[Trigger Warning: baby trauma]

Last Thursday – RUOK Day – we were not ok for a large part of the day. We had to take our baby to the hospital, and not for the first time. [Spoiler alert: everything is fine.] There were many emotions.

I am so aware that, for some parents, a trip to the hospital is a regular thing. For some parents, a trip to the hospital doesn’t have a happy ending. And for some parents, they’ve never had to take a child to the hospital at all. 

What happened was nobody’s fault. It wasn’t from rough play, or neglect, or distraction. Bubs straightened her arm at the wrong time. We couldn’t tell what was wrong, just that something was wrong. Last time we were there, saying in our befuddled panic that we weren’t sure if we should have gone in, the triage nurse cut us off and said, always, ALWAYS when they are this little, just come in. So, not knowing quite what the problem was, we went in.

Thankfully, she was quiet on the way there. Thankfully, we were assured we had done the right thing by going in. Thankfully, we live where we live. The Children’s Hospital is not far away, and treatment is excellent and free. All it cost us was some time. Because she was calm (except when anyone looked at her), we had a bit of a wait. 

But in that time we became less and less worried. When we were eventually seen, the diagnosis was a pulled elbow. Very common in children under 5. Very easily fixed. A wiggle and a waggle and her arm was as good as new.

There was so much relief. What more could any parent want, really? She was fine. Her arm is fine. She will be able to grow up to play violin and dance and swim. We didn’t have to stay in the hospital, or even have an X-ray. And we were out of there in good time for the daycare pick up and treat night for dinner.