What a bad night

[scotty]

Just venting here as I need to get this out of my system....

My 12 year old son had an accident last night. OK not major life threatening....but as a parent I'm sure you'll all understand...

He'd gone with a friend and their parents for stay over in a village 40 mins away on the coast.

Wife and I and daughter had dinner and settled down to watch a film together.

At 10.15 pm he calls us to say goodnight. Everyone in great spirits...just a cool Saturday night right?

15 mins later the friends mother calls to say our son has fallen off his skate and broken both front teeth and badly hurt his lip.

(seems the road had bumps he didn't see and the wheel locked in something and threw him).

She rushed him to us and we headed straight up to Barcelona to the main kids hospital.

The lip is messed up right where you can see on the top surface - no idea how it'll heal they said.

The 2 front teeth are messed too...one broken very close to the gum. The other half way. We have some of the bits....only some...

We got home 2am (and I think I got a speeding fine in the process as I saw a speeding camera flash as I passed, distracted on the way back from the hospital).

Tomorrow we head to the best dental reconstructist there is in the city (if we can get an appointment).

Meanwhile my son (now over the shock) is trying to be brave and lift our spirits.

We're keeping brave faces and joking and stuff, but inside I feel sick.

He had such fantastic teeth - perfect - and he's only 12..really handsome lad and fantastic nature....

Like I say; nothing life threatening so compared to many it's a minor thing. I know to put stuff in perspective, but it's my son.....

He's always having things happen, and I wonder - if there is a higher being or guardian angels - what the f**k are they playing at?

He doesn't deserve the track record of incidents he's had (no need to get into it all here but for one so young he's been through the mill)

Maybe a bit heavy there - I need to vent.

Anyway - wish us luck that he can be fixed up OK and that this is over as soona s possible with a positive result.

Thanks all..

[FxrAndy]

I got hit square in the face with a cricket ball when i was 11 Scotty, lost a couple of teath but even back then the manage to fix it, it will all be ok, may be a little expencive but it will all be OK

[scotty]

Thanks Andy....

Much appreciated...

[PeteM]

I dont know about the injury and long term result of putting it right.

But I know only too well how that sickly feeling is as it twists in side your stomach and I really feel for you mate.

The one thing I learnt or rather remembered was that at that age kids are very resilient and will quickly adapt to the process to get his lip and mouth right again. It is us adults that tend to worry too much.

I am sure in this day and age of specialist dental and facial work that as Andy says it may be expensive but everything will be fine and when you look back on this with him when he is older, it will only be a memory!

I wish your son and your family every good wish for a speedy recovery and a positive outcome to the injury.

It will take a while for that feeling in your stomach to go but dont worry it will especially once the process of recovery begins

[Watchmeister]

So sorry to hear of your son. But don't attribute it to Karma or angels. Kids are walking disaster areas - some worse than others. I am hopeful that all can be restored for your son. Those little boys are resilient. The one piece of advice I can give is to make sure you get the best specialists you or your insurance can afford - be it dental reconstruction or cosmetic surgeon. Unfortunately I suspect those two front teeth are adult teeth so that will be major dental work.

In any case your son will have his day. I have one who at about that age severed his femur in half (literally). The poor kid spent 5 months laid up with a pair of halos wrapped around his leg with six long pins going from the halo through the skin and into the bone. Fast forward to today and he is a strapping 6'++ college age recruited athlete. And how did he get into his sport - working out to rehab that leg way back when. So I am sure good times will come to you and your son but for now I wish you and yours the best.

[Nanuq]

Well said, all. When my daughter was that age she tripped running down a hill, did a faceplant and bit through her upper lip completely. It took a lot of stitches but now 9 years later you can barely, barely see a mark. It's only a memory now. My son has had almost as many stitches as I have, and he's perfectly well at 23.

Active kids are happy kids. Activity brings battle scars and kids (boys) love to compare scars. That will be a war wound for him, sadly, the first of many. It's begun. But if you try to keep him safe from injury he will miss out on the joys of life, and that would be a deeper injury than the scars.

