The Cast Chronicles - Part 1

Last Saturday, after a lovely social-distancing visit with some friends we hadn't seen in ages, Justin, the boys and two friends were in the  backyard playing wiffle ball. For a time, we watched them through the window from our living room (it was super hot out there!) but when it happened, I was sitting on the living room couch. 

Suddenly, Brayden was in front of me, an expression on his face that I can't put into words. He said something along the lines of, Lucas is hurt, come outside. I walked out the back door in time to see Justin carrying Lucas toward me, Lucas crying, and Justin mouthing silently to me, "It's broken."

The next few minutes went by very fast. Justin carried Lucas to his truck and I started it up so he would have cold air. I went to get Lucas' water cup and said goodbye to our friends, who were making a quick exit, understandably. I told Justin I would call and look up the best place for him to take Lucas. Then, I kissed my baby boy and they left. 

With the Covid restrictions, I was pretty sure that only one parent was allowed in the hospital. But I wanted to know for sure, because most of all I wanted to be with Lucas in the hospital. They were only allowing one parent, so that settled that, and I waited with my phone in hand for updates from Justin about what was going on. 

Justin said he heard the snap, as the boys were playing and went for the ball, and knew it was Lucas' leg and that it was broken. 

Hours later, the x-rays confirmed what we already knew: Lucas had a broken leg. 

We would discover that it was a clean break, and the Doctor said it should heal nicely. But, he would need an almost full leg cast (it goes up to his mid-thigh) and be in a wheel chair for the next 4 weeks. Then, hopefully two weeks after that with a boot on. He could put absolutely no weight on that leg. 

A little after midnight, Justin and Lucas made it home and we plunged head first into the Cast Chronicles. Carrying Lucas around, not disturbing the leg, getting his clothes off without hurting the leg, giving him a shower without getting it wet...

But now, two days have passed and it is getting easier (not easy...but easier). The first night, Lucas slept with me and it was a restless night, at best. He would feel for me to make sure I was still there, and I was nervous to move around and injure him. He needed pain meds the first two days pretty regularly, but the second night home, he slept in his own bed, uneventfully. We had to make sure the leg was elevated for the first 48 hours, so he stayed on the couch most of that time. 

But, today he's eaten at the table in his wheelchair (on loan from church, we are still waiting for the child-size wheelchair that the Doctor gave us a prescription for to be approved by insurance), played Uno, playdough, read some books in Justin's recliner and successfully been moved to all the different places with not so much as a groan. 

We're going to get through this--I never expected our summer would end this way, but we are making the best of it and our prayer is that by his birthday on August 10, he'll be in a boot and we can go do some fun things. 

Here are a few priceless quotes from Lucas during this time:

Pointing to the band-aid on the inside of his arm: This is where they put the RV in. (He meant the IV.)

The second night at home, the minute we laid him in his bed, he called us saying his leg hurt. We fussed over him and rearranged his pillows and blankets. 
Then he told me, "I think its growing back together right now. That's good if it's doing it at night. That way it won't hurt so much. I think it knows to do it at night."

Stay tuned for Part 2....