Yes, Its medical..yes, We Are Trying to Get in to the Doctor, Just Support Plz

Updated on December 24, 2015
R.. asks from San Antonio, TX
22 answers

Okay I am waiting for the pediatric orthopedist to call me back and see if they can squeeze us in today or if we have to wait until tomorrow for an appointment.

I know we need an xray...and you guys don't have through the internet xray eyes...although I wish you guys did sooo much cheaper!!

We were walking down to a friends house down the street last night. My daughter, (8 yrs old) was running full speed tripped and fell, face planted. I started walking faster and faster to get to her kept waiting for her to get up...she just lay there crying. Finally got to her and asked where it hurt....her wrist hurt. She had rocks and dirt in the palms and backs of both hands and her face. We walked home while she cradled her arm. I am calculating which ER will be best...

Get home clean her up and she says lets walk back to their house...my arm feels fine. I am like are you sure?....she is and we do...walk back down there...they aren't home we walk back home and kids watch tv and I am fixing dinner.

Then she comes to me saying the pain is getting worse and worse....now it is an 8 on a one to ten scale. So I put ice on it and give her ibuprofen. Within and hour she is feeling better again...takes her bath (not using her hand/wrist/arm much but some). she goes to bed and sleeps all night.

This morning it hurts to move her wrist/arm AND now by the way mom...my fingers are numb...

So, I am on the phone with the othro's office when they open and they are booked full today....but she will tell the office manager and call me back if they can squeeze us in...

While I was typing this they called back and we have to boogie to get there....

Question: Has your child had a broken bone? Did you know it right away? Or did you go back and forth about whether to take them for an xray? Have you taken them and it wasn't broken and you were surprised or vice versa you took them and it was and you were surprised?

I will SWH when we get home....thanks for reading/listening guys!!

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So What Happened?

Well we got in to the pediatric orthopedists...I think with her symptoms and the fact we have been "frequent flyers" in their office (three casts & broken bones over two kids over eight years).

Could have knocked me over...a fractured ELBOW....no complaint of elbow pain...until the doctor grabbed it. The wrist, hand, and arm pain and numbness in the fingers were referred pain and nerve issues from the elbow.

So, in a splint for three weeks...he said if she were to fall on it again when not wearing the splint she could damage it enough to need the bone pinned. Argh!!

Glad I took her, I knew that I needed to take her in...

To the response that said I should have taken her to the ER last night...our children's ER is horrible...well, I have had two really bad experiences there. Last time we were there they told me my son did not have a fracture or break and was just over reacting and being dramatic. He DID have a fracture found by the orthopedist the next day when I took him and he was in a cast for five weeks. He had severe bruising/damage to the ulna nerve which is why he screamed every time they grabbed his arm anywhere between his fingertips and his elbow. They insulted my son and myself, were totally incompetent and gave him a dose of Tylenol and sent us home. Took me over six months to pay off that experience. And each payment I made I got madder and madder.....wrote a letter of complaint to the hospital.

So unless the bone is sticking through the skin or the limb is deformed...I will wait to see our specialist in his office. I HATE our children's ER.

But anyways...my daughter is in a splint and on the mend...hope this question helps others who find themselves after hours debating do I go for an xray or not. Or to go in at all...

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R.K.

answers from Appleton on

Not being judgmental here ... but ....
When in doubt I always took my kids to the ER. Now that time has passed relax and get her to a doctor as soon as you can. In the meantime ice and pain killers, maybe an ace wrap will help.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Brings to mind the time my young daughter was sledding with the family. Had a bad turn, fell off, and bumped her leg. Never said a thing. Walked the short distance home with us, we prepared lunch, and when we were eating she said: "Boy, my leg feels so much better than when I was walking on it. It kept hurting every time I stepped on it." Quick trip to the ER and a cast followed. I still feel bad about it! And don't get me started on the time my son broke his thumb (unnoticed until the next day when he thought it was funny that he couldn't hold a piece of paper between his thumb and finger). Kids, just gotta love, and do our best by them.

