Life just keeps getting more interesting.

Yesterday evening, Pete fell most of the way down our stairs. It was a “good” fall in that he didn’t hit the ceramic tile at the bottom, he didn’t lose consciousness, and he was able to move his arms and legs afterward. But he was crying a lot. That’s a good fall.

He had already been favoring his left hand or left side (we really couldn’t tell which) since Tuesday or Wednesday. He figured out how to climb onto the kitchen chairs. He didn’t figure out how to climb off the kitchen chairs, though, and fell while his father and I stood 5 feet away and watched. Honestly, we were a bit amazed at his ability to climb up and were admiring the cute picture he made when he sat himself down like a big boy. So when he started to try to get down our reaction time was just.not.fast.enough.

That’s my excuse at least.

Anyway, he fell down the stairs yesterday and even though he did move his left arm, it really hung limply at his side. After dinner, I gave him a small bowl of ice cream, and he attacked it with a spoon in his right hand, but he left his left arm by his side. No healthy toddler ever eats with one hand. Most healthy toddlers include both hands, arms, the entire face, neck and torso, their hair, and sometimes a foot or two.

So at 8 pm last night (bedtime), Bill and I decided that maybe we ought to get him checked out. Thank God for small mercies, the ER was empty. Within 15 minutes, the ER doc and I were discussing the unlikelihood that he had a fracture since he was so content and since he had movement.

And off we went to the torture chamber radiology.

Back to the ER, and I hear the nurses tell the doctor we’re back. A few minutes later and he returns with a serious expression. He massages Pete’s upper arm and asks me how he did in X Ray. Pete did happen to scream his head off, but I think that had more to do with being forced to lie on a hard table while strange people poked you and odd machines buzzed and whirled around you than with any real pain. Regardless of how he felt, the real issue is how do the X Rays look?

“Suspicious.”

Meaning, that the doc isn’t sure if he has a fracture or not. Looks like it. But he doesn’t act like it. So the ER doc got another doc on the phone and then the ER doc says that Pete needs to go see an orthopedist on Monday.

What’s this mom’s reaction?

Worry? Concern? Borderline hysteria? Nausea? Deep-seated guilt?

Um, my answer was something along the lines of, “I have to take my other son to Walter Reed on Monday for a biopsy. Is there any flexibility in the orthopedist’s schedule?”

Yeah, doc, my kid may have broken his arm. Too bad. I’ve got other things on my mind right now.

Again, the Lord is kind and merciful, and Pete’s got an appointment Monday afternoon. In the meantime, we’ve got some heavy-duty iboprofin for his pain (he is weepy and clingy) and we need to restrict movement of the arm. The doc suggested having him wear a long-sleeve shirt and pinning his arm to his chest. This will force me to do that fall clothing swap (oh, the dreaded fall clothing swap).

The only shirt that I’ve found so far (other than really heavy fleece or flannel) is a size 3T and he’s getting into size 2T. Pinning his arm to his chest on a shirt that is too big is not effective. Annoying, but not effective. So I took an ace bandage and wrapped it around him to help. It’s working. Doesn’t he look pitiful?

My guess is that the suspicious, not sure if it’s a fracture injury occured when he fell off the chair. Since then, the poor kid has been falling flat on his face more often than not (off balance because he’s keeping his one arm stiff?), and when he did fall, he would be unable to pick himself up and would just lie there until someone would rescue him (arm to weak to help him get up?). Pinning his arm down has actually helped him get up better – perhaps it’s tucked safely beside him and not getting in the way now. And despite the awkwardness, I hope it speeds his healing.