Been GONE for a few minutes…

I just looked and it’s been 22 days since my last post!! Time flies! I hope that everyone of you had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends!  It’s been a little chaotic on this end of the blogosphere….

I managed to finish my Christmas shopping ON Christmas Eve! Why was I so late you ask?? Slacker? A little bit! Scrooge? Eh…not really? Busy? Gurl….let me tell you the WAYS!! See…on December 14th, I got a call from the boys school telling me Julian hurt himself.  I’m thinking “well that’s nothing new…he’s ALWAYS hurting himself! He always plays so rough!”.  But the front office called me, one of my friends who works in the office text me, and the Principal text me too! This must be something…!  Finishing up with my afternoon patients, I told them I was on my way. “Angie…he’s REALLY in pain!” was what I was told as I’m leaving work. 😁

Get to the school and I’m greeted by the Principal.  I’m seeing my usually very strong 14 year old WRITHING in pain.  I walk over to him…ask him how he was, what happened…the usual.  I gently pull the basketball jersey back (he has a game that day, of course) and this HUGE swollen shoulder is like “what’s up??“.  Is is dislocated?? It’s sprained?? ER…here we come!

Short synopsis – Sign in…triage….ARNP assessment (I’m a PA..GO,Midlevel Providers!!👍)…to the room…”hello Doctor”…a X-ray we will go…$1000 deductible PAID (ouch!!)….and then…those words…”it’s broken“. Well..DAMN! For you medically interested folks… A displaced humeral fracture* (to be precise). Meaning…he used to look like this… 

 ..and now looks like this… 

 How in GOD’S name did this happen, you ask? Playing football. Playing football like he always does, running for a pass like he always does, colliding with someone like he always does, except this time…fell right.on.his.shoulder! 😁. This was at “recess” (or whatever the hell its called in Middle School).  This is NOT the full pads and helmets, like he wants to play next year in High School (for which even prior to this I said NO!).  This was regular flag football style ball that he plays all the time….except his broke his arm!! 

This can’t be splinted like most fractures, so off to Orthopedics we go!!  The first Orthopedic was great and gave him a temporary fix…

 …which created a weight to pull the arm down and “straighten” the fracture temporarily, until he is seen by ANOTHER  Ortho! When this picture was taken, we were 48 hours since #breakgate

Second Orthopedic appointment – 1 week since #breakgate- resulted in “the only way to fix this is surgery….TOMORROW!” That was my worst fear since his injury.  I didn’t want him to have surgery!! But the only correction was surgery…and EMERGENCY surgery, at that!

5:45 am on December 22, we were in the hospital for preparing for shoulder surgery.  Interesting SN: Aidan, my youngest son, had surgery the SAME DAY and SAME HOSPITAL, 4 years prior! What are the chances….?  We were in Pre-Op and everyone involved came by to inform us about the surgery. It was hard looking at my “baby” as he laid sleeping from the “calming meds” they gave him to do the necessary nerve block before the surgery… 

 NO mother wants to feel this or even see this! 

His surgery was supposed to about 1 1/2 hours but because the repair couldn’t be done externally, they had to open his shoulder and internally fix the fracture.  For you medically interested folks…Open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of the humerus was performed.  It took about 3 1/2 hours total to place 2 rather large pins in his arm,  It was so hard seeing him when I couldn’t make it an better! 😢

So….my no shopping was LEGIT!  But if this scenario doesn’t make me (or anyone for that matter) understand that the season is about having family here and healthy, I  don’t know what does.  I am BEYOND happy that Julian did well and we are Day 4 into his recovery.  He already is out of his sling and moving his elbow without pain. (Couldn’t do that before!!).   In 11 weeks, the pins come out.  The blessing in this injury/surgery…its his LEFT arm, since he is right handed.  But the bad part is…it’s his SHOOTING arm.  He shoots left handed in basketball!  #ofCOURSE

All prayers will be accepted and appreciated during this time.  Julian is ITCHING to get his hands on a basketball, as his season (which just started) is over! 😢. But in his own words…”It’s ok, Mom! I’m just going to come back bigger and stronger!”.  #boom

*fracture- I have found during this time that folks would ask “is it broken or fractured?”.  My PSA…they are synonymous terms.  If something is fractured, it is also broken. 

Enjoy your family and I wish you a happy and HEALTHY New Year! ❤️