Packing Day

Yesterday was supposed to be packing day. Today was supposed to be "finish up a few odds and ends" day. If you've read yesterday's post you know what interupted my plans for yesterday. Today Janelle is fine. She went to bed last night without a word of complaint, and only got up once for some Advil and a snuggle. She hasn't asked for any medication today, and hasn't complained of pain at all. Thank goodness for small blessings!

My day started with a call to our doctor's office in Fredericton. I hadn't informed them of the move yet, since we don't have a new family doctor yet. I told them that my daughter broke her arm yesterday and that we need to get into a fracture clinic by the end of next week to have her cast changed. They were not encouraging. They finally gave us an appointment Tuesday, but said they can't imagine being able to get her in to a fracture clinic before a week following that. I insisted that the doctor here said she'll need a new cast by next Friday at the latest. They were still not helpful. Finally I accepted the Tuesday appointment, but said I would probably just go to the ER on Wednesday and wait for someone to help her. I'm sure I would be waiting a long time in that scenario! Chris called another doctor who is a friend of ours to see if she could help in any way, and my sister knows an orthopedic surgeon in Saint John that she is going to call. Such bad timing! But somehow, before next weekend I will have my daughter in a new cast!

So I have all this to worry about while I'm trying to do laundry and pack and make a grocery list (snacks for the trip and supplies for Chris while he is here without us). I have started, as you can see above, but I'm not it a good mental place right now to make all the decisions involved in what to take and what to leave behind. I am not a list maker, but on days like today I recognize the value of a list. Time to grab a scrap of paper and try to think of all the things we could possibly need for four weeks in New Brunswick. It's overwhelming! But I know that now I am just using my blog as a form of procrastination, so I'll be signing off. Not sure when my next post will happen, but hopefully it will be written from New Brunswick!

No Swimming this Summer!

I was already composing a post in my head about packing day, when I heard the door burst open and Janelle come in, tears streaming down her face and her arm held close to her body. She had fallen off her bike. Fine. Mom's prescription: a few kisses and some ice on it while snuggled up in front of her favourite TV show. After I had her settled somewhat comfortably, I came upstairs and dug out the suitcases. About 10 minutes later Chris, who just happened to be doing some work from home this morning, came up and said "Leanne, I'm not sure her arm is okay. It's really swelling and something doesn't seem right." I went down and checked it out, and I had to agree. Something just didn't seem right, and the pain didn't seem to be lessening at all. So off we went to the walk-in clinic, convinced I was only going so a doctor could reassure me that nothing was wrong.

Not so.

About three hours later, following a visit to an x-ray clinic and another to Children's Hospital, we arrived home with a cast on Janelle's precious little fractured arm, and instructions not to get it wet, and to somehow manage to get a referral to an orthopedic clinic in Fredericton next week, so she can get another x-ray and a new cast. Yep, this is just what we needed two days before we leave for NB!

I'm so proud of my daughter. She kept such a great attitude all day. There were no tears after the initial shock wore off. By the time we went for her x-ray she was even smiling! And when I told her she probably wouldn't be able to swim this summer (one of Janelle's all-time favourite things) she only slightly hesitated before saying "That's okay, Mommy. There are other fun things to do". What an amazing kid!

Hopefully she will only need the cast for four weeks. Unfortunately that means the four weeks of our trip to NB. But at least she would still be able to swim during our last three weeks of summer after we come back to London. If she can, I'll be doing everything I can to find her awesome swimming spots as much as possible! She deserves it! My brave little trooper!