My Broken Arm
It all
started on a warm, fall afternoon. Crisp leaves fell from almost empty trees.
It was a few weeks before my birthday. I couldn’t wait. So I had made a
choice...
“Please
can we climb the tree mom?” we begged excitedly. There was a long silence. “Oh
sure, but please be careful guys!” I screamed happily and started running down
to the small tree close to the driveway.
Arden was right behind me. I had longed to climb it for a long time, but
my mom always told me I couldn’t. She didn’t want any broken bones.
I was finally
ready to climb this tree for the first time. I started to climb up the branch
and then when I got up, I held on tightly to another branch. Arden climbed up after
me. I really couldn’t believe I had actually done it. “Jump off!” Arden said. “There’s
no room for both of us.”
I was ready.
I could do this, I told myself calmly. I plunged forward. The wind was on my
face.
I landed with
a hard thud on my arm. The most dreadful feeling pierced my body. I screamed in pain. I cried because I knew
something. Something very horrifying.
My mom ran over quickly. “I
thought you were laughing.” she cried helping me up. “I think I broke my arm,”
I replied, sadly clutching my left arm in pain, as we walked up the driveway.
Once we
arrived at the house, I sat down on a blue, wooden chair and tried not to bump
my arm. My sister and Delphia, my former au pair, ran in to get me a cold ice
pack and a scarf to hold up my arm. We used the scarf as a makeshift sling
until we got to the E.R. I hugged my dad
goodbye. Then, my mom and I walked to the car and got inside. My mom helped me
with the seatbelt. I held my icepack close to my arm. It hurt so badly!
Soon, after
we got off an exit, we turned a corner and reached the hospital. Our car pulled
up in front of the big building. I released my seatbelt free, pulled the latch
on the door, and then got out of the car slowly and very carefully. I stepped
onto the hard, gray concrete and then crunched on a leaf. I stepped away and
turned my head to the three story building in front of my view. The hospital
was a big building lined with glass windows. The hospital had two glass entry
doors. I walked over and pushed one open. I was in the lobby. There was a
counter and a big waiting area lined with chairs. There was a coffee table
lined with many magazines. In the corner was a woven basket with toys for young
children’s entertainment. I sat down on a navy blue chair and waited for my mom
to finish filling out a couple sheets for me on a clipboard, then I would be
good to go. This was going to be a long, long night.
Soon enough
they called “Addisen.”
There was a
big lump in my throat. I thought there were about 1,000 butterflies zipping
through my stomach. I was so scared and nervous! I walked to a room. A kind
lady was standing near a door. She looked like she was in her late 20’s. I had
to sit again and she gave me a blue and white sling. “How much pain are you in honey?”
she asked me kindly. She was very pretty and young. She had blond hair pulled
up into a ponytail behind her. “Uh, number four?” I said.
“You tell me.”
She replied.
“Yeah, number
four.” I answered.
She scribbled
something on the clipboard. “You’re all set!” she said with a giant grin. “By
the way, my name is Dana.” I thanked Dana and walked slowly to the room we were
assigned. 226 was the number.
Room 226 was
a small room with a small TV and a counter. There were navy blue chairs lined
up against the wall and a rolling bed in the middle of the room. I lay on the soft cushions soothing my mind and making me
forget about my horrible pain. After a little while of waiting, a lady came in
to ask me if I wanted a board game, movie, or a coloring book to use while I
waited. I decided to watch a movie. I settled on Thumbelina. The movie started
and I lay back on my cushy pillows. I had to wait for my x-ray. Soon enough it
came.
My bed was
wheeled into the x-ray room and my arm was scanned. I crossed my fingers
pleading for luck. I told myself it was probably a bruise or some sprain.
Nothing big. Right? After three pictures I was wheeled back to room 226 and I
continued to watch more of Thumbelina. I watched the movie in awe for a while
until a man and women came in with my results. I had broken my radius and my
ulna in my left arm. Ugh! The lady had a needle to give medicine to my body so
I would fall asleep while the doctors put my cast on. I wouldn’t feel a thing! “Don’t
worry. My son had this done. It doesn’t hurt. I promise you!” she persuaded.
“Alright,” I
mumbled.
“Tell me when
you’re ready.”
“Ready.” I
said.
“1..2..3..”
Before I knew it, the needle was in my arm and I was fine. It did hurt but I
wanted to show her I was a brave seven-year-old, so I said nothing.
I watched the
movie a little more and when Thumbelina was over and the credits were playing,
a crowd of doctors piled up in my room. I was so nervous. They made my mom
leave. “Bye!” I called after her. It was right before I started to fall asleep
that one doctor squeezed my arm where one of the bones was broken. I screamed
inside. Everything was silent. I had fallen asleep so quickly. Wow!
I woke up. I saw two of
everything. “Are you awake?” my mom asked.
“Yeah.” I replied with a smile.
My cast was tan and covered my whole arm. There was a layer of fluff and then a
hard layer for protection. It was so heavy. My arm had to be bent for a while.
I didn’t like it at all. I thanked all the doctors and went out to my car. I
was really tired and I had had a long day. I fell asleep in the car thinking of
the day I had just had and the new thoughts poured into my brain like a
waterfall pouring in the Amazon. What an experience. But it wasn’t over yet! I
still had to wait for my cast to come off…
