Memorial day

What a handsome son I have huh? And oh so happy! Thats because he just got an injection of morphine in his rear end!

Memorial Day weekend, we had the annual Bay Area Super Series, a three day long lacrosse tournament. 40 teams playing, some from Canada and Los Angeles. I organized the varsity team last year and they won the gold! I organized another team this year too. 

It's a lot cheaper for the players if someone does the "organizing", I pay the one entrance fee, then each player pays me, divided equally by number of players. It came out to less than half of the cost per player!

We started with a huge team and it grew. Every few days I would get an email "Yo Mrs. Wilce- Can I be on your team?" cute huh?

Saturday was two field lacrosse games outdoors in Morgan Hill, David and I did a little wine tasting in between games. 

Sunday was three indoor games at the Silvercreek Sportplex, we won all five! Monday would be the championship playoffs.

The game started at 11:00, and at 11:10 I see Cooper running off the field, hand held high, something was wrong. David went to see, I stayed behind and when I saw their faces coming toward me I could tell. 

As Cooper came close I could see the bone of his right index finger protruding from the skin, and thick, red blood everywhere. There was no trainer, we got in the cars and drove to the hospital as fast as possible. David and Cooper arrived before me even though I was driving 90 miles an hour, and I saw the car by the ER entrance as I pulled in. He was already admitted and in a bed.

Cooper was laying there, his whole body shaking in pain, I started getting a bit angry at the staff- he needs pain medication. Only a mother will know what I went through watching this. The pain and frustration start to turn to a smoldering volcano that cannot and will not be contained. 

It took a half hour before they gave him morphine, they had to get a plastic surgeon who specializes in hands to see if there was nerve damage first.

The doctor was very funny, gave him numbing injections and told jokes, he also told us he had been in a refugee camp for three years when he was a child, so he graduated from high school late.

The bone had pushed the nail out of the skin at the top, it was still attached near the tip. He said it was not shattered, that was good. David was showing signs of becoming a second patient, so he suggested that he leave. I stayed and watched the procedure.

He cleaned it all up, and put everything back where it goes, it was starting to look somewhat normal. He explained he would stitch the nail onto the skin, it would protect the sensitive nail bed as it healed.

He started stitching and stitching. He says "Looks like Mom lifts a lot of weights!". 

Mom "yes I do"

Doc "Do you compete? Are you a bodybuilder?"

Mom "Yes I compete in Figure, not Bodybuilding"

We discuss the differences as he continues stitching, 25 or so stitches later, he has sewed dark thread all around the perimeter of the nail. Looks kind of like Frankenstein's hands must look.

Funny- no matter where I go people ask me about my muscles. And I never think I have enough muscles- even now I think I look kind of "puny", so you can see how easy it is to get a skewed self image when you are into this type of thing. It seems odd when I think about it, yet it is a normal re-occurring conversation in my day to day life. I guess I should be proud- not on a diet and not competing and yet people still comment about my physique. 

I left the room a few times to give David an update. Cooper then had an x-ray. I told him we could take his protective cup off, but he wouldn't have anyone helping him with it! 

A couple buddies form the team came in, they brought him his championship t-shirt, they won the gold again! (They brought a flower too.)

Cooper won't be able to use his hand for 6 weeks, his Canada tour playing lacrosse is now out of the picture. I have worked to find another family to buy our airline seats on the charter flight.

His tournament in July? Might be impossible, we need to wait and see.

Injuries are a part of sport, a part of life. If you stayed home and watched TV, you might never break anything, but you would probably be fat and end up with heart disease or diabetes.

I made him what he requested, spaghetti and meat balls. David got him apple pie and some sharp cheddar cheese to go on top.

Just before dinner the pain kicked in, I gave him 2 vicodin. He ate and asked how long until he could lift weights. His plan this summer was to get big, lift and get strong. It will be delayed a bit.

He texted his kickboxing coach, no more training for a couple months. I told Cooper I could take his spot in the private lessons, I can train and learn from Jerome while Cooper heals. I am not sure he likes the idea, I will have to wait and see.

I know how he feels, having the rug pulled out from under you, your dreams shattered, the disappointment overwhelming, the feeling of despair.  "It's not fair" you think, "why me?" rolls over and over in your head. You think you can heal faster than most others, you plan how quickly you will beat it.

The doctor said a new nail will grow over where the old one is, and it should take 4 to 6 months to come out halfway. If that doesn't happen, he will need to have a skin graft to protect the sensitive nail bed, but he thinks he should be fine.

I know it will be. But its gonna be a long month ahead of us.