Those of you who follow my Instagram already know the news. Last Monday I spent the day in A&E (Accident & Emergency) with my son who busted his knee. He was playing soccer with his cousins, tripped and landed knee first onto concrete. And well, the concrete won.
This accident is how we began week two of our summer holiday. Week one we spent going to the beach, playing outside and soaking in the lovely Irish heatwave we are having. Week two was spent at doctors and on the couch. It was the longest week ever. As I type this I honestly can’t believe that it was this day last week that we were in A&E. It feels like a month ago. Our summer plans have gone out the window and it’s been a worrying and exhausting week.
When something goes wrong with family, the first thing I do is put as much aside as possible. The house is destroyed and hasn’t been cleaned. Laundry is piled up, shopping wasn’t done until yesterday, I could go on. It’s like a switch to survival and caring mode is hit and nothing else matters.
And in that mode, things can feel really overwhelming. We have spent the last week just keeping our heads above water, going to doctors, having scans etc. The end result is my son is in a full leg cast for the next few weeks.
So we have processed this and now we have a choice. We can wallow in the summer plans lost or we can move forward making the best of the situation and taking on board the lessons learned along the way. We have chosen the second option.
I always say that there is learning in everything. When something goes wrong, there is a lesson there. And with my son’s injury, we have learned a lot of important lessons this past week!! And do you know what, they are all positive!! Taking positive lessons out of a difficult situation makes things feel easier, lighter and happier! I’m going to share a few of our lessons with you now…
Patience & Calm
Fighting a situation gets you literally nowhere. And it burns your energy and causes fear, worry, and heartache. Staying calm, and showing patience with yourself, doctors, hospital staff and others has been a wonderful lesson for us. And staying in a place of calm and patience has helped us so much! Things have gone so smoothly, we were so well looked after in the hospital and we are very grateful for the care we received.
The same goes for at home. Just putting everything aside and focusing on my son has helped me to stay as calm-ish. As calm as a mom with an injured son can be! lol
Respect for Those Who Rely on a Wheelchair Daily
My son is getting better on crutches each day but they aren’t suitable for a day out. We were invited to the Westport House media day on Saturday and really wanted to attend despite the accident. Westport House reserved a wheelchair for us and we thoroughly enjoyed the day out of the house!
What I learned is that pushing a wheelchair is no joke! It is hard work, especially when hills are involved. I have a new appreciation for people both in wheelchairs and those pushing them.
I felt like this was a good opportunity to speak to the kids about this too. We really take for granted if we can walk, see, hear and use each part of our body. When something goes wrong and we can’t use something like a leg, we realize how much walking means to us and how grateful we are when we can walk.
This time in a cast is teaching my son gratitude for the healthy body he has and an appreciation for the struggles people are dealing with on a daily basis. There are so many suffering with chronic issues daily, who will never leave a wheelchair or who live in pain daily.
That puts everything in perspective. Thank God my son’s accident wasn’t worse than it was, he will walk again and being grateful for that is important.
When we are feeling stressed about something, being late or too much to finish, just remember the simple blessing of having a body and mind that works and let the rest go. So many people wish they could walk or wish they could see, it’s important to be grateful for everything we have.
Not Concerning Ourselves with What Others Think
Being an 11-year-old boy, it’s not easy to be seen on crutches or seen in a wheelchair. There’s this concern about what other people are going to think. On our way to Westport House, I asked him what would he think if he saw a boy in a wheelchair? Would he make fun or think badly of him? He said no way, of course not.
So most likely no one else is going to think badly of him. And so what if they do? That’s their issue to deal with if they make fun. And of course, no one did! He was spoiled with ice cream and good wishes for the day. It was great for him to get out and another good lesson for him. He thoroughly enjoyed the day, it was full of laughs and good fun.
Thinking of Others First
So heading to Westport House my son wondered what he would be doing? And I told him he’d watch his brother and sister on the rides like I do. And well that didn’t seem like a lot of fun.
But then we thought about how his brother and sister feel. Basically, they lived the past week like they had a busted leg too. We didn’t leave the house. I’m really proud because he really took that on board and wanted them to enjoy the day out. He never complained about being bored while we were there, I really couldn’t have been more proud.
Putting others first is a good lesson to learn too. It’s really amazing how many life lessons have come through this injury.
Being Careful with Your Body
Accidents happen and they can happen anywhere at any time, they aren’t always avoidable but sometimes they are. One takeaway I’d like my son to have is an appreciation for his body and being careful not to put it into harm’s way. When you can’t walk for a month, it highlights how important walking is.
He is really learning an appreciation and gratitude for the healthy body he is blessed with.
So, we are moving forward with our summer. For the next few weeks, we will be laying low at home with one special day out each week. I could do with some ideas of things to do besides going to the cinema. Leave me your suggestions & any advice in the comments! x
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