Whirlwind Overnight Trip

Yesterday, I received a phone call from my mother informing me that a great aunt of mine had been suffering from complications associated with CHF, Pneumonia, and a blood infection and that she had suffered a brain injury secondary to stroke. She is 84 and was born deaf and stricken with Polio as a child and has spent most of her adult life being cared for by my grandmother (living next door to me when I was a child) and after grandma's death, my mother.

Lezlie was in Chicago for a company meeting this week and so I hurriedly packed, snuck in a quick haircut and then went to pick up the kids from school and we were on the road to Indiana by 12:30. We made good time and after arriving at my mother's we unpacked the truck and started strategizing about the coming hours.

My mother had to work and so she left. Then the boys were wrestling less than four feet away from me when down they both went. I heard a kind of 'pop' sound and Nicholas, our four year old, screamed and cried with a tone and excitement I had never heard before. He immediately grabbed for his lower left leg and did not relent.

I, being the highly trained emergency medical person that I am, calmly went to his side, grabbed a hold of his thrashing extremity and immobilized it. As I was assessing the injury I noted no deformity, no bruising, and only very mild swelling, yet I could tell from his dramatic level of discomfort that he had most likely fractured something.

I had my oldest son, Joshua, fetch me the cordless phone. I called 911 and asked them to send me an ambulance only because I did not know how I would transport him comfortably in my personal vehicle. After speaking to them, I then sent Joshua into the kitchen to ask Don (my mom's beau), for a bag of ice. While he was doing that and while skillfully controlling Nick's leg, I called Lezlie only to get her voice mail. I left her a brief, but very calm message explaining that Nick had fallen in the living room, that I believed he had broken his leg but was otherwise o.k. and that we were awaiting the ambulance's arrival.

Lezlie, also being a highly trained medical professional, called back in near hysterics. She feared that I was withholding information about his condition in an effort to spare her of any mental anguish. So, while still caring for my son, I now began to thoughtfully labor to calm my wife.

In the end, x-ray’s revealed a class one spiral fracture to the left mid-shaft tibia. The ED physician placed a temporary immobilizing splint that goes both above the knee and below the ankle. It is temporary, because they have to watch for any significant swelling that could cause compartment syndrome. He will receive a more long term cast on Friday.

The boys and I returned to our home a little while ago. Lezlie also cut short her business trip and returned home. Nicholas is doing well. He gets a little whiny from time to time and that is our indication that his pain medication is wearing off. In the long term…does anyone know what to do with a four year old who suddenly can’t walk and run anymore? I’m afraid of the coming 6-8 weeks.

Consequently, I did just hear from my mother and my aunt died at approximately 4:10 this afternoon. I never did make it to the hospital to say my good-byes to her.