Last night, Captain Adventure hurt his wrist. Basically, daddy was taking him down the hall and he didn’t want to go so he threw himself down and his wrist went ‘pop!’
Just a crack. Like my joints do about sixty gazillion times a day. Nothing that made anybody say, “ACK! Medic!”
He cried off and on all night. Of course, he’s getting over an ear and throat infection, so, you know, here’s some more ibuprofen, kid. A little cuddling and then back in the crib you go. I knew his wrist was bugging him, but honestly – I expected that by this morning he’d be over it.
Alternatively…he could be clutching the wrist whimpering and crying, and, if you even breathe on it, he lets out a piercing shriek of pain.
It still hurts.
It still hurts a lot.
But there’s nothing there. No bruises, no swelling, no sign of trauma, absolutely nothing about that chubby little toddler wrist / hand that would make you say, “Oh my gosh, he’s obviously discombobulated his fizzerwhatzer!”
However, there is no arguing with his reactions. Seriously, it hurts a lot. So it doesn’t matter that I can’t see anything there, he’s going to the doctor today to have a professional look at it. Undoubtedly, they will say, “Yeah, looks like a sprain – ice and ibuprofen, that’ll be $350 please.”
**sigh**
And now that I’m past the initial frantic stage of OH MY GAWD WHAT DO I DO?! and have moved on to the logistics of the day (How to get the older two to and from school when Captain Adventure shrieks in agony when jostled? Do I take Boo Bug at all? Which is harder, having her underfoot too, or having to deal with a second school dropoff/pickup?), it occurs to me: this is the tenth day this month that I have either called in sick altogether or been partially out of commission or otherwise unable to go about my life as usual.
Is it just me…or is that a touch ridiculous?
As I cast back over my calendar, I am seeing an average of one doctor’s appointment per week since Thanksgiving. Ear infection. Stomach flu. Strep throat. Broken toe. Strep throat again. Ear infection. Ear infection. Cut open head. Ear infection. Generic cold and cough.
And now, what, sprained toddler wrist?
Honestly, I am really starting to wonder what the holy @*^&@ is going on here.
There are zillions of working parents out there who somehow manage to put in a full week, week after week.
Me, I can’t seem to get a single full week without something going down.
These are the times when I just want to scream, “I QUIT!” into the phone, throw my laptop out the window and retreat to my knitting chair for the rest of my life.
**sigh**
Well, like good old FDR said, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
And also, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Which of course leads to the following declaration: It does absolutely no good to go all jelly-legged and swoony in the face of the things that upset us. Dwelling and worrying and fretting and feeling sorry for myself never does a thing for me – it only magnifies the issue(s) until, like a carnival fun-house, the little things seem huge and fat while the thing that really will cut the legs out from under us like a scythe hitting wheat stalks looks like nothing bigger than a plastic picnic knife, which makes it all the easier to sneak up on me from out of nowhere and WHACK!
Ooooooh, that’s gonna leave a mark…
A good deep breath, a moment to collect oneself, a setting aside of emotion and panic to think, and then…putting forth the needed efforts to convert retreat into advance, disorder into order, suffering into calm, shattered plans into new success.
SO I WILL!
AND I SHALL START…with another triple low-fat sugar-free mocha…
…after which, appropriately caffeinated…
ONWARD!!
Recipe Tuesday: Hoisin Chicken Tray Bake
3 days ago
5 comments:
Sorry to hear things are rough in the den again. I hope things go into "uneventful" for you soon.
As for the Captain's wrist - I hope it is ok (repeat after me - no broken scaphoid, no broken scaphoid....).
You have four kids in 2 (or is it 3?) different schools/daycare. Imagine the variety of germs they're all bringing home. It's no wonder they (and you) get sick as often as you do.
The only parents I know that can go week after week without missing work are those that have family nearby that can help out. This is typically the kids' grandparents, since they would be (1) home all day and (2) eager to look after the little darlings. I do not have this luxurious setup, and I do not think you do either judging from your posts.
In fact, I'm leaving work at 3pm today to take my son to the dentist. Do I have any sick time, you ask? Why no, I don't. In fact my sick time is *negative*. So I have to take my laptop home with me and do some work after the kids go to sleep. Which means the dishes/laundry aren't getting done. Which means we'll be late tomorrow morning when I'm trying to find something for both kids to wear. And on and on it goes.
You've been there, right? You smell what I'm cookin over here.
Some days all you can do is put one foot in front of the other and take care of what's right in front of you.
Sometimes days turn into weeks. You do what you can.
My guess? You're sharp enough and fast enough and good enough at what you do to make up for any work deficit caused by running little (and big) people hither and yon.
Poor Captain Adventure. Here's hoping you both have a better tomorrow.
Jan
Are there really any parents out their who work and look after their kids while living lives of elegant satisfaction? I've been telling myself they are all mothers-on-the-edge like me, trying to juggle everything and failing just a bit at all of it. My work is done but the filing and the tax stuff is piling up, as is the dust. My kids are still breathing, growing and learning but they all need trips to dentist, new trousers and more of my attention than they get right now. My man is still here and we don't throw saucepans at each other or look elsewhere but it's been a long time since we got to act like adults and less like parents.
Hang in there. I hope the wrist isn't too hurt. And one day they will grow out of the constant colds, coughs, ear infections etcetera. I know they will because my (teenage) son eventually did - it's my mantra when the girls (3 & 4) come down with yet another virus and the whole vomit/paracetamol/laundry nightmare starts again. And again...
I am so sorry to hear the problems that happened one after the other. I came accross your blog as I was searching on "toddler writs sprain". Just this night my 10 month old son sprained his wrist. I was holding him on the couch and he started to recah for something, rolled over and suddenly I heard a "pop". He cried a lot but now he has come to terms with his pain it seems. He is not able to put any weight on his wrist and whimpers when he tries to crawl. As for me I am crying with him. I called the nurse helpline and they told me to go to ER if there is any swelling, but there is none, nor any bruise or anything. I am waiting for the day break to go to his pedia. Did your son's wrist heal by itself or did you have to get him some medication?
- A dad in pain.
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