Bicycle Accident

Yesterday on the way to work my husband was in a bike accident.  I actually found out on Facebook that it had happened. He said,"He didn't want to worry me."
::eye twitch::

In the very early morning of Tuesday 6/16/15, Dan was riding his bicycle to work.  He was doing everything he could to be safe. From taking a longer route to make use of our city's very limited bike lanes to always wearing his helmet and extra lights.  It didn't stop the accident.  Barely 10 oz of dog managed to ruin his summer.  As he is pedaling along in his designated lane this little dog darts around a parked car right in front of his bike. Dan swerves to narrowly miss the barking nuisance, only to end up airborne off his bike.  As soon as he was on the ground the dog slipped right back through the gate. The owners did not have their gate secured enough to prevent it from slipping out. The dog treated that gate like a dog door not a restraint.

Knowing he didn't want to be late he shrugged off the pains and finish his 4 mile ride to work. (just like a guy.. rub some dirt on it and move on)  He didn't realize just how badly he was hurt.  Being the only dependable provider of a paycheck in our family he tried to tough it out through his work day.  It was close to 3 hours later before a co-worker convinced him that his wrist looked really bad and that the pain and swelling were too much. His kind co-workers drove him and his bike home.


At the doctor's after much pulling of sore shoulder and poking of swollen wrist we learned he was really hurt.  There was soft tissue damage to his left shoulder from his shoulder popping out of socket and crashing back into place.  Plus he had a fracture to his right wrist.  He broke the long bone in his arm within and inch of the end.  It's called a Radius Distal fracture. We still do not know the extent of the break as the X-Rays are on a disc sealed in an envelope and I am honestly terrified to look. Dan and I will find out more tomorrow at the Orthopedic specialist.  Google has done enough damage/education on the many different types of breaks that this could be.  Plus all the varying things that could be needed for treatment.

Splinted while swelling goes down before Orthopedic Specialist appointment

We had mistakenly believed that were were covered by AFLAC in this situation.  Sadly they will give us a one time pay out for the injury but not for all the time he will be out of work recovering.  He may need to be out of work for 8 weeks or more.  Even with his sick leave and vacation time that will still not be enough.
He needs my help for most everything.  He can't even dress himself in elastic waist shorts or pajama pants without help.
Please visit my Scentsy Independent Consultant website and make a purchase. A portion of your purchase will be paid to us in commission the next month.

Thank you for any help you give our family at this time.

Super Powers of a Mommy

Every kid fantasizes about having super powers.  As a child if offered any super power of my choice I would have picked the ability to fly.  Yes, even though I hate flying in airplanes and am terrified of heights.  I still wanted to soar with the birds.

Now that I am a mommy many times over my choice would be drastically different.  I wouldn't hesitate to choose the ability to absorb any injury or illness from my children into myself.  Even if using this power would leave me with their affliction and would only work on my own children.  A bit of a selfish choice, I know, but if you had experienced what I went through last night you would understand.

Maxx wasn't feeling well and was letting me know his displeasure very thoroughly.  He spent all day hooked to me.  I was not allowed more than 6 inches from him all day or night, but still didn't nurse as often as normally. I put him in the Moby Wrap skin during the day and that helped him get some sleep.  After he woke from a nap in the Moby Wrap he would be back to nursing normally again.  Once bedtime came it was another nightmare, he tossed and turned, waking up hourly and fussing at the breast.  His fever would spike every time he fell asleep which would then make him too hot to stay comfortably asleep.  After hours of crying (both him and me) we ended up in a bath together at 4 am.  After getting out it gave us 3 blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep before the alarm blasted us awake just in time to get his oldest sisters off to school.

To make matters worse Maxx isn't the only one that is ill in the family.  Nadia is sick as well but luckily she responded well to mucinex. (no fever only a cough and nasal congestion)  Thank goodness they are feeling much better today.  Just in time for the oldest, Lauryn, to come home with complaints of a sore throat, runny nose and coughing.  That's what I get for bragging about spending the entire previous year with the everyone in house being illness free.  Either we have one wacky cold hitting everyone differently or three different outbreak monkeys loose in my house.  Time to get out my UV-C light sanitizing wand and go nuts with it.


If you were given the choice of any super power you would think of what would you choose?  Is it different than what you would have picked as a child?

