Poor Harlow

Today started like any other day. I was up at 4 with Harlow then 5:30 with Chayce. But our actual day started about 8 and all was well. Chayce had a good day. He was being sweet with Harlow for the most part. This brings my defenses down in a sense. I'm usually in the room with them at all times. Chayce hurts Harlow and doesn't know to care because of the Asperger's.

Let's back up a few weeks. A week before Harlow's first birthday Chayce chipped her front top tooth by putting a blanket over her head and bulldozed her with his head. She fell face first into her hard plastic play tent door. I came running in, took the blanket off and she was gushing blood from her mouth. Chayce wasn't concerned at all. With Asperger's they have no empathy or the knowledge that others have feelings at all. I know he was "playing" but he didn't notice her crying and not enjoying it and he kept on. So I've been very careful about leaving them alone even for a couple of minutes.

Today he had been sweet and not aggressive so I let my guard down. I left our bedroom for a couple of minutes to change laundry out. I came running back in when Harlow was screaming. She was standing next to the bed and kind of favoring her right arm. I asked Chayce and all he said was she fell on her head and it was an accident. Mind you he was on my bed. She cried and was very upset for about 20 minutes or so. She didn't want to be put down. This isn't like her. She gets a little hurt and 2 minutes later she's back for more. I look and look and can't find a mark but her arm is tender. She wouldn't use it. We load up and head out to Emergency Care Clinic because of course it's 5:30 and the pediatrician is closed. On the drive over Chayce admitted to trying to pull her onto our bed. He still didn't really care that she was hurt. He wasn't being malicious but he can't read her emotions to know when to stop. It's scary to have to protect one child from the other. I knew her arm was dislocated or broken by this point. The Dr. takes a quick look at her arm and says it's "Nurse Maid's Elbow". Ummm what the crap is that?! He proceeds to tell me it's when the ligament in the elbow is pulled apart. He now needs to twist her arm and pop it back into place. I thought for sure she was going to cow. I made Chris hold her and I cried before he even touched her. It took 3 seconds and you could hear it snap...barf. Within 60 seconds, literally, she was high fiving and playing with that arm again. She hadn't used it in 2 hours! I was so relieved. She's going to be a tough cookie!