Broken Leg

Rachel came home from the emergency room with her leg wrapped in bandages. We had to carry her everywhere for the first week. When we moved her even a little she would quietly say ow, ow, ow. After a week she saw the orthopedic doctor. He gave her a bright green cast all the way up her thigh. Rachel spent another week or so in bed and then she went back to school in a wheelchair. At home she got around on crutches. This wasn't easy for Rachel but she amazed us at how positive she was able to be throughout the whole process. When her long cast came off they decided to put her in an aircast. She liked it because it meant I could take it off of her and she could take a bath. Rachel spent hours in the bath. She also liked it because she thought it made her look robotic. Unfortunately it didn't fit her right and it made sores on her foot and ankle. She went back in after only a week to see the doctor and we decided to put another cast on it. This time she chose the glow in the dark. I didn't get any pictures of it. We returned her wheelchair when the long cast came off so she got around mainly on crutches. She had a little shoe that she wore over her cast but she found it pretty difficult to walk unassisted for quite awhile. A week after getting the glow in the dark cast we went back and they took it off to check out her sores. They were fine and pretty much healed so they recasted it with a blue cast. I think she had this one on for a few weeks before they took it off and left it off. She got pretty good a walking on the cast but after a few falls at school she kept her crutches pretty close. After all the casts were off we started physical therapy. Twice a week for a month to begin with and then another month. She still has a limp and we were told that if it doesn't go away after the summer we should probably revisit the therapy. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that. Rachel did get frustrated and sad at times but she was an amazing girl through the whole thing. The thing that annoyed her the most was people asking her how it happened. Sarah was always cute with Rachel and a little too concerned about her. Hannah and Jeremy were very helpful through the whole thing with holding doors, carrying backpacks and crutches. I don't ever want to do this again but I can't say it was entirely a bad experience.