Casting Mel

Unexpected but we knew something was wrong when we picked Mel up off the floor. She had fallen from a bench at the kitchen table onto carpet, but her fall landed her in a strange position on her right side. The crying was to be expected. But the clinging, inability to move her right arm, and refusal to get down and play with the bubble machine were ominous signs. One last test to see if she would play with her bath toys... she failed. Mom and dad knew she needed to be evaluated. Mom told Syd that Mel had to go to the doctor to check her arm and Syd instantly started to complain that her back hurt too... some attention-seeking behavior or procrastinating from taking her nap.

So off mom and Mel went to get xrays. Wasn't her collarbone. Maybe her forearm? But then the radiologist called... it was a supracondylar fracture. Mom and Dr. Smith still could not see it. And Mel had finally fallen asleep. So off to the orthopedist (the best we have), who squeezed her in immediately.

Then her exam began to localize. No pain with supination (twisting her forearm so her palm faces upward). But PAIN and SCREAMS with pressure just above the elbow, matching where the xray looked suspicious. Ten minutes later, Mel had her first pink hard cast, and almost instantly her mood changed.

We came home, showed dad, who gave her lots of kisses. Then we woke up Syd and explained to her what a cast was. "I don't like cast-esses" Syd whimpered! Some cheese-its for a snack and all was good. Then Syd beckoned Mel to race around with her and off both girls went running and squealing and laughing.

Before bed, Mel refused her Motrin. But Syd begged for the teaspoon of medicine, saying that SHE "broke" her arm in her crib once (never happened, but she got some medicine too).

Mel is now asleep, with a baby-legging covering her cast. In 3 weeks we will be able to remove it and hopefully she won't need another. I am looking forward to taking pics of that day.