Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Longest Day

This weekend our Sunday morning got off to a rough start when Pierce fell backwards off a stool and broke his arm.  We knew immediately it was either broken or dislocated - it was bulging above the elbow and hanging limply.  We rushed him to the car.  Putting a child with a freshly broken arm in a carseat is a nightmare that no parent wants to go through.  I felt so terrible trying to get the buckles on.  Since Pierce was three years old I have always taught him how to use deep breathing techniques to calm himself, and we practiced a lot of deep breathing on the drive to the hospital.  I told him stories to distract him (and also told him step by step what would happen when we got to the hospital - as best I knew) and he was a deep breathing champ.  Even though it was a further drive, I took him to a hospital on the other side of town - it wasn't the closest hospital but I knew it would have less of a wait than the larger one.  My instincts were right.  We didn't wait in the ER at all - they took a look at his arm and that combined with his age got him right into a room.  Pierce practiced more deep breathing while they put in an IV, but then he started feeling better with some pain medication, and they were able to take the x-rays. 

The news from the x-rays was not good.  He had a very rough break, and would need surgery.  They debated whether to try to wait 8 hours for his breakfast to digest - but the orthopedic surgeon felt like he should get in there before the swelling started.  So 2 1/2 hours after the break happened, Pierce was prepped for surgery.  His anesthesiologist explained every step to him, and then asked if he had any questions.  Pierce said, "Does your hospital have a robot?".  This made everyone smile, and Pierce got to make a special visit to the hospital surgery robot, which was located in a OR that was not in use.  Time was taken to tell Pierce all about how the robot worked.  This is the control station:

And this is Pierce next to the actual robot.  He's very proud of this picture, and can't wait to share it at Robotics camp later this summer.
Pierce played U2 on the blackberry for the surgery team as they wheeled him back.  I spent a very long hour in a waiting room by myself, texting family members.  After an hour, his surgeon came in and said the surgery had gone well.  Pierce had two pins put in his arm and a temporary cast, which would be changed in 10 days.  He had thrown up during surgery, so they had to suction his stomach, but other than that it had all gone smoothly.  After 30 minutes in recovery, I got to go see Pierce.  He was very drowsy but not in pain.  Soon, they wheeled him to a private room, where we surfed the tv searching for cartoons.

After a while, Pierce started having a weird allergic type reaction.  He got welts all over, but they flared up and moved around.  The nurses were baffled.  The anesthesiologist was called.  While he had received some antibiotics during surgery that could have caused a reaction, they felt like the reaction would've been more immediate if it had been related.  They ordered some Benadryl, and we had to stay longer than usual for observation.  We were very hopeful we could go home that evening.

Finally, after some orange juice and a popsicle, we got the discharge papers around 5 pm.  We hit a small snag at the pharmacy drop off, but a call to the doctor amended the Rx and we finally headed home.  Pierce is doing really well - the pain killers make him groggy so he's mostly resting this week.  He's a little sad to have to miss swim lessons, which started on Tuesday, but hopefully we can schedule a class in the fall.  You never want to see your child in the hospital, but I can say that the staff at Lewis Gale were fantastic - they went out of their way to make Pierce comfortable and reassure him.  We are very thankful that we had such a good experience, during a very scary time.  And I couldn't have been prouder of Pierce - he is the bravest little 7 year old I know! 

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

So very sorry about the break but I know you are proud of Pierce. Seems like the staff worked with Pierce to establish trust and to make his trip informative. Tell Pierce to feel better soon.

Endah Murniyati said...

A valuable experience!

Bas. said...

je zal maar 7 jaar zijn en dan valt dit echt niet mee. stoer hoor.

Steve Surratt said...

Whew! What a day! Pierce deserves a "Toughest kid" trophy for that!

Buttons Thoughts said...

