On Injury

Last night I was thinking over the past few days and the various injuries Ceci has incurred.  She bonked the coffee table and split her tongue, ran into the wall corner and got a goose egg, split her lip, cut her finger and other things.  This girl has the Haley energy, running, climbing, exploring, so she's bound to get some war wounds.

The rest of us had escaped injury thus far.

I should have expected it. 

It's been too long.

On the rocky, hilly terrain with my clumsy nature, I've been lucky to avoid it.

But yesterday, it happened.

Dum-duh-dum-dum-duuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhh:  I fell.

One minute I was happily trapsing along with the fam, cracking a joke and handing shekels over to Kevin, the next minute I'm writhing on the ground in pain and wailing despite myself.

Cue: Shock.  Pain.  Embarrassment. 

[If you are weak stomached, skip to the ***]

Convinced I would find my patella down by my ankle, I lifted my jeggings (the riduculously named wonder that they are) and was shocked.

A perfect backwards J, road-carved into my knee, turned ashy white and then fierce with color.

Blood---oh the blood---rivulets pouring down my calf, pooling in my sock, dirtying my lovely fuschia Keens.  Damn.

And because I am always curious about such things, a pic for those who like the gore.  Skip ahead to *** if you wish. 

As I noted, and Dennis later did too, I will be forever marked by Jerusalem, complete with the backward J.  :)

Really not so bad after a clean-up by the pro

****

Dear Jacob was taking his off-road "secret passageway" down the hill and didn't see me fall, but walked into the aftermath.  My poor sensitive buddy immediately started weeping, asking if I was going to die, wimpering and shaking as Kevin scooped me off the sidewalk.

Of course, since our life of late is a movie, we look up and see one of the women from the Ecce Homo gathering on Saturday driving into Tantur with her big white van.  Then, three women appeared out of nowhere to help Kevin get me into the van and off we went.

On the short drive up the hill, the woman Claire told me that Sr. Bridgette, the assistant rector, is also a nurse/midwife and would be able to tend to my wounds. 

Of course she is.

Sr. is such an amazing woman, with the most selfless hospitable servant's heart, and it was at one in the same time surprising and not surprising to hear this.

We hobbled into the lobby, and all the workers moved quickly to find sister and help me put my leg up.  She expertly cleaned and assessed my wound, deciding that it didn't need a stitch.  It's certainly a wide but shallow gouge.  I was more concerned with the gelatinous wobblys underneath, but we are keeping an eye on it.  I've been able to bear weight on it, and even walked up to dinner tonight.

Yesterday, Kevin took the rest of day off, which is always difficult for him.  One of the drawbacks of his incredible self-discipline is that it can be hard to adapt when the unexpected arises.  But, he stayed home to take care of the kids while I rested and stayed off my feet.

Just as it would be in the Village, people called, stopped by, offered to help.  Dear Beverly and Dennis took our little firecracker Ceci for a couple hours this morning to wear her out walking up and down stairs, hallways, whatever she could. The housekeeping ladies stopped in and offered to clean the apartment for us.  Olivia came and tended Jacob while I rested a bit.  We have been so blessed by community, and for this I am deeply thankful.

I'm hoping to be back to semi-normal activity tomorrow.  Until then, I'll return to my newest obsession:  Connect-the-Dots for all ages.

http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Dot---Dot-Book-World/dp/0970043708/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297276480&sr=8-1

Seriously addictive.

Tata for now!