THIS Is Why Our Health Care Needs Reforming..Seriously

Yes, our healthcare system is seriously flawed. I mean how does a 2 year old girl end up in a hip to foot temporary cast...for a dang splinter??

Our story starts Sunday afternoon. After waking the baby for the umpteenth time, I banish Aidan and Morgan to their rooms to play. Hoping that Noah will sleep with them downstairs. I sit down to try to get some work done.

It is time to go get their big brother from his dad. This event usually brings the biggest of smiles to Morgan's face when I tell her "bubba's coming home" and she races for the door. Sadly, this time, that was not the case.









After me yelling down the stairs to "get up here now", certain that her tears were nothing more then just "I am being a diva" tears, I went down stairs to pry her from whatever it was that demanded her immediate attention.

I find her sitting on the stairs with a blanket. "Lets go!" I demand. Already frustrated because I need gas and my husband forgot to leave the gas money for me, which means a detour to Wal-Mart to get it. Morgan refuses. By this time, Noah is in full meltdown mode in his carseat...Aidan is dancing around the house yelling "Silence! I Kill You!!" and I am getting more impatient with Morgan's refusal to come on!

Once I finally pick Morgan up and get her upstairs, I notice that she is not wanting to put weight on her left foot. She would cry when she would stand on it and did not want her shoe on it. I figured maybe she twisted it and hauled her to the car.

We left at 530, get home at 800pm...she still wont walk on it. By now I am getting concerned. Morgan is not the type of girl to just sit still. Daddy came home and instead of running to him like she normally does, she scooted...on her butt.

I grabbed my keys and Morgan and told my husband I was taking her to the ER...just to be safe.

Can I just say that last night must have been the night for childhood injuries...Morgan was the 4th kid in there at the same time as the others...for xrays.

After waiting for 2 hours, I mean come on this IS an emergency room, they come to take Xrays. By now I am tired, she is tired, thanks to the Motrin the nurse gave her, I am hungry, and start harboring feelings of guilt. What if it is broken? Had I not banished them downstairs, this wouldn't have happened.




An hour after the xrays were done, the doctor comes in ( this is the same doctor that 2 years ago misdiagnosed Morgan with Pneumonia...she was all of 2 months old and on antibiotics for NOTHING) and says "I don't see a fracture, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. We will put a temporary cast on her and you need to follow up with the Orthopedic Dr tomorrow...hopefully they can get you in. Thanks for your time" What?? He was gone before I could as if the temporary cast was nessecary. But I am not one to usually question medical proffessionals, I mean it is because of one very proactive Dr, that Noah is here..but blindly trusting a doctor, especially one who has misdiagnosed your child in the past, can be a mistake...

I watched with tears in my eyes as they put the cast on my baby girl. My once active toddler was reduced to being carried everywhere. She was miserable. She didn't want the cast on. I didn't want it on. We both went home with tears.

Needless to say her and I didn't sleep. Because I was harboing imense feelings of guilt, I bedded her down on the couch with cereal, juice and The Christmas Story.

She didn't pass out till around 330am...and even then hardly slept.

As soon as 8am rolled around this morning, I was on the phone. We need to get this taken care of now. By now I am not convinced that it is broken as she is trying to walk around on her cast.

Getting an appointment with a specialist, especially same day, is almost impossible, but the Gods above must have been smiling on me because I got her in around 1015am.

The orthopedic dr looks at her xrays, gives me this "why the hell are you wasting my time" look, takes off the temporary cast and says Morgan is fine. Probably twisted it.

I silently thank God, while cursing the ER doc from the night before for putting us through this.

Morgan is now walking, sorta, at this point. We get home. I put her down for a nap, hoping that she will be feeling better by the time she gets up.

When she wakes up, she refuses to walk on her heel...crying if I don't pick her up. Then it hits me...there has to be something IN her foot. So I plop her down on the couch.

And then I see it. In all its crowning glory...a splinter. A big ol' splinter embedded in her foot. In the exact spot she won't walk on. Now, I didn't notice it last night, but shouldn't the doctor have? Any one of the 3 or 4 nurses she seem? The orthopedic?

I grab the tweezers, an alcohol pad and a needle. And perform minor surgery (ok not really) on her foot. She doesn't even flinch. I imagine that any pain she feels from me poking her in the foot with a needle is less then what she felt walking around with that thing in it.

In a few moments, most of it is out. There is a little bit left, but I am "hoping" it will work its way out.

As for my daughter, she is now running around downstairs with her brothers.

So, anyone want to tell me...how does a splinter equal a temporary cast?

And while you are at it....

Have YOU ever tried to keep a 2 year old still...

Just sayin.