Back to school ... Alan style!

Like so many things he does, Alan did his first day of high school in his own signature style. He started the day by coming down the stairs in his usual fashion and getting on the bus like any other kid. He apparently had a fairly good day at his new school other than not liking that lunch was later than usual.

Later that evening, he was climbing (as usual) in his favorite cherry tree and he jumped out (as usual) and apparently landed bad (most unusual). He started screaming and crying and came inside. We checked him out and DH noticed that his wrists felt different. On his right wrist we could easily feel both bones but on the left, we could only feel one.  He was also allowing us (even encouraging us) to put pressure on his left wrist.

So about 7:40 last night we packed up and headed to the local ER. Once again, this hospital was pretty fantastic with only a few mishaps. They got us out of the waiting room in record time and into the pediatric wing.  They brought in a cool sensory light machine that actually distracted him for a little while.  They went and found trains when we said he liked them.  They even got me some pillows so I could elevate my foot.

Although Alan was NOT happy about being there but we did get him X-rayed after a little struggle and the ER doc said he had a 30 degree angled break in the main bone of the arm. We needed to sedate him to set the bone and first we tried the liquid sedative that he took for his MRI, but we could not convince him to drink it this time.  He fell asleep on his own about 9:45 and the nurses came in to give him his sedative shot about 10:15 but he freaked out and we had a huge wrestling match and the sedative didn't take.

Of course, as DH pointed out, he had learned not to fall asleep at the hospital so he was fighting it pretty hard.  They came up with a second medication (at this point there are so many meds in his system they had to be super careful about drug interactions) and were planning to come in with another one.  We weren't sure how late we were going to be there at this point so I called my sister to come get me (I can't drive because of my foot) and I left a little before midnight.

They came in to give him the second sedative and this seemed to work.  Then they took another X-ray because one of the nurses apparently heard a "grind and pop" during the wrestling match and they were worried we had done more damage. Turns out we set the bone perfectly.  (What is that saying about God protecting fools and small children?)

The orthopedist opted to do an above the elbow cast because otherwise we figured he would pull off a wrist only cast like an uncomfortable sleeve.  Before the orthopedist came in, the nurses told us that it would probably be a splint and he'd get his cast in a couple of days after the swelling went down.  Luckily there was no major swelling and he came home with a plaster cast.  He can't get it wet.  DH could have opted for a fiberglass cast because those can get wet but they can also be picked apart according to the doctor which would be bad with Alan's OCD (the consummate picker!) so he opted for the plaster.

Alan goes back on Monday for another X-ray but right now the plan is to have the cast stay on 4 weeks.  Of course, he is supposed to go to the sedation dentist in 5.5 weeks so that might be taken into consideration.

DH and Alan finally got home about 1:30 am and we all crashed as best we could.  Alan does not like the cast and pulling at the soft edges a lot at first. Of course this will leave the rough plaster exposed so we are trying to stop him. He doesn't like the sling although that would probably take some of the weight off his arm.  He is getting much better although he did fall off his chair in the kitchen when he reached down to pick up a dropped item and the weight of the cast upset his balance.

And that was how we spent the first day of high school ... Alan style!