Nursemaid's Elbow

It was 10:00PM. ( A little late to be putting our kids to bed, I know...) Terrill was putting Aleeya to bed, because she won't have it any other way. He pulled her up with her outstretched arm and felt a pop. She yelped and her arm went limp immediately. I was just tucking the other two kids in, as Terrill walked into the room with her wailing in his arms. I knew immediately what it was. "Nursemaid's elbow". . . or radial head subluxation. ( I prefer to call it the latter, because I don't think anything that painful should have the word "Nurse" in it.) It happens when a child's elbow bones get partially pulled out of joint and don't line back up normally.

Terrill suggested that since I am a nurse, I should just pop it back into place myself-- to which I responded. 1: I did not have to take any "Joint Popping" classes to earn my RN, and 2: I wasn't about to experiment with joint-popping on my own sweet baby that was already crying in pain!

We had no choice but to take her to the Emergency Room since even the kids instacare closes at 10:00PM. Aleeya was in too much pain to put her in her car seat, so Terrill had to hold her in the front seat while I drove, (which meant we had to drag the other kids out of bed to come along as well.)

While we were checking her into the ER, Aleeya was crying softly and whimpering. Rowen was hovering over her, and patting her, and saying "It's okay Leeya. . . I am sorry you hurt your arm Leeya. . . it will be better soon Leeya. . .I love you Leeya." He was in his footy jammies, and it was quite a charming scene. A few people that were walking out of the ER paused to watch them for a moment and said. "Ohhh, what a darling big brother!"

Makaylee, on the other hand was scared. She was cowering in a chair in the far corner. I am sure she was convinced that things were worse than they really were. I tried to reassure her, but I was already quite busy reassuring Aleeya, and her heart-broken-Daddy as well. When we made it back to the exam room Makaylee darted into the bathroom to hide, only coming out for a few minutes at a time.

When the MD finally came in, it only took him a few seconds to assess her, straighten her arm, and turn it inward until he felt a tiny pop. She screamed out in pain for a second, and then she was just mad! She was yelling at him in baby talk and even chirped "Go-Way!" in her little staccato voice. He grinned and said "I am going to go for a few minutes, to let her calm down, I'll come back in and check on her in a minute." When the MD left the room she sighed, and said "All Done!" Terrill let out a nervous laugh -- and took a breath for the first time, I'm sure. She started moving her arm right away, and didn't seem to be in any more pain. We were all so relieved, and so tired! ( The whole ordeal ended just before midnight!)