Pain and Suffering

This is not my son's actual x-ray.  But darned close to it.  And I certainly feel for the person who broke their collarbone in this way.  It sucks!  Sucks hard!  I don't wish this on anyone... especially a son, that I love.

As T likes to phrase it... "It was fun snowmobiling, until it wasn't".  That pretty much sums it up.  We were on vacation over the New Year's holiday.  Playing in the snow in Laketown, UT.  On the snowy, frozen shores of Bear Lake.  For the first time in my life, and in his, we got the chance to drive snowmobiles.  It was awesome.  Exhilarating! It only took one small tap of the accelerator to know that they were powerful machines.  Machines that we knew you could get up to speeds in excess of 70mph.

My son had just turned back toward the house and was starting speed up, when the front end of the sled nosed into a dip, and the front ski got caught on a frozen pile of sand, and it flipped over.  Throwing my son and my niece off the sled.  Both landed in the snow.  My niece ended up with a strained back and a concussion.  My son, with the severely fractured collar bone.

Off to Idaho for an emergency room.  Who would have ever thought that those words would be combined into one sentence? Bear Lake Memorial Hospital.  The nicest, friendliest, and smallest emergency room I have every been in.  We were seen promptly and take well care of... but unfortunately all that could be done was to put my son in a brace, and a sling for his arm... and send us back to Utah.

Upon our return to Denver, we called his doctor who said they really didn't want to see him.  (Which took me aback quite honestly, but that is for a different entry into the blog).  They referred us directly to an orthopedic surgeon.  We called up the surgeon's practice and took the first available appointment.

Beautiful office, nice staff, and the youngest surgeon I have ever met.  My guess is that he is in his early 30s.  No older.  I know, I know... I sound like an old curmudgeon... and I guess I might just have entered into that age... but cut me some slack.  This was the first Dr. that I am most definitely older than.  And despite his young age... he has a spectacular resume.  Worked for some of the best clinics and hospitals around!

He walks in, and shakes our hands.  And gets right to the point.  We can do one of two things.  Nothing.  Or, operate.  Nothing and the recovery is longer and the outcome is worse.  Surgery in the short term is more pain, but quicker recovery and full function returns to his shoulder 6 weeks after surgery.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I don't like the thought of anyone cutting into me or anyone I love.  But there really was no choice.  T, chose surgery.

So, yesterday, in the peak of rush hour... we head to Parker Adventist Hospital for surgery.  It was estimated to take 1.5 hours... and took 2.  We were in the hospital for nearly 9 hours.  T came through surgery hurting but with flying colors.

This experience taught me a few things...

1).  I am not as bad a care giver as I thought previously.  I don't do well with hospitals or with people who are in pain, but I did much better with both than I had previously thought I could do.  I love my son.  I want to be a source of strength and comfort to him.  I question the quality of that job to this point, but I hope he knows that I am trying to be there for him.  I want to learn more how to help people.  I think this is life's only really important endeavor.

2).  When it comes to my family, I will do anything for them.  I will endure any discomfort for them.  Including spending any amount of time (thankfully it was just a whole day this time) in the hospital, around the Medical Profession and all of its trappings for them.  No matter how uncomfortable it makes me.

3).  It didn't make me as uncomfortable as I thought it would.

4).  It taught me that I am OK.  I can be better, but all in all I am OK.  I am good and I am worthy of my own adoration and that of others. (Those that know me, know that this is really hard for me to admit to myself or others... but I think I am learning).