A Dose of Radiation

There is nothing like a late night trip to the Urgent Care to give any normal person insomnia.  Add that kind of late night excitement to the life of a nut case like me and I may never get to sleep again.

My long night began as it usually does.  The three girls had been sent off to bed and I had just finished my workout.  I was finally settling on the couch to watch a movie cuddled up with Maxx.  Suddenly this horrifying scream pierces through the air.  I burst into their bedroom to find Nadia already clutching a towel to her face.  (worst case scenarios stampede through my head)  After quickly gathering my nerves I look under the towel in horror to find my sweet faced little girl growing the biggest bump I have ever seen right between her eyes and an ugly 1/2 inch gash right in the middle of it.  I gathered her up in my arms and quickly got an icepack for her to hold on her face as I put out the phone calls for help.

Grandpa was asleep when I called but he came over in such a hurry he didn't even put on socks.  He thankfully brought Grandma as well to help watch the other kids. Daddy was all ready to go go with me until I reminded him about his early schedule and the fact he should have been asleep hours ago.

After getting lost due to not remembering that the Rancho urgent care was on Rancho of all streets.  (still trying to shake the haze left from the adrenaline rush.)  Once inside it only took 10 minutes before we were pulled back into triage. Maybe it was the 4 yr old trying her best to look her most pitiful or the mommy pacing frantically, but we got back very quickly.

They took her vitals and we were sent straight to the suture room where we waited for the doctor.  Nadia was so well behaved during the whole process. The only time she really squirmed was when the doctor was poking at her wound.  When she was all cleaned up and the extra hole in head was glued shut she had to get a cat scan do to the immense amount of swelling. (liquid stitches thank you whoever invented you!)

The woman Nikki who did our cat scan was very excellent.  She explained to Nadia that we were going to take a picture of inside her head and she needed to stay very still.  Thankfully it was one of the new light speed cat scan machines by GE.  It moves around the patient a lot more than just the table moving you into it.  Nadia called it the donut camera and at one point smiled and said cheese when I told her to stay still so it could get a picture.  The cat scan went well it only took 5 minutes because she did so well "playing statue".  I stood by her side the entire time.  Now I'm good on my booster dose of radiation. It had almost wore off from the last time I needed x-rays.

Then back to the exam room for us.  The nurses were in love with Nadia. I heard them all talking about the cute little girl with the slippers and big bump with the little cut. As soon as Nadia saw them she waved and told them all Merry Christmas which they all started giggling and waving to her.  (She had charmed 6 stickers out of random nurses before we left.)

Next began the long wait with only my 4 yr old for company.  Let me tell you, kid's say the darnedest things.  Nadia was trying anything to talk her way off the table.  "I really want to hug you mommy."  ::get up and hug her::  " No I want to hug you over there by the door." At one point she almost fell off, so I had to tell her to sit still or she could fall and get even more hurt.  She nodded very seriously and told me she didn't want to fall and get hurt because she didn't want to grow a mustache like Grandpa and Daddy.  "Wait what?! A moustache? "   Nadia replies,"Yeah, Grandpa must fall down a lot because he has a BIG moustache." She repeatedly kept asking to go home so I had to tell her we were waiting for her cat scan. Immediately she starts looking around the room frantically.  I ask her if she dropped her toy.  "Nope, looking for that cat that needs a scan."

Our results finally came back and she has no fractures or any other problems.  I just have one resilient bruised little pumpkin.  Now my night has just begun.  I have to wake her every 4 hours to check for behaviour changes, like grogginess or listlessness.  This should be fun ::sarcasm::  Who isn't groggy and listless at 4 am?  I know I will be.

This whole ordeal left me very thankful for so much.
I am Thankful for:
My husband for working so hard at job he doesn't enjoy to provide us with excellent health care.
Nadia for being such a big girl throughout the whole process and keeping her good humor.
My parents for being able and willing for me to lean on in an emergency.
My daughter not being hurt more severely than she was.

I could go on for hours about the many things I am grateful for, but my adrenaline is wearing off and I am crashing fast.  I'm gonna go cuddle on the couch with my little sweetheart and whisper another prayer thanking a higher power for my many blessings.

Here is the pictures of the damage done but it is once most the swelling had gone down and we were back from the doctors.

It doesn't do the swollen lump between her eyes justice though.
Her pictures on Christmas morning are going to be colorful thats for sure.