With Boys Come Broken Limbs, Yet Again

Boys are an active, rough-and-tumble breed! They play hard and when they break, they break hard. I wrote a similar post back in October of 2012 when Sean broke his arm while playing on the playground equipment at his school. His break was serious enough to require surgery and the placement of a pin. But, his break was a walk in the park, looking back on it now from today's perspective.

On Tuesday of this week, during the drive to school, I realized I had failed to pack a small snack for Trevor to consume after school before departing on the bus for the football team's first game of the season (an away game). I drove over to the school at 3:30 with a sandwich, mandarin oranges, and a bottle of water. He stood dressed in a new jersey and I am wishing now that I had snapped a photo because he looked so sharp all dressed out in his football uniform (thankfully, they had just taken team photos, so I will get a fridge magnet to commemorate the day).

Although the away game was near enough, John decided against attending (something we now regret) and I had to take Sean to his 6th grade team football practice. While sitting in the car waiting for the practice to end, I received the phone call no mother wants to get. John called to say that Trevor had been injured at his game and he needed to head to that school to rush Trevor to the emergency room. At the time, I didn't know the extent of the injury and I was filled with dread. I snatched Sean from his practice, hoping to race to the emergency room whenever John called again to give a location. Sadly, when he did call, he explained that they felt they couldn't wait for John to arrive and an ambulance had taken Trevor to Riley Children's Hospital (a hospital closer to the away game location). Since John was already there and Sean needed a shower, dinner, and someone to stay with him, we decided I would stay put (also frustrating, because with John's phone almost dead, the last word I heard was that they were still waiting to be taken to x-ray).

They finally arrived home at 7:30 the following morning, having been up all night in the process (and bored out of their minds because neither of them had functioning phones with them). Trevor was on crutches and sporting an ankle-to-groin cast. The first obstacle: the steps leading from the garage into the guest room. He couldn't seem to navigate them on the crutches, so we eventually got under each arm and lifted him up into the house. They were both sleep-deprived and in quite a frazzled state (Trevor upset because he felt Dad hadn't been patient enough with him; John upset because Trevor had snapped at those trying to help him every step of the way, due to the pain). Thankfully, I was able to get Sean to school and retrieve Trevor's belongings (including his phone - ha) while they both attempted to make up for some of the lost sleep.

It has been rough going, so far. He is fine as long as he is lying in bed, or sitting in his desk chair with his leg propped up, but the minute he tries to get vertical, he complains that it feels like the bone is popping all over again and pulling apart. His toes turn purple and he winces in pain every time he attempts to lift the leg. The doctor has assured us that this is all within the range of normal and that he needs to take the pain medicine prescribed (we hadn't filled it because John was concerned about the constipating nature of the medicine, but pain relief is more important than the digestive system function). I took this photo in the hallway, however it doesn't really show the extent of the cast or the fact that he is barely able to remain upright:

Apparently, and somehow I had forgotten this, Trevor had a pre-existing bone cyst on his right tibia. A few years back (8/2014), we had x-rays done because of ankle pain and the doctor noted the cyst, but said it was benign. I don't remember them counseling us to avoid contact sports. I don't recall any warning that he would be more susceptible to fractures in that spot. After looking up information on bone cysts, I'm wondering why they didn't perform a biopsy (didn't realize benign tumors could transform into malignant ones, either). When I called our primary physician's office, they stated that we were told to follow up after the x-rays with an orthopedic specialist if the pain persisted (it must have abated because we never pursued the follow up).

Now, we're at a crossroads of sorts. I'm anxious to hear what the orthopedic specialist will tell us when Trevor returns to Riley for his one-week follow-up appointment. Will we be told that he should no longer participate in football or any other contact sport? Will they decide to remove the bone tumor? Is he susceptible to further fractures as a result of this one? Ruling out high school football will not only devastate Trevor, but several other people, as well (Bryce is already reeling from the news and the coaches will not be happy either). He has the build and the ability to be a real asset to a team. Moreover, he receives vital affirmation, essential inclusion, and critical kinship from his participation. I really believe Trevor might become a different person if his involvement is curtailed at this point.

But, all of that speculation is putting the cart before the horse because we haven't even tackled the first week of post-injury. We purchased a special bag to aid in keeping the cast dry during showers (something he will eventually have to attempt, although we've been making do with spit baths - perhaps not sufficient given his sweaty state after playing the game). I battled scalp oil with dry shampoo until I finally managed a hair wash in the sink this morning. He's supposed to have the cast for at least six weeks, so it should be quite interesting and challenging. But then again, when you have boys, broken limbs seem to come with the territory!

How about you? Ever had a full leg cast? What tips can you provide to make the adjustment easier? Moreover, if it were your son, would you pull him from contact sports for good or risk another external injury in order to glean the extensive internal benefits of participation? I'd love to hear your take in the comments.