Kira's Broken Arm

Yesterday I get an email from Louis saying

Liberty called. Call me please.

My heart immediately started pounding.  I just knew something bad happened.  I quickly grabbed my phone and called Louis.  The first thing Lou says to me is, you should answer your phone.  Apparently Liberty and Louis tried calling me (for whatever reason my phone didn't ring either time but thats another story) Lou follows that up with Kira broke her wrist, no small talk, no story or background. I hold back the tears to say how.  Lou then says he's just kidding but that she did get hurt.

Lou tells me that the school nurse called because Kira was in her office crying. Kira gets on the phone and tells Lou that while at recess she fell off the monkey bars, that her right wrist really hurt and her left hand hurt. Kira said that she didn't want to hurt her bum when falling so she put her hands straight down to break her fall.  By talking to Lou Kira is able to calm down.  The nurse wrapped Kira's wrist/arm, gave her some ibuprofen, let her lie down and then sent her back to class.

Lou told me that the nurse was going to call him back in a half hour to let him know how Kira was doing.  The nurse never called Lou back so I decided to call the nurse to see how things were and to let her know I am an involved mother.  The nurse was very kind and said Kira hadn't come back to her office. We figured all was ok since there were no more tears.

I have to pick up the kids everyday since right now we are living out of the school boundaries. When I picked the kids up yesterday and see Kira and Josh walking to the car I notice that Kira is not quite herself.  Kira was still smiling and I could see her chatting with Josh but something was not the same.  In the car on the way home, I ask her how she was doing.  Kira always trying to be happy, never ever admitting anything is wrong, tells me everything is fine.  Kira had Activity Days yesterday so I know she did not want to admit anything hurt at all in case I told her she couldn't go. I assured her that even if she was in pain I would let her go to Activity Days. Kira says so quietly that her wrist kind of hurt but only if she moved it.  I tell her okay well lets leave it wrapped up, don't move it, if there is running around at Activity Days, don't do it, just watch.  So we get home, do reading and then I take Kira to Activity Days.

When we thought it was just a sore wrist

After Activity Days, I once again ask Kira how she is feeling she says oh mom, I am just fine.  I hold her little fingers that are sticking out of the bandage wrap, ask her if it hurts, she says no, I noticed they look swollen but Kira kind of has cute little chubby fingers so I didn't think much of it. I touch about the bandage and ask if it hurts she says no, I touch on her wrist and she says that it hurts and asks me not to do it again.  I am so weak with injuries and hearing people (especially my kids) cry that I don't touch it again.  Kira pretty much just reads until dinner, only doing things  such as eating with her left hand. Lou gets home and being much braver than me, suggest we unwrap her bandage to see how she is doing. Kira gets very scared at that prospect and starts crying. Lou does it anyways, we notice her hand and her wrist are swollen. We have her prop her arm on a pillow with the bandage off to see if the swelling goes down, we wait about an hour and it doesn't.

Not wanting her to sleep on her wrist in case there is something wrong with her Lou takes her to the doctor while I stay home and put Josh to bed.  About an hour after they left, my phone rings and its Louis and Kira. I hear Kira's tiny voice saying "its broken" I thought maybe they were joking because thats something Louis would do and she sounded pretty happy but nope they were being serious.  I ask if its her wrist and she says no my arm, both bones in my arm are broken.  I try really hard not to sound scared or sad, I don't want to upset her but its really hard.

After Kira goes to bed Lou tells me about their doctor visit.  Lou said Kira was very brave and quiet at the doctors, making her shy face.  Kira did not cry when they were examining her or when they took the x-ray. the x-ray was difficult because she could not twist her arm how they needed it to be.  Though she struggled she still didn't cry.  When the doctor came in to tell her the results of the x-ray she casually says well you broke it.  Kira bursts into tears.  Kira when they were waiting for the results kept asking Lou what a broken arm meant, if it meant that it would always be broken, if it would be paralyzed, would it ever look the same etc.  Kira also doesn't like to do things that she deems as wrong and clearly being responsible for breaking her arm would not sit well with Kira.  Lou said the doctor felt horrible and told Kira its alright, and explained how it would heal and it was an accident.

So what we thought was just a sore wrist or possibly a strained wrist is a broken arm.

Kira is in a half-cast and sling until Friday when she'll get her real cast. They want to wait until the swelling is down.  Kira does like that her friends and classmates will be able to sign her cast.

This is the first broken bone with either of our kids. Josh had stitches in his tongue when he was barely three but other than that we've never really had any big accidents.

Kira is a brave girl though and she doesn't want to miss school or receive too much help with things at home so I think we'll get through this just fine.