Ironic

 Last week, I decided to join a group from our ward to go on a ski trip with Austin, Erik, and Victoria on MLK day. Kai and Jason decided not to go. Kai wanted to work and hang with friends that day. Jason and Kai also made plans to go to lunch together. 

The ski resort is Caberfae in Cadillac, MI, a 3.5-hour drive from our house, but it was only $45/per person for the day, including rentals. We thought it would be worth it and we would be with many friends. 

When I confirmed the decision with my friend, Angie who was in charge, Victoria and I knew that her dance coach George wouldn't be happy with us. He had explicitly told the dancers not to go skiing this winter due to the upcoming dance competition. We decided it would probably be fine. She's not a crazy dare-devil skier and the skiing in MI isn't really rough. 

Well, after I confirmed with Angie, I couldn't fall asleep because my thoughts were on this ski trip. My first thoughts were how tired we would all be. We would have to wake up at 5 am and leave promptly at 5:30 in order to make it there in time for a good day's ski and then leave by 4 or 4:30 to make it back in time to start the school week off with early-morning seminary. I couldn't settle my brain down about these thoughts. 

The next day I couldn't fall asleep again, but this time my thoughts were about Victoria going skiing, against George's wishes. Then came thoughts of her falling on one of the runs and getting hurt. Not only would she ruin her chances of being in all those dance numbers at competition, for her senior year, but she would ruin her track season as well. Last year, in the second semester she was battling long-covid. There was no way she could chance ruining this final year of hers with some dumb ski accident. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became until I finally texted her and told her she shouldn't go. She just said, "ok". 

It turns out she was having similar thoughts and people kept bringing up broken legs and crazy ski accidents. Plus, even she couldn't chance to defy George, even if it meant not going skiing with a bunch of her friends. I texted Angie right away and told her Victoria had to back out. It wasn't too late, thank goodness because I thought it might be (with the group rate we had to book by a certain day). 

I breathed a sigh of relief and spent the next couple of days not thinking much about it. On Sunday, as I prepared to be gone the entire next day and packed all the things the boys and I would need, I decided that without Victoria going I wouldn't have to worry so much about the lack of sleep. At least she would be well-rested for the week, even if I wouldn't be!

Austin, Erik, and I made it to Caberfae with no problem. We even arrived a little early so we could get our lift tickets from Angie. We were excited to try out this new-to-us ski resort! We found our friends who are Austin's and Erik's ages. They all went down the small bunny hill for a couple of practices. We hadn't been in two years, but Austin did some snowboarding with the one we have at home on the sledding hill a couple of times last year, so he had some recent experience. We made our way over to the main lift pretty quickly. That bunny hill isn't much of a hill! I went on the lift with Erik and when we made it to the top with all the rest of the friends, we all went down together. 

Erik's practice run.

Austin's practice run.

Erik and Austin and some friends at the top.

Right away I could tell that Erik didn't seem to be practicing his "pizza" and "french fry" very well. He just zipped down that hill pretty quickly, with no fear! I followed him but went a little more slowly. It was cloudy and seemed dark. It was hard for me to see if there were any changes in the terrain with all the white snow and white sky. Luckily, in Michigan, the ski runs are pretty short, so you get down pretty quickly and can start again in places that you are familiar with. And if you go too fast, you get to the bottom soon enough that you will stop after not too long!

We made it down safely and Erik was pretty stoked about his first run. I reminded him about the "pizza" and "french fry" positions on the next lift up. He looked better as we went down the second time. Austin, following his friend, made a detour toward the bottom of the run, to the left. I didn't even notice if it was harder than the main run, I just decided that Erik looked good and I should follow Austin. It wasn't very long until he fell forward and put his hand down as he fell, as what so many snowboarders do. I saw it, but not very clearly. I asked if he was okay, in the kind of way you ask, just to be polite, not really thinking he was actually hurt. When he groaned and stayed down, I knew there was a problem. 

I stopped next to him and after a moment he sat up and said he would be fine, he just needed to rest a few more minutes. I asked if he needed help getting down when he was ready to go, but he declined. Since he was in so much pain, he fell again soon afterwards, and then on purpose when he could tell he would lose his balance and didn't want to damage his wrist again, so he could control his fall. We were at the bottom by then, but around the side, not where the main lift was or where any people were. To me, his wrist looked a little too floppy. When I carefully removed his glove, I could see a dent, where there shouldn't be one. Not one for that kind thing, I could feel myself start to get really uncomfortable. I loosened his glove and put it back on him, took off his snowboard, and walked to a small parking lot nearby to ask a man there where I should go for help. Luckily, the building adjacent to the parking lot was where the medic office was. I walked Austin over and they said he probably had broken both bones in his wrist and that we could see someone there in Cadillac, but that it would be better if we just went home. Cadillac is a small town and we would get better care where we live, plus the follow-ups would be smoother.

You can see the dent if you look carefully. Ouch!

While they put together some good-looking sling for his arm, I found Erik and some of the adults from our group and was able to secure a way for him to stay and then come home later. When I got back to Austin, he was lying down because he had gotten nauseous. He looked slightly green when I saw him, but he was doing better by then. 

Looking a little green here.

After all the paperwork was complete (we have two free passes plus a free rental for another time), Austin and I were able to leave. I couldn't believe that he had actually broken his wrist so early in the day and that we had another 3 1/2 drive back! I thought it ironic that I had all those thoughts about Victoria getting injured and that Austin actually did! It was kind of surreal. 

Somehow, the drive went quickly. We stopped at the very beginning for a McDonald's lunch for my boy, which was good it was early on because when we go to the urgent care by three-ish and after they confirmed it broken but that we needed to go to the ER because of the nature of the break, they kept asking when the last time that he ate was.

After they confirmed that the bigger break was in the radius, though the ulna was also broken, and that the growth plate was displaced, they said they would need to sedate him to put things back in place before giving him a temporary cast. 

At the Urgent Care.

It looks little wonky. 

I stayed with him on the operating room until he was out, and then left. I could have stayed in there, but I didn't think I could stomach that. About 20 minutes later they were done and he was waking, but very loopy and talking about the Star Wars dream he had when he was under. It was pretty funny! He has what they call a "bendy" cast on, just because his arm is slightly bent forward in a curve. On Tuesday he goes in to get his long-time cast on. I don't know how long yet. 

At the ER waiting for our turn.

After the procedure. You can see how it looks kind of "bendy".

In the meantime, he had to keep it elevated for 48 hours to help with the swelling. They were kind of concerned about his tingly fingers, but those have been improving, so that's good. He slept on the Lazy boy chair for 2 nights so he could sleep with it elevated and had to stay home from school those 2 days. He now sleeps in the guest bed in the basement because the top bunk is just not a good idea right now.

Overall, he's taking it well. I had to cancel his Ninja Warriors classes for the rest of the season and his hip hop classes for now since he can't do things where he might fall. His orchestra, band, and piano teachers are very understanding and patient. I told him that at least it's not his Senior year! Poor guy.

He finally didn't have to elevate it anymore!