Disclaimer: This post will have adorable pictures of a precious baby interspersed throughout to distract you from the utter horror (but ultimate glory) of the actual subject.
Last Thursday we experienced a first in the Starkey house - a visit to the ER. And it wasn't one of the boys as you might expect.
Elise was playing in our pantry and when I decided she needed a new activity, I picked her up by her hands and plopped her down in front of another toy. She screamed. I thought she was just mad (and over tired since she'd slept a total of 45 minutes that day). When she didn't calm down I picked her up and from that moment I was unable to put her down without her screaming. Or, really I should say, without her screaming louder than she was when I was holding her. I still thought she was just tired so I fed her and decided to put her to bed early. While I was putting her pajamas on I checked her arms and decided that something was wrong so I zippered her up and called the pediatrician. Turns out they don't see injuries after hours so I had to take her to urgent care. The closest urgent care is in the local hospital and the admittance process has all urgent care patients triaged in the ER. The ER nurse decided we needed to stay there because she thought Elise had "nursemaid's elbow" (her elbow came out of the socket). How could she tell? She waved all kinds of cool (well, cool to a baby) things in front of Elise and she would only reach for it with one arm.
The doctor came in to examine her and perform "the procedure" to get her elbow back in place. He explained to me that, as children are growing, the ligament that holds the elbow in the socket is positioned in such a way that it allows the elbow to easily slip out. After the explanation, he moved her arm around a few times while we both cried (she was louder than I was) and told us he'd be back to check on her in a few minutes. Ten minutes later he came back and she wouldn't grab for anything we offered her. So he performed the procedure again (this time she was the only one that cried). Another ten minutes later she still wouldn't move her arm. He tried a third time and told me that if this didn't work we would do an x-ray and possibly one of his colleagues would try. Again, he came back in ten minutes to check on her. She had fallen asleep by then, but I tried to get her to grab different things before she fell asleep and she wouldn't. Once she was asleep I was moving her arms and she would cry whenever I touched her hurt arm.
So it was off to x-ray for us. Before we left, I prayed. I asked God, the One who created her, to heal her. Now I have full faith that God is with me in crisis.And once I'm through it, I look back and give Him praise for giving me the strength to endure, but I have a hard time letting go and actually asking for His help in the moment.
Elise woke up during the x-ray and the cat nap was enough to put her in better spirits. When the lady from administration came back with my credit card after running it to pay the copay, Elise reached right for it with her bad arm. As funny as it would be to credit (no pun intended) the success to the "bait" used to motivate her, I am 100% convinced that God healed her. When we went to x-ray she wasn't moving her arm and when we came back she was fixed...no doctor had touched her.
Elise has slowly been getting her strength back in that arm and is starting to bear weight on it again. The doctor said she'd be fine in a few days and that there wouldn't be any lasting effects other than she'll be a little more susceptible to this happening again until the joint is fully developed, around age 6.
What did I learn? First, that you can't dangle a 25 lb 10-month-old from her arms, even for just a second, because the joints aren't strong enough. Okay, I didn't really just learn this. I knew all along, but apparently had a brain lapse that ended in disaster for my baby. Second, God wants us to ask for His help. Okay, I didn't really just learn that either, but it was a good reminder. I'm just sorry my baby had to be involved for her thick-headed mother to get the message.
3 comments:
Hi Beckie-
As I read your blog I am reminded in how often us, as mother, make mistakes. I can remember numerous times when I did something and though to myself, "if I would have JUST stopped for 1 more second and thought about that". He made us mothers as priceless treasures who will make mistakes, and often. Ultimatley, we can sleep rest assured that He knows our mistakes were NOT intentional and how much we truely love them!
God is so good!
Hi Beckie! Great post -- so glad to hear Elise is OK -- PRAISE GOD for His healing!! My younger brother dealt with this problem in his shoulder -- it would easily come out of socket and often (many times until about age 6). Thanks for the reminder to be careful...we kind of forget when playing with kids, etc.
Oh, how scary! I'm glad everything worked out! Elise is such a cutie...!
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