Mommy, I Fell Down...

Well, I think I have gotten to the bottom of what happened, finally.

Thursday afternoon I dropped my four-year old off at daycamp at a popular local spot - it's a real, working family farm that runs the most amazing educational programs. This will be our third year attending their daycamps and my kids give them rave reviews every time. This year, though, we'll have more than great crafts to remember the camp by!

So here's what (I think) happened.

At some point in the 2.5 hour camp program, my daughter managed to climb into a tree. This isn't as difficult as it sounds, as there are loads of fun playgrounds at the farm, with swings, slides and forts all built into the plentiful trees on the property. Once up to a perch about 4 feet above the ground, my little one found herself unable to descend. So she jumped.

And landed.

And that was it. When I picked her up at 3:00, she was crying. Because I was the last mom there, I figured. "I fell down, Mommy," she told me. Her counselor advised she'd had a rough afternoon, missing Mommy lots. "She's very tired," I explained. "NO!" She protested. "I just fell down."

Carrying my little one over to pick up her older sister, I noticed her cradling her right arm against my chest. I asked her to show me her "owie", but noticed nothing other than a very mild abrasion on the inside of her wrist, near the heel of her hand. I kissed it and promised a bandage when we got home. "No, Mommy. That's not the owie. The owie is here...OWIE!!!" She cried again as she tried to turn her hand around to show me the back of her wrist - right where that wristbone (ulna) bumps up.

A twinge of doubt entered my mind. That just didn't seem right...didn't seem like my little girl. Oh well...she really IS very, very tired. Let's just get big sis' and head home for a restful afternoon and evening. It's nothing a little TLC and a sympathy bandage won't fix. Right?

Wrong.

As we headed back to the van and she continued to cry and complain of the pain in her arm, I began to experience more doubts. Again, something about her behaviour just wasn't right. "Maybe you broke your arm," I joked to her. And big sister piped in:

BIG SIS: "yeah...and you'll have to go to the hospital and they'll cut off your hand!"

LITTLE SIS: "I DON'T WANT THEM TO CUT OFF MY HAND!!!"

Why do they do that?

So she couldn't buckle the straps on her carseat because it hurt too much. And she wouldn't allow me to flex, extend or rotate her wright wrist. And then she fell asleep on the drive home. I pulled over and flexed, extended and rotated her wrist. She didn't wake up. Phew, I thought. It isn't broken after all. On the way home, she awoke. Still in as bad spirits and as much pain. Just to be on the safe side, I took the two girls to the doctor's office. Luckily they were able to fit us in right away. Of course, the minute we were at the doctor she starting running around and playing as if she hadn't a care in the world!

The Doctor's take on the owie? "Kids this little usually don't break bones. But would you mind if I send her for an X-Ray to be 300% sure it's not a greenstick fracture?" Uh, okay, sure. What's a greenstick fracture?  (A greenstick fracture, as it turns out, is a bone that is not broken all the way through. Because kids' bones are more pliable than those of an adult, this is a common kind of fracture in kids.)

At the X-ray clinic, I was beginning to be apologetic. The kid just wasn't acting like a four-year old with a broken bone. "The doctor wanted the X-ray just to be on the safe side..." was how I now began conversations because my little girl was just so upstanding and uncomplaining. She permitted the staff to poke, prod and twist her arm, and didn't utter a peep. So I was surprised when the X-ray technician came out and said, "are you heading back to see the doctor today?"

Should I be? Apparently so.

Compress the next few hours: called husband...started to head home...called provincial Health Link line...re-directed to children's hospital...picked up McDonald's...met husband...handed off big sister to dad...dad splints little one's arm...picked up X-rays on CD...headed to children's hospital.

We spent a grand total of 45 minutes waiting in the Alberta Children's Hospital waiting room, and we were in and out within 1.5 hours. Again she acted as if she was in no pain whatsoever...the emerg doctor even asked "is this really the arm with the owie?" because she didn't flinch at all during the exam.

In the end, the doctor advised against a cast (hot and sticky, can't get it wet) and my daughter was fitted with a splint. They tell me I'll be getting a bill for $12 to pay for the thing - I say it's money well spent.

