at least we know now!

Jackson in the "wee-walker" - we need to come up with a different name! :)

our little guy has been limping for a week (longer if you count the fact that Mimi and Papa noticed him limping in FL during his visit). we went to an orthopedic last week and it was basically a total waste of my $50.00 specialist copay. we certainly didn't leave with any special information. Jackson said his knee hurt when we would ask so the Dr. did x-ray's on the knee. but that was it. we were told to come back in 2 weeks if it wasn't better but that it was probably growing pains.

i have a problem. i get nervous in a Dr.'s office. i feel like they are the expert and i should just sit there and listen. i always don't ask enough questions and always leave feeling like i need a do over! i think i've confirmed my issue throughout this experience and i'm going to try HARD not to let it happen anymore. i'd be $50.00 richer right now.

the rest of the week he limped, complained that he couldn't run anymore or jump. never acted like he was in pain, just matter of fact about what he could or couldn't do. he seemed to have made peace with his new leg. :) i hated it though. he wasn't himself and if you know Jackson you know he doesn't let anything or anyone slow him down! he is WIDE OPEN! it was so sad to see him lagging behind, frustrated and wanting everyone to wait for him. usually he leaves us in the dust! :) he's been more irritable than usual too. it didn't take me long to know we needed a second opinion!

i called the Pediatrician Monday morning and told her that i felt he needed more x-rays and possibly blood work. we prayed a lot for him over the weekend. i'm not trying to be dramatic but sometimes your mind gets away from you and you start thinking "what if there is something really BAD wrong?" "this is how people find out there's a serious issue...some random problem or illness that no one can figure out and ends up being really bad news". "will i trust the Lord with my baby?" "what makes me think i should get 'good' news every time we go to the Dr?" "will this be THE time we get horrible news...people do get horrible news." i had a lot of praying and trusting to do over the past week.

our appointment was today, 9:30am. she checked him out thoroughly. he looked fine, moved fine, no pain, but still a limp. she sent us over to radiology for x-ray's of his hips, knees, and ankles in both legs. we weren't going to miss it this time. :) she decided we would do the blood work if the x-ray's didn't give us an idea of what was wrong. Jackson and Addison did great. we had to wait a LONG time for the x-ray's. we read and looked through every Highlight's magazine in the office!

the radiologist brought me the films and told me i needed to take them back to my Dr. and at that point i knew something was wrong. did do a lot of praying during the 10 minute drive back over to the Pediatrician. prayed it would be nothing serious and He answered my prayers. he has a fracture in the growth plate at the bottom of the Fibula (down towards the ankle). she said it's a rolling in or twisting injury. we left the Dr.'s office, grabbed McDonald's...it's now 12:30pm...drop by the house to grab the stroller that i had forgotten and could have used the last 3 hours and then headed over to a NEW orthopedic.

whew!!!

got him fitted in his boot that he will need to where for the next 2 weeks. he can take it off for bedtime. he was hysterically crying and kicked, screamed, and fought as hard as he could to keep them from getting that boot on him. i was mortified as usual. my kids and Dr.'s/nurses manhandling them just never goes over very well. :) the nurse had to walk me to the car because he was still crying hysterically and refused to walk. kind of hard to get two kids to the car that way. :)

we made it. got home and after he started getting around he said..."me can walk, dis not too bad." in his cutie little voice.

another funny thing he said as Dr. Murnane was asking him "where it hurt" this morning...
he pointed EVERYWHERE to every little mark, scratch, scrape, or bruise showing her where it hurt moving from one leg to the other. he pointed to his right leg (the hurt one) and said "dis limp go over here a little in dis leg" pointing to the left leg. this is exactly why the FIRST Dr. should not have taken him at his word that it was his knee. the knee didn't even hurt him when you touched it and now it turns out it was the ankle anyway. good grief!

i'm thankful he'll be back to normal soon. i'm thankful more than i know how to express that we're dealing with something minor over here. i'm thankful i don't have to cart my children in and out of Dr.'s offices on a regular basis...exhausting. that is life for so many families. i'm thankful we got good news this time. i'm thankful we have insurance. i'm thankful the Lord answered my prayers. i'm thankful for times where i'm reminded of the many, many blessings in my life.