Joe....

So here we are...it's the last day of school before spring break. The school day is over but there is still track and field practice to go before they can start their 10 day spring break. They are actually not even running...they are going to concentrate for the first time on the field events. There is no javelin, discus or pole vaulting. What could go wrong? Leave it to Joe. Sigh..... He was busy at the shot put area. He was getting ready to do a few practice shots. He asked his friend, Shaq, to toss him a shot put. Now, first off, you don't just toss these things. They are 10 kg...that is quite heavy. Shaq tossed him the shot put and Joe goes to catch it...one-handed. He was on the edge of the shot put throwing area and there was a metal strip to show the foot fault area. As you can tell, this isn't going to end very pretty. His right hand catches the shot put and drops like a rock (because HELLO!!!! that is what a shot put is practically!) His right ring finger gets caught underneath the shot put and on top of the metal rim of the area. Not good. I get a call from a friend of mine and the assistant track coach saying Joe has been hurt. I was in TaeKwon-Do class at the school, so that was a good thing. Bad thing...I had the other two kids still at the school and two other teenage boys coming over to spend the night 45 minutes later. Anyhow, I meet them in the hall and I see blood dripping down his arm. This isn't bothering me yet. I am a nurse...just don't get it on my dobak (white TKD uniform). However, I get to him and Susan is telling me it's pretty bad. I take a look at his hand and see the middle knuckle of his finger sticking out of the skin. Nice. ("Oh! Your skeleton!" Lily exclaims.) Sigh. I call Rich (who is luckily at home). I give him the option of going to the Legavakt with Joe (like an ER) or to come get the other two and make dinner for all the teen boys. He chose to go with Joe.
They were only there a couple of hours (because he was a priority case). He came home and I waited to hear of the huge number of stitches he got. I was predicting about 15 or so. It was a pretty big gash. I even had thoughts fleeting across my RN brain thinking he might need surgery or to be casted. Nope. They put in 4 stitches and one fell out immediately...before he was even done with the others. That left this inch + gash on his hand open in several places. (Personally, I don't get this, but I wasn't there to talk to the dr...who happened to be Palestinian-Norwegian) He was to not use that arm for two weeks. He said I could take out the stitches in 10-12 days.
Well, yesterday, when he was supposed to be WATCHING rugby practice, two of the stitches fell out. I snipped the other last night. It was within the 10-12 day period, so that's okay. It is going to be a very nasty scar because of the gaps in stitching. He can't bend his finger at the first joint, so there may be some tendon damage or maybe a break that is still healing....I don't know...they didn't bother taking any x-rays! Sigh. Anyhow...he has his first track meet today...and will NOT be going near the shot put area, even though that was supposed to be one of his events. Oy. This boy is going to give my gray hairs! It's a good thing he's so darned loveable! :o)