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radial head subluxation

Say what, now?

We had another wedding this weekend (congratulations Craig and Amber). This one was downtown so getting to it was going to be no problem. I took Yuki but Mimi was closing a show, so she was going to be late. Anyway, got there in plenty of time, found street parking, walked in, said a few hellos, had a snack (well, Yuki had a snack), found a seat, Yuki was in a jolly mood, climbing around on her seat, playing with her pal Pooh-san (and a little bit with pal Manny, who is not stuffed but is equally adorable), holding my hand and jumping and up down when, pop! Pop, pop!

Are wrists supposed to make that noise?

She stopped playing and cried in a way that she doesn't normally cry. I picked her up and went out into the lobby (the wedding was in a swank hotel) and she was a little fussy but calmed down enough that I could take her back upstairs. I even had her push the elevator buttons to see if her arm was okay and it seemed so. Of course, I am not a doctor.

She became increasingly clingy and delicate and held on to me as tightly as she could. I was not allowed to sit down, I was not allowed to put her down, I was not allowed to talk on the telephone to her mother. Soon it became clear that she was really protecting her arm and even if I adjusted how I was holding her she would whimper a little. Shit.

So, Mommy arrived from the theater, all dolled up for the wedding and instead loaded the kid into the car and drove to the hospital. We were both ready for this to be the rest of our Sunday but -- wonder of wonders -- the emergency room at Seattle Children's Hospital was very quiet and we got in quickly.

The diagnosis was unanimous (in that the guy at Admitting, two nurses, and the doctor all said the same thing), "Nursemaid's Elbow." Seems there's a bone that runs from the wrist to the elbow and it can very easily dislocate in toddlers. Yeah, sure. Anyway, the doctor was a magician. She said, "Let me just look at it for a second okay it's done." After the out-of-whack bone was reset and the doctor excused herself, Kiddo cried and cried for the doctor. It was simultaneously hilarious and sad. Picture the kid, clinging to Mommy, but crying "Doctor! Do-ctoooor!" Doctor came back with a Popsicle to see if Kiddo would grab it with the afflicted arm, and she did. Success!

And it took less than an hour, and my car was still parked downtown outside the hotel, so we went back to the wedding, I had a beer, Mimi said her rounds of hellos and Yuki made a new friend (Katie-bird) with whom she sprinted around the perimeter of the dance floor for 45 minutes. I think she's going to be fine.

And I guess this makes me the Nursemaid.

Comments

Gillian said…
Ow ow ow ow owowowowowowowowowow.

Glad all are recovered.

Go, childhood!
Lisa Tucker said…
You have GOT to be kidding.

Wow.

SO glad it was nothing worse...

LT
xo
Anonymous said…
I am so sorry. The same thing happened to Brian - TWICE! The first time he managed to pop it back in himself. The second time required a trip to the ER and sedatives! He wouldn't take the popsicle!
Ahhh parenthood!
xo
gibs
A.J. said…
Whoa, that's sorta spooky--but glad it's all better. Nursemaid's Elbow just sounds strange, like a indentured relation to Tennis Elbow. Are there other "Elbow" family members too you have to worry about? It is nice to know that popsicles have a place in medicine as well (I always suspected).

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