Tragically, Traumatically Anti-Climactic

Ever had a day that began as increasingly intense and traumatic, but ended as tragically anti-climactic? I have entirely too many of those days. However, I will write briefly about the one I had yesterday:

 Yesterday began as any other day...actually, no, it didn't. Yesterday morning my Red-Headed Mess (hereafter known as "RHM") came home from a night at his grandmother's house. Something about RHM's immediate behavior told me that the day would be an interesting one. It may have been that he began running laps around my apartment while dragging along his rolling Go, Diego! Go! suitcase as soon as he burst through the door.
 But, who knows? Anyway, after an invigorating morning of chasing my offspring around my apartment and an unsuccessful after-lunch nap, we were offered a way to get out of the apartment. Let me start by saying that yesterday was apparently one of the "hottest days of the year" with a lovely temperature of 100 degrees...at 8PM. So, at 2PM there was NO way we were leaving the apartment unless wherever we were going involved water. Which is exactly what my buddy, HerMighty Danger, had to offer: adults on the covered porch, kiddos in the sprinkler. An outlet for RHM's nonstop energy and adults for me to talk to?? I'M IN. So, I threw RHM into his Spiderman swim trunks and hauled ass to Danger's house. Once we were there, it was a grand ol' time for about 30 minutes. Then the incident happened. It was like slow motion. RHM was running down the sidewalk toward Danger's daughter. He was wet. The sidewalk was wet. BAM. RHM down, I repeat, RHM down.

I saw it happen and, really, I actually foresaw it happening the moment RHM's fat little foot hit the pavement mid-run. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I'm psychic. NBD. Anyway, RHM slipped and twisted his ankle. It looked really painful and, man, did he let me know it. We sat together while he bawled and I iced his ankle and called the nurse and EMT in my life. The consensus was to just give it some time because it really didn't seem broken...it was most likely just a sprain. So, we packed up and left, effectively ruining the festivities at HerMighty Danger's. Now, let's be clear; RHM is the toughest kid I know when it comes to tripping or otherwise hurting himself. The longest he cries when he falls is about 5 minutes. Long story short, due to RHM writhing on my bed and screaming in pain, I took the kid to the ER despite all my resolutions to never go to the ER again every time I go.

From the moment we stepped foot into the ER, RHM began flipping out. It's like he knew. The next two hours consisted of terrified screams, waiting around, and yelling "don't touch me!" "I don't want to watch TV!" and "I want to go home!"

My kid was pretty upset, too.

Anyway, after some very traumatic x rays, some even more traumatic x ray retakes, and more waiting, the doctor finally saw us. The result?? A sprain. LIKE I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. They gave RHM some Tylenol and sent us on our way. Once we got out of the ER, RHM was perfectly happy. No crying. No screaming. Of course, he still can't walk on it, but it was still very anti-climactic. Now, I am very thankful that RHM didn't have any broken bones, but do you see what I mean about the day building in intensity and then coming to an abrupt halt by ending in RHM and I enjoying ice cream together...?

Life is crazy.

Sincerely,

The Average Person.


UPDATE: The kid has a fracture! Long story short, the ER messed up big time and MISSED a fracture. RHM is in a full leg-length cast for at least the next two weeks and he's totally bummed about it. So, I guess it turned out to be just tragically traumatic...not so much anti-climactic. Well...maybe a little.