Not Another Broken Arm!

Fractured L ulna and radius

No, not again .... My second boy fractured his right ulna and radius (both forearm bones) while on the third day of our farm stay holiday. He fell from a height of almost two meters while trying to wear his shoes onto a hard cement floor. Fortunately, nothing else was broken. Definitely an angel looking out for him though.

Older boy's fracture on 281117

This is after my older boy fractured exactly the same two bones (ulna and radius) but on the left arm  when we were on holiday in Brisbane in November 2017. We waited almost an hour for the ambulance to come, sat for another hour in the ambulance traveling to the hospital. And I'm not exaggerating, they had to repeat the x-ray five times on his arm and redo his plaster of paris cast twice.

Older boy in Brisbane

Talk about lightning striking twice. All credit to my boys. They didn't cry or complain at all. Not even my younger boy who turns four today. First we went to a rural hospital and they had to ask us to go to another hospital as the first hospital did not have an orthopaedic surgeon.

The second hospital we went to was much better than the Brisbane hospital my older boy went to. Much better splinting materials too! After the surgeon in the second hospital put his broken arm into a back slab, we went back to the farm and he was almost back to normal. Wanted to climb stairs, run around and feed the farm animals. Just like before he fell.

He never let that broken arm keep him down at all. He just shrugged it off as though it was all fine and dandy. Daddy has to learn from your indomitable spirit.

My two boys, tough as nails!

My wife? First, she had to deal with me having a broken head and spine, the older boy breaking his arm and now the younger one having the same broken bones in the right arm. Really thankful that she's holding us altogether all the time. Chapeau to her!!

Me? I'm just very grateful and absolutely thankful that nothing more serious happened to either of the boys. They still want to go back to the farm again (this was our second visit in in seven months). Thanks to farmer Ae for being such a great host.

See what I caught!

Silver lining is we now know much much more (than before) about broken ulnas and radiuses, green stick fractures and interosseous membranes in young children. And how to get them better, quicker. Hey, other than parents, we're still physiotherapists.

Let's see what the surgeon in Singapore says tomorrow.