Friday, November 9, 2007

Hot Pink Is The New I Knew It!

Sooooooooo Avee fell jumped 24 days ago. After one solid week of refusing to walk, she started walking trepidatiously, often preferring to crawl. She did that for about 5 days. Then she started mostly walking and proudly announcing, "I can WALK, I CAN WALK!" and "Iss not ho-ting, iss not!"

Most of that was because she knew if she could walk and it didn't hurt, the word "doctor" would stop coming up in conversation.

X-rays on the day of the injury and 1 week later both failed to show anything. But I was not convinced. Especially after hearing story after story of undiscovered breaks. And because Avee is unstoppable. Seeing her "stopped" was the most telling. She fell a lot. She would be walking/running and would suddenly be crawling. She'd morph into a crawl without breaking her stride, much how I imagine a werewolf looks. If werewolves actually existed.

Ave's pediatrician wiggled her leg around (Avee is the worst kind of patient, she refuses to show that it hurts. I see her set her little jaw and I know the dr will get nothing from her, no matter how much it hurts) and sent me down for x-rays. I was a little disappointed she didn't try harder, but whatever. She referred us to a pediatric orthopaedist. J wanted me to chill out in case it was a sprain. So I chilled. And at two weeks of still falling, sporadically crawling, and consistent limping, I called to get an appt. They told me December 3rd. That was a week ago. I said to the scheduler, "You do realize how ridiculous it is for you to even suggest I wait that long, don't you?" She was mildly sympathetic, but assured me there was nothing more she could do. There is no other orthopaedic group in this area. I hung up the phone on the verge of tears. If my daughter's growth plate was affected and she remained 2' 8" for the rest of her life, I was gonna be sick.

After a weekend of worrying about all of it, I called my pediatrician again. She wasn't in, but a nurse went to bat for me. She had no more luck than me, but got me on a cancellation list. The next day the nurse apprised Avee's dr of the situation and the doctor said "that's not acceptable" two hours later I had an appointment with an orthopaedist for this morning at 9 am.
We had to wait an hour and 45 minutes. Avee was doing flips off the couch. When the receptionist came to tell me how much longer my wait was, Avee made a break for it and got all the way across a lobby (about 25 feet) and up about 12 stairs. The receptionist chased after her. She thought it was funny. I was embarrassed. Here I was, convinced that something was wrong with Avee and she's tearing through the office like a madwoman. I had finally convinced myself the night before, I'd rather be wrong and look dumb, than be right and her suffer. I'm selfless like that. But with Avee's antics and lots of witnesses, I was feeling a bit sheepish.

The dr checked her, it was a fracture, she was in getting a cast within 10 minutes.

The guy who put her cast on was a genius. I have mentioned Avee's phobia of bandaids, so I wasn't too confident the whole casting thing was going to go over well. He had Avee wrapped around his finger in seconds. That NEVER happens. Ever. She was giggling and covering her mouth and batting her eyes and answering every question he asked. Even the dumb ones. That NEVER happens. :) He asked Avee what Danyo was having for lunch. I was praying she wouldn't say "booms" which she normally does, but she just giggled at the silly suggestion from the cute man. Then she said, "Danyo not eats, he dust spits and kicks." Amazingly accurate.

He let her touch and hold little pieces of everything he put on her leg. She picked a pink cast and within moments of it drying she said, "Avee not want pink, I want yellow!"

That's my girl.

As we were walking out, she said loudly to me, "I got a pink catsth fo Trissmas!"

Jumping off a bed and hurting her leg, not walking for a week, being limited for nearly another, falling multiple times a day (this child is like a cat so suddenly being "clumsy" has been very hard on her---Bo on the other hand, is convinced that door frames walk out and trip him regularly), being gimpy, having an owie she couldn't articulate, was ALL worth it for the moment her cast was dry and she heard the cute, funny, man say, "Okay, let's see if you can walk on it." Her eyes lit up and she got a huge grin and I could see the joy exuding from her pores at the prospect of a CHALLENGE. I have never seen a child who loves a challenge more. She did not get that from me. It took her about 10 steps to be completely confident and then she was annoyed by the hovering adults trying to hold her hand.

I'm still somewhat a novice at this parenting thing, but one day I will trust my mother's instinct. I've never been wrong when being "overly" cautious, but I have been wrong when disregarding things, afraid I was being hypersensitive. I need to reteach my brain. It's okay to look stupid when it concerns your children. Aw, who am I kidding? It's okay to look stupid anytime.

Oh yeah, and that little boy Danyo---he's perfect. He sat in his carseat sleeping, talking, cooing, laughing, kicking and spitting for over two hours. They just don't come more perfect than him.


Mr. Smiley
Mcsmileypants.

21 comments:

Super Happy Girl said...

I know we have talked about that "waiting game" we do when taking the kids to the doctor. I'm all for your resolution: It's ok to look stupid anytime.

All your children are so cute!
How did you get to take pictures inside the Mr Doctor's office?

