What an adventure!


What an adventure the last few days have been for all of us! We never dreamed as we started out our week that we’d be spending Monday night at the Emergency Room. But, that’s where we were for many hours, waiting for some nice nurses to wrap up Jackson’s poor, little fractured tibia.

The fun began Monday afternoon when Molly got home from work. Jackson awoke from his nap cranky — not too unusual — but also very clingy. He didn’t want to be put down on the floor. After a while, Molly tried to put him down on his feet so he could run off as usual, but he screamed and cried and wouldn’t put any weight on his right leg.

Knowing something was wrong, we headed to the pediatrician’s office for a 7 p.m. appointment. They sent us to the hospital for X-Rays as a precaution. Jackson didn’t like the X-Ray table or the funny little vest they made him wear to protect him.

Despite that little drama, Jackson was a great sport! We brought his small metal Cars lunchbox with us, filled with cars and trucks. He opened it up every time we met someone new and showed them his favorite toys. "Car!" he would say, and smile.

After the X-Rays showed a fractured tibia, we headed to the emergency room and were told it would be "several hours" before we could be taken care of — and we were considered to be on the fast track! Yikes! Jackson fell asleep on Molly’s shoulder just as we were called back to the ER. Two very nice nurses and a doctor checked him out and gave him a new friend — a little Dalmatian we named "ER."

After we left the hospital at about 11:30 p.m., Monday, Jackson was completely exhausted, and so were his parents! After putting Jackson to bed, Molly and Dave finally ate their dinner — two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with milk. The ultimate comfort food!

On Tuesday, Jackson got his real cast during an appointment with the pediatric orthopedist. Dr. Laura Copaken came highly recommended by several doctors and nurses. (See her photo and web site here: www.frederickortho.com.)

The doctor assured us that Jackson’s fractured tibia was a minor problem, and wouldn’t cause any issues as he grows. He won’t need surgery and he won’t need any further corrective action. We were all relieved!

Molly got to choose the color of the cast, so of course we went with red! So the cast matches the stroller, the dog’s collar, and every other accessory our family owns.

As the cast technician wrapped up Jackson’s leg, from toes to hip, he and Dave discussed cameras, lenses and the like. Apparently, the guy was an amateur photog, looking for tips from a pro. It’s interesting the people that you meet in situations like these.

Jackson has spent the last day getting used to the giant, hard red thing now attached to his leg for three weeks. He’s been sleeping fine, but we can tell he’s anxious to get up and get moving again. There’s only so much "Sesame Street" that one toddler can watch! Already, he’s started to try to pull himself up to standing and is learning to crawl by dragging the cast behind him.

Thanks for all your well wishes these last few days. It’s great to know we have so many family and friends who care about all of us!


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