Benson's bones make their photo debut

Yeowch...Here we go.

Our family is not a stranger to injuries but I had hoped maybe we were over that accident prone stage. sigh... Benson broke his collar bone this last week while we were down visiting Juli and her family. They say history repeats itself but I am seriously hoping "they" are wrong.

Last July was the gateway to a bunch of medical ouches.(in every way...) From July to October we had two sets of stitches (Dallin and Jenna), a broken hand (Landon) a broken ankle--with two months of crutches(Dallin), surgery on the ankle and a tonsillectomy (Benson). I am seriously hoping history won't repeat itself this year but we aren't off to a great start.

Just for fun,(and hopefully to help ensure my rewards in the life to come...) I would like to remember our past ER visits. At least I think this is all. We have had a ruptured appendix (Rustin), two pumped stomachs (twins--claritin), eyebrow stitches (Dallin), broken forearm (Landon), split open toe(Dallin), complete hole through the entire soft palate with a repair (that was Austin--snorkel mask tube and a fall--eek!), and a few major illnesses (pneumonia, croup, asthma etc.) and sprained ankles in addition to the previously mentioned lovelies from last fall.

I have to say, without doubt however, nothing has been as painful as this broken collar bone. Well, Rustin's appendix maybe, but no injury or surgery can hold a candle. I think it's because there really isn't a way to stabilize the bone so every movement jiggles it around. Benson really isn't a complainer. I can see when the pain medicine wears off by the look on his face and then he will just burst in to tears. And he cries in his sleep when the medicine wears off. Once the medicine kicks in he'll say "it hurts a little bit" but that's it. Unless someone bumps into him then he cries. Poor kid.

He never took any kind of narcotic with his tonsillectomy. He didn't seem to need it. He never complained that his throat hurt after the first day. He wouldn't eat 'pokey things' (his words) for a while but that was it. Motrin was enough to take care of everything. This is different. I hope it doesn't last long but they say a good three weeks before the bones form a good patch and six weeks until it's really better.

This all happened down at Juli's in New Mexico. Shon and Juli are preparing for their big move to Australia and they had to fly to Houston so Becki and I drove down to stay with the kids. It was fun except for the violent stomach flu for Emily and Benson's broken collar bone and the $1300 repair to the fuel tank, fuel sensor (or something?) and new brake pads for the suburban. Man, when it rains it pours. Juli's kids are cute and we did really have a good time. Glad Beck came!