Broken Leg...Broken Heart

aka The Disadvantages to Being a Twin and Why I Suck as a Parent

*heaven knows I'm writing this so Seren can have "fun" memories not because of my fabulous parenting skills.

We just moved to our new home on Wednesday.  We love the area.  We love the neighbors.  We love(ed) the swing set in the backyard.  So did the girls.  We had been out to play on it once or twice.  Seren has gotten pretty good at climbing on her own with us being there to support and help.  She even managed to scale a ladder all on her own once when grandma and grandpa were here playing with them...needless to say I rushed over and helped her up the rest of the way and down the slide. 

So I knew she could climb them.  I knew for her age this wasn't a great idea since she's still unbalanced and small.  But I figured I could stay on top of both of them.  We went outside yesterday and were playing with Daddy and Aunt A nearby.  Aunt A was helping with Kendall and Seren and all was fine.  Aunt A went inside or something for a moment and I was right there with the girls.  I helped Kendall up and then down the slide.  Then, I turned around and I saw Seren near the top of a ladder and before I could respond to get her down she had slipped.  I watched her fall and saw her land with most of the force on her left leg.  I ran to her and she was crying (okay screaming) and I picked her up and rushed her inside the house to check her out.  I stripped off her pants and shoes and looked at her legs and knee.  I didn't see anything wrong but she kept crying.  I rocked her and held her and offered her chocolate to see if it would calm her down (as it has in the past with falls and bumps).  She pushed it away.  Jeff and Aunt A came inside with Kendall and we tried to calm Seren down.  I asked if we should go to the doctor or ER and it was somewhat decided to wait a few minutes and see if she would calm down.  She did somewhat but she also wouldn't put any weight on her left leg and kept crying.  I called the after-hours pediatrics and explained what happened and how she was acting and they set up an appointment for an hour later.  Seren finally exhausted herself and fell asleep in Jeff's arms for a little while.  Kendall went down for her nap and when it was time to leave I left Jeff home with Kendall sleeping and took Seren.  She was more calm but again wouldn't put weight on her leg.  On the car ride there she seemed completely happy and sung and babbled from her carseat in the backseat.

The pediatrician saw her and examined her legs.  Seren cried at being touched and screamed when the doctor touched her lower leg and knee area.  She got a sucker and calmed down.  I was told the injury or pain seemed to be around her shin and knee but that the doctor wanted x-rays of her whole leg just to be sure.  So we headed down to radiology.  We waited there for a little while.  Then they brought us back and placed her on the x-ray table and I sat with her in a lead apron.  They gave her another sucker.  And the two of us cried as they took several x-rays and Seren screamed when they bent, turned and touched her leg.  Seren begged to be held and I tried to comfort her and tell her we had to take pictures first.  I've never felt so helpless and guilty.  The radiologist didn't see anything immediately and so I crossed my fingers and hoped for a sprain or something else.

We went back to the doctor's office upstairs and waited.  It took some time to get the x-rays read and back to them so we called and checked in with Jeff and said hello to Kendall.  Seren was in good spirits.  When the doctor came back in she told us that Seren had indeed fractured her leg with the fall.  I started crying again and she tried to give me a pep talk of how I was not a horrible parent (especially with twins) and that things like this happen.  I asked where it was broken and she took us to her office and showed us the x-ray.  It is on the upper part of the tibia (larger bone in the lower leg) near the knee.  I noticed that it was close to the growth plate (thank you BioMed in college) and asked about this.  The doctor said yes it would need some extra care and follow-up to make sure this wouldn't cause problems.  Then she had us follow her to the "prep room" where they splinted Seren's leg with a plaster type backing, gauze and an ACE type bandage over all of it.  She sat in my lap during this and again we cried and she screamed and begged for comfort. 

We were referred to an orthopedic specialist to call on Tuesday (dang you holiday) and will have further follow up from him, including a cast.  Seren is not supposed to have any weight bearing on that leg until the cast comes off in about 3 weeks or so.  So basically, as the doctor said, stock up on coloring books and other sitting/quiet type games.  Hoping for the best and no further trouble for her with this as it heals. 

Seren and Kendall with the splint...watching some Sesame Street.  This is right after we got home so her hair is a sweaty mess.