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L..

answers from Raleigh on

Something similar happened to me when I was that young. I did a cartwheel in a small space and my foot hit the edge of a wooden table (smart, huh?). Anyway, like your daughter, it wasn't too bad at first, just sore, but got worse and worse. I could barely walk the next day and my mom took me to the dr. I got an X-ray but it wasn't broken or fractured..just bruised really badly. Took a long time to fully heal and I used a wrap for a bit. Did the same things you're doing. :) I hope your daughter is ok!

1 mom found this helpful

D.D.

answers from Boston on

My daughter broke her arm when she was playing with the next door neighbor. Fell 2 ft off a box and the mom didn't think anything was wrong because it was such a little fall. But that daughter wasn't a complainer so I just knew something wasn't right when I picked her up a few hours later. Hubby thought I was nuts when I took her to the ER but yes it was broken.

Hope your daughter feels better. In the future if you can't get into an ortho and don't want to go to the hospital you can usually get full service at urgent care. Daughter who broke her arm now works at an urgent care center and they do everything from xrays to stitches to minor coughs and colds. Look at your insurance to see if you have coverage for one in your area just for future reference.

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V.B.

answers from Jacksonville on

No, but it happened to ME as a child. I was jumping on our trampoline with my brother. We were old pros (I was 6 or 7, he was 8 or 9, lol). I did that move where you land on your back (flat) and then bounce back up.. done it a million times. Well, brother was doing something else and fell on me. Landed on my hand/arm. My hand was hyperextended back (from the flexed position, as if you were pressing against a wall, only further)... much like your daughter's hands may have landed on the sidewalk last night.

It hurt, but it wasn't like my arm was being amputated with no anesthesia or anything. My mom gave me some tylenol.. same sort of scenario as you and your daughter. But all that night I could not sleep. I rested it on the spare pillow and just couldn't get comfortable due to the pain. I thought it was broken. She said she didn't think so. But since it was worse the next morning (pain wise) we went to the doctor. It was in fact fractured. Not the hand or wrist... but further up the arm a little bit above the wrist. She felt so badly afterwards.

Meh.. no big deal to me once it was diagnosed. Don't feel bad that you didn't do anything last night. Not at all.

Just deal with whatever today. It'll be ok. ((hugs))
I still tease my mom about it today (she's 74). It's a family joke.

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M.B.

answers from Austin on

Not a break, but a dislocation injury that we put off....

We were at a band concert on a Saturday, hubby had youngest (son) on his back, holding his arms over his shoulder... son slipped, and it hurt his left arm. (Son was about 6 at the time, I think?)

Son continued to use his arm, complained occasionally, but when we put it in a sling, he seemed fine... he even jumped on the trampoline the next day!

Son had a well-child visit with our family doctor on Monday, so we felt we could put off doing anything about it... again, he continued to use his arm with just minor complaints.

Turned out he had dislocated his elbow! Doctor examined it, rotated it while son was complaining "Ow, ow, ow, ow...." and fixed it.... he called it "nursemaid's elbow" ... very common injury.

Things happen.... and aren't easily diagnosed at the first complaint.... you're doing fine! Let us know what happened.

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

Not my kids, but I had some broken bones. I broke my hand and finger and I had to see three general physicians before any of them sent me for an x-ray. My finger was swollen (twice regular size) but I was not in any pain.

I went days before having that x-ray. My parents just didn't agree with the physicians so they just kept taking me elsewhere. It was broken in a number of places.

My kids have had severe sprains and hairline fractures. They actually hurt worse than mine did and had worse swelling. I was told that if you could bend the fingers/wrist/ankle it wasn't a break. Not sure if that's accurate, but that's the test we do and hockey coaches do when kids fall.

