Poor Aaron

Aaron decided to go play basketball with some friends late Monday night... something he hasn't done in months.
Minutes into the game he broke his leg. In two places. Ouch!

He called to tell me that he thought he broke his ankle and was going to the ER. I was shocked. Aaron?!? Break a bone? IMPOSSIBLE! Some friends took him to the hospital and another friend brought our car back home to me.
We have spent the last 8 years of marriage joking with each other about his superior genetics and the fact that he hardly ever gets sick or hurt. This is his first broken bone. I, on the other hand, could spend hours talking about my visits to the ER.
The hospital staff put a splint on his leg and sent him home. They said that he would need to visit an orthopedic office the next day (today). They gave him a shot to hold off the pain and gave him a prescription to get filled.
On the way home he was not able to get the prescription filled because the closest pharmacy was closed (it was around midnight).
I set up camp for him on the living room couch. Pillows, blankets, remotes, all a man with a gimp leg could desire.
I decided to sleep on the small couch (MISTAKE!!) so that I could hear him if he needed anything.
My reasons for doing this were due to an experience I had as a child. When I was 7 I fractured my right collar bone. One of my older sisters offered to spend the night with me in my bedroom. If I needed something she would be there to help. Riiiiiiiiiight.
I woke up in the middle of the night as a poor shivering 7 year old crying for my blanket. I cried and cried and said, "Please, I need my blanket... I'm sooo c-c-c-cold..."
Having hurt my collarbone I was unable to sit up from lying flat on my back and was unable to extend my arms to reach my blanket.
You know what I got?
Did I get "Oh Becky, Here, let me tuck you in to your nice warm blanket!"?? Nooooo.

Instead I got, "Becky, SHUT UP! I am trying to sleep! Stop whining already!!" So much for the sympathetic sister. Hmmph!

So, I didn't want Aaron to endure his first night all alone and perhaps unable to get his blankey. I slept on the short couch- which is fine if you are 3 feet tall.
I tossed and turned, well, not really. There was no room for all of that. Mostly I noticed how loud the clock in the living room was.
Tick, tick, tick, I started to wonder if the clock made different noises as the second hand wound around the bottom part of the clock compared to the top part.
I tried to fall asleep. It felt like a nightmare when only 2 hours had passed and I was under the impression it had been more. I wanted it to be more just so I could get off that couch.
Why not sleep on the floor you ask? Well, because this is Tennessee and there are spiders that randomly come in my house. Large spiders. So if one comes in, I am much happier knowing that I am sleeping lopsided on the couch rather than down on the floor eye level with one of them.
Around 3 am Aaron woke up and was in a great deal of pain.
Guess who got to find a pharmacy open at 3 am?
Guess who got to drive in the blowing snow there and back? It wasn't too bad... it was on the cars but not on the roads.
Speaking of snow- it really isn't fair. The weather was BEAUTIFUL Sunday. It was 75° outside. Now its 29°!

So, Aaron got his meds and I continued my sleepless night on the couch until 6:30 when the kids woke up.
We left the kids with a neighbor and went to the Dr.'s office to get a real cast. Once the Dr. looked at it he told Aaron and I that he had a bad break and that 1 in 20 or 30 are lucky enough not to get operated on with a break like his.
Aaron is one of the unluckies. He is to be operated on Wednesday morning. They need to put a plate and some screws inside his leg to help it heal.
This was sad news.
Sad for Aaron - who wanted dearly to go on the Middle Eastern Travel Seminar in 5 weeks, sad for Becky, who really wanted Aaron to go and have this trip, Sad for Aaron's leg - which was already in a lot of pain and must endure more, and lastly - Sad for our wallet. The school insurance is piddly. They require a $5000 deductible so we have been paying for everything out of pocket. At least we just got our tax return. Unfortunately, the money Aaron had set aside for his trip will now be spent on his leg, rather than something fun.
The ER visit was $550, the meds around $70, and the surgery will cost us about $1700 give or take a little.

We wondered if Aaron would be able to go his trip in 5 weeks anyways, but the surgeon said that Aaron will be lucky if he can put his weight on that leg in 5 weeks.
That's our week so far. We'll keep you updated on his leg after his surgery tomorrow.

Oh. And I am sleeping in my bed tonight. (It will be glorious... the whole thing to meeeee!)