Pierce is indeed the bravest little seven year old and you the bravest Mom Lisa this must have been so very scary to do alone. I love the robot shot I am sure it will be a big hit at robot camp.
Take care Pierce you will be back to normal soon and your Mom is awesome. HUGS B

Sandra said...

Ah, poor guy!!
I hope he heals soon.

Sunnybrook Farm said...

We have been thinking about Pierce and are so sorry this happened but I know he will get through it fine as he is so exceptional! Poor mom and dad, hope they can survive! lol

Jeanne said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear about pierce breaking his arm, but know he is going through this like a champ... especially with such a great mommy. I loved his robot question! Hugs and prayers coming your way.

Linda said...

Oh no! Sorry that Pierce had to go through all that! I like that he got to see the robot though.
Hope his doctor can identify what set off the hives. If they don't, please consult an allergist, Lisa.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Ugh what a harrowing ordeal, glad he is home and mending... and what a smart young man, to think he is sitting there with a broken arm and he's wondering about the robot.

Out on the prairie said...

Tough to go through, hope he heals well

Unknown said...

I am so glad it went well. Emergency rooms are scary!

Anonymous said...

Poor kid--what an ordeal!

Anonymous said...

Poor kid--what an ordeal!

Anonymous said...

Poor kid--what an ordeal!

Sally said...

God bless little Pierce. Breaking anything is huge especially for a little child. He's a brave boy!

I'm so sorry this happened to him. And, I can only imagine how you were feeling the entire time.

xoxo

Samantha said...

Oh my goodness!! Poor little sugar :(

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

I'm sorry if you get this comment twice. I am so glad that Pierce is doing well. He is a champ! That must have been an all-around scary experience. It would be hard for an adult to go through all that, and he did so well. And I'm always impressed by the wise and good way you have with your boys, Lisa.

Love the robot question! :-)

Monkeywrangler said...

Hey Lisa, tell Pierce that I once broke my arm on the neighbor boy's head in a fight we had. I got lucky though--no surgery, just a splint for about 8 wks.

TexWisGirl said...

oh, bless him! so glad the surgery and everything went well (even with a few surprises and uncomfortable additions!) i am certain it was a very long day for you!!

I Am Woody said...

What a trooper! So glad that the surgery went well! DryPro cast covers work really good so not all summertime water fun will have to be avoided.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Oh my gosh, I am now in total tears! Phil knows abut you and your blog, and I will read him this when he gets home from work. Poor little guy, he looks so small in that big bed. BRAVO to you for making the right hospital decision, I know that made all the difference in the world to Pierce and his care. He is so brave, and it is good that he thought of the robot and could concentrate on that, and the breathing. Give him a big kiss from his "Aunt Ginny"!

An Apel a Day said...

Oh Lisa that's horrible!!!

I'm hoping that he recovers fully!

At least the robot thing made everyone laugh.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Oh my, poor little Pierce....I'm so sorry. Glad that the surgery went well. My children never broke anything when they were little or had surgery so I can only imagine your worry....((HUGS))

L.L.E said...

oh my gosh, poor kid! Love how he asked about the robot :) Glad it all turned out ok in the end.

Gail Dixon said...

You are such a calm mother, though inside I'm sure you were trying to keep it together for Pierce's sake. Bless him, I hope he heals very quickly. What an ordeal!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Oh my goodness. My heart was hurting for him while reading this. And you? you are so good....I think I might have lost it myself. I'm so glad he is going to be ok.....not a great way to start the summer though!

Alica said...

I'm sorry he had to go through that! Sounds like he was a real trooper, and will be praying for complete healing for his arm!

Linda said...

Glad Pierce got such great help! And good choice you made with the smaller hospital. Linda@Wetcreek Blog

jp@A Green Ridge said...

What a little man, Baby Girl! I wish I could have been there with both of you...:)JP

Montanagirl said...

Ouch! I'm sorry to hear about the broken arm, but he sounds like a real little trooper!

Grandma Bonnie said...

