Pinky Dinky

Dear Reader-

The last 48 hours have been filled with ER visits, doctor visits and one honkin’ huge pink cast that Miss Add has dubbed “Pinky Dinky”.

Miss Add was out riding horses with Grandpa like she has a million times before.

Then one of the horses spooked as horses do from time to time and side stepped slamming into Miss Add on her horse.

My cowgirl stayed steady on her horse, but her little leg was crushed between the two horses.

Anyone who knows Miss Add knows she is tough as nails and always has been.

One of her first phrases in life was “I alright”

Problem is this time, Miss Add didn’t say she was “alright”

After getting checked out on the trail and no one really knowing the extent to which she was hurt, she asked to get back on her horse and rode 2 miles home.

At the second ER — don’t get me started on the first immediate care and first ER we visited– the doctors treated my sweet girl immediately, but still everyone thought she just had a sprain because she was in such high spirits and all smiles.

After the “precautionary” X-Ray, we found there was much more to the story…

A very painful spiral fracture that broke her leg in two places had been hiding under that  joyful dimple-filled smile  for hours.

The doctor was astonished.

“You have one tough little girl…  Horse people are always the toughest people who come through the ER… I just can’t believe she rode that horse in with that injury.”

A very uncomfortable splint and an agonizing night of gut-wrenching pain followed despite pain meds.

As a parent I am not sure that greater torment exists than to see your child hurting.

Exhausted, I begged the clock to turn 8:30 AM so I could make the call to get in to see the doctor that would place her leg in a cast and hopefully alleviate the pain.

The call finally revealed we would be waiting another 4 hours before we could see the doctor…

And, the doctor revealed that the summer we were anticipating was about to change significantly.

The good news was we did not need surgery…yet.

The game plan would hopefully stay on track and we could avoid it all together.

Weekly check-ups, 6 weeks in a thigh-high cast, 4 weeks in a below the knee cast and possibly a walking boot are in our future at least for now.

Hundreds of questions were asked.

A quest to find a wheelchair began.

And for a brief moment waves of can’ts filled our foggy heads.

“She won’t be able to______”

“She can’t__________”

“How are we going to __________”

Truth be told it took us all a moment to mourn the loss of life as usual and to re-think our summer, but we are getting there.

As usual, Miss Add is leading the way…

Showing everyone that happiness doesn’t depend on your situation, but rather your attitude.

And Dude, my girl has got that handled… just sayin’