Nursemaid's Elbow - our Thanksgiving-eve adventure

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At afternoon nap time on the day before Thanksgiving, C fell asleep first. While it rarely happens, I always enjoy a little time alone with our younger daughter.

When A was ready for her own nap about an hour later, we went into the bedroom. She hopped off the bed but then immediately asked me to help her back up. I didn't have her quite right and as I pulled her up, there was an audible "pop." 

Our tough little girl cried out in pain. Thinking I might have just strained her wrist (*gulp*) I tried nursing her to sleep. She fell asleep but not well, and cried out in her sleep. 

Daddy got out of work early and I related the story. He felt the wrist she was clutching and refusing to use. He read the description of Nursemaid's Elbow I'd found. Then he and C went to the store for m&ms and infant ibuprofen, and brought home dinner as well. He thinks well on his feet, that one.

Capsule of elbow-joint (distended). Anterior aspect. (Nursemaid's elbow involves the head of radius slipping out from the anular ligament of radius.)

By the time they returned it was around 6pm. A was still crying out and our robust girl still wasn't right. If we were taking her to someone, the night before Thanksgiving, we had to go then.

Neither my husband nor I were confident enough in our guesses about what might be going on. We couldn't tell what, and not one to complain, A was telling us something definitely was wrong. We all bundled into the car and headed to the Urgent Care center less than five minutes from our house.

We told the story and the PA on duty who proclaimed it to be Nursemaid's Elbow. She manipulated A's elbow and forearm for less than a minute. A immediately settled and moments later was back to her normal self. Fifteen minutes later she chased her sister around the waiting room laughing with delight. 

Lucky for us, Nursemaid's Elbow is a common, easy to treat, and has a quick recovery time. We were away from the house for less than an hour, and were able to go through with our planned holiday celebrations the next day.

At every step along the way, I was grateful things weren't SO much worse. These events were not what I expected to count among our blessings at Thanksgiving. And we are very lucky.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got a chance to be with those you love. 

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