Wednesday, June 30, 2010

X is for X-Ray @ Life is Good

I know that x is for x-ray is a cliché, and perhaps you also think it's a cop-out. Unfortunately for me, x-ray is all too familiar. And performed on me far more times than the average person. Than the average accident-prone person. Call me extra (Xtra?) accident prone. I've had all my arms and legs x-rayed over the years, not to mention collar bone, GI tract (oh that is a fun one, gotta drink a barium milk-shake first), I've had CAT scans, and I've had nasty stuff injected into me to show up on x-rays. And unfortunately, my boys have been x-rayed too.

There I am, sitting in hideous “car line” waiting to pick my kids up from school. (Obviously, this was before homeschooling.) If you're not familiar with car line, you're VERY lucky. It seems to me to be quite simple a procedure, but it becomes a nightmare when parents don't obey those simple rules. (Starting to feel a rant coming on...perhaps I'll do a separate post, because this one is about x-rays.) ANYWAY! Jake gets into the car. Crying. Holding an ice-pack on his right wrist. Crap! Seems he got beaned by a dodge ball on his way to jail. As in he was already out, and this one was just vicious. Unnecessary. We drop YellowBoy at Best's house and head to urgent care. And of course wait.

Hours later we receive really good news. Just a sprain, though a bad one. Guess all the money I spent on delivered dairy milk paid off. He's got some strong bones. Disaster averted, because two days after, we were scheduled to leave for our long-awaited snowboarding vacation with Aunt Risky, cousin GorgeousGirl, Sissie, and all the kids. It would have just broken my heart to have him miss snowboarding. However, my x-ray days were not over.

Aunt Risky has been treating us to these snowboarding long weekends for three years now. We go once in the beginning of the season, and once at the end. (Colorado's ski season is from about Thanksgiving, to about the middle of April.) So off we went, and everyone was having a wonderful time. They would head up onto the mountain, and I (because of my wrist) would stay behind to make sure that the condo didn't go anywhere. And someone has to drink the wine, keep the fire going, and make sure there are no lack-of-napping violations. I'm glad to take one for the team. (Yes, I miss skiing. Immensely. But you adjust.)

They return at the end of day two, exhausted, happy. Head for the hot tub. Aunt Risky says, “By the way, YellowBoy was saying he hurt his arm hurt on this last run. He did fall, and I looked at it (among her other numerous talents, Aunt Risky is not only a ski patrol, but also a trained paramedic) but it seems fine. No swelling, no obvious injury.” (I guess it should also be said that though she's a wonderful person in just about every way, Aunt Risky is not the one for sympathy. She's the one saying quit blubbering, rub some dirt in it, and let's GO!) So off he went to the hot tub, and an evening of water games.

However, he and I were sharing a bed at the condo, and that night was miserable. He kept waking me up, complaining about his arm, and then drifting off after that round of whining was done. It was a very long night. But it convinced me that perhaps just sucking it up wasn't going to work this time.

So it's off the the urgent care, for the second time, in six days. Fun, eh? Turns out YellowBoy had a “radial-distal fracture of the growth plate”. Huh. Guess he won't be snowboarding for a while. He got a temporary cast, and off we went. He recovered quickly (he's the only one I know who can drink more milk than Jake) and graduated from the cast to a splint and then was done. I thought our troubles were surely over. I mean, how many moms take both of their children to urgent care, in one week, for the same injury?

I'd venture to say, not very many, because it wasn't long before my insurance company called me. “Ma'am, we're looking over your recent claims here, and we have some questions. Is it true that you took your child to urgent care for his right wrist?” Yes, he hurt it in PE at school. “And then you took your OTHER child to urgent care, IN A DIFFERENT CITY, the same week?” Yes, we were on vacation. Snowboarding. “Well ma'am, this concerned us since it seems you ALSO saw a physician for YOUR right wrist the week before that. Is this also true?” By now I'm trying to remain calm, and trying not to freak out. Are they cutting us off? Is there a limit to right-wrist claims per family? Am I being reported to social services? “Yes, I saw my pain doctor the week before.” “Well tell me, how did THAT injury occur?” I fell off a chair. (I wasn't about to give him the version you got in Monday's post.) “So let me get this straight: you have a right wrist that you're still having treatment for. Your sons both have had right wrist injuries, separate from each other, and all these by accident?” Yes. I know this isn't normal, but this is my life. “Well ma'am, I wish you the best, but we have to follow up on these matters. A lot of insurance fraud out there.” Sure. Your welcome.

I'm happy to say no one has been to an urgent care facility in the last few months. And I'm hoping to keep it that way. Think I'll go pour all of us a glass of milk.

