Uncasting Mel

Yesterday was the most anticipated day... Mel had been with her cast for four long weeks and her arm needed to breathe again. It was her third visit to the orthopedist office and once we checked in, she remembered and started crying. She felt most calm on daddy's lap with binky in mouth. Then her name was called. Syd was so excited to go see what this doctor's visit was going to be all about.

Another Xray for Mel... more crying (and I overheard techs and nurses recalling her screams from the two visits before).

Then the "ok" from the orthopedist... Mel cried as long as he was in the room. Then the ortho tech returned... more crying. I told Syd to cover her ears and I sat with her, ready to snap photos. Mel was on daddy's lap, trying to wriggle free. Suddenly the saw turned on and Mel was horrified! Steve held her tight and all I could do was take one photo -- the fear on Mel's face was not something I wanted to remember. I wanted this cast off as much as I wanted to jump up and turn the saw off so she could feel safe again. It must have taken nearly 30 seconds and the cast was off, but the anguish made it seem to take 30 minutes.


The cast was off, the saw was off, Mel's arm was free and moving... and then she cried even more when she visualized her uncasted arm. She cried all the way to the car.


After a celebratory dinner at Red Robin we came home and she started re-using her right arm slowly but surely. Syd was so happy for Mel that she gave her sister her trademark hug (which at times looks so much more rough than tender). And they played in the backyard, with Mel finding all her toys more fun with two arms.

Almost Uncasted

Today, four weeks have passed. No updates posted, but plenty has happened. Last week we visited the orthopedist. The cast had been on for three weeks. Steve and I took her (Syd stayed home with Bumpa) with my camera, video camera, and headphones... hoping Mel would wear them and not be so terrified of the noisy saw blade that would release her arm from her cast.

We sat briefly in the waiting room and Mel was in great spirits... singing, reading a book, playing with my stethoscope, climbing on furniture, being tickled by her daddy. Then it was time.... she screamed thru a repeat Xray of her arm. Steve and I thought it looked great, no evidence of the fracture. The orthopedist agreed, but he saw evidence of new bone growth and advised one more week of the cast.

I was so disappointed! I wanted her to be free of that cast, and us to not have to worry anymore about keeping her arm dry and clean or about keeping us from being slammed in the face periodically with that heavy rough cast.


So this last week has gone by, and Mel is currently napping. In one hour we will be back in the orthopedist office, this time with Syd (Bumpa is on a plane back home) to join in with Mel's screaming when that saw blade is doing it's thing!

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.