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Liam hurt his leg a little at his party. A slight scrape, perhaps a bit of a twist, but he was fine. Over the next couple of days, he began to complain more and more of it hurting.
Last night he limped into bed with us, and limped down the stairs refusing to bend his knee. Whe we examined it and bent it for him, he cried. *wince*
Now, Liam is my stoic. he's a real mensch, usually. We thougt he might just be angling for a day home from school, but he cried real tears, and begged us not to mess with it. Plus, when I put him on the couch, he stayed there.
Took him to see his pediatrician. He wasn't certain, but said it could be a couple of things. A viral infection in the fliud in his joint (possibly the hip joint, since that often results in knee pain), which isn't bad and clears up with rest. Or, the beginnings of an infection in his bone, which can sometimes happen after a minor injury. He said he needed blood work, but his office's lab would take three days, and if it was a bone infection, we couldn't wait three days. He said I could go to an urgent care place, but that they might send him to the ER at the childrens' hospiital anyway.
So, he called ahead to Scottish Rite, to tell them we were coming. Seems he's had three kids with bone infections secondary to minor leg injuries through his office this month, and better safe than sorry, etc. etc.
Had to carry him into the office, but he sort of limped out, putting little weight on the leg and not moving it. Couldn't find mapquest directions, but my husband found them. We were all going to go, but there was a chance we wouldn't be back in time to get Robert after school.
Ron is better able to carry my 65 lb six-year-old than I am, so he went, I stayed. They just called from triage. It will probably be hours before we know anything. If it turns out to be a bone infection, the only treatment is a few days of IV antibiotics, which means a hospital stay.
I want to pull my freaking hair out. I can't stand not knowing. I mean, I believe he'll be okay, either way, but that doesn't help. *grinds teeth*
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Please don't pull your hair out, it will only make your scalp bleed.
Instead, take a deep breath and resign yourself to the fact that you will know what's going on when it's time to know. No amount of worrying or stressing out will make the triage move faster or the test results come back quicker.
I understand that the waiting is hard, and I'm truly sorry that you're having to deal with this.
Posts: 1480 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Thanks, guys. You know what's funny? I keep telling myself he was just faking to get out of school. But then I get mad, because it's going to be very expensive for us, and we really don't have it right now. I'm still paying off my cataract surgery.
But we can't ignore it and hope for the best, because if it IS a bone infection, he could lose his leg or even die without prompt treatment.
Everything in my head is irrational when I think of this. So I think I may just visit some fluff threads...
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Sounds like a bone infection wouldn't be pleasant, but also that it won't cause any permanent sort of injury. (edit: if he gets treated, I mean) And I'm sure Liam will be able to get through a hospital stay. He sounds like a pretty resilient kid.
If he does stay in the hospital, can I send him a get-well card with some of his favorite artistic words?
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Shigosei- *snort* I'll let you know If they keep him, you'll all know about it , believe me.
Yeah, ketchup. I know. My little wid man.
Did I show you the card a girl made him for his birthday? I scanned it because it was so sweetly hilarious...
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Okay Here's the front of the card. Note that the first word is "LOVE". Lauren is wearing high heels, and Liam appears to be holding a flower, or possibly an axe to cut the huge flower for her. He's definitely holding something, though. I think the "Happy Birthday" was written by her mom, Ginny. Ginny says that she tells everyone in the family that she's going to marry Liam.
Lauren is almost a year younger than him, and very petite. They ride the same bus and are in the same kindergarten class.
Here's the middle of the card. Here, the happy couple is depicted in more casual attire. Thye seem to have ahouse on wheels and lots of baloons on strings. And, either a car or a baby carriage. Big, toothy smiles, though.
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I'd say watch out for that one, but Lauren is absolutely adorable. And polite, too (at least when I was helping her with her shoes).
Posts: 3801 | Registered: Jan 2000
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She IS very polite, and we love her family (her mom, at least). Though there are lots of girls who seem to have designs on him.
Ron just called. Liam was brave when they drew his blood. It could be a few hours before they get the X-rays done and hear about the blood tests.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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So, I was picking Robert up when Ron called. Liams X rays and bloodwork were clear, but they said that these infections cann cause symptoms before they are detectable by X ray or blood test, so we still have to watch him. Motrin for inflamation, and if he doesn't stopp limping soon, back to an orthopedist.
So, hopefully, he'll get better and that will be the end of it.
*hugs*
Thank you all for helping getthrough this. It drove me nuts not being able to be there with him. But I got to help Robert through a pile of homework that he was upset about, so... It's all good. Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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(((hugs))) Yay! I'm glad it's not the worst case scenario. I'm sure it was just inflammation; I actually get that quite often. Is he prone to popping ankles out of joint? I am, and so is my whole family, and my sister and I have both been known to "pop" a knee occasionally. It gets very sore and swollen until it kind of spontaneously pops back, when there is instantaneous relief followed by a day or two of healing sore pulled muscles, then back to normal. (My brother has a shoulder that is prone to popping out of joint. Add to this the fact that he was a rowdy little boy, and my brother's doctors got a few calls from DCFS before he was 5.)
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Are they thinking transient synovitis of the hip? It's relatively common in kids, although you always want to rule out the more serious stuff.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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I think they ruled out hip involvement early on, because of how it hurt when the hip was rotatedoutward instead of inward. Or something. My brain is fried. They did say he must follow-up with his doctor in three days, and see an orthopedist if the limp persists for more than a week or so. They said it could indicate some sort of disease.
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I don't think that was the hospital Hattie went to, it was right by the coke museum. We were on an orchestra trip to Atlanta, our first stop was Stone Mountain, and one of the girls tripped and broke her leg. They took her down the mountain, and put her right on our bus, then we drove to the hospital on the way to the next stop, the coke museum. She got there at noon and wasn't looked at till 11 pm, where they just gave her a splint, and a walking cast and told her to be more careful. They'd had her sitting in the hall on the floor, and wouldn't let our chaperone sign anything for her (she was only 16), she couldn't even get a hold of her parents. Several times she saw gunshot victims get wheeled through (at least the chaperone did, Hattie took a migraine pill she had with her and doesn't remember most of it).
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I'm glad that this stage of things is over, but sorry there wasn't a resolution that didn't involve more waiting :/ Hopefully he will indeed get better quickly Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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Well, he said it was all better today. As in, not hurting him at all. He's my little stoic, but I think we're in the clear.
Breyerchic... sound like maybe Grady, the hospital where, if you are not stabbed or gunshot, you really aren't a priority. Seriously, they get the bulk of major traumas in the area. A local might have been able to direct the group to a better location for her, but... who knows.
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So glad to hear your stoic brave is back to himself. I loved the card. Thank you so much for sharing with us!
Posts: 571 | Registered: May 2001
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Yeah that might have been it, I know that the people at Stone Mountain suggested somewhere, but it was absolutely the opposite direction we were going, so we were going to ask at the Coke museum when we passed one on the way.
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If they keep him, you'll all know about it , believe me.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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But I got to help Robert through a pile of homework that he was upset about, so... It's all good. 
