Our Trip to Primary's E.R. for Free!!!

So Kate and I had quite the adventure tonight.  I was home by myself while Johnny was at his parents' house.  I had all three kids in their jammies and ready for bed.  Kate was laying on the bed staring at the fan when I told the older two to go to bed.  Audrey walked past Kate, grabbed her arm and said, "C'mon baby Kate."  I heard a pop and Kate started screaming.

Now even though I have never had the opportunity to see a Nurse Maid's elbow happen, I knew that's what had happened.  Kate was so upset, she started throwing up and her arm was limp and just laying at her side.  I called Johnny and asked him to come home.

While I waited for him, I cleaned up baby vomit, and checked on poor Kate's arm.  If I touched it, moved it, bent it, or even looked at it, she would just scream!

Now anyone who knows Kate at all, knows that she is very easy going and although she may fuss, rarely ever screams!  So I was quite worried!

Johnny got home and we decided that it would be better for me to take her to the ER because I could nurse her and we didn't know how long we would be there!  She was still not moving it and it was just laying limp at her side.  I packed her up in her careseat, screaming the whole time, and headed out at 9:00 to Primary's ER.

Now my kids peditrician works as an ER doc up there and the whole way up I was thinking about if I wanted him to be there or not.  I really like him, but I didn't know if I wanted him to know the whole story.

Kate quieted down as we hit Foothill and was asleep when I checked in.  The clerk was very nice and asked to put a bracelet on her.  I flipped up the carseat cover and to my horror, BOTH of Kate's arms flew up because I startled her. Now why you may ask was I horrified?  Her arm was supposed to be lifeless at her side and she was supposed to be having a hard time!  Instead she was waving both arms around and smiling at the nice clerk.  I was so embarassed,

I took my seat anyway and we were called in within three minutes.  I told the nurse all the symptoms.  She listened and then said it sounded like typical Nurse Maid's.  Then I told her she was fine and I felt like an idiot.  She said this was also typical.  When a parent puts their child in his/her carseat to go to the ER, they end up putting the child's elbow back in without even knowing it.  So she said I could just leave without being seen and then not have to pay the copay (which would be awesome!).  I asked her if Kate was fine and she said she is not in pain and she is moving it so you can just go.

I mentioned that Dr. Greenberg was Kate's pediatrcian.  The nurse immediately said let me go grab him so he can see her before you leave.  The doc came in and although I still felt a little like an idiot, they assured me that it happens a lot and that I should just be grateful and pretend that he never even saw her so we didn't have to pay for it! I signed a form and we were off.  All in under 15 minutes!

So, in conclusion, I am so grateful that even though poor Kate had to go through all of this, that it turned out to fix itself and we didn't have to pay for it!  I am also so grateful my doc works up at the ER.  I know that's how we met him in the first place, but it is just so nice he gets lots of practice with lots of kids and not just on mine!