So we're in OH for my high school reunion, and visiting my family. My brother so kindly brings one of his bikes down to our parents' house for my son to ride. He's thrilled b/c it has gears, and although it's a bit big for him, he masters it pretty quickly. Wednesday night hubby and I leave to go pick up a few more groceries for dinner and in the 20min we're gone, his little sister cuts him off riding her tricycle, causing him to swerve and crash down the 15ft rocky embankment into the creek below at full speed (he tried to brake by pedaling backwards like his bike at home, forgetting about the hand brakes in the short span he had to do something).
One broken wrist, one deeply bruised hip, mild concussion, lacerated elbow requiring 6 stitches, and several other abrasions and cuts (and a 5mm sized rock dug out of his skull) later, and we've spent a good portion of our vacation at Children's Hospital (although, Cinti is the place to do it - one of the best Children's Hospitals in the country!). Poor kid. We're thankful it wasn't any worse than it is, and while he's upset that swimming is ruined for the rest of the vacation, and beyond, he's happily plunked himself in front of the idiot box since he's to be resting and recovering.
It got me to thinking, has anyone else suffered a major injury while on vacation? What happened and what did you do? One of my colleagues at my former job told me about a time in HI when he stepped on a sea urchin while snorkeling and rather than having the poisonous spines removed, he left them in b/c he knew he wouldn't be allowed to go scuba diving the rest of the trip. He LIVES for scuba diving (is even certified in cave diving). He was in bad shape by the time the took the barbs out, but doesn't regret his decision (although his wife wasn't happy with him at all). Does anyone have any memorable stories to relate (besides VL, who I'm sure has plenty!)?
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
Sorry to hear. I know the worry that goes with a bad injury like that. I am very thankful that he is okay. That could have been much worse.
My son was injured very badly sledding when he was about 8, I think he was. I, like an idiot, let him go sledding at the school with his sister and a friend and I just to this day do not know why I did that. Someone showed up at my door with him unconscious and I called 911. Basically, he hit the wall of the school and had a terrible concussion broken nose and little brick marks with bruises all over his face. The doctor thinks that he turned his head right before he hit the wall and it may have saved his life. I just remember how thankful we were that he was alive. He got better. That had to be scary and sucks that it ruined your vacation.
Bummer on the injuries SC......he sounds lucky that they weren't far worse. Not that he feels that way! No swimming for some time is tough on a kid!
Your friends scuba diving story reminded me of my son, at about 15. We were down in Texas and he was finishing up his scuba diving course and just needed to do his night dive. Late that afternoon, while fooling around on the dock, he put a 3" splinter of rough wood from the dock deep into his foot which should have been professionally removed........not wanting to miss the dive and not get his certification he sat down and got a pliers and pulled that thing out of his foot....all the time I was thinking....he's going to get one nasty infection from this, and he needs a doctor. But he bandaged it up, did his dive, then consented to being taken to the emergency room so they could treat it. It wasn't till years later that he admitted just how much that thing hurt.
Sorry to hear that your kiddo was injured. Bless his heart. hope he is doing much better and now enjoying his cool new cast.
Seems to be a right of passage to have to wear a cast on some part of your body for at least one summer growing up.
Tell him that bread wrappers and a hair tie will help him get a little wet this summer.