The Month From Hell

The month of April was tough all over. The hospital was in the final two weeks of implementation for our Meditech "Go Live" on the 16th. I put in more hours at work than I did at home. The week of the 16th I put in way over 100 hours. I was tired.

More than that the family was. Yeah, they would come and see me every night. Bring me dinner, colored pictures as well as lots of hugs and kisses. But I just wasn't home. I missed family home evening all but once, I ate dinner at home twice but still... I went to work each day before anyone was awake and got home when most of them were in bed. No matter what, a family needs both parents and parents need their family.

Now that we are up and running with the first of three phases of the Meditech deployment I see them every morning and night. I still have to make a few trips to Boston but it won't be as bad as the last 8 months.

Evan started a new job at Albertson's as a courtesy clerk. Now that he's 16 we had to lay down some rules. Namely, we will supply your clothing, shelter and food as well as any church/school expenses. We will buy your car and pay the insurance. But if you want to drive this car you have to pay for the gas. If you want a newer stereo you have to buy it. If you want a new iPod it's on you. The boy wants everything! So he went out and got a job.

Suprisingly he really likes it. His first paycheck went who-knows-where but his second went towards a new cell phone. As much as he talks texts on ours he'll need a second job by summer...

He and I went out on the dirt bikes last week and went to our favorite riding spot (the only one without snow right now). We both raced up and down the area then went to "The Hill". I flew up a slot that has a nice gradual jump made of a lava flow where you can usually fly a good 15-20 feet out. This time as I approached the jump I saw that the flow was chewed out at the base and there was nothing gradual about it. The face was now about 80 degrees. I hit the gas and lifted the front end. As I hit the rock we, me and the bike, went straight up, not out, with the front wheel above the back which was 10 feet off the ground. I let go of the bike and let gravity take effect.

I hit the lava flow landing on my right leg. Motorcycles are not immune to gravity. It promptly came down and landed on that leg crushing it.

I got up and acted as if nothing was wrong (there were a few people watching with dropped jaws) rode into the sunset, took off my helmet, puked and cried like a little girl.

By the time we got home I could barely get my pants off my swollen calf which was now the same size of my thigh. We went to the ER and got x-rays and amazingly nothing was broken. I still had to watch for compartment syndrome, blood clots, etc... but Evan tells me "at least you looked cool".

It's getting better now. Still hurts and gets really really stiff.

I guess it just takes longer to heal and gets more expensive when you're older....