This post has been brought to you by the letter X and the fun Alphabe-Thursday meme at Jenny Matlock's. Head on over there and check out the other great X stories.

29 comments:

Unknown said...

I would love to listen in on that phone call. You would have had a great story for them.

Brian Miller said...

you better knock on wood after saying that...smiles. wow that was a crazy week...we had a few of those with our 2 boys...

steveroni said...

If...I say IF a Peep was planning medical insurance fraud--Of COURSE, they would register all three injuries, as RIGHT hand/wrist. RIGHT? Wrong!

You seem to weather these mini storms better than the average Peep, and besides....you write SO good. More smiles here. Smiling at your misfortune? I don't think so. But--smiling!

PEACE!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Yes you have had your share of X-Rays!

Viki said...

That is a lot of x-raying to have done, ha. Oh, I don't ski but I would love to be drinking that wine and keeping the fire going. That would be my idea of skiing. Great X post.

Brenda said...

You must be the x-ray queen!

One Photo said...

Oh my! That's a lot of X-rays!!!!

purejoy said...

hahaha, i had to laugh because i have a friend who had five kids (well, she still has them)
anyways…
the two oldest were close in age, both boys, and the youngest one would do ANYTHING son #1 would do. that meant #2 got hurt.
alot.
they could probably name the pediatric orthopedic wing after their family.
and they got more than one call from child and protective services…
… something their kids got mucho milage out of… (but in good humor)

and while that may have been irritating, i'm sure deep down it feels good to know that people are noticing things.

and your family practically glows in the dark now!! (either that, or you've already met your annual deductible!!)

Chatty Crone said...

You have had a lot of x-rays in your life. sandie

Jo said...

That is quite a story ... lets hope for no further wrist injuries in your family ... they seem to happen in 3's.

Amanda Lee said...

Funny. At least they didn't call social services. When I had two breaks in a year, they actually brought someone in to question me about my husband and home life!

Pondside said...

I can just imagine the chatter at the insurance office when the final wrist claim came in - you must have made their day!

Unknown said...

Oh dear...that is a lot of right wrists and x-rays! At least you can look back with humor.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

Got kids and you'll get them x-rayed.... stitched, bandaged and splinted too.

Nice X.

Jenny said...

I read your post twice just to be sure it wasn't a secret cry for help...and I'm relieved now.

I think your family was just situated under the right-wrist black cloud for a little bit there.

As a Mom I read this post going "oh no" in horror thinking of anybody in pain...

I'm going to have to go read the chair story now. You have me intriqued.

Thanks for an x-stra x-cellent post on this little link up through Alphabe-Thursday's letter "X"!

A+

Terra said...

I love the giant lead vest they make you wear for xrays....UGH. Good luck staying away from the camera for a while...

Maggie said...

That's run of bad luck and no mistake, hope all is well with your family now.
Glad to see you still have a sense of humour. Must be all that milk?
Maggie

Cynthia said...

Oh goodness...I have one little boy right now...I suppose I have all of the above to look forward to? Heaven help us ;^) It's great you see the joy in it all.

Glad to "meet" another Colorado-an by the way! Just stopping over from Jenny's site.

Sarah said...

Amazing that you still have this great sense of humor. How appropriate your attitude for the name of your blog. LOL
Life is Good! ~ Sarah

laterg8r said...

wow, that's a lot of xrays :D

Life@Cee said...

What a scream - as in humorous as well as literally. You had me laughing out loud repeatedly. Usually I want to tell insurance agents, "just pay the damn claim!" but in your case I think the call was good thinking on their part :-).

Unknown said...

One of my words is X-Rays too. But I didn't write a long story.

Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's X-words

Christy said...

How eXhausting!! Got to love that good milk1

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

wow,
what witty choice!

Kat said...

Good grief, you have had a time! And what are the chances of all three of you having right wrist injuries? I have a friend with 3 boys, and they are always doing such goofy things that they probably don't bother refiling their charts at the Dr's office :) Kat

The Muse said...

:) :) Ah the BOY factor!
LOL...
If they don't have a few xrays under their belts...they are slackers (says my drill sgt(past life beloved) lol...
obtained in the oddest of circumstances...and NOT gained in some of the craziest ones!

Sounds like you may have them beat...wow, they lost to a girl...LOL

cj Schlottman said...

Sounds like something that could happen in our family! I love your style, seamless and easy to read. Thanks!

cj Schlottman

Cheryl said...

Ouch! Double ouch for having to deal with the insurance folks. I was sure they were going to report you to social services. What a gift that they didn't.

Kat_RN said...

I remember my Mother complaining that "The people working in the ER should not know us on a first name basis". Thank goodness, so far my children take after their Father on that score. Great Read, hope you are all continuing to heel.
Kat