old. I fell down the stairs while sporting her on my hip. That was 6 weeks of pure hell in the form of a hip spica cast and years of Mommy guilt. I know exactly how Elena feels.
It was a rite of passage in my childhood home for each brother to get their next-youngest sibling to “go for a ride”… in the clothes dryer.
We found the “Tumble Dry” setting worked best… we’re all pretty sure the propensity for bumpy skulls among the next generation in our family started right around there.
I somehow managed to escape the wrath of my big brother growing up. Poor Elena….. Poor Eli….. And poor you and Mike. I can relate to the coming out of anesthesia though. When Grant had tubes in his ears, that was the worst part about it. He was hysterical just like Eli for 30 minutes. “Heartbreaking” is was. Sounds like Eli is a trooper though. Ya’ll hang in there!
Oh no! I just got all caught up. My mom would always say “foolishness comes to harm” seriously I am now saying it to my two all the time.
Hope he starts feeling better soon!
When my younger brother was 9ish and I was 13ish, we went and jumped on our neighbor’s trampoline without their permission (I lied to my Mom so we could jump). A friend of mine was with us and as we jumped she “double bounced” and he flew up in the air and came down on his arm, breaking it in two places by his elbow. I carried him back to our house (barefoot) and prayed that he was not “that” hurt as his arm dangled by his side. My parents rushed him to the hospital and they put a cast on his arm and fortunately did not have to have screws or plates put in his arm. To this day he has a knot on his arm because of how it healed (but his bone is stronger than normal). 🙂 I felt so guilty when it happened because it was my fault we went over and I felt like it was my fault because I was “the lookout” for the neighbors coming home.
I hope that Eli gets well soon and Elena doesn’t feel guilty.
We miss you guys. Come back to visit SS soon!
i broke my brothers arm encouraging him to jump off the still swinging swing… he was 18 months old and i was 5 🙂 he in return, broke my tailbone getting off the see saw whilst i was in the air…and to top it off, my now husband broke my arm in two places teaching my to ” fall properly” in a judo class. I married the guy.. but I still have the cast 🙂