When you give ibuprofen remember that takes pain away temporarily and reduces swelling. So it will seem to improve but that's the ibuprofen.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out :)

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S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Well, we've had all sorts of things happen, but the one where I felt like fool of the year-here goes. We had a huge raw rope (like those that ships are anchored with) around our neighborhood pool, kind of to make it look like a pirate's place or something. My son maybe two years old- held onto it. Rubbed his hands along the side. That night we were all out and it was getting darker in front and he was whining about his hand. Never occurred to me to look at the actual hand or I would have seen what was going on. I checked his arm, wrist, etc. He whined throughout the night. The next morning I saw his hand was all puffy He had splinters all over it. When I got him to the hospital he had 32plus splinters removed one by one ! Poor little guy.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I broke my arm 3 different times as a child (one at a time, left twice, right once).
I jumped off a swing, I jumped on a branch to break it (for the camp fire - at camp) and the bark slid off, and I fell ice skating.
They were all hairline fractures - had to wear a cast 8 weeks each time I did it.
Before going to the emergency room, ace bandage held the wrist immobile until a cast could be put on.
(This was in the 70s. Velcro wrist braces hadn't been invented yet.)
Go to an ER or Urgent Care (if the ortho can't fit you in) - you're not likely going to get an appt with an ortho till after New Year.
It's worth it to know if it's a fracture vs a sprain - it'll need to be splinted either way.
Keep icing it in the mean time.
These things happen - take it in stride.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

One day I got off my exercise bike and had very bad pain in the ball of my foot. I thought it was from the exercise bike so I stopped using the bike. 8 weeks later I was no better so I finally went to a podiatrist. Sure enough my bone was broken. 6 weeks later after wearing a knee high boot/cast and crutches the pain was no better.
To make a long story short I happen to have an old X-ray from another foot injury I had 6 years ago. To my amazement... That bone was broken at least since 2008.
From here on out I will always get things checked out. Here I am another year later since symptoms started and I am still in pain. I am now using a bone stimulator hoping it heals my bone but my doctors are skeptical and said the probability for success are very small. Since I am still recovering and in PT 3xs per week for leg surgery I had in September I am not in a rush to have the surgery my docs tell me will fix the issue.

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L.Z.

answers from Seattle on

You sure have a tough little girl on your hands! Good for her. I once broke my leg (very small fracture) and my parents didn't know for days. I kept complaining and they kept waiting it out. I was very young and they carried me when I got tired. Finally they decided to get it checked, and sure enough, it was broken and already starting to heal fine on it's own. I broke my elbow as an adult and it just needed a splint. It healed just fine. It took several months to feel completely fine, but I'm glad I postponed a surgery that I could have had and let it heal completely.

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D..

answers from Miami on

I'm seeing this after your SWH. I really do sympathize. My son jumped off a swingset (after telling him numerous times not to ever do that, and WHY) and he hurt his wrist. After putting ice on it, he said he felt better. We were staying in a hotel room that night and had physicals set for the next morning, so we went through our day and I put them to bed. The next morning he said his wrist really hurt, and I felt awful. As soon as I got the doctor's office, I saw her in the hallway and I went right to her and told her that I thought my son had broken his arm. She sent him downstairs straight away for the xray while we had our physicals, and I was right. It was a green stick fracture - 4 weeks in a cast.

It was really okay that I waited until the next morning, the doctor told me. As bad as I felt then, I know that the doctor was right. So, please don't beat yourself up here.

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

Good luck! Yes, I think most of us have had this experience. With injuries, you just never know. My SD used to kick box and do MMA training. There were several instances where she kicked or hit wrong and we weren't sure if her foot or hand was broken or not. Her friend's dad is an ER doc so he would normally say that it looked broken to him and go get it checked out immediately (which was usually the next day as I avoid the ER unless someone is near death), our pediatrician would say "eh, it doesn't look broken to me but go have it x-rayed to be sure" and every time, luckily, it was just a nasty bruise with swelling but no bone break. We've had a lot of x-rays over the years (fingers slammed in doors, falling off of bikes, MMA, hockey, football, lacrosse, horseplay, slips and falls, etc.) and so far the only actual broken bone was my wrist after falling on ice. And for that, I only drove myself to the ER after dropping off my son at the sitter's for the day and I realized that I was seeing stars and it wasn't safe to drive to work. Sometimes we would go immediately after the injury, sometimes the next day, sometimes a couple of days later if swelling and pain weren't getting better. It's a tough call and thankfully, x-rays are pretty easy to get and relatively inexpensive, so you can know for sure.

Hope it's not broken and that she feels better soon!

