It’s always something

To quote the late, great Roseanne Roseannadanna, “It’s always something. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.” She was right, and, quite frankly, I’m tired of it.

Just as I thought we were making real progress with the stuff that’s going on with Ella, just when I thought we were going to make it to the end of the school year relatively intact, just when I let my guard down – Whammo!

The school nurse called Tuesday morning to tell me that Ella had taken a bad step during PE and was in the office complaining that her knee hurt. I asked how bad she thought it was, and the  nurse said she thought it would be fine after a little ice and elevation. I told her to call me if it seemed like Ella was still in pain. And then I didn’t think about it again.

Until Ella hobbled off the bus, her face white with pain. She had spent the whole rest of the day, gimping around and trying not to cry. My heart just broke, and I said a few unkind things in my head about the nurse.

I called the doctor’s office yesterday, and they wanted to see Ella. So I warned my editor that I might be late to join in a conference call, packed my computer and the kids into the car, and headed into town.

Fortunately, our doctor’s office is small, and there’s rarely a long wait. The doctor saw us right away and recommended x-rays. I had to load everyone back in the car to drive across the street, because Ella could only hop along, not walk. She was quite pitiful.

I managed to keep the littles entertained in the waiting area while Ella had x-rays done, and then, miracle of miracles, the pharmacy in the building had Ella-sized crutches in stock.

The x-ray didn’t show any fractures, but there’s definite signs of soft tissue damage in Ella’s knee. It could be an ACL or meniscus tear. Or it could just be swelling. The only way to tell for sure is an MRI.

I solicited recommendations for orthopods from friends and started making phone calls. Unfortunately, the soonest I can get her in with someone who takes our insurance is next Wednesday.

By bedtime last night, Ella was in real pain, even moving her knee hurt her. She resorted to scooting up and down the stairs on her rear instead of using her crutches. The poor thing couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep in.

She’s at home this morning, and the swelling and pain have gone down. My hope is that there’s nothing wrong that a few days of rest can’t fix, and she’ll be up and around again. But I’m not holding my breath.

It’s always something.