Valentine's Day Break

This is Adam's arm as of 6:05pm last night. Melodie and I had just left for our Valentine's dinner at Marie Calendars (we were less than a mile away) when we got a call from Emilie saying they thought Adam had broken his arm. This x-ray is of Adam's elbow with the humorous (upper arm) bone broken just above the elbow. The very small bone on the top of the joint and the larger bone going up to the right are supposed to be the same bone. They said it is a 100% break, definitely requiring surgery. He had jumped off the downstairs couch and his feet slipped out from under him. He tried to catch himself as he fell and CRACK!

Here is Adam on 2 milligrams of morphine at Primary Children's Hospital. His left arm is the broken one and his right hand has the IV. There was another family in the emergency room with a small baby that came in right before us. Adam said he was glad he had broken his arm and not the baby, since the baby wasn't as big as he is. What a guy! He shows maturity well beyond his age.

It is interesting to know what goes on in the mind of a child. For us, the questions came up about school, costs of care, rehab, etc. For him, he said to Melodie on the way to the hospital, "I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be able to help pick up toys this week." He was also sad because he thought he wouldn't be able to do his schoolwork. Of course, cello graduation will be a challenge this coming weekend. I'm sure he'll figure out a way to participate.

At times like these we pause to reflect on the plethora of blessings we enjoy ("plethora" usage sponsored by The Three Amigos). For starters, so many people have offered their help. Fortunately Emilie and Caitie had already made plans to spend the night and watch the kids during the broadcast. They were the first ones Adam wanted to see when he woke up because he hadn't had a chance to play with them. Our home teacher came over to assist in giving a Priesthood blessing. Matt and Brit took Rachel for the day. The list goes on and on.

I also appreciate the professionalism and expertise the staff at the hospital had. For people who see this stuff day in and day out, they sure made us feel like we were their most important patients. I was thankful to know I could talk to Joel about any of the procedures if I needed his opinion. Dave called to see how everyone was doing, and Gammy called to wish Adam well. We are overwhelmed by all the support.

Finally, we realized all over again how precious these children are. Watching Adam go through the pain he had is one of the hardest things we've had to do. Melodie and I both wished we could take the pain on ourselves so he wouldn't have to suffer so much. There seems to be some underlying eternal principles in all of this.

While it didn't turn out exactly as planned, we did get the Valentine's Day break we had looked forward to. We just didn't expect it to be in Adam's arm!