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

My kids have not but my husband's nephew did last year. He and his brother were playing with a ball in the yard and I think he jumped the fence to get it. When he jumped back he landed wrong. It did not take long for it to swell and he was in pain. My husband called his dad and mom came home from work to take him in. Broken wrist. My sons have bleeding disorders. If there is pain at all, we treat with meds and see how it goes. Hurting really bad is a visit to the clinic. Not ER for them unless seems life-threatening. ERs are not equipped for the most part. It is hard to judge when the child tells you it doesn't hurt anymore.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

we had a couple of minor breaks. we generally had an idea and got 'em in fairly quickly. in one stunning episode of maternal failure i shooed away a hurting little fellow and it was 24 hours later that we discovered he wasn't just whimpering to annoy me.
glad you're getting her in now. hope she feels better for christmas!
khairete
S.

J.S.

answers from Chicago on

I'm so glad your daughter got in to see the orthopedist today. My middle daughter fractured the same wrist twice in 9 months five years ago. My youngest fractured a bone in her left hand two years ago. Not to mention all the sprains over the years. Unless there is screaming and a bone sticking out or massive swelling, I just take the kids to the orthopedist and skip the ER.

Merry Christmas!

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I'm no expert, but it sounds like a fracture not a break. Get her seen asap.

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N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I would say, about the children's ER, to call your pediatrician first and let them know you think it needs an X-ray. Then THEY can call the hospital and have you go straight in through out patient services. We get hold of our pediatrician's office after hours by calling our local hospital and the operator pages them. They call us back and they know us well enough to know when we ask for something specific...it's not a bad idea to go ahead and do it.

You could ask your pediatrician how to get hold of them after hours and they can tell you specifically how to do that. Whomever is on call should be okay with ordering an X-ray, it's not medicine so I'd think they'd be okay with it.

Also, if there is another regular hospital in the area then skip the pediatric ER and just go for the regular one if it's really painful and needs treatment.

Anyway. Yes, I've taken my granddaughter in a couple of times just to get an X-ray, through the ER, and the X-ray technicians take the photo and the docs, who are NOT X-ray docs don't see anything. But then the next morning the X-ray doc calls and says "Hey! You have a broken bone". Because they are the experts when it comes to reading X-rays.

I think too, if this pediatric ortho doc knows you, that you could contact him after hours and he could order an X-ray if you think it's warranted. There are ways to get around the ER if the docs in your area are willing to do that for you.

Sorry kiddo has a broken elbow. That must really hurt.

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P.G.

answers from Dallas on

My husband, early 40’s, flew off his bike and landed with his arms outstretched. Kinda jammed his elbow. Turned out he had a compression fracture. He didn’t know it right away either. Once they figured it out and treated it right, it healed. Some breaks are so small they aren’t obvious until the pain climbs. You’re doing the right thing.

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M.M.

answers from Boston on

Sorry to hear she's got a broken elbow ;(

But to answer your question: son has not had any broken bones, just a sprained thumb. And I probably would have taken mine in for an xray but that's just me....

However....I'm currently recovering - still--- from a broken shoulder (technically the head of the humerus)...and yes, I knew right away something was wrong(couldnt move the arm and severe pain when I'd even attempt to move it)

I hope your little feels better soon!!!

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F.B.

answers from New York on

Broke my thumb while skiing as an adult. I thought I had just bruised it hard. Took me two days before I went to my office's corporate infirmary to have it checked out. Then I had to go to a hand specialist, have 6 weeks in a splint and weeks of pt to recover use and range of motion.

Hubs broke his collarbone and never had it looked at. He just thought he had a sore shoulder from rugby. It never set right. One is slightly shorter and has a bump about it.

Good luck to you and your kid.
F. B.

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C.S.

answers from St. Louis on

Yes, one has had a broken arm. My dad had her and called and told me this one was serous she was really hurt. It was cracked at the elbow.

The other child fell we cared for it, however she woke up and said it still hurt bad. I took her in for an xray and it wasn't broken.

I would have waited to take in the second child, but she had a tournament and we had to cancel in advance if she had a break.

I don't care for too much xray exposure.

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