The Jury is Out

Pictures on the walls are bright and cheery, belying the reason we're here.  He sits on the table, paper crinkling with each movement.  Legs swing, long and brown, bruises and scrapes a clear indication of his lifestyle.  His hand is ace-wrapped and he places it gingerly in his lap.  Normally bright eyes are red-rimmed and worried. Broken or not. The verdict will determine his near future, the only one he cares about.

The thumb is an interesting member.  Small, bent at a strange angle, the ugly step-sister to the other fingers. Yet, so important, vital, to the everyday. If you need to hold, grab, or pinch something, or someone, the thumb is there. It's needed for teeth brushing, coin tossing, buttoning, and giving the ever-popular thumbs up. Overlooked and taken for granted, we don't notice its significance until we lose it. Without this digit, life is a challenge. Simple tasks become complex.

For a 3rd grader at the end of the year, it's a mixed blessing.  Having someone else write for you is bliss for a boy who hates penmanship.  But, when your fancy splint is accompanied by a strict charge against all of your favorite activities- soccer, trampoline, skateboard, roller blades- the fun drains out like the air in a balloon.

Three years ago, Max fell and broke his right arm.  He was in a cast for almost the entire summer. At first, I thought it would be great, finally a reason for my always-on-the-go boy to slow down. heh. That's like throwing a pebble in front of a train to try and stop it. It proved to be a summer of frustration.  He is a determined child and pushing the limits is sport.  The idea of him in a cast again?   HORROR.

Next week, we'll trek up to the hospital to meet with Dr. H- who we already have an extensive history with.  He will study the x-rays and somehow interpret what the pediatrician and radiologist couldn't quite decipher.  He will be our supreme court justice, handing down the decree that will determine our summer.  A guilty finding will send us into weeks of alternate activity and the struggle to keep a wild animal caged. Here's hoping he's merciful and we receive a reprieve.