oopsy daisy

This will be news to several people who read this blog.  So I post this because Joel gave me the go-ahead that he's okay with me writing it - and we didn't share this because it was one of those things you just hate to explain over and over and you already know that it was preventable but it happened and so it goes.

Last weekend was like any other weekend for us.  Joel got off on Saturday evening a few minutes early and came to Mom and Dad's where I was with the girls.  He took them outside to play a little bit.  The usual chasing and spinning ensued.  I came out with my phone and started to record snippets of their play.  He then decided to try out some more of his parkour moves (which he does frequently...) and he told Sarah to stand real still.  She obliged and he ran straight for her and leaped and dove over her (not his first time with this move, mind you).  He rolled out of the leap as per usual but as he landed I heard a pop and I knew something wasn't right.  He stood up and walked so fast away, completely silent.  I knew things was very bad at that point.  He said, 'Something's wrong, I need to go to the doctor right now.'

We all hopped into the van as quickly as possible.  We raced to the urgent care center where we found they had closed literally as we pulled into the parking lot.  They would not open and accept us.  We now were faced with an ER visit.  So we raced down to the ER, all the while mulling over what it could be.  It was either a dislocated shoulder, broken clavicle, broken shoulder, or any number of other things we never heard of.  I was a wreck.  Mostly because Joel is normally beyond stoic.  The man worked a full day on the job with a broken finger.  But here was my strong man, in tears, not able to move his arm.  Every bump and turn and lane change caused him physical anguish. 

The girls played along really nicely.  The ER registration lady gave them coloring books and crayons to play with while we waited.  After an hour Joel told me it was probably best to go home and put the girls down.  I managed to pull myself together enough that I drove the girls home where my neighbor Claire and my mom switched off baby duty.

When I got to the ER the physician's assistant was in seeing Joel.  I came in the precise time she said, 'If I were a betting woman I'd say it was a broken clavicle or separated shoulder.'  I literally started blacking out and had to sit down.  I barely eeked out, 'Will he need surgery for either of those things?' and she rubbed my back and assured me I'd be going home with my husband, no surgery necessary.  I felt so much better but we were still waiting for the xray tech and radiology doctor for confirmation.  We sat together and tried to laugh but mostly it was Joel telling me to quit worrying. 

We got xray results back after 4 hours in the ER with the diagnosis of a CL ligament separation - basically a separated shoulder.  He would need at least two weeks of light duty or no work.  This is a very painful injury that can be the hardest to recover because of the pain factor.  I was so worried about Joel and his work...he's coming up on the busiest season of the year.  Joel kept telling me not to worry, but it's just what I do.

Joel finally agreed to taking something for the pain right before we left so by the time we got home he was feeling pretty decent with a Vicodin and some ibuprofen in his system.  He spent Sunday and Monday (his usual day off) mostly sleeping and resting.  Monday morning two of our friends, who actually helped coordinate our kitchen remodel, came over and gave Joel a healing blessing.  We were so thankful.

Tuesday he was back to work but he did counter work mostly.  Each day he was able to move his arm just a little bit more.  By Thursday, work was so busy and he felt so useless that Joel decided to try his shoulder at some work in the bays.  He didn't push things, if it hurt he didn't do it.  And by Friday, most of the movement had been restored with less pain and more tightness/soreness.  He attributes the stiffness and soreness to overstretched ligaments with the injury and the lack of movement for a few days.

Today we went in to our regular doctor to check his progression and healing.  She was amazed at how well his recovery was going.  In fact she said she had never seen someone recover so quickly from such a traumatic injury to the shoulder.  We are so blessed.  I can't even express my gratitude adequately to the blessings we've received during this trial.  The doctor said that it was Joel's physical condition that led to his quick recovery and that may be a part of it, but I know that the healing blessing given by our good friends was a huge reason why Joel is doing so well. 

Our kitchen remodel is on hold until his strength and energy return but that doesn't bother me one bit when I think of all the things that could have resulted from such an incident.  Heavenly Father is good to us.