I don't even know where to begin!
Yes I do.
A few months ago, prior to us going to Colorado, Doodlebug got two ear infections in a month. One of them became apparent after our doctor's office closed for the day so I had to take him to Urgent Care, which I really didn't want to do because I knew the co-pay would be more than if I took him to his regular doctor. But since that wasn't an option, and I wasn't going to make him wait all night before I could get him treated, I bit the bullet and took him in.
A month later, we got his bill in addition to my bills for a mysterious leg pain I'd been having for over six months. It was nothing but we still had to pay a pretty penny for them to tell me that. I called to set up a payment plan for the bills and had everything scheduled to be paid off in six weeks.
Fast forward to last Tuesday night. The boys and I finished dinner and The Lime asked if we could play basketball outside until LaVor came home. It was the night before school started and I was happy to let him have one last enjoyable summer night.
When we got out there, I noticed his shoe was untied and asked him if he wanted me to tie it. "No, I'm good," he said. We played for a few minutes before LaVor showed up and he came over to join us. Before we knew it, The Lime had tripped over his shoelace and, in slow motion, fell to his knees and then onto his arm. He immediately erupted into tears and said his arm hurt really bad.
This kid falls all.the.time and can usually have us take a look at it, we tell him he's not bleeding, and he's on his way. Except this time, we looked at it and it wasn't okay. The bone hadn't broken the skin but it was definitely not in its place.
So...we brought him inside, put some ice on it, gave him some Tylenol, and I drove him to Urgent Care as he howled in the backseat. Once we got to the hospital and he was around other people, the crying and whining stopped but he was still in a lot of pain.
After an exam, x-rays, another exam, and a final decision from the doctor to temporarily wrap it up until we could be seen by the Orthopedist, we were on our way home at 10:00. The doctor recommended he not go to school on the first day but we got him ready and had him meet his teacher anyway. I also dropped off his EpiPen in the office and notified them it expired in July but his doctor said we could still use it. There's a new head nurse this year who is a real stickler when it comes to rules and the office staff wasn't sure she'd let expired medicine slide. They told me to expect a call from her the next day.
I waited all day Wednesday for a call from the Orthopedist, hoping we could get in so he could go to school on Thursday. I was too impatient and ended up calling them only to find out that they would have allowed him to go to school on Wednesday (ugh!) and to go ahead and send him on Thursday. First thing Thursday morning, they called with an appointment that morning which meant he'd be missing more school. At the appointment, the doctor recommended surgery for Friday morning to reset the bone and possibly place pins.
I dropped The Lime back off at school just in time for lunch. As soon as I got home, the head nurse called and, just as expected, told me they couldn't accept his expired EpiPen. I told her I couldn't afford to throw away (literally) $135 worth of unused medication every year just to turn around and pay another $135 for another prescription. She was understanding but firm in her decision.
Shortly after that, the hospital called to go over finances for The Lime's surgery and asked for a deposit. Even though I tried to mask it, I'm pretty sure the girl on the other line could tell I was crying and we ended on an uncomfortable note. As Doodlebug napped, and the house was quiet, I sobbed trying to find the silver lining in these unexpected hiccups in the road, when we were trying to smooth out the hiccups we were already dealing with.
We woke up early Friday morning, LaVor took The Lime in for the operation while I waited at home until Doodlebug woke up. We made it to the surgery center just as they took The Lime back and a short 45 minutes later, we were ready to see him. He was moody and uncomfortable but the procedure was over and we could begin the healing process.
Even though this past week was not how I imagined our last week of summer/first week of school to be, I can see so many blessings tucked in between the trials.
-I can't even imagine how horrible summer would have been if The Lime broke his arm in June. We can deal with a broken arm at school but he would have been miserable for two months if the timing was different.
-Two of his friends from kindergarten are in his class this year and they are taking SUCH good care of him. When I picked him up on Thursday, all he could talk about was how Blake did this and Jett helped him with that. So grateful for good friends!
-The Lime didn't need pins and his bone set just as it should have. Yah!
-I re-filled his EpiPen prescription and printed a discount card from their website. I've tried using it in the past but it never worked. When we picked up the medicine on Saturday, the woman told us our total and it was over $100 less than what we expected. I almost cried right there in Target and then throughout the day each time I thought about it.
-LaVor keeps me sane when I'm freaking out about the cost of everything. "We're just going to have to make it work," he tells me. So thankful for his level head!
-I was worried about the horrible first impression we were making on The Lime's teacher, with all of the class he was missing. But she's been so understanding and kind and just wanted him healthy.
-We've had several friends make cards and bring The Lime treats to make him feel better.
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
