Injury Update

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Injury Update
12
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 12:33am

Well, the injury didn't slow Mike down any so I didn't take him in yet but tonight I spoke to my SIL. It is purple in spots and both knuckles are swollen. She thinks he may have broken it. He has to have that enormous pain tolerance of an autistic. And here I was thinking he was always a wimp! I think that was more the anxiety than the pain, lol.

So here is the new dilema. It just took me an hour to convince him to let me splint it. Just that change alone was freaking him out. It took alot of patience and coaxing.

I also spent along time trying slowly to talk to him about going to the doctor tomorrow and getting an x-ray. I tried to explain it as best I could to him but I know he will likely freak there too. I also have to find a way to explain to the doctor Mike's autism without Mike noticing. He doesn't like any attention on himself and if he hears me talking about him he will freak too.

Ya know he thought he could die if he had an x-ray because once I told him he couldn't go watch Cait get one because it was dangerous. Geez. I need to watch how I word things.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 2:09am

Renee,

Yikes! It sounds like he should have it x-rayed -JIC. Is there an emergency pediatrician near you? There is one in my town which has an x-ray machine and is far nicer/quieter than the ER. If you have anything like that near you, it would be a better bet than the ER.

If you do need to go to the ER, try to get there early, you might get processed a bit quicker. As for the explanation: print a few lines on a piece of paper and hand it over to the Dr. Print a few copies and put them in your purse. The last time I was at the ER with Peter, I had to explain ourselves several times!

I don't know what to tell you about the fear of x-rays. Perhaps try to find a child-friendly site which explains the principle? I know I do better with stuff if I understand how it works.

(((hugs))))

\and good luck.

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 10:10am

Dear Renee,

Man oh man, I feel for you and Mike on this one. Doctors and ERs are so hit-miss.

Malcolm has a bad flu bug 3 years ago when we were away on vacation and he started to have HUGE crippling amounts of pain in his gut, and out his butt every time he tried to defecate, and we had no idea what was really going on. Got worse and worse, scary. By the time we ran to emergency room in early AM, he was completely out of control from both pain and terror of going to emergency room. We must have been a complete sight carrying him out of the lobby wrapped in a hotel comforter because he would not put his pants on!!! and screaming at the top of his lungs. We kept saying "hospital" as an aside to bystanders so noone would call the police on us, abduction, etc...

Hospital was great, fortuneately there were very few other emergenices in middle of night and ER was relatively calm, you PRAY never to have to go to ER in NYC with sensory kid, what a potential nightmare THAT would be. They had to X-ray him because Malcolm would not let the doctor even touch him anywhere. The doctor was so nice, SO reassuring that they would easily find what was causing the pain and fix it fast, that there would be no SHOTS, explained how X-ray works and put a great sci-fi spin on it, Malcolm calmed down. Even enjoyed the X-ray. Got to look at his insides with the doctor, Malcolm was only 5, but the doctor talked directly to HIM and not over him to us.

What started out as a nightmare ended up just great, and the pain was unbelievable amounts of gas, which was quickly fixed by Gas-X, great stuff, that.

So, hope you find a great doctor and all goes well. That anxiety can make everything SO hard, can't it? good luck and ((((HUGS))))

Sara
ilovemalcolm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 1:18pm

Renee,

At this point broken or not it isn't an emergency. Why don't you call your doctor, see about going to her(if I remember correctly), and see if she thinks it needs an x-ray. In the event that it does ask her to refer you to an Orthopedist who specializes in peds. Make sure this doctor has an in-house X-ray tech. Call ahead and explain your dilemma, or do Paula's bit, but don't go to the ER. Go when you will basically be one of the only patients in the office.

You might even ask your doctor about a mild sedative to relax him for the X-ray as it will hurt.

Just some ideas!

Sio

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 2:19pm
renee, sio has some great ideas. many ortho's have xrays on site. that would be so much better then the ER. there is a med called atarax which is very mild and used quite often. it's similar to benedryl, stronger, yet still mild. it is prescription. gl, valerie
~Valerie
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 4:57pm

Renee,
When my son needed an x-ray of his adenoids at age 3, we took him twice and were unsuccessful. (The second time, the tech had the nerve to tell me that as a MOTHER she was uncomfortable with what I was doing to my child....traumatizing him for life she said. As if I would have gotten an x-ray just for fun. She actually refused to complete the x-ray.) On the third time, our pediatrician gave us a liquid sedative to administer at home, 30 minutes prior and we got the x-ray.

