This one was a day for the books. I had met up with my good friends Mindy Tolbert, Kim Blood, and Kristen Pearson to catch up. Kristen's husband works in the FBI and right now they are living in Puerto Rico. The picture below was literally taken 30 seconds before I got the call from Cory.
When I answered the phone and heard Parker crying and Cory screaming I knew that he had broken something. Cory was yelling because he couldn't hear me over the noise of the restaurant I was in and Parker's crying. He just yelled, "You need to get home!" over and over. I instantly felt calm and knew that everything would be okay and took off for home. On my way I called the pediatrician who told me to bring him right in. I also called Kristen to see if she could come and watch Tate and Mason while Cory and I left.
When I got home it was pure chaos. Parker was crying/screaming, Tate was hiding and terrified, Mason was crying in his high chair and Cory was running around with Parker in his arms barking out orders. He told me to turn off the oven because the tater tots were burning and get the kids in the car. I told him calmly that Kristen was on her way and that I had already called the pediatrician and let him know we were coming. I also asked him how he knew Parker's arm was broken. He then showed me. Cory let me know that he and the boys were doing an experiment with pennies. once they were done Cory was in the garage putting stuff away when he heard Parker screaming like crazy. He ran in and saw Parker running around flailing a limp arm and screaming. When Cory picked him up he told him, "Parker, your arm is broken," to which Parker stopped crying and said, "I've never had a broken arm before."
Cory held Parker the whole way to the doctors office. We had just recently switched pediatricians and Cory forgot. He kept yelling at me that I was going the wrong way. I finally realized what was going through his mind and updated him. I don't even know if Cory had been to this pediatrician's office by this point or not. I tell you all of this so that I can paint the picture of these two chaotic parents! We were a sight to behold.
Once we got seated at the doctors office, Cory's adrenaline dropped and he got sick to his stomach. He gave Parker to me and had to lay down on the doctors table. I asked him if he was going to be okay and he said he might be sick. We were both laughing at this point when I asked him if this is how he reacted while he was at work. I mean, for crying out loud, he's a police officer running off adrenaline daily! ha ha ha. He told me there is nothing like seeing your boy helpless and hurt and that is the only thing he can think of that had him reacting the way he did.
The doctor came in and said we'd have to do x-rays which entailed Parker needing to move and adjust his arm. This was the part that mom had to take a seat and dad stepped up. It was the worst! I just wanted to scoop him up and take him home and never let anyone touch his arm and hurt him again.
As you can see from the x-ray's it was in fact broken, and the pediatrician wouldn't touch it. He bandaged it back up and told us to go home, let him sleep and he would be in contact with a surgeon at Utah Valley Hospital and get back to us as soon as he could.
We finally got a call around 5:30 pm letting us know that they surgeon at Utah Valley Hospital didn't feel comfortable with the break either and suggested that we take off to Primary Children's Hospital right away. Once I heard this, my momma heart broke. Knowing it was bad enough that multiple doctors didn't feel comfortable enough to touch it made me scared. We drove up to Primary's and left Tate and Mason with the Tolbert's. Cory's parents were driving down to pick them up and bring them back home.
Pulling into Primary's was insane. Seeing the children and the poor parents who were so worn out and devastated really brought me back to reality. We were so blessed that the only reason we were here was to get a broken arm mended. The staff at Primary's are nothing short of angels.
Cory giving his boy some love and encouragement before he was wheeled away from us.
This is the picture that the surgeon took after he put Parker out. He told us that he is going to use it in lectures he gives in the future. Glad to be of assistance to you doc.
A job that normally needed 2 maybe 3 pins, took 4 pins to secure and the doctor was still nervous about it moving at all. These pins were so insane. They didn't have to cut him open at all, just basically stuck it through his skin. The reassured us it wouldn't hurt at all when they yanked them out in a few weeks.
My brave boy after surgery. So sad to see him come out of anesthesia and not know what was going on. He kept saying his arm was connected to the bed and that he would never be able to get it off. But he sure LOVED the slurpee's that they gave to him after.
Taking a ride out to the car very late that night. We thought we might have to spend over, but it turned out that it would be better for everyone to sleep in their own beds. On the drive home there was a speck of dirt on the window and Parker kept saying, "Look at that comet! It's beautiful!"
For the first week we had to keep our 4 year old sitting down and propped up. It was not an easy job. For the first minute he was hyper an wanting to play. The next minute he was in pain and so upset. Every time a doctor would ask Parker to give him a thumbs up, with his broken arm of course, Parker would shoot him a thumbs up from his unbroken hand.
We sure do love this brave boy and are so thankful for wonderful doctors, nurses, family members, and friends and neighbors who took care of our family.
