James over the first half of the Christmas break

(it is very long)
Dec 20th (Saturday): We woke up very early in St. George to drive to Long Beach to get on a cruise ship with my family. James however woke up with a very red, swollen, and goopy eye. We decided to find an urgent care along the way since nothing was open and wouldn't open for several hours.  We started calling places along the way and all of their wait times were anywhere from 3-4 hours just in the waiting room! It was very stressful. Finally we found a place in Long Beach that was open and the wait was 30 min. After all that we get on the ship with a few minutes to spare.

Dec 22nd (Monday):  On the cruise there was a "kids club" and James was loving it. Then we got a call from them in the evening saying there had been an "incident" and James had fallen? another child bumped into him knocking him over? he bumped into something? We honestly have no idea what exactly happened.  James came back to our room holding his left arm and we gave him some ibuprofen and he went sleep.

Dec 23rd (Tuesday): This was the day we got off the ship and headed to the Bay Area. James was still favoring his left arm, wasn't really using it, and saying it was hurting. There was no visible bruising or swelling.  We weren't quite sure to do. Even when distracted he still didn't use that arm. By the end of the night though we noticed that he used it occasionally.  At this point we were thinking he bruised his "funny bone"

Dec 24th (Wednesday): Things seemed better most of the day. Still wont use it though.  Towards the end of the evening we noticed some slight swelling.

Dec 25th (Thursday): It was Christmas! I was so very torn at this point and I didn't know what to do. He still didn't use his left arm much even when opening gifts and then playing with them, but he did use it some.  The swelling was still there. We tried moving it around and applying pressure in places but he didn't have any extreme reactions. He was even saying it was getting better. We made plans to find and go to an Urgent Care first thing in the morning.  He also started to get sniffly and he had a temperature of 101.7  Oh and he also fell 3 times that day landing on that arm.

Dec 26th (Friday): We woke up and went straight to an new by Urgent Care at 8:30am when they opened. They however did not have a doctor in at all and "technically weren't actually open".  We called around more places and trying to find someone who was actually open and would take our insurance. Meanwhile we left Paisley with family.  We drove all over and found a place that was open, had a doctor, and an x-ray machine...but after getting there they didn't have an x-ray technician. At this point our options were go home and do nothing or go to the ER in Castro Valley.  Today was the first day though that he said it was not hurting at all and he had more range of motion; but it was still swollen and he was still holding it close to his body. I really felt like it needed to be checked out. So off to the ER.  I had done some research and I felt like it was something called Nursemaids Elbow which was a dislocated elbow.  We got to the ER sometime around 10:30 I think, and it was packed.  We checked in and was "shortly" checked out by the triage nurse who graciously put us on the "fast track".  As an aside James at this point had a full blown cold and a mild temperature.
We got X-rays done and then we were taken back to see the doctor.  She could not see any fractures on the x-ray and when she did a physical exam felt that yes it was most likely Nursemaids and started to try and pop it back in place.  It wasn't popping back in...and with the swelling and temperature they started to worry that maybe the joint had a septic infection.  We were told to go immediately to Oakland Children's Hospital; they could better handle a child and had the equipment and tools necessary if it was septic.
Alright off to the next place...
We get there and check in and again we're lucky because they called ahead to let them know we were coming so our wait was comparably minimal.  We get a room around 3:00pm. Nurse comes in and starts the exam. Then we see the doctor. James is confusing them.  It sounds like classic nursemaids, it feels like nursemaids, but it is not popping back in place, it is swollen which in not typical of dislocation, and he has pretty decent range of motion without expressing discomfort.  They order another x-ray from a different angle, and there is enough question and concern about the swelling and it being septic that they order blood work and place a PIC line incase they need to sedate him to drain the fluid from the joint.  James did not even flinch when the line went in! We were all shocked! He was doing so great and didn't complain about anything. He was being so a great trooper.
Now we were just waiting and waiting and waiting.
{Which on another side note I honestly did not mind and I was not upset in the slightest at the wait. I was in an emergency room with a child who comparatively was very healthy, happy, and had both of his parents with him (and grandparents), he did not come in on an ambulance and was not fighting for his life.  I am so thankful for that. I am also thankful for all the nurses and doctors who were there and helping not only us but every child that came in.  I wanted to make sure that whenever they came into our room it was a highlight of their night and not a chore.}
Finally a decision was made! There was enough doubt that it was not septic therefore they would not need to drain and medicate him for an infection.  They did see something on the second x-ray that was typical of a fracture (although again not a for sure thing) they felt the best route was to splint it.  The only other thing was the fever, this was the only thing that they still made them a little concerned.  It was hard to tell if it was from the arm or the cold.  We have to make a follow up appointment to make sure that yes the swelling is going down and if it still slightly out of location.  We will also find out how long he needs the splint.
We finally left the hospital around 10:00 pm
On the drive home he threw up in the car, but we think his poor little body had done so much that day and it was tired and in shock that he just needed to get things out of his system.
When we got home he immediately fell asleep and slept all night!

Dec 27th (Saturday): Like I just said James slept all night long! Did not wake up and complain about his arm and has been his normal happy self and has not complained even once about his arm or the splint! He is truly amazing!





Bouns Section!
Here are some other things that have happened this week.
-After James had his conjunctivitis I of course got it!
-David and I both got sea sick on the cruise on the "sea day" although arguably I had it worse :p
-Paisley is just plain amazing and crazy and everything is so over the top and dramatic for her :)