Nolan Tells the Truth

So, it was shortly after breakfast, when Melinda came running in to exclaim, "Mommy, Nolan is sitting out by the ditch. He said he had been riding Derek's bike (without Derek's permission) and had been riding on the road, (absolutely verboten)and he fell and broke his leg. He's crying and he wants you!"

(thinks to myself, "Super. Just SUPER.")

I carried the distraught boy in, but not before he informed me, "I fell off the bike and broke my leg!" *sob*

He held his arms around his right shin, would not straighten his leg, and would not even THINK of putting weight on it. Hmmmm. This could be the real thing.

Well, we had to put it to a test. A little time needed to go by to see how bad this really was. I parked him on the couch with a cold cloth, had nurse Carolyn read to him, and went out to start digging the last, long bed of the garden. Halfway through, I stopped to rest and check on Nolan. He was no longer crying, but would not try the leg. I helped him to the bathroom, where his leg got jostled. He went back to the couch, and I went back outside, whereupon his nurse soon informed me that her patient was crying again.

Gave him some children's ibuprofen, and said, "OK, that's it. I'm calling the doctor." ("please, PLEASE, anyone but the doctor I don't like....") I didn't get my favorite, but I got the next best. What a stroke of luck, the afternoon appointment left me just enough time (and I do mean JUST) to finish digging that bed, rake and grade it, followed by a quick shower.

Another timely occurrence, Nolan had just had a bath the night before, complete with hair washing :-) so there would be no major de-mucking involved. For him. I was another matter. ("Mommy, there's dirt all over you...")

But, I carried the poor lad out to the car and we headed for the doctor's office. Nolan perked up a little on the ride, and I began to wonder....

Once there, we got in fairly quickly, whereupon Nolan informed the inquisitive nurse, "I fell off a bike and broke my leg." *sniff*

My biggest fear, up to this point, was that they would want to weigh Nolan, and he not being able to stand on two feet, the ol' "weigh you while your mother holds you and then we'll subtract the difference" method would be employed. ("Please! Don't say my weight out loud!") But, instead, we were taken directly to the procedure room, so I wouldn't have to carry him all the way down the hall. The doctor came shortly, and received the same announcement from Nolan, "I fell off a bike and broke my leg." *sniff* Nolan trembled a fair amount while being very gently examined.

Then, a WHEELCHAIR was brought for the trip to X-Ray. Now THIS was beginning to look fun. We only had to wait ten minutes for the paperwork, giving Nolan ample time to experiment with moving the wheels back and forth. Once again, I began to wonder...

Time to meet the X-Ray technician, where ONCE AGAIN, those fateful words were spoken, (All together, now..) "I fell off a bike and broke my leg."

X-Ray complete, the doctor soon came and examined the picture in the tech's office. "He wasn't lying," were the doc's words. A spiral fracture of the right tibia. *sigh*
A lady from our church walked by, "What are you guys doing here?" "I ---- --- - ---- --- ----- -- leg."

Nurse who will be Nolan's Vacation Bible School teacher next week is there, "I'm supposed to have you in my class next week!"
"Well, he'll be there in a cast," replies Doctor H.
To me: "I'm going to put him in a temporary splint, but you need to come back tomorrow to see the bone specialist."
"You're kidding!"
"No, we have to check with him to know how high up the thigh to put the cast."
"The thigh? Are you serious!"
"One joint below and above the break is the general rule."

I asked the doctor while he was fixing up Nolan's leg how a break like that could occur to the shin.

"It's a bit unusual, but his foot must have slipped below the bike and gotten twisted."

Actually, when you consider Nolan was riding a too-big bike, on a road of loose gravel, it all starts to make sense. And, hopefully, the lessons of obedience will all start to make sense to a certain almost 6-year-old.

Nolan was most brave and did not cry out, until the temporary plaster started its heat activating sequence and THEN someone started crying. He thought he was getting burned, I guess. To the rescue, a wonderful nurse with pillows, water, and two suckers.

So, what have we learned today?
1) Some people have to find out the meaning of rules, the hard way ("I'll never go on the road, again, Mommy."),
2) An immediate confession makes the rest of the story more believable.
3) Nolan may have a future as a medical diagnostician, and,

4) NEVER underestimate the healing power of suckers.

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