a summer accessory we are happy to be rid of....

Well, broken leg boy went to see his surgeon near the end of last week. Why? Because he felt compelled to spend a hot summer afternoon, chatting away with the man who sliced into his leg and placed rods into his bone marrow.

Okay, not really. We had an appointment. Because you know, the people who do surgery like to check on their "art-work", every now and again. And our time had arrived.

He received a great report. I was concerned when they took xrays, because, having not been formally educated in the school of radiology, I cannot read xrays. I can tell you this, what I saw was two very long rods inside my child's leg. I thought when the surgeon would hold his fingers up and show us how they would criss-cross inside his leg, that they were small rods.

I was wrong. They actually go the length of his femur, from the knee to the hip. Oh, and they do "criss-cross" just like the surgeon said. Go figure. He was right. I guess that's why we pay him the big bucks.

I did have a small panic attack in the x-ray room when I first laid eyes on the pictures. It looked to me like there was another broken piece of bone in his leg. And while that would be a problem in and of itself, I felt worse about it because of a certain recent event.

You see, I felt as though I was "hovering" a bit too much for my sweet boy. So, a couple of days before his check-up, I took him outside in his wheelchair to get some fresh air and sunshine. His siblings were out with him, so I came inside to do laundry. Inside, but I could see him through the window, and the back door was right beside me to leap out if necessary.

However, I didn't leap soon enough. TB came running in to tell me he had fallen out of his wheelchair. Yep. You heard that right, he fell out of his wheelchair. I rushed out to him and found his wheelchair laying on the ground, him laying out beside it, on his broken leg.

Did I mention I had told him it was also okay for him to go outside WITHOUT his brace on?

Seriously....can a mother feel any more sorrowful? So, I've already ridden the guilt roller coaster a million times in my mind, therefore, while we all enjoy feedback, I don't need any negligent comments. Thanks, but no thanks.

I inquired to the surgeon about the long rods, stating "I had no idea they were going to go the entire length of his femur, that was quite a shock to see in your son's leg". ......and I also threw in the fact that it looked like a new chunk of his bone was broken. And in the end, I did mention his wheelchair accident.

He smiled and replied that I didn't need to worry about the length of the rods, they were fine, and doing their job marvelously. And no, he didn't appear to have hurt himself during the fall from the wheelchair, but yes, if it looked like his leg was broke, that was because it was, in fact still broken.

But he's mending well. Doing outstanding. Lose the wheelchair, but keep the crutches, put a little weight on the leg, do exercises to help regain use of the quadricep muscle, come back again in 6 weeks, etc.etc.etc.

We also had a family wedding to go to in South Carolina. Packed and ready to leave from Children's Hospital. The surgeon said he was fine to travel, even for that distance. He even added that when broken leg boy arrived, if there were pretty girls at the pool, or restaurant, or wedding reception, and they happened to notice his leg, he should sit around, give them his best smile and say ...."I shattered my femur, and MAY be able to walk again, but I'm not looking for any sympathy".

Apparently, Dr. Doyle, not only specilaizes in orthopedic surgery, but also relationship therapy.