Harriet and her new pink accessory.

This picture was taken a few minutes before Harriet slipped down into the middle of the swing (when I was back near her and even standing right behind her) and broke her leg.  She cried for a bit and I held her until we left the park, but didn’t even consider the idea that her leg could be broken.  Later when we were home she would cry any time she put any weight on her right leg.  Brian moved it around to see if it hurt her when he moved it, but she didn’t seem too bothered by it.  We decided to take her into the doctor the next morning if she still couldn’t put weight on it.

Unfortunately, the next morning she still seemed to be having some pain, so I took her in.

Her pediatrician didn’t think her leg was broken.  He actually thought she would just walk on it funny for a few days, and then one day she would be okay—maybe just bruising, he thought.  But, he sent her to get x-rays anyway.

We went over to the hospital next door to get x-rays done and Harriet kind of freaked out.  She screamed her head off the entire time, and it was a very long, drawn-out process.  The radiation guy was not particularly wonderful with children.

When we got back to the pediatrician’s office, he told me I might want to take a look at the x-rays.  Sure enough, her tibia was fractured above her ankle.  Poor baby!  He put a splint on her leg until we could get to the orthopedist the next day for a cast.  She screamed a lot.  And I felt awful!  I sobbed as I left the doctor office and all the way home.  Of course I wish I hadn’t put her on the tire swing, and I just feel awful that she had to be in so much pain.  So sad for both of us!

Friday, we went in to get her cast on at Randall’s children’s hospital.  They were awesome!  She didn’t cry the entire time—not even when they were inspecting her leg and putting her cast on.  She even reached out to hold one of the doctor’s hands at one part during the procedure.  They were so great!

Brian’s mom came with us—Elna loved having a friend while I was with Harriet most of the time.

She only has to have the cast on for 3 weeks!  That seems totally manageable, though I’m sure she miss her bath time!