Continuing in the trend of "active parenting", I allowed my daughter to "help" shop for a swimsuit. She was fine for a few minutes, but then became distracted by the potential of hiding in the racks of clothing and then sprinting as far away as possible.
We put a stop to THAT and she was expected to either ride in the cart or hold my hand. She complied with the hand holding requirement and then.....
She did her famous drop and turn, dislocating her elbow. BUT I DIDN'T NOTICE. Or rather, I DID notice, I just didn't realize it was her elbow. She was holding her wrist, so I automatically assumed (yes, yes, I know what happens when I assume) that it was a dislocated wrist or from the fall she had taken a moment earlier.
nothing I did helped.....obviously (I was looking at the problem all wrong) So I called everyone I could think of who had a medical background and asked for help. I have had horrible experiences in the ER and avoid it like the plague. Someone suggested that I go to the fire station. The EMTs on duty are usually happy to help out.
I explained her predilection for dislocations. After a quick exam, they said it might be broken so they didn't want to do anything other than splint her arm. Of course, I'm now starting to stress. They offered to take me to the ER and see if they could get me in faster that way.....so I figured that anything to skip the interminable wait would be a good idea.
Meanwhile, Maddy is screaming and crying...alternating with going limp and feigning death.
The ER tells me to have a seat int he waiting room and someone will be with me in a moment.
6 hours....yes, SIX hours later, I finally get fed up. The woman using threat tactics isn't getting anywhere so I tried sugar. I nodded sympathetically as the clerk explained I still had 8 people in front of me (avg...2 back an hour). I told him that the EMTs already told me that my poor baby would need Xrays before being seen....could he get the head nurse to okay getting some taken "just so we would be ready for the Dr". HE headed behind the forbidden doors to check.
I followed.
He asked and was summarily turned down. I asked, with great sympathy for her situation and explained my hope to ease her burden and the burden of the DRs. She told me to go get my daughter.
After some wailing and moaning and good horror movie sound effects, the xrays were done. The Dr. came out right away and said it was her elbow. i felt like an idiot. I sat in the ER for 6 hours to find out that it was unnecessary?!?! He reset her elbow and her pain was gone. Within 15 min she had the staff in the palm of her hand. They were fetching her stickers and cookies and juice and a even a teddy bear......
She piruetted back to the car, giggling and laughing the whole way. She flounced in her carseat and pronounced, "I'm sleepy. I need a cozy bed for me to go to nap in."
"RIGHT NOW!!!!!"
What a night.