this is how we roll....straight into concrete

There is a fairly disgusting picture in the post. You have been warned. I don't think it is bad, but I have been reminded that not everyone can eat jelly donuts and watch Human Centipede. This is just an example that happened when I was pregnant with Owsley, and not a current experience, because now it is hard for me to imagine I would ever eat a jelly donut. I'm going to assume it was the pregnancy hormones. I have eaten some regrettable things in the midst of a hormonal hunger rampage. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that I needed a reminder that we all have different gauges when it comes to looking at medical pictures and other gory stuff.

We have truly been so lucky that the kids haven't had any broken bones or any severe illnesses. (Except of course the whole covid brain thing. But I've come to the conclusion that almost every single person in the world is a 'longhauler' even if they don't realize it. If you've had covid, or if you have been vaccinated, I can almost guarantee that you are dealing with at least one health problem, if not many more, that you did not have three years ago. And no, it is not because you are "getting older.")

Anyway, yesterday we ended our 5770 day streak of no accidents. Yes, I did the math.

Owsley had his first real one-wheel accident. I'll go ahead and say that he is fine, but not unscathed. Your one-wheel isn't supposed to get very damp. It had been raining on and off all week, so he couldn't go on any trails, but Owsley wanted to ride, and he asked if I would take him to this nearby neighborhood that he often rides down the sidewalks when everyone is at school or work. I was parked at the tennis courts and Owsley goes up and down the streets and makes sure to come by me about every ten minutes. He had been riding through the neighborhood for about 45 minutes, but I hadn't seen him in about 20 minutes, so I was just about to go looking for him when he rides up. 

"Mum!!!" (Yes, this is what he calls me. His decision. Previous name after moving up from "mommy" was "salami." Occasionally he calls me "Mother Dearest.") "I broke my glasses!!!!" He was in tears.

Poor kid. He is practically blind and he was more worried about his broken glasses. I go to help him and that's when I see his right knee. It looks like hamburger meat. 

Thank you covid brain, for my calm and cool demeanor in a situation that would have previously probably caused me anxiety. Actually, I usually just froze in fight or flight situations. I did neither. I just kind of stopped working. Small victory for a broken brain! Owsley was in shock and I was glad that I could be a calming influence.

We took him to Urgent Care where they cleaned up his knee and gave us a prescription for antibiotic cream. (Seven small tubes. Each tube without insurance would have been $300. Absolutely insane.) They said this will be a slow heal and there wasn't much they could do because there is literally no skin on this half dollar sized wound. All the tissue, completely gone. At first all I could see was white and I thought it was down to his bone, so I was very happy to hear that. (Can I say that we had a great experience at Urgent Care? There were literally no other people there and all the staff were so pleasant and wonderful to Owsley.)

It continued to bleed a whole bunch last night, but when I changed his bandages this morning I was pleased to see that while still ugly, it looks more like nasty road rash than an exposed bone. He's also got a cut on his face from where he landed on his right side and his right hand it all scratched up too. I'm so thankful he didn't have any broken bones. The doctor told us that red heads have a gene that makes them bleed more and that would make sense considering all Gage's nosebleeds when he was younger looked like murder scenes. 

Owsley took this picture right after his accident. I felt like I needed to say that, because I've never understood the parents that stop during an emergency to snap a picture. I don't understand that.

This morning he's banged up, but looking much better.

I know he will be back on his one-wheel as soon as he can be, and I wouldn't want him to be fearful and give up something he enjoys anyway. We have been on him about wearing knee pads, but he always complains about how annoying they are. I do believe this incident might have been the one that makes him realize knee pads might not be so bad. Elbow pads either. Peppy had gotten my dad to look at Owsley's knee before we took him to Urgent Care. My dad has some experience with holes in his foot due to a motorcycle accident, and Peppy wanted to know what he thought. Owsley was also adamant that we not go to the doctor, but we knew he would listen to my dad who had experience with this type of wound if he said he thought we should go. My mom told me later that my dad had come home looking like he might pass out. I hope we didn't give him PTSD.

Fortunately I was able to schedule an eye appointment for Monday. Not exactly looking forward to that one. Even with insurance his glasses are expensive. Oh well. Life, am I right?