The Post We Knew We'd Have to Make One Day

Yes, this a post Sam and I speculated we'd need to write some day. Still, against all odds, we hoped Elizabeth could make it through childhood without a visit to the ER. Despite our best intentions, Elizabeth "Fearless" Grant's day came on Monday.

This summer, Elizabeth and I would spend a few mornings each week outdoors. I would run with her in the jogging stroller to get a cardio workout. The tradeoff for Elizabeth came with me making a stop at a nearby park at the end of my run. She would play at the park and then we'd walk home, clean up, and get ready for the day ahead.

This past Monday morning was no different. I had been pushing Elizabeth on the swing for 15-20 minutes. Unexpectedly, for some unknown reason, Elizabeth let go of the chain with her left arm as the swing reached its forward peak. Still clenching the chain with her right hand, she began to do a 180 as her right foot crashed into the sand.

I picked her up and comforted her expecting no injury at all. After minutes of crying, I tried to stand her on her feet. She screamed in refusal. I thought she had a sprained ankle. When I got her home, I took her pants off to reveal a swollen right thigh.

Long story short, the x-ray revealed a spiral fracture to her right femur. Elizabeth was put under and was casted in a "spica" cast. The cast starts at her right ankle and runs up to her mid-chest and then stops just above her left knee.

Next Wednesday brings a doctor appointment and x-rays that hopefully show that the bone is still set where they want it to heal. The shortest she'll be in the cast is 4 weeks; it's possible she'll need to remain in the cast the entire 6 weeks.

To further complicate the situation, Josh awoke on Tuesday morning to a pulled back. He too spent the morning in the ER and has been resting and recovering with Elizabeth. Sam, 6+ months pregnant, has been doing the heavy lifting. Thankfully Grandma Kathy is here to help out for a couple of days. Pray for a speedy recovery...