So the above photo is a super cool, framable x-ray of the latest Twist family emergency room visit. A couple of Friday's ago the boys were having a water fight in the backyard. Fairly benign and a great way to cool off during an Oregon heat wave, which is anything above 85 degrees. Feeling victorious at having dumped a bunch of water over his brother, #2 did a primeval jump in the air and landed on a random, sticking-straight-up-in-the-grass, six penny nail.
We had no building projects going on. Our backyard has been water fight central for many boys over the course of the summer. No one has ever even seen a nail. Yet, somehow, #2 managed to not just step on what may be the only nail in the yard but jump on it, driving it all the way into his heel bone. If you look carefully at the entry point of the nail you'll see the skin of his heel dimpled in. The nail is solid in the bone.
#1 was the one who raced into the house with the information because #2 was on his hands and knees, yelling. And, sadly, swearing. I had a little chat with my spouse about that part! My first inclination, as always, was to waffle about the severity of the injury. I really thought I could just pull it out. So, poor #2 is still on his hands and knees, soaking wet, covered in grass and his father and I are calmly discussing what course of action to take.
Donald finally decided to carry #2 inside while I phoned the ER who told us to definitely leave it in. When we arrived at the ER, wet and grassy, we were met with a wheel chair which #2 LOVED! They put us on a fast track, which meant three hours instead of six, apparently. He was started immediately on IV antibiotics because the doctor, who took one look and knew the nail was in the bone, was worried about bone infection. They did x-rays and started an IV sedative and pain med and, after a three hour wait, the doctor took a pair of standard pliers from a tool kit and yanked out the nail. Just about 1/2 a second! I seriously could have done that. And with the way #2 got nauseous from the sedative/pain med, he informed me that he wished it would have been done without the drugs since it was so fast. This is also the same kid, at age 5, who denied having his head numbed before receiving staples because it was one less poke. Aaah, a child after my own heart. Just get it over and done and stop mucking about with my insides, I always say!
By noon the next day he was thoroughly disgusted and bored with being sore and swollen and basically couch bound. I finally gave in and let him watch an obscene amount of Netflix cartoons. You'd think that a nail in the calcaneus would keep you limping for days but not him. Within three days he was walking normally. We went camping the following weekend with several families and he was running and being as wild as normal. Oh, to heal like a child!
On a different note, I finished the novel at the end of July and spent the first few weeks of this month editing. It's amazing to print out 325 pages of your own original work. It's also a very large stack of paper to keep from blowing around the house whenever someone turns on a fan. I have a working title but I'm not married to it and am still trying to come up with something better. I've begun sending query letters to publishers which is basically like baiting a hook with a fat, juicy worm. I'm just hoping to find a hungry publisher! And while we're on the topic, don't you think a trip to England for a cover shoot is something that could be a tax write off? Not that I can afford to go. Yet. I'm just dreaming . . .
And now I'm off to get an Oregon driver license!
