Break A Leg

Yes, I lost all the baby weight. Yes, we moved into a new, big, fabulous house. Yes, I am way behind. Now, onto last week. It is super long, so be warned.

We drove to Tucson this last week to see Josh's sister before she moves and to go to the Utah vs. Arizona football game. We got front row seat and it was so much fun! We had a big party for Lyndsey and saw lots of family. Then...

I put the kids to bed early so we could get up early and drive the 12 hours home. The kids got up once and got shooed back to bed by Grandma and Grandpa. I heard Capri crying so I went to check on her. I found her rolling on the floor crying. Nothing big right? I thought she just got scared. I asked Rome what happened and he said she fell. So, I rocked her and then Josh rocked her. I went to shower and he laid down next to her and put her to sleep. I showered and got ready for bed and actually slept for an hour when I heard her crying again. I went down and was a little concerned that she hadn't moved. She is a huge wiggler when she sleeps. She kicks and rolls and pats your face (if she happens to be in bed next to you). Well, she had not moved. She was flat on her back and every time she tried to roll, even a little, she would cry. I got her to calm down and went upstairs to bed. She kept crying. Finally, I woke up Josh. We talked and I brought her upstairs. She was still whining and holding her left leg out at an angle. She would pat her leg and say, "ow." Nothing terrible right? We took off her pjs and looked at her leg. It didn't look swollen or anything. I opened her diaper and it looked a little bigger then, but still not very noticeable. We woke up Josh's Dad, the PE teacher, for a official opinion. He said it might be hurt, especially because she cried when you touched or straightened her left leg, and we should take her in just to be safe. We still didn't think it was very serious. I took her to the ER down the hill and Josh stayed to sleep, just in case we still left for home in the next 4 or 5 hours. We didn't.

While I was driving, Capri whined when I went over bumps, but wasn't too bad. I carried her into the ER carefully, filled out the paper and we only waited 2 minutes to be called back. I met a nice male nurse who took care of us while we were there (and in between all the other patients. I think he was the only one there, but I was really tired) He looked at her and then a nice nurse practitioner looked at her. They looked and touched her leg (she cried), called for some tylenol for pain and an x-ray. We waited. They brought in a portable x-ray machine and took 3 or four shots. They were even really quick developing them. Then, they upped the pain medicine to morphine and I knew there was a problem.

I don't remember what time it was, but I do remember the feeling in my stomach and thinking, "Uh-oh. Crap. We are going to be here a while." I got to meet the old lady doctor who showed me the x-ray and the huge crack in it. A spiral femur break to be exact. And one going down, but she didn't name that. Yea, I could clearly see it. I can't believe all she was doing was patting her leg and saying, "ow." Then they said we would get to go in an ambulance to the pediatric hospital where they would cast it and maybe send us home the same day or keep us for 2 days. Nobody knew. I called Josh and told him. He wasn't very happy about it, but neither was I. I think that was around 2 or 2:30.

They were going to cal for the ambulance, but no hurry because the pediatric doctors didn't come in until 7 am. Well, we waited. And waited and waited. I cuddled Capri and got her to sleep and I tried to sleep huddles over on the edge of the tiny padded table she was sleeping on. Finally and 3:30 I got up and asked the nurse. He said he forgot and would call them now. Yea, that would be nice. The guys came and we rode in the ambulance to Diamond Children's Hospital. It is brand new in Tucson and pretty cool. I only noticed most of the stuff when we were (so happy) leaving. That was about 4 am. I asked the second ER people (I met at least 10 here) if I could have some food and they brought me a sandwich, some chips and juice. They checked Capri out and got her some more medicine. I kept asking if we could turn the lights off so she would sleep and maybe I could to, but they never did. They also told me we might be able to go straight to surgery (They need to knock her out to set her leg) and get out. That didn't happen either. We were admitted to the hospital and moved upstairs to a room. I met more doctors and nurses and techs and helpers and residents than I could ever remember.

At about the 24 hour mark of being awake, things start getting fuzzy. I know I did it. I held Capri's hand and tried to lay down when she slept, but didn't get to with al of the checking and questions. I got to talk to a social worker and police officer who filed a report about it. Just standard for this kind of break. Of course it was after Josh and his Dad visited and left and we discussed how my time frame was way off. Yea, that really helped me keep my story straight. It didn't matter because the Police had to go to the house and talk to Josh and take pictures. Fun. We were supposed to go down to surgery in 45 minutes. I called my friend Sherida to see if she could get someone to come down and give Capri a blessing. My Mom suggested the Missionaries and so they got called and came to visit and give her a blessing. I felt better after that. Like things were going to be okay no matter how it went. Eventually Josh came with Rome and his cousin Ray. Ray drove me and Rome back to the house and got me some food. I was starving and its lucky he drove because I could hardly walk by then. I think it was around 1:30 pm and I only had a 10 minute nap. I think they finally took Capri for surgery before I went to sleep at 2:30, but I am not sure. I slept for 2 hours and Josh called to say she was out of surgery so I got Rome ready and we went back to the hospital. I picked up some stuff from McDonald's. One hamburger and soda for Josh, two chocolate shakes for me and Rome. It should have donned on me to get food, but lack of sleep is really a killer. I saw Capri's cast for the first time and cried. My poor baby! My friend Sherida came to visit and brought Capri a baby doll and Rome a robot. She is the best (and she gets better!) Also lucky for us, Josh's Aunt Susie brought us an entire Boston Market dinner. It was so good! And so nice to eat together, even though Rome didn't really eat and Capri was asleep in the crib. It just felt good to be together.