"If werewolves actually existed" oooh...huh...Tori? Tori dear, she didn't really mean that. Really.

a said...

omgosh, I'm glad you didn't give up, she looks so cute in pink. lol. Now imagine this...a 30 year old woman with a cast that color from armpit to thumb. NOT SO CUTE!!!!

Super Happy Girl said...

Also, can I just say that Dany-o looks a lot like Bo in the first picture?

And, Would you please sign Avee's cast for me? Make it sound cool, k?

Tori :) said...

Ok, 1st things 1st: "If werewolves actually existed"- What? They DO exist- HELLLLLLOOOOO!!! **JACOB BLACK commented on my blog.** Remember?

Avee rocks. She cracks me up. Yay for her pink cast! Sign it for me too.

Bex said...

I am glad they FIANLLY decided that something was wrong...like DUH!!! And my kids arealways acting like nothing's wrong when we are at the Dr. office. They are 100% healthy and I feel like a dork for even having them there. I think it must be in the "kid's code" or something. Loving the pink cast! LOVE IT!!!! Oh and the werewolves thing...they totally exist, one lives in Casey's closet. Really, just ask him.

NOBODY said...

NCS--Yeah, we have talked about it and I think I am a changed woman now. I took pictures with my phone, I wonder if they even realized what I was doing---I wasn't discreet.

Barnecked Lady--I'm sad I missed your hot pink half-body cast days. Just barely. I'm sure it was very cute. :)

NCS Dos--You can say it. And you'd be right. I kid myself into believing all three of my babies haven't looked exactly alike, but I'm just kidding myself. Wait,I already said that. We're gonna sign her cast at Thanksgiving, in an effort to limit her own scribbling all over it.

Tori--Aw Tori, I was just testing you, just making sure you read every little word I write. And I had heard about JB visiting your blog...

Beckie--I think it is kid code. Bo missed the memo on it though because he tries to drum up ailments. "And uh, this one time, uh, once, uh, I got a scratch!"

a said...

OH YA AND....Right before Brayden had his appendix taken out he was running from video game to video game in the children's er waiting room, I just kept thinking, this is a big mistake we should all be in bed. Then, 4 hours later they were taking out his appendix. Kids are crazy, but there is something to that mother's instinct.

Jenny P. said...

so glad they finally figured out what was wrong... I know a cast isn't generally a good thing, but avee looks so cute with a little pink cast! I hope she mends well and quickly.

Erica said...

When I was younger I ALWAYS wanted a pink cast. I probably tried to break my leg :-) SO jelous of Avee's, it's so tiny and cute! I agree with NCS - Danyo totally looks like Bo in the 1st picture. I guess maternal instincts are there to make you look silly :-)

Erica said...

I just had a thought, I was about to publish my comment as anonymus because I wasn't signed in, would you have known it was me? Would you be able to tell everyone's comments apart if they were anonymus? Hmmmmm....

Erica said...

And what happened to the 3 comment minimum?

S said...

I have my BIG BLACK SHARPIE ready!!!! Oh earthbint you are SO invited to thanksgiving, and I thought you liked blue?!!! I think Danyo looks just like himself. He even has a different sound to him. LOVE the pictures BTW!

Code Yellow Mom said...

You know you have to keep that cast foevoh, right?

And you are right - trust your instinct all the way to - and sometimes away from - the doctor's.

Be sure and take a picture of her balancing on a fence post or hanging off the grocery cart wearing a cast. For posterity, you know.

Code Yellow Mom said...

cool title for this post, btw.

omar said...

"She'd morph into a crawl without breaking her stride, much how I imagine a werewolf looks. If werewolves actually existed."

This line had me giggling the whole time.

Glad they were able to figure out what's wrong. And it seems to me like you're doing just fine with the parenting thing.

Sketchy said...

Avee, now you just need to break the other leg and you will have matching hot pink BOOTS! Think how awesome you will look, plus you will get to meet the cute Doctor again.

PS: I don't really mean it.

PPS: Really, she can't read yet can she?

PPPS: Is Danyo doing that cute backwards crawl thing? I wuv that. Although my kids usually screamed when they got stuck under the couch like that, they didn't pose for pictures.

Unknown said...

Wow, glad your little sweetheart was hanging in there until they found the problem. Good lookin' pink cast.

Lisa said...

My friend just told me her daughter has had a fractured finger for two weeks. She just took her in on Saturday. We all do it...."wait and see". My youngest would dance around the room one minute and tell me her throat hurt the next. "Oh yeah honey, I'm sure you are sick." After weeks of that I took her into the doctor. "Strep throat". I'm such a good mom.

Avee sounds like a funny kid. You will have story after story after story about her!!

megachick said...

glad avee's gonna be ok.
i hate waffling on whether to take the kids to the doc. usually it's no big deal, but one time....

Kikibug said...

How do you do it? How do you make a fracture such a cute story? That girl is too cute and I can't wait to see her again.Good job for sticking up for what you knew! I agree, we all need to trust our motherly instincts more. Give Danyo kisses for me!

wendy said...

What an awesome cast!