Emergency Leg Reattachment Surgery

Let me give everyone a brief refresher on the sixth member of my nuclear family growing up. Mom, Dad, Abbey, Able, Audra, and Jingle Boy. Lovingly referred to as JB, he entered our lives I think around the turn of the century. *I try to throw that phrase out as often as possible. He was a present to my mother from one of her music students, Christmas 2000, and then transitioned into a travel companion when Mom's school was doing Flat Stanley. If I correct I think his first traveling adventures were with Abbey when she studied abroad and travel all of Europe.
 
Since that time Jingle Boy was a staple on all trips that various members of our family went on. I hope mom has a list of everywhere he has been somewhere, but suffice to say he has been to multiple continents, countries, states, and has broken the sound barrier in an F-22 fighter jet, with my test pilot cousin Jason. Jingle Boy went on the band trip across the country with me in high school, was my travel buddy on all my trips to D.C. to visit Abbey when she lived there, he came on both the Fantastic Voyage, and the Hope Deferred Tour (both long stories for another time) when I was in college. I mean he has been to Ireland three times I think. He took numerous trips to the mountains when Able lived there and has traveled the world with friends and family for I fifteen years now.

Here is JB in his Tiger outfit in September 2007. This is the oldest album of my Picasa web albums, JB was prominent in it.

 JB in our third apartment after my nursing school graduation.

 

 JB in the Bahama's in 2009.

As many of you remember Jingle Boy was lost and presumed dead from April 2009 through the winter of 2013 when he was miraculous found in a plastic bag of stuffed animals at mom's house. We all grieved this loss and reluctantly started traveling with Jingle Boy's twin brother Jangle, who had been found a few years before JB's mysterious disappearance. Jangle was alright, but a step child for sure. He filled the gap, making trips to Nova Scotia and Ireland in JB's absence, but it just wasn't the same. It's at this point in the story that I realized that JB's life should really be a pod cast, a la Serial. "His name was Jingle Boy, but they called him JB. Weird I know."

Now Jingle Boy is heading back out on the road, or air as it were, to join the newly weds on their upcoming world travels. Mom brought him to my house this weekend, dressed in his classic Christmas outfit (he has a build a bear box full of outfits, mini passport, and numerous bags, don't kid yourself). It's hard to believe that Zane just recently met JB, I'm sure he would have been front and center for all my boys milestones had he been around. I think JB was front and center, literally for the birth of Brendan if I remember correctly. Anyway, I digress. The boys were excited to see him and set about playing with him Friday afternoon. Saturday morning Zane decided he wanted to "give JB a bath" and needed to take off his clothes. I left the room for I don't know what and when I returned Zane was holding JB by one leg and his hand was covering the spot where JB's other leg should be. When I asked where his other leg was Zane sheepishly showed me JB's left leg that was no longer attached to the body.

I immediately screamed, see how JB is a member of the family above, which threw Zane into a complete meltdown thinking he was in big trouble. Then I couldn't stop laughing at the site of poor old Jingle Boy, an amputee at the hands of my four year old. Luckily Grandma had stayed the night and rushed to the rescue. Turns out JB had previously survived and arm amputation/reattachment years ago while at school with mom. Zane also rushed into action with his doctor bag/supplies and was ready to assist with the reattachment. This is the best case scenario for a child who wants to play doctor, let me just tell you from experience. They gave him shots, put in an IV, put band-aids on, took serial blood pressures, listened to his heart, hung numerous bags of blood (zip-locks full of water), and assisted with the closure. After surgery Zane rushed JB to the ICU, his bed, in the ambulance, Ro's fire truck. There he was met, and kept company by, Mooly who is quite literally a pro at keeping people company in ICU's after surgery.

WARNING SOME IMAGES BELOW ARE GRAFFIC AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN!!

 

Left leg detached, left wrist peripheral IV in place, pre-op complete, ready for surgery.

 Looks like Dr. Zane is taking a little medicine for himself, hysterical!

 All good ICU's have Ninja Turtle pillow cases and pirate sheets if you ask me.

Mooly is much older and dirtier now, but a prow at hospital beds.

The surgery was a huge success and the boys spent the rest of the day caring for him. It was snowy, boring day so this was a welcome distraction. Zane did vitals, helped get him up and around, and by that I mean playing catch with him in the living room. Ro woke up from his nap and immediately got JB off the counter told me "I cuddle him," while he watched Mickey Mouse. The love for this little elf has officially been passed down to the next generation.

 

Yesterday we took him to Mr. and Mrs. Blakley and gave Kari a quick refresher course on the rules of JB; he does not go in bag, especially checked luggage, and he is a real person, a beloved member of this family, so take great care with him on your journey. (She may be questioning the sanity of the family she has joined, but I have faith that she will grow to love him too!) Also, I'm pretty sure JB has been on both Abbey and I's honeymoons so don't worry he's cool with it. I'm hoping for a picture of the Pope with Jingle Boy from Rome and of course you know JB is going to be hitting up the Turkish baths. I'm sure he is extremely excited to finally be heading out on another world tour! And I cannot wait to see tons of JB pics when the world travelers return.