broken humerus...not at all humerous

Tana has had an eventful few days. She was practicing her tumbling routine with a couple friends Friday night, took a spill, and came home with a sore arm. A friend of ours (Joseph Forester, a pediatrician/allergist on base) stopped by Saturday to look at Tana; she was sore and had little range of motion but seemed to be okay. Joseph checked her again Sunday morning at church. There he voiced his concern about her growing discomfort, swelling, and inability to move her arm. He encouraged us to make an appointment with our doctor and have x-rays taken.
Monday morning I checked Tana out of school and went to Dr. Allen's office. He moved, touched and poked Tana's arm and shoulder. Both doctors seemed to agree that breaking her arm at the source of the pain would be incredibly difficult, even approaching impossible. Her discomfort seemed low for a broken bone which led both to believe that a break was highly improbable. Interestingly Tana was completely unable to lift her arm without assistance. She literally could not move it at all.
X-rays were taken. Surprise, surprise...a broken arm indeed! Her upper humerus is completely broken, all the way through (que total queasiness and stomach tossing!). She has a broken humerus, proximal shaft, minimally displaced, not angulated...to be exact.

These pictures of the x-rays are terrible. I literally took pictures of the x-rays on my computer screen because I couldn't get my computer to cooperate with me (yes, it's the computer's fault). Notice "Dora the Explorer" reflected on the computer screen. ha ha! Ashton is home sick today.

Our pediatrician, Dr. Allen, called Orthopaedic Associates and made an appointment with Dr. Thackeray, shoulder specialist. We saw him Tuesday morning. More x-rays were taken. Tana and I were nervous. Because the break is so high on her arm, just under the shoulder, we really didn't know what to expect. It seemed improbable that a cast would be effective in setting the bone. We were praying surgery/pins wouldn't be required. We were incredibly relieved to learn that all she'd require is a sling. Due to her age, the strength of her body and good ol' gravity, together with the sling, her bone will heal appropriately. She absolutely cannot move her arm. Cannot! It has to stay locked in place beside her body.
The sling is Tana's best friend! She sleeps with it on, tightly fastened around her body, so that her arm is not able to move at all. Tana typically sleeps with both arms stretched high above her head.
Once again we are so thankful for doctors and all things medical! Hopefully she'll be well in 4-6 weeks and able to join the track team and have a fully healed and ready-to-run arm.