Purple

Purple. That is the color of the cast that now encases Igor's leg from his little toes up almost to his hip. So let me back up the story a little bit.

Sunday afternoon the boys were out playing in the yard and periodically begging to go the big sledding hill in the park behind our house. Hubby had taken his car seat out to fix the heated seat element and we were working on it in the kitchen floor. Hubby suggested I be a hero and take the boys over to the hill, I stated I didn't think it was the greatest idea as most of the snow had been worn off and it was too fast. Hubby gets the bun warmer going in his car (let me tell you leather seats in WI without a bun warmer are not fun) puts on his boots and takes the boys to the hill for a couple of runs. I sit down at the computer to surf around and hear Hubby outside yelling my name with a desperate sound of fear and freaking out. I run to the back door he's yelling at me to grab the keys and is cradling a crying Igor. I scatter around putting on shoes, hunting keys, purse and coat and run out the door (later at the ER I wondered if I'd left it standing wide open) poor Hubby is so flustered he's not quite sure what to do with Igor, we've all been so trained with carseats and all he's got all the doors open on the van and I think was planning on riding in the way back with him with all the seats folded. Anyhow I tell him just to get in the passenger seat, run around slam the side doors and pull out. In the meantime Sonny Boy has gotten in his seat and strapped himself in. We go the ER which is only about 3 minutes away while Hubby gives a brief description of what happened. I asked " Are you sure it's broke?" his reply was "Look at it!" Igor's boot had come off in the accident so he was sock-footed on the injured leg. Let's just say it was an amazing feat that I didn't puke right there in the van while I was driving.

The rest of the story progresses how you might figure, ER, lots of meds, an x-ray, set the bone, a splint and an appointment today with an orthopedist. Igor picked out purple, Hubby declares it's Vikings Purple.

To tell a tale second hand Igor had already done one run down the hill and was on his second run. Hubby had held on to the sled as there were quite a few kids on the hill and he waited on them to clear out. When the did he let go - Igor says he pushed!- well there was a kid on a snowboard who cut into his path and then fell down and it sounds like Igor t-boned him in the midsection. Sonny Boy cried "Awesome!" and Hubby went running down the hill. Hubby stopped and asked Igor if he was hurt or scared and Igor replied "scared" and checked on the other kid who was already getting up. It was then that Hubby turns around to see Igor trying to put his boot back on a foot that was flopping at un-natural angles. He then scooped up Igor and started running for the house. Sonny Boy figuring out things were indeed not awesome slid down the hill on his rear (we only have one sled) picked up the sled and caught up to his Dad. A long narrative but Hubby declares all this happened in like 25 seconds.

Igor did as well as you could expect a freaked out four year old with a compound fracture of the leg to do. He was more scared than in actual pain and who could blame him as it must have been a slow afternoon in the ER since he garnered a good share of nurses and techs, was hooked up to heart monitors, oxygen, and an IV. He remembers none of it thanks to drugs and we've quietly agreed to not talk about any of the goings on at the ER. After they set the fracture and splinted it Igor settled quickly and it was just a matter of waiting on all the drugs to diffuse so I sent Hubby and Sonny Boy home to get out of their boots, eat, and gather some PJ's for Igor to change into to go home. An hour later he was on the couch watching cartoons. Today they simply took off the splint and casted his leg. The break is through both bones right above the ankle but the ortho said with little kids they had to cast up past the knee.

The biggest quandry is what to do with him in the car? I'm open for ideas.

Pictures to follow, they gave me a CD of the X-rays but I managed to loose them between the Dr's office and the house. My hunch is they are in the van, but it was already snowing tonight by the time I realized it so they will wait.

...and may all your Christmas's be purple.