Sunday, July 13, 2008

Hard Lessons to Learn

The trouble with using experience as a guide is that the final exam often comes first and then the lesson. ~Author Unknown

Yesterday, DH and DD (and other family members) went boating. I was supposed to have the entire weekend blessedly alone.

Alas, it was not to be.

At approximately five o'clock, I received a call from my DH. He needs to take lessons on Not Panicking Your Wife 101.

"Hey, I'm taking DD to the ER. Can I give them my insurance card?"

Yes, it's true... there was not anything to preface that remark. Eventually, I discovered that she had cut her foot and probably needed stitches, but he was across the lake from where he had the truck parked and needed to go. He'd call me when they were off the water.

Ohhhh-kay.

Twenty minutes later, he called from the truck. Told me where he was headed. I told him I'd meet him there as soon as I could.

I checked, and all my neighbors were gone... what to do with the dog? Last time we hit the ER, it took upwards of nine hours. Considering it was more than an hours drive time to the ER at the lake, I could potentially be looking at eleven hours. Couldn't leave her crated that long...

I took her with me.

When we arrived, DD was in the exam room. She'd had x-rays to make sure nothing was broken, and was waiting for the doc to have her stitches. And, I finally discovered what had happened.

She'd been sitting somewhere she shouldn't have, and when a wave hit the boat, she fell off. Onto the brand new, stainless steel propeller. The one that cut my DH's hand when he put it on. Apparently, she'd clutched her toes to try to stop the fall... instinctive, yes. Good idea? Um, not so much.

She sliced her big toe half off (seriously... ick... down to the bone), took a chunk out of her second toe, and sliced her third one. She ended up with eight stitches. Her toes now look like this.... (I'll put some spaces for those folks who don't want to see the icky picture)....

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Worse? Aside from the fact that DH laid into her about obeying your father, she's out a two-day trip to the lake, fireworks AND a week's worth of swimming next week in my neighbor's pool (they're out of town for a week, and offered us the use of it).

AND... it MUST stay clean. Period. So... no walks, no bike riding, no bare feet.

It looks like this:


And SHE looks like this:



I don't expect it to be a fun ten days.

What's the worst injury YOU'VE had?

I broke my wrist falling off my pony in fourth grade, and had surgery on my leg in seventh to remove a bone growth. I ran into a glass chess board with my head in kindergarten and had a bunch of stitches just above my left eyebrow. And I tried to slice off my pinkie when I was four y.o. --- but I survived them all.

Obviously.

*G*

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, man! Poor kid!!!

The worst injuries I've had involved broken bones. When I was 10 I ended up with a double compound fracture. Not an event I would recommend for anyone. Then there was last year's Broken Ankle from Hell.

Judy said...

Actually, the worse injury I ever had was my stitches the other day... give Twin a hug. Find lots of videos for her. Set up a table with snacks so she doesn't have to holler every five minutes for something to drink :-)

Charity Tahmaseb said...

Oh, how scary for everyone. I hope she recovers quickly. Lots of books, lots of DVDs, pens, markers, paper, snacks, etc. like Judy said.

It wasn't an injury, but I was on bed-rest for six weeks while pregnant with Andrew. I had a whole system set up to keep from going crazy.

MJFredrick said...

YEOWCH!!! Poor baby!

I've been lucky, only been to the ER once when I sliced the skin between my thumb and pointer open. My brother is the one with the horror stories (you know, like falling 10 ft out of a tree!)

Anonymous said...

Well, I gave birth surgically, twice. Those left pretty big boo-boos.

As a kid, I went through a glass window, cut my wrist, cut my arm just below the inner elbow. Was absolutely fine until they told me I needed stitches. At that point, I dissolved into a weak-kneed, crying puddly of panicky goo. They nurses STILL talk about it, I'm sure.

Allie Boniface said...

Oh, poor DD! I'm fortunate...no really serious injuries other than a broken wrist when I was 8 (fell off the swingset), a sprained ankle in college (fell down the stairs...don't ask), and a badly bruised back (boomeranged off a trampoline at a college party...again, don't ask) ;)

Ceri Hebert said...

Hmm... the only stitches I've had were when I had to have my evil spots removed (have some in my temple right now. Real attractive). I've never been badly hurt though, except a few bumps and bruises. My worst was a fall out of the fort we had in the rafters of the garage. I think my head hitting the wheelbarrel broke my fall. Wasn't hurt though.

My DD sliced her foot open a few years back. 14 stitches. I hope your DD mends quickly!

Susan said...

Your poor DD, not only did she get hurt she got yelled at too!

When I was 4 I fell and got stitches in my chin. Age 12 I stepped on a piece of glass and had stitches in my foot. Age 15 a bicycle accident were I sprained my ankle, knee, shoulder and got stitches in the other knee. Age 16 I broke my neck while a passenger in a car accident that left me a quadriplegic. Luckily nothing since!

Chris M. said...

Again, HUGS to you and DD.

The worst injuries I've had? Almost all dance related...

Tore the ligaments in both my ankles... twice (yes, 4 times total)

Put my hand through a plate glass window playing tag when I was... 10 I think. Left a nice little dent in my forehead at my hairline.

Fell off the ballet barre when I was... four or five (yes, I was hanging on it, no I don't let MY students to this) and had to get butterfly bandages on my chin... still have the scar.

I think those are the worst ones.

Glad, DD is okay, and that You didn't strangle your DH for scaring the crap out of you.

Dru said...

Poor DD. Hugs to you both.

The worst would be when a needle went straight through my hand and I didn't know it until my kept blowing up. Needle was removed and spent 5 days in hospital because I got an infection and then became anemic and had to have a blood transfusion..this when I was 10.

I fell off a bunk bed on the top of a chair and hurt the groin area..was in hospital for 5 days..developed an infection.

How's everyone doing today?

Jen said...

Poor, poor sweetie!!! Oh, I'm so sorry for her (and for you!)

My worst injury was being hit by a car as a pedestrian and being thrown 10 feet or so. I still have a scar across my forehead and my language processing was never the same after.

I hope things are a little better today. Huge hugs to all of you.

Maria Zannini said...

How awful! I hope she heals quickly.

That's a hard lesson to learn so young.

Ref: me
No death-defying injuries, but I came down with Lyme disease once after a camping trip. That just about killed me. Four different doctors kept misdiagnosing me. I was sick for almost a year.