After that lovely meal, well during it actually, we discussed how to get home. Josh was supposed to be working Tuesday. We decided that He would drive the 12 hours home with Rome and I would try to fly home after they let Capri out of the hospital. Whenever that may be. So, I drove back to the house to get what I need and to pack up everything else for Josh. (so he didn't forget anything) I headed back to the hospital and we switched. I kept a car seat for Capri and he took Rome and the car. They headed out early Tue. for home. I stayed another night in the hospital. I asked the nurses to let me sleep and they did a pretty good job. I got up super early because Capri woke up, 5:45. It was okay though. I ordered breakfast and it came around 6:30. I started asking the nurses (and whoever else came in) when we could be released and what I needed to do. Capri was doing well. I had some sleep. I wanted to go home, or at least leave the hospital with my baby! I talked to the social worker, the surgeon (or one of them) for 30 seconds, the head pediatrician, and the occupational therapists. Everyone said that somebody else had the magic answers of what to do with her. Really nobody knew. Luckily she kind of fit in her car seat and all they did was put a hospital blanket and towel behind her to prop her up. Technical right? Anyway, a nurse came and gave her a sponge bath. I moved her onto my little bed and we both tried to sleep for a while. I slept maybe 10 minutes when the x-ray guys came to take her down for x-rays. That took a while and the poor girl kept crying and just wanted me to hold her. When we came back up to our room, Josh other Aunt Gloria had come to visit and brought me lunch! I still had some food left over from breakfast for Capri. It was just a salad and a sandwich, but it was great to have some real food from home. Well, Gloria stayed through the last doctors and nurses and techs. They brought a portable x-ray machine to check Capri's ribs to see if they had missed anything. They didn't. (Glad they checked, because you can do so much for that. Bleh.) Then, we got to leave! Gloria drove us way up north so we could stay with Sherida. (She also picked my Mom up from the airport and drove her up there too, at 10 pm!) It was so good to get out of the hospital! Oh, we stopped by my In-Laws house and picked up the food from Aunt Susie and Josh had left when he drove home. It turned out great because it was just enough to feed Sherida's family and me on the busy night I crashed at her house. It was also still delicious. I got Capri settled in her bed on the floor and then Sherida and I went to store to get her pain medicine. I went to sleep when we got home and barely woke up when my Mom got in.

We were supposed to get up early (6am) to make the first flight, but my mom checked when she got in and it was full, so we slept in. It was nice to shower and put on clean clothes. We packed and got everyone in the car and Sherida made us a fabulous lunch. We went to the airport and got on no problem. We had then switch our seat so that we were not in the very front. You can't have toys or snacks at your feet there. My Mom even kept Capri occupied for a bit so I could get a little nap. We had a layover in SlC and made some friends with a girl and boy just returning from their missions. It helped to make the 3 hours go by faster. We had a wheelchair for Capri. Technically I was supposed to sit in there with her, but we propped her up and just pushed her around. It kept her entertained. We made it home to Grand Junction at 6 pm Wednesday night. It felt like it had been weeks since Sunday.

My Mom stayed the rest of the week and my Dad flew in on Friday. They were going to come visit anyway because they were running a marathon on Sat. I let them help whenever they could. It was really hard to mentally manage at home. Capri was cranky and upset that she couldn't move and do what she wanted. I was tired and having a hard time dealing with it. My sister Jenny and brother Cam even drove down for the day Sunday to see her. Monday everyone was gone. I had to take care of Capri by myself until Josh came home to help.

We have been doing okay since then. It is still hard to entertain her and mentally tiring when she throws a fit. She doesn't know what she wants and you just have to find something to do. Bathing is very difficult. Josh helps, even though Capri usually screams for me anyway. I am so glad Josh is helping so much. I feel like she is in a cast and can't move, but my independence is gone too. The word "Mommy" has taken on new feeling. She says it so often that I want to run to her and make her all better and run away and hide at the same time. I hate that she is broken, but I hate it more that I couldn't stop it and protect her.

She has an x-ray Tue. to see if everything is staying in place. She will probably be in a cast for 6 more weeks. We are dealing with it. There isn't anything else to do.