I got a call from the school at one o'clock in the afternoon on a Wednesday, just as I was putting my girls (okay, and myself) down for a little nap. I could hear the secretary's message vaguely from upstairs, and she seemed concerned. She asked me to call right away and said it was regarding Isa. Since that seemed a bit unusual, I roused myself out of my almost slumber to call her.
She said Isa had hurt her foot in P.E. and could I come and get her immediately. When I got to the school, the first thing I could see was Isa's face, which looked white from pain and streaked with a few tears. She is my little tough-ie, so when she cries about pain it is a big deal. The secretary had a bag of ice on her leg near her ankle, and when she lifted it up it was obvious that Isa's leg was broken. It was bulging above her ankle and her foot seemed to be hanging unsupported. It is a bit distrubing to see that, especially as the mother.
I carried her to the car and drove home, trying not to panic. I called Miguel at work and he kept telling me not to panic, but he didn't see her leg! I madly threw a few dishes in the dishwasher while I talked to him in the phone, called the neighbor to see if she would take the other girls when they woke up, etc, then we went to see the doctor.
At this point I was afraid Isa was starting to go into shock (me too!). She was white as a ghost, staring into space and had the cold, clammy hands one hears about. The nurse had me wrap her in a blanket and lay her down, and the doctor came out after just a few minutes and told me just by looking at her leg that he couldn't deal with it in his office. He said we'd have to go to an ER and have an orthopedist set it under anesthesia. (He took some X-rays at his office to confirm, and I overheard him telling trthe ER doctor that both the tibia and fibula were broken and offset by 75%)(and this is all from a freak accident in P.E. where she bumped into a boy and then he fell on her leg)
I'm still in adrenaline/panic/survival mode, so we hustle to the ER and wait. And wait. The ER was packed. Isa was so brave-- I didn't see her cry at all. We joked that we were having a broken leg date. Miguel eventually showed up with the other kids, and he got to go in while the orthopedist set her break. When we first arrived, the X-rays from the first doctor hadn't, so all the docs were asking to see the pictures I had taken of the X-rays on my phone.
After he set the break and I felt I had been wrangling Ava way too long, we ventured into her room to see how things went. Miguel was white as a ghost now-- said it hit him when he saw his little girl all hooked up to machines and engulfed by that large bed.
She has been wearing a cast up to her thigh and unable to walk for almost three weeks. It has been a long three weeks! She has been a real trooper. She's learned to use a little wheelchair-- cute to see her maneuver all around. We have to carry her a lot and I have to go to the school three times a day-- to drop off, pick up (and now I appreciate handicapped access- its not very good where I drop her off and its a huge pain lugging the wheelchair 25 yards and back each day), and take her to the bathroom at lunch. I have gotten swallowed alive by my other chores and my other kids have been a bit neglected.
She did have a mini-breakdown one day, and ranted about never wanting to go to P.E. again, just wanting to walk and take the darn thing off, but overall she has been really good. The attention started to pour in a few days after her accident, and she enjoyed all the visitors, balloons, coloring kits (and I enjoyed a meal brought in by a friend!), and other things to keep her entertained. Her teacher even stopped by. At school she said the other kids follow her around in a little herd at recess. A semi-pro football player singled her out for attention at a school assembly, and everywhere we go she says that people comment on her cast.
Since she has such troubles talking to others, this has been a blessing in disguise. That said, I'm ready to get my life back in a few weeks!
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| All this happened right before we had company from Spain coming to visit...we went to Yellowstone together. (another post!) |
Kaedon wanted to make her breakfast in bed the day after her accident.
3 comments:
Good Grief Corinne! What an experience. Poor Isa, I hope she can quickly adjust to running and playing (and PE) again. Hopefully it will turn out to be a blessing for her.
Miss you!
Oh Isa! Oh Corinne! This is proof that you are a wonderful mother. I can't believe you have to go and take her to the bathroom. I hope she can hold it, too. Thinking of you.
Holy Moly! What a brave girl you have!!! I can't believe you got through it in once piece! I hope so badly she recovers fully. Good luck to you. I'm just stunned. It sounds like such a trial! Keep us posted!
Miss ya!
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