Alexander Christopher: Good As New...

Today, I took Alexander to get his cast off. I was dreading this. I thought for sure the poor kid would be traumatized, fighting, screaming, kicking, and just overall miserable. I didn't tell him we were getting the cast off until last night, right before bed. He was very excited! During story time, he would point to his arm and say "off cast" so he understood and seemed to be game

for it!

This morning, he was 50/50. If I asked if he wanted his cast off, sometimes I would get "off Momma" and other times I would get a "nooooo" with a pout. We headed out for our appointment. Alexander was fine the entire drive to the doctor's office, until I parked the car. Then he looked at me with the most saddest face. He looked terrified. My Mommy-heart ached again. I thought he was going to break down in tears, but he just kept saying 'off' and pouting. He wanted me to hold him as he walked over rather than walking himself and most times he actually put his head on my shoulder. He seemed either really scared or sad...poor little guy.

Once in the waiting room, he just snuggled on my shoulder until an older gentlemen (another patient) made him smile. Then he was okay to sit on my laugh and babble with the man. When it was our time to go in, the assistant, (a nice younger woman) escorted us in and Alexander walked right in. She pointed us to the room and in Alexander went without issue. She told us, she'd be right back and closed the door. That's when Alexander got a bit nervous - he wanted to snuggle again and was leaning on my shoulder repeating "mamma". When she came back in, she had us sit on the table and explained that the machine was noisy just like a vacuum cleaner and he got all excited!

From this point on, my stomach flipped because she explained to me that she was going to use this machine to saw it off and I had no idea how Alexander would react. But, as it turns out, I worried for absolutely nothing. He sat on my lap, content and quiet the whole time. Turns out this was the EASIEST thing I had done in the last 2 1/2 weeks!

She turned on the machine and he just watched. He moved his arm when she asked, he opened his fingers when she asked. He was fantastic! The assistant was so good. She kept telling him how great he was doing and she was also telling him what she was going to do to prepare him. He held Monkey in his other hand and at one point wanted me to face monkey so monkey could see. He was so entralled by the machine and what she was doing that he didn't freak out once! It was incredible. Once she was done, she asked him if he wanted to keep it and he said yes (which I thought was funny). So after she sawed it off, she cleaned out the insides and gave it to him. He was so excited! He let me sit him on the table to take a few pictures of him holding his cast.

She finished up and told us the doctor would be in to check his arm. Outside, I heard the doctor ask her how it went and she said "best possible scenario - he was great, not one peep" and the doctor replied "hmm interesting". Dr O walked in and asked how he adapted to the cast, etc. He did a check of his arm and said everything feels fine. He gave us instructions and more from a full service perspective, he scheduled us to come back in about 2 weeks just to make sure everything is fine.

Dr. O said to let him be a 2 year old. Alexander will still favor the arm for a bit but not get too worried about. He also said his arm might be itchy so do a light luke-warm wash with gentle lotion but not a lot. Overall, things look good.

After the doctor, we went to Target for a hot dog & milk to celebrate. And he was even starting to use both arms, even if it was a little bit...then we went home, read some books, took a nap and then... we HAD A BATH!! It was so nice to give him a proper bath and clean him! He played a bit but then I gave him a good washing of all of the crevices! Then after the bath, he even let him cut his nails as he relaxed with some milk & crackers - all in all a very productive day!