A week and a half ago, Bennett had climbed a tree to get a frisbee that was stuck. Like most kids, he confidently jumped from the tree and immediately was in tears when he landed. He hobbled around most the day but there was really no swelling or bruising. We talked to a podiatrist friend who suggested if he could apply weight without pain, it probably wasn’t broken. The next morning Bennett had a soccer game and although he couldn’t run – he could barely walk – his coach asked if he would stand in for the goalie, which he did with flying colors.
The days went on and he never really complained, but he continued to hobble. He went to two soccer practices and yet he still hobbled. He ran around with friends but he still favored it by walking on his heel. And yet when you moved his foot in every direction, there was no pain. Sunday night we noticed his walk was still off and even when we pointed it out he couldn’t correct it. We reexamined his foot and there was one spot on his foot that when you touched it, it made him wince.
So the next morning we made an appointment. After 10 days we learned he had a small fracture (an avulsion fracture on the cuboid to be exact), right where the point of pain was. It’s hard to see it in these copies but on the office screen it was quite noticeable. Just a little piece of bone broke off the cuboid. It’s nothing serious. No boot. No cast. But sadly no soccer! He has to keep it wrapped and it should heal in the next couple weeks.
He’s really been a good sport about the whole thing.
Last night I was busy finishing up dinner while Cannon sat at the bar in front of me asking me to grab him something out of the pantry. (I love when kids can see that you’re busy and yet it still ask you to do something that they’re fully capable of doing themselves.)
Cannon: Mom, will you grab me a plastic fork in the pantry?
Kara: Cannon, are your legs broken? (This is a rhetorical question I often pose to my kids!)
Cannon: (sheepishly) Noooo
Kara: Then I think you can get up and grab that for yourself.
Bennett: Mom my foot is actually broken, but don’t worry I can grab it myself.
Bennett is our comedian.
