Toddlers & Elbows

In early December, I added another weird medical condition to my repertoire, one that only a kid can bless you with.  I was shopping with Cedar, and she decided the floor of the mall (mall being a subjective term in Juneau) was a good place to lay down.  She was goofing off and rolling along when I decided we really had to go.  I gave her my hand to help her up, and halfway there she did that awesome toddler dead weight sack of potatoes thing.  I heard a little pop, and there was crying.  It was an action with such little force that I just couldn't believe it was an actual injury.  We got in the car, and there was more crying.  We picked Molly up from a friend's house, more crying.  We finally got home, and I realized that she wouldn't use the arm, not even to grab some coveted chocolate.  She was also pretty pathetic, and I felt horrible.

One trip to the ER later, and there it was: nursemaid's elbow.  I guess it is pretty common with kids this little, as it doesn't take much to dislocate the arm right there.

They popped it right back in, and five minutes later she was good as new and spoiled rotten by the hospital staff.

They told me when I left that once this happens, it can happen again very easily.  So I've been paying close attention to not grabbing her arms or hands.  And then the night of Porter's birthday party a couple of weeks later, she was playing with Bryce, and out it popped again.  Same pathetic scene.  I had my coat on to make another ER trip, when we thought maybe we'd try looking it up first.  Two YouTube videos later, and Bryce popped it right back in himself.  It's actually very easy, although not very fun.  Here's to hoping she grows out of it soon!