Oh my goodness. He is such a brave boy. I am so glad the hospital made the experience so good for him. It is so terrifying to begin with that we have to be sure we don't traumatize children further than necessary. I hope he starts to heal soon.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

OH Lisa, I am so sorry to hear this... Bless his heart... Glad he is such a trooper.. Glad also you taught him to deep breathe. That helps for sure!!!!

Bless you ALL---and give Pierce a hug from Tennessee.
Hugs,
Betsy

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Pierce is a real champion for being so brave,,, and you are too..
We are sending macgic bubbles in the clouds to come visit Pierce and make him all better.
So glad he got to meet the robut.
love
tweedles

Lin said...

Aw, poor guy! Poor Mom!! I'm glad he's okay. He'll be moving around with that cast in no time. And then, before you know it, he will have it off.

Good thing it is early summer. He will still have plenty of time for swimming and having fun.

The Cranky said...

Such a brave wee boy; I know you're proud of Pierce, and that you were hurting right along with him. It's terrific that such a great team was there for him! I'm glad to read that he's doing well.
Many years ago my daughter broke her ankle while staying with family members and she, too, had to have pins inserted.

Barbara said...

Oh my goodness!! It sounds like he was such a trooper. Even reading this made me so anxious - I can't imagine going through it!

mail4rosey said...

That is very brave for 7, and hurrah hurrah hurrah that all went so well!

Tanya Breese said...

oh poor pierce and poor YOU! what a little trooper he is, very brave!

Michelle said...

Poor Pierce! He sounds like a very brave young man. I do hope his recovery goes well!

Maggid said...

Ay-yi-yi!!!! You are brave beyond belief . . . In advance you taught how to breathe and keep calm - you've given him every possible form of positive thinking - so he was able to find adventure in the middle of the challenge - and you held yourself together - doing what was necessary in the moment - while turning this into part of his foundation - YOU managed to weather such a scary storm . . . Color me So Impressed . . . You deserve awesome mom awards . . .

Harry Flashman said...

Your son was brave but so were you. I'm sorry both of you had to go through such an ordeal. I hope he recovers fully and soon.

As I have said before, you are a good mother.

Slamdunk said...

Very sorry to hear about Pierce's fall and surgery. He is very brave and it is a tribute to how you have raised him--preparing to remain calm.

I hope that his road to recovery is short.

Anne Payne said...

Oh wow, Lisa! I know you were scared. So glad you have a great hospital that took care of Pierce. That is such a blessing! I will pray his recovery goes well and the break heals nicely. Now he can say he has some metal like a robot ;)

Roan said...

Poor little guy. Sounds like he was a brave little guy. My grandson jumped off a landing on the stairs and landed wrong. It was a break, but fortunately he didn't require surgery. I hope Pierce heals quickly.

Jenn Jilks said...

You poor things. Isn't it awful when your kids are in pain? My. I was heart broken at my son's wedding when all were grieving the loss of their father (my ex-husband). It's tough.
It sounds like you used it as a learning experience, and got his interest in the equipment! Well done.
My hubby had robotic surgery for his prostate cancer. It was all very interesting. He's having another cystoscope procedure done. I swear I'm going to videotape this one!

Starry Dawn said...

Hi Lisa,
I am sorry to hear your sad news.
It must have been an ordeal...
But, thanks God, Pierce is doing fine after his surgery.
He is a very brave child.
God bless his beautiful heart!
I´ll be praying for his full healings and prompt recovery.
Blessings & Prayers,
Poet Starry.

Unknown said...

Lisa: What an incredible team you and Pierce are in that terrible situation. You are both champs! My older brother went through a similar situation long before I was born (18 years later)...and this made me think about that. Sending my best for a quick healing and a nice summer!

Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too said...

Poor little guy! I hope he's doing well and I hope it heals quickly!

Anonymous said...

Just reading this today about your little one's arm. I'm so sorry to hear that he has to go through this pain, Lisa. Hope things are better in your world today... xox