Twenty 20 Twenty-four Hours To Go
Wednesday, approximately 5PM: Alex's hand collides with Haley's pinkie finger on her right hand. Screaming ensues. A cold compress is applied.
Minutes later, guests arrive. Haley is distracted by an adorable eight-month-old and stops complaining about her finger.
6ish: Eight-month-old bundle of cuteness leaves, and Haley is once again in agony - because her younger brother sits on her hurting finger. Ice is applied.
6:01 PM: Auntie Jen and Daddy have been called and a plan is in effect for responsible adults to be on call for boys being left at home whilst girls head to the ED. Dinner is eaten at the girls' request, as they don't want to be in the ED and starving.
6:25 PM: We head to the local Emergency Department.
6:29 PM: We arrive at the ED, register, vitals are taken, and we wait. Crazy four year old does crazy things, including begging her sister to make the doctors hook her up to the heart monitor and asking me to tell the doctors to x-ray her skull after they x-ray her sister's finger. X-rays are taken, but only of Haley's finger, and the nurse lets Alia watch from the hallway.
7:40 PM: Diagnosis given - no obvious break, but it's suspected she has an impacted fracture along the growth plate. We are advised to follow up with an orthopedist and are given a number to call.
7:45 PM: Haley's hand is splinted and we're given our walking papers, including two pages on what to do for a fracture and a prescription.
7:51 PM: We get in the van, check in at home, and head to the pharmacy, where a prescription for motrin and sweet treats are acquired.
8:30 PM: Bedtime!
First thing in the morning: Haley wakes me up, in pain, requests and is given meds.
9:00 AM: Call orthopedist, give tons of info, and are told to await call back.
10:20 AM: Orthopedist calls back to tell us that they don't take our insurance, and besides, the ED report says her finger isn't broken.
10:30 AM: Call PCP and given number to another orthopedist.
10:40 AM: Call second orthopedist, give tons of info, and are told they can't see H because we don't live in the right town.
10:55 AM: Scream.
11:00 AM: Call Bristol Hospital. Talk to operator, who transfers me to X-ray. Wonderful Woman answers phone, takes info, calls up report, is confused by the fact that a child without a fracture (according to the report) is sent home in a splint, and puts me on hold to walk down to the ED herself to get some answers.
11:30 AM: Wonderful Woman finally back from ED with no more answers than we have, as ED records show that Haley does and does not have a fracture. She suggests we call our PCP back and request to be seen.
11:40 AM: Make 1:45 PM appointment to see doctor at primary practice.
1:15 PM: Leave for doctor's office.
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM: In doctor's office with FIVE kids waiting, being seen, waiting, getting orders for x-rays.
2:50 PM: To (different) hospital to wait, register, wait, get x-rays, wait for x-rays to be read, and be told to go back to doctor's office.
4:10 PM: Back to doctor's office. More waiting. More talking with doctor, who gets another doctor's opinion.
4:45 PM: Are told that the x-rays don't show a fracture, so the finger isn't broken. Breathe sigh of relief. Then "new" doctor actually looks at the finger and says there might be a fracture along the growth plate, which is difficult to see on x-ray, and we can forget the splint, but H should tape her fingers together for two weeks just in case.
Approximately 5:00 PM: 24 hours after finger is broken - or not - we leave the doctor's office knowing just as much as we knew twenty-four hours earlier. Haley's finger is definitely not broken, unless it is.
And yes, by this time I did want to be sedated.
Minutes later, guests arrive. Haley is distracted by an adorable eight-month-old and stops complaining about her finger.
6ish: Eight-month-old bundle of cuteness leaves, and Haley is once again in agony - because her younger brother sits on her hurting finger. Ice is applied.
6:01 PM: Auntie Jen and Daddy have been called and a plan is in effect for responsible adults to be on call for boys being left at home whilst girls head to the ED. Dinner is eaten at the girls' request, as they don't want to be in the ED and starving.
6:25 PM: We head to the local Emergency Department.
6:29 PM: We arrive at the ED, register, vitals are taken, and we wait. Crazy four year old does crazy things, including begging her sister to make the doctors hook her up to the heart monitor and asking me to tell the doctors to x-ray her skull after they x-ray her sister's finger. X-rays are taken, but only of Haley's finger, and the nurse lets Alia watch from the hallway.
7:40 PM: Diagnosis given - no obvious break, but it's suspected she has an impacted fracture along the growth plate. We are advised to follow up with an orthopedist and are given a number to call.7:45 PM: Haley's hand is splinted and we're given our walking papers, including two pages on what to do for a fracture and a prescription.
7:51 PM: We get in the van, check in at home, and head to the pharmacy, where a prescription for motrin and sweet treats are acquired.8:30 PM: Bedtime!
First thing in the morning: Haley wakes me up, in pain, requests and is given meds.
9:00 AM: Call orthopedist, give tons of info, and are told to await call back.
10:20 AM: Orthopedist calls back to tell us that they don't take our insurance, and besides, the ED report says her finger isn't broken.
10:30 AM: Call PCP and given number to another orthopedist.
10:40 AM: Call second orthopedist, give tons of info, and are told they can't see H because we don't live in the right town.
10:55 AM: Scream.
11:00 AM: Call Bristol Hospital. Talk to operator, who transfers me to X-ray. Wonderful Woman answers phone, takes info, calls up report, is confused by the fact that a child without a fracture (according to the report) is sent home in a splint, and puts me on hold to walk down to the ED herself to get some answers.
11:30 AM: Wonderful Woman finally back from ED with no more answers than we have, as ED records show that Haley does and does not have a fracture. She suggests we call our PCP back and request to be seen.
11:40 AM: Make 1:45 PM appointment to see doctor at primary practice.
1:15 PM: Leave for doctor's office.
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM: In doctor's office with FIVE kids waiting, being seen, waiting, getting orders for x-rays.
2:50 PM: To (different) hospital to wait, register, wait, get x-rays, wait for x-rays to be read, and be told to go back to doctor's office.
4:10 PM: Back to doctor's office. More waiting. More talking with doctor, who gets another doctor's opinion.
4:45 PM: Are told that the x-rays don't show a fracture, so the finger isn't broken. Breathe sigh of relief. Then "new" doctor actually looks at the finger and says there might be a fracture along the growth plate, which is difficult to see on x-ray, and we can forget the splint, but H should tape her fingers together for two weeks just in case.
Approximately 5:00 PM: 24 hours after finger is broken - or not - we leave the doctor's office knowing just as much as we knew twenty-four hours earlier. Haley's finger is definitely not broken, unless it is.
And yes, by this time I did want to be sedated.
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