Quick Update

As some of you already know, we had a more eventful weekend than we wanted.  It started out so nice!  After Caleb and Russ were done with school Friday afternoon, we drove downtown and parked in the YMCA parking lot to walk around downtown and look at many of the Art Prize entries.  The younger four and I had already seen a few of the art entries as we had a field trip to the GR Public Museum with the FRC home school group on Thursday afternoon.  Anyway, the weather was beautiful.  They had predicted rain, but the sun was shining and it was not that cold.  We walked around until about 6:00.  After making chicken quesadillas for supper we all cuddled together in the family room for family movie night--The Princess Bride.   Saturday morning I went to my BSF leaders meeting and shortly after I arrived home we all packed up to take Nicolas to his first soccer game (he lost, but had fun).  Once again it was a beautiful morning.  The soccer fields had a park nearby where Russ, Caleb and I took turns watching the younger three and Nicolas' game.  About five minutes before the ending of the game, Lydia fell off the uneven bars and landed on her arm wrong.   Russ brought her to the bleachers just as I was getting off to walk to meet them because the game was over.  She was crying and in obvious pain.  I took one look and knew it was broken so kind of shooed everyone over to our van so as not to draw attention to her.  After getting the other four settled with lunch and a video if needed, Russ and I took her to the ER at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  The gal at the front desk took a quick peek and went to get a splint to support it.  We did not have to wait in the waiting room, thankfully, and were taken right back to a room.   Vitals were taken by a tech, but fairly quickly a nurse came in to assess numbness, tingling, get a history, etc.  She came back shortly with some oxycodone which really took the edge off for Lydia.  Then the Dr. came, took one look, said, "She broke her arm.  We'll just get a few x-rays to see how badly and how we need to set it."  So off to x-ray we went.  Keep in mind this did not go as quickly as I write this.  We were able to watch almost the entire movie Tangled in between visits from doctors and nurses!  I was able to see her x-ray (I asked) and the break looks similar to this picture only it is not completely through on the ulnar side ("hanging by a thread" was the Dr.'s exact words). 

They molded a plaster splint for her immobilizing her wrist and elbow.  This was the most painful for Lydia.  As the resident pushed to mold the cast she closed her eyes and a painful grimace was written all over her face.  He asked, "Does this hurt?"  Lydia did not answer verbally, instead the tears started to squeeze out of her closed eyes.  And my heart hurt.  After he asked her a second time with no verbal response, I couldn't stand it and finally said, "I don't think she is going to answer you, you're going to have to read her facial expression.  Duh!!"  Okay, I didn't say the "duh!" part, but certainly wanted to.    I need to call the orthopedic doctor's office tomorrow to make an appointment in 7-10 days for a follow up x-ray.  At that time, hopefully, she will be fitted with a cast that will not immobilize the elbow.  She is doing fine as long as she has Lortab, her "happy" medicine.

What bothers Lydia the most is that she will not be able to play piano for awhile.  She just started lessons in August and really just loves it.  Caleb said that when I left to take Anna on a much needed shopping trip late yesterday afternoon she kept going to the piano and trying to play.  Doesn't that make for a sad picture?

So, the weekend did not go as planned, but a few things were brought to my attention once again.  Brie-Brie is quite brave when she needs to be.  My kids really do love each other.  (Anna:  "My stomach hurt the entire time you were gone.") Caleb is a great baby (sibling?) sitter.   When I pray with my kids when they are fearful or anxious it probably helps me just as much as it helps them.