Saturday, February 23, 2008

Growing up can be a real pain in the ankle

It was unusual, to say the least. Craig and I were in the living room enjoying our new broadband Internet access on our respective laptops when Miss M stumbled down the stairs holding her crotch.

M? Are you okay? Do you need to go potty?

She had a dazed look about her, but her eyes were open. She wandered around the living room for a few moments, then I said I think she has to go potty, but she’s sleeping.

Craig sprung into action and led our sleepwalking daughter to the bathroom and got her settled on the toilet.

Soon we heard crying from the bathroom. She was complaining that her legs hurt and wanted to be carried back to bed. I assumed she was just tired and led her back to her bed.

Later that night (perhaps 2 hours later) I heard her crying again. It was not a weak, pitiful cry. It was more along the lines of a cry of excruciating pain. She was hysterical, sucking in breaths and hiccupping.

It was her ankle she said. It really hurt.

Growing pains. I looked it up online and apparently she is not really in the prime age range for this right now (3-5 years and 8-12 years), but she never experienced them before.

I got her settled on her Dora bed on our bedroom floor and went to get some ibuprofen for her. She was almost too distraught to gulp the medicine. Craig, by then had woken up and didn’t know what was going on. He doesn’t remember having any growing pains as a kid.

Craig sat by M and comforted her cries with murmurings of what fun we’ll have this summer on vacation. Her sobs quieted. Soon she was asleep again and remained asleep for the remainder of the night, until my alarm clock broke our slumber.

I’d forgotten about those pains. Sometimes growing up really hurts. Literally.

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Sandy said...

It's funny you wrote this post today, because Annika has been complaining about her legs hurting for the past few days and I've sorta brushed her off about it.

Got me thinking....

Jennifer said...

Evan has these pretty frequently, and has had them even between 5 & 8. We use Tylenol and a bed buddy (y'know, those microwaveable thingies?). The heat seems to help him, as does elevating the painful ankle and foot on a pillow or two. It is really a bummer -- hope Miss M is back to her usual sunny self today.

Jeff and Charli Lee said...

When I was 15 I grew 6" in one summer. I would wake up with screaming with severe cramps in my calves and my mom would come into my bedroom and massage them out. So yeah, they can happen any time.

Angi said...

I had them ALOT too, and my Mom either massaged them all night, or I would take a hot bath when I was old enough. I bet the bed buddy would be great, since the heat always helped mine.

Growing pains, UGH!
And here I am 5'0 :)

S said...

oh i had those!

i feel for her, i really do.

Belle said...

I had those quite often while I was growing up. The Boy had some nasty ones a couple of years ago and the Girl has just started going through them. Not much fun.

ewe are here said...

Oh, poor girl.

Alex Elliot said...

Poor kid! A few of my friends' kids are going through that right now. I remember having them as a kid.

Don Mills Diva said...

Poor thing - I remember having really bad growing pains - I had forgotten about that!

Anonymous said...

My husband is 6'4 so he totally gets the growing pains thing ... I do not remember them ... He would not eat in hopes he would not grow and not feel the pain at night. . . never worked!

Michelle said...

Im 15 (female) and latley my ankles have hurt... I remember them as a younger child and my dad who is about 6'4" kept saying it was growing pains. Now I am 15 and not going to grow much more I was worried there was something wrong... but looking at past comments I guess they are just more growing pains and now I know how to get rid of them. thank you :).

 
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