You could always hand the doctor a written note about your son's dx, if he is sensitive to you speaking about it. There is always so much to think about and plan out with our kids, isn't there? It is never simple!
Chrissy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 6:10pm

We're back and it is broken.

I had thought about writing a note just before reading Paula's post. But I hadn't thought of making multiple copies. Good idea on both counts.

I made an appointment with our doctors office (though it wasn't my ped it was one of the ones I like). I gave them the first copy of the note saying "Here is some medical information for the doctor". They LOVED the note and thanked me a bunch of times for it and kept a copy in his permanent file. We had to go to the urgent care (across the parking lot) for the x-ray.

I had explained the x-ray to mike last night and the nurse upon reading my note did it again in a GREAT way. I loved her. She was great. I gave the note to the checkin clerk for the x-ray tech too. And that went well. Then back to our doc and then back to urgent care for a splint (for now - ortho tomorrow).

All new people got a copy of the note. We took a break mid way through when he was getting stressed for lunch.

And with the time I took to prepare him the night before, an agreed contract to earn renting a video game or movie, and the notes it went better than I expected. He was a total trooper!

But I am pissed that the other kid that hit him didn't get into trouble. They believed his story about the ball hitting Mike. Mike insists he was punched. Plus Mike's citizenship report says "continued violation of school rules". I already have a message into the school. Mike's teacher is great but I need to talk to the principal and assitant principal about this one.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 8:38pm

Dear Renee,

Of course I'm sorry his hand is broken, but it sure sounded like it must be when you described how it looked. And it does also sound like the whole experience went pretty well. Good for you guys, that's great! I am sure glad that it wasn't near as traumatic as you feared, and I am so glad the note thing worked so well. I will remember that tactic if we EVER have to go through anything similar (gawd forbid)

I would most certainly speak with the school authorities. It is hardly fair that Mike was not believed, esp. when our children truly do not lie much when it comes to things like this.

Let us know how all that goes,

Sara
ilovemalcolm

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Sun, 02-05-2006 - 11:06pm

Renee,

Ditto everything Sara said. -She says it more nicerer than me anyway ;).

Poor Mike! I am glad things went relatively smoothly, and that note thing helped a bit. Funny, I thought of it the last time we were in the ER... I should have a few always to hand, because one usually doesn't have time to type something up when an emergency occurs (and boy is that when you need them!).

We ran into an X-ray tech today in the park, and I was telling him the story of What We Did on our Summer Vacation. Of course he looked at Peter (who was busy retrieving more balls than both dogs combined) and said "Really? He doesn't *look*..."

...I thought of you and Mike and fervently hoped something would work out for you guys.

I'm glad it is almost over, but definitely speak to TPTB at the school. A broken hand cannot go uninvestigated and unpunished.

Is it his writing hand?

(((((hugs))))))

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Mon, 02-06-2006 - 12:09am

Well, don't you love the monday quaterbacks of the medical field! Yup, I am sure that guy is qualified to dx. My classic autistic nephew can look normal when he is playing at a park or with dogs. It isn't until he comes up to you and says something that you would notice. Almost any spectrum kid I know can pass in a situation like that unless you really know what you are looking for.

FORTUNATELY, if anyone thought that they didn't say it. But, when it comes to things like this, well he can tend to look the part if you KWIM. Funny thing is when Mike is behaving he appears more autistic than when he is melting down, expecially stressed. When he is in meltdown mode he just screams nastys and looks like an awful kid. When he is in a good place he tends to obsess, do these funny things with his fingers (sometimes not all but it comes out more when he is trying to think - Cait does this too), not make eye contact, and talks in a odd affect. Almost too serious and grown up with sometimes an odd cadence. It is hard to explain.

But today he was like that with me waiting. He had me entertained for the whole 4 hours with his way of looking at life. Of course he typically didn't say anything to the doctors or make eye contact but I enjoyed him.

Renee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: rbear4
Mon, 02-06-2006 - 9:13am

OH Yes! it is his writing hand. ANd this is really really lovely. I had just worked a huge deal to get him pullout writing help from Cait's retired 4th grade teacher. The 4th graders have to take a writing state evaluation in a couple weeks and Mikes writing (content) is way behind grade level. Mrs. C was coming in the early AM to do some tutoring for kids and had agreed special to pull Mike out during the day to work on this.

I AM SOOOOOO TICKED

Renee

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