Double Whamee!

The unearthly howl from the bedroom definitely got my blood pumpimg. As a Mom you get a lot of experience in translating the meaning of crying but this was a totally new sound and had me worried from the start. Torin then emerges from his bedroom, where he was supposed to be cleaning with Eavan and Roan, still howling. I'm not sure if he has even taken a breath yet. When he can speak he tells me that he has tripped off the bunk bed head first! I figure that there is no way we can get out of this without some injury but I can't see a mark on him. I ask him to point to where it hurts the most and he tells me he can't move his arms. I start trying to check out his neck without moving any thing but wanting to know just what he can move. Oxymoronic process! So I start trying to get more info by asking questions and he says he feels like his arms are dislocated. We are now down to standard serious cry translation and I think the neck is not the problem. I start checking out his shoulders and find that the pain isn't in the his shoulders but his wrist/arm area. There is nothing to see though so I have him lay down and try to relax and see if he can recover from the shock a little bit. At this point I am hoping against reason that we have escaped without a trip to the emergency room. As I go to get my personal cure all, ibuprofen, and an ice pack I am hoping Torin will start feeling a little calmer. It was not to be, Torin actually was calmer, but the howl that was now a high pitched moan let me know he was still in a lot of pain. I pack him into the car carrying the most painful arm splinted in crushed ice for him. ( think three legged race only with arms tied arms) Thank goodness for small mercies, Brayden is old enough to stay with the rest of the kids and I don't have to take seven kids with me the urgent care center. I still can't see any swelling or discoloration but Torin's one stipulation to the Doctor is that he can look but not touch his arm. The nurse who is taking the Xrays seems to know all ready that it isn't going to be good news. She is giving me sympathy because it is both arms and I'm feeling like maybe she ought to at least see the xrays first. I am ever the optimist. I am now hoping for it to be just one arm. The less painful one he says only hurts if he moves it very much. I think I said this before but it was not to be. Both arms were broken. Torin is now wearing temporary splints and will get regular hard casts on Tuesday. He is looking forward to them hoping they will give him a little better bracing so that he could exert a little pressure with his fingers without it hurting his arms. I have to say so far Torin is an excellent patient. He has not whined at all. (Maybe cause he thinks we'll start singing the Monkeys Jumping in the Bed song) He has just asked for ice and ibuprofen as needed and even done well with feeding himself. So now my last optimistic wish is that six weeks will fly by like summer vacation and we will be surprised they are ready to take the casts off. Wish us luck.