Anyone who knows Mason is aware that he is "all boy." He plays hard, never walks (always runs,) and loves getting dirty and exploring everything! Saturday, May 11th, something happened we could have never (ever) prepared for. Our cousins, Christi, Clay and their daughter, Olivia were in town from Lexington and stopped by for pizza and to visit. After lunch, everyone headed downstairs to allow the four kids to play for a while. I stayed upstairs to clean up. Then, I heard it: the most terrifying scream I have ever heard from any of my children. It was Mason. The kids were playing basketball. Mason got out a small squishy ball. With his right foot, he stepped on it. But, when he did, his right leg went out in a herky-like motion. Then, he went straight down on top of it. While he attempted to pull himself up, Marty picked him up. He was screaming. Believe me-- there is a difference in this type of scream. I ran downstairs to see what happened. I brought him up thinking that if I gave him his pacifier and laid him on my bed (away from everyone) he would calm down. He would not bring his right leg down from his chest; it was curled up the whole time. I told Marty immediately that I thought he broke his leg. Marty took Mason, I grabbed a pair of pajamas, a sippy cup, diapers, wipes and two nutri grain bars (his favorite.) I threw it all in his Toy Story back pack and in less than 10 minutes from the time it happened, we were out the door. Thankfully, Christi and Clay were there to watch the girls. I also was watching my niece, Claire, that day. So, I called Ann on the way letting her know she was safe at home with them but that we were headed to the E.R. After work, Ann made her way to the house, packed the girls a bag and they stayed the night with her and Ryan while we spent a long night in the emergency room. The biggest mistake we made was that we headed to the nearest emergency room which is off Brooks Road and its a Jewish Hospital. While I think they are fine in their own right, they are not the best for children. With that said, we arrived and Mason was still screaming. They took x-rays from the bed (this was also terrible as he was in so much pain, it was so hard to watch.) Within minutes the MD on call said that "she knew why he was in so much pain; he has broken his right femur in two." Marty and I were shocked. I instantly began to cry because it was so hard to watch our baby in so much pain and could only imagine the road ahead for little Mason. Brooks instantly knew this type of injury needed to be sent to Kosair. After about an hour and a half at Jewish, the ambulance arrived and Marty and I road with our little man to Kosair. Doctors were waiting on us when we arrived. At this point, I was in complete disarray. The MD on call at Jewish (or as I like to call her, "Dr. Doom") had delivered me some very disturbing news while Marty stepped out to make some phone calls. She said that I shouldn't be surprised if when we arrive at Kosair that they run blood tests to uncover why a child of this age would break the biggest bone in his body; things like bone cancer and bone degenerative diseases came out of her mouth. I was terrified. The doctors at Kosair were amazing. Because the nurses at Jewish unsuccessfully attempted four times to start an IV, it was up to Kosair to get it done. They tried one time in his arm and finally were successful in running one in his left foot. After a while there, it was suggested that we run a nerve block in his right leg to numb it and keep him comfortable for the evening. By this point, Mason was sleeping. He was on Valium and Morphine for the pain. There was a team of seven physicians in the room when the nerve block was ran. This was incredibly risky, but we agreed that his comfort was worth the risk. This was amazing to watch. Via ultrasound, they ran the block in his upper right leg. There are VERY few hospitals in the country that are trained to do this sort of thing. Typically, ultrasounds and pediatrics don't go together. However, due to the risk of cardiac arrest if the medicine entered the bloodstream, precision and perfection is key. It worked beautifully. After several hours in the E.R., and following the successful nerve block, we were sent upstairs to 433. This would be our room for the next 24 hours. When we arrived, and after his leg was numb, Mason was placed in traction. This meant that his right leg was straightened out and placed in a brace. A 4-pound weight was hung at the end of the bed to ensure his leg was pulled as straight as possible. Luckily his leg was numb and he was asleep the whole time. And, by the way, Kosair sees broken femurs on a weekly basis. Blood tests were not necessary in a child this age. Had he been 12 or 13, the physician on call stated that she would be looking for a tumor. In his case, no. Casting was scheduled in the O.R. the following morning at 8:00 a.m. He was finally wheeled back for casting on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Meier is one of the best orthopedic docs in town. Then he was wheeled back... well, this was one of the worst parts. Saying goodbye to your two-year old for two hours in this condition is not natural. While he was given medicine to relax him, he woke up right before they took him back. He reached his little arms around my neck saying "mommy" over and over again. As a parent, all you want to do is protect your children; make sure they are happy and healthy. Who would have ever thought a little ball could have caused such a major turn in our lives. After the casting, Dr. Meier came out saying that he did very well, that we could see him in another hour or so. We took the elevators back down to room 433 and waited. I couldn't sit still, it was the longest hour of my life. When he came down, he was somewhat awake but very sleepy. He was placed in a spica cast. This is the craziest looking thing I have ever seen on a child this size. When he did start to come around, he was ready to eat. He ate six or so graham crackers and drank apple juice. He was doing great. The hospital provided us with a special carseat and a wheel chair was delivered to our home on Sunday night. Around 5:30, Sunday evening we were back home. He slept most of the evening and through the night. We've set up camp in the living room. Mason spends most of his time on a bean bag chair Marty picked up for him at WalMart. We finagle the pillows just right so he is comfortable. I sleep on the couch right by his head as he wakes up quite often through the night. Last night, in particular, was a rough night. He woke up every hour asking for mommy. While I try not to let my mind wonder as to what "could have been," it's hard not to. Marty was home with us on Monday, so while Mason was sleeping, I ran to the grocery to ensure we had the things we needed. On the way there, I broke down. I thought about how blessed we were that things turned out the way they did as a break like this is so very dangerous. If the bone had hit the femural artery, things would have turned out very badly. While this is a trying time for us (home-bound, 24-hour care, doing the best I can to keep him happy and comfortable) I remind myself that I am lucky to be doing this; it could have been so very bad. He has a great attitude about the whole thing! He loves taking walks in his wheelchair, and I do this twice a day. Changing his diaper is quite a challenge, but we're getting used to it together. Big sisters are such big helpers and have been great at understanding my responsibilities with him right now. We appreciate everyone's prayers and support. We are so fortunate to have wonderful people in our lives.
