A Nose Story

Things have been happening, and I haven't been writing about them. I don't like that. I want a record of some of this mayhem. For example... Brooke had her nose broken the week before school started. Kate did it. Tiny, seemingly innocent Kate. She did a flip on the trampoline while Brooke was laying close by unaware of Kate's sudden need to flip, and took a heel to the face. I took her to the Dr. after the swelling went down and during that visit a heart murmur was discovered.  The ENT needed to do surgery on the broken bone but couldn't until we could get her heart murmur checked by a cardiologist and that was several days out.

I'm so sweet I couldn't harm a flower.

I land flips on clueless faces.

 The Dr. pulled some strings and got her in a little sooner.  Jon took Brooke to Primary Children's Hospital in SLC. I think Brooke kinda liked being hooked up to stuff and having all kinds of attention. Her heart murmur is innocent, and she has likely always had it and will possibly out grow it. Sweet relief.  I've left part of this story out, but I think I'll plug it in right here. Brooke was also diagnosed with adhd this same week. I had taken her to the same Dr. just days before and they listened to her heart and noticed nothing. I left with an Adderall rx that day and gave her half of a low does spread out over two days. So imagine what my motherly mind concluded when the heart murmur magically appeared, days after giving her a stimulant that I wrestled and fought and prayed over for years. Oh the guilt. It shook me.  I felt that I hurt my child while trying to help her. Thankfully, the cardiologist put my fears to rest and said that that was not a possibility. I had nothing to do with the heat murmur.

I didn't choose wisely which appointment to accompany Brooke, Jon got the good one. I got the anesthesia, the pain, the bloody throw up and the crying and pleading to go home. It was heart wrenching.  I was happy to get her home, gave her some meds and put on a show for her. She did so good. The neighbor girls brought over a candy laden poster they made for Brooke and another neighbor brought her a balloon and Popsicles, that made her feel loved. Good people. 

Still a little drugged, a few minuets after this things got sad.

Her cast came off a little less than a week later. And just a few days after that, Morgan smacked a toy plastic tub into her nose...hard. Brooke came screaming into the house with blood gushing from her nose and my heart sank and my adrenaline surged. I screamed at Morgan who burst into tears and yelled for my husband who came charging up stairs, eyes wide when he saw Brooke's face. The plastic tub was full of a " stink potion" that Brooke was making to throw on Morgan. I know, bad judgement...notice adhd diagnosis mentioned above. So  my bloody nosed child was also wet..and had what looked like soggy corn flakes in her hair ( I learned later that theses were torn up leaf shreds...an important ingredient when one makes a stink potion) and yes...she reeked! This odd combination of things added to my alarm  NO! What HappenD! You're weT? Why? Whats that smell? Dislodged bone and blood?   This was memorial day of course so the ENT office was closed. Her nose bled for a while. I gave everyone a bath to wash of the smell of putrescence.  Brooke was bleeding and crying in one tub, Morgan crying in the other tub... muttering things like " It wasn't my fault".  Me, feeling sick to my stomach and helpless to protect my children from their own poor choices and accidents. 

After everyone was clean again and the bleeding stopped, I made all children sit down and do nothing for the rest of the day. No more injuries allowed. 

When I did finally get Brooke to the ENT  he said her nose was o.k.  I still wanted to lock her up in the basement for the remaining 6 weeks of bone healing. There is no long term cast for broken noses, they just walk around exposed to life and somehow life knows.  Brooke has never been hit in the nose more now that she is healing than she ever has before. It's maddening.  We are nearing the 6 week mark and now all I am dealing with is a few kids with colds. Colds are nice.