Broken, Battered Boys

Wednesdays are usually cosmically good to me.  Yesterday, Wednesday had other plans (although, I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it was still good to me.  Things could have been far worse.)

I am teaching my 3rd graders in the afternoon and Owen is escorted to my room after a playground injury.  He fell from the monkey bars and hurt his arm.  I checked him out, noticing that there were no bruises, bumps, or massive swelling, but that he did not want to rotate his arm.  A little tylenol and some resting in my room followed.  His pain did not get better, so after school I brought the kids home and Ken also gave him the once over.  He then piled Owen into the car and went off to get some XRays while I stayed home with Lucy and Mitchell and made dinner.

As we are sitting around the table eating, Mitchell starts complaining about his wrist itching.  Ken calls to say he is on his way home with Owen.  We are finishing up dinner, so I get some benedryl for Mitchell and check him out.  I instantly realize that this is far more than a random itch.  He had a red, raised, blotchy rash of some sort on his neck, up and down his arms, and covering 80% of his back!  At this time Ken walks in the door, complete with Owen in a temporary cast and sling.  I call him over to Mitchell,  he gives his inspection, and we decide that he needs to take Mitchell to the ER.  I begin the nervous mother waiting game while I get Owen dinner and get the youngest 2 into bed.  1 hour goes by.... a 2nd hour goes by... I am freaking out with nerves, not knowing anything.  I finally get a call from Ken shortly after 8 saying they were just leaving the hospital, but they had to stop at the pharmacy before they came home.

When they do get home, and after I get Mitchell settled in and in bed, I actually get to hear the details on both son's health.  Owen's Xray shows some irregularities on the radius.  We are waiting now to have the orthopedic doc in town review the xrays and tell us if the cast needs to be permanent, or if the temp can come off after a few days.  I learned that Mitchell was given a breathing treatment and steroid shots at the hospital to treat what was likely a food allergy rearing its ugly head.  What the culprit was is yet to be determined... they were all foods we've had regularly, so it will take a bit to figure out which one needs to be avoided.

Oh, and did I mention that the kids are scheduled to start swimming lessons, today?????  Owen will be devastated if he has to miss out on this session.  He's been counting down the days for 3 weeks!

So today I am home with the kids, letting everyone (including myself) recover from the crazy day yesterday.   I am going to go finish wrapping the kids in bubble wrap, so when I have more news I will post again.  :)