Interestingly enough, my husband and I saw Michael Moore's new film, SiCKO with friends on the weekend. It was amazing to watch the movie and think, the whole way through, how grateful I was to be able to take my hurt little girl to a doctor, X-ray clinic and hospital emergency room, all without ever needing to even think about paying, until they sent me on my way with a popsicle and a promise of a $12 invoice. I had to ask myself: if we lived in the US and had to pay, or co-pay, or apply for insurance...would you even take your child to the doctor in this situation? Would you not just wait a day or two and see what happened? And if you did go to the doctor, would you proceed to the X-ray after her assurance that it's likely nothing? And from there to the emergency room? And if you did, I can only imagine the one sound ringing out every time you opened the door to the next facility...

CHA-CHING.

Comments

[Des]

I had the same thought when our 2-week old son ended up in the hospital with an urinary tract infection. With only a mild fever and a bit of fussiness, we could have easily missed this potentially serious infection if we had been concerned about having to pay for the emergency visit (which included blood, urine, and spinal fluid samples) and the resulting one-week hospitalization for IV antibiotics... something I will keep in mind when my tax bill arrives this year... hope your little one is feeling better.

[Leanne]

Hmm. Sounds like my little one. I'm glad she's doing better. We had a cast and it was a tough six weeks....

[Heidi]

Just to add, we pay about $3000 per year for private health insurance - top hospital + ancillary (teeth, physio, glasses etc.). But you have to pay a gap at the GP (not covered by insurance) and your rebates on ancillary are only about 30 to 40% covered. Hospital insurance is worth it though - children have no excess to pay at private hospitals which is good as I have spent A LOT of time in one :((((

If you want to have a baby privately in Sydney, you need to budget between $5000 and $7000 OUT OF POCKET - totally crazy. Lucky I live in Perth and only paid between $150 to $300 out of pocket. Here doctors, hospitals, physio's, drugs are billed separately if you go private. Medicare (Gov't system) pays some of the classic medical bills and your private insurance may cover the gap (but mostly not all of it).

I guess there are pro's and cons to everything. On balance, we have received superb medical care for our son (in both private and public hospitals - he has spent some time in the public system in ICU). I just feel sorry for those who can't afford private insurance.

Drugs aren't covered either - the government subsidises most of them so you usually pay beween $15 to $30 for a prescription, unless you are on welfare.

[Heidi]

Hi Kath - ow, poor lil' thing. :((( How is she now? I dread the day one of my feral children breaks something - we have already had 4 sets of stitches though. Gotta love the Australian health system (NOT) - 3 of those sets cost us in total $700~~~ (3 trips to private emergency department), but the other set happened in Canada the last time I was home - imagine a 6-months pregnant woman (that would be ME) rushing into Newmarket's South Lake Health Campus with a 3 year old who split his head open right by his eye at a friend's. It took 2 doctors, 2 nurses and me SITTING on him to stitch it up. But cost? A whopping great $260 ('cause we aren't covered by OHIP as we don't live there anymore) but I got every cent back from travel insurance. Service was fantastic and we were in and out in 45 minutes!!!

Public hospital waits here are WAY too long, espcially at the children's hospital so I don't bother.

We are, however, lucky here with GP's - we can get in straight away (for a price) and our 2nd son has chronic health issues anyway, so is on indefinite referral to a paed.

[Diane]

What a brave girl! Hope the check up shows that it has healed.

[jamie]

best wishes kath and little un! hope she gets well soon! thinking of you all. jamie xx

[LoriD]

Just the sight of that sweet little thing all wrapped up in the sling is heart-breaking. What a trooper, though. If you have private health insurance (through yours or hub's work), you can probably even get that $12 back! I agree... it's good to be Canadian and not have to think twice about healthcare.

[Kath]

Thanks Jen! You know, I just don't tire of telling the story. Don't know why...As for the splint, well, she is taking it off A LOT these days. First it was itchy, then it just didn't look pretty with her princess costume (she has priorities, does this one). I went back to the emerg to see if a cast was in order, but they say no, stick with the splint even if she does take it off. I've just attuned my ears to the sound of velcro...as for how long, we're to go for a fresh X-ray after 10 days. Hopefully her little green sticks will be whole again :)

[Jen]

Poor little thing! What a trooper. How has she been with the splint? How long will she need it?

I agree. We are SO lucky to be able to take our children to a doctor "just in case". Good thing you did!