Hang in there, you're hurting more than he is, and there's solace in that.

[scotty]

Thanks all.

Swelling has gone down today and looks like the broken areas are less than we thought yesterday - the gum was very swollen and one of the teeth remains was hardly visible. Today a bit more is evident.

He's doing well and our nerves a bit better.

He's had a few incidents poor lad - broken nose from a horse throwing him 3 years ago, and worst 5 years ago he ended up with 2nd degree chemical burns on his legs due to wrongly applied treatment by a nurse.

Luckily he survived and recovered from both those, but it's like we're hyper sensitive to anything happenign to him.

Thanks for the kind words. We'll see what the news is tomorrow...

Thanks all...

[Prsist]

As a previous poster said, children are walking disasters. Of all the youthful indiscretions this is on the low end. Boys will be boys. I pray for a speedy recovery my friend. Do I see a rep for your son in his near future, to subdue the pain?

[wombat247]

He's always having things happen, and I wonder - if there is a higher being or guardian angels - what the f**k are they playing at?

He doesn't deserve the track record of incidents he's had (no need to get into it all here but for one so young he's been through the mill)

Not that I don't sympathize with you but keep in mind that this is not heaven and is not supposed to be perfect- quite the contrary. It's my belief that the point of life is not only to suffer but to overcome suffering. It's through this process that our souls grow and a soul without suffering is like a muscle without exercise- it needs the suffering to get or to stay fit.

Nobody wants to see their child suffer (I have two and I swear it hurts me more than it hurts them when they suffer) but our goal should be to focus on the healing and not the pain. By doing this, we teach them how to deal with life's <i>real</i> pain when it inevitably enters their lives.

[scotty]

Thanks all.

@wombat - partially understand where you're comming from, but read the other update I included here.

He's 12....and already done his share of soul development through suffering.

I think he deserves a break was my point...

And we're certainly not moping about the place. His parents are the first to try to distract him and help him overcome this, so thanks anyway..

Today they removed the nerve from the worst tooth. Re-construction starts tomorrow.....

[Member X]

Active kids are happy kids. Activity brings battle scars and kids (boys) love to compare scars. That will be a war wound for him, sadly, the first of many. It's begun. But if you try to keep him safe from injury he will miss out on the joys of life, and that would be a deeper injury than the scars.

+10000000

It's kids like yours that grow up to do great things - it's the kids that sit indoors all day that grow up with no motivation for life and no sense of adventure!!

[jmb]

Man, know where you are coming from having herded two boys through their early lives! My oldest did exactly the same thing - caught a sidewalk joint on skateboard, did a face-plant, sent tooth all the way through his lower lip. Kids are very durable and resilient I told him he'd live, ol' lady saw blood and freaked! It healed fine and I don't think there is any scar as far as I can see. When stuff like this happened to our rug-rats I tried to keep somewhat of a sense of humor about the whole deal and I think they sensed it and it helped their attitude about whatever incident was involved.

Good luck!

[bluemax]

Scotty, try not worrying too much about the kid, it will heal and be forgotten quickly. I also did a faceplant (at concrete), at about the same age as him, and chipped my front teeth pretty badly. Was quite unhappy for a day or two, but got it fixed soon by a dentist. Never thought about it a lot afterwards, and almost forgot about that accident; your son will forget it too, be sure about it

[Eton]

Sorry to hear that Scotty! But, it could always be worse and he will heal and be riding again before you know it! These things happen, just important to wear the correct safety gear to minimize damage!

Side story if I may...A conversation from an acquaintance this past week...their son was over at a friends house for a sleep over, just playing video games, watched movies and just being teenagers. They went to bed at a reasonable time and when the friend went to wake up their son, he didn't wake up. No drugs or alcohol involved and no health issues were known to be present. It's going to take 4 weeks for the autopsy results and the family is completely distraught as you can imagine. So, it can always be worse...but that's not news to anybody, just sad that it happens.

So, just live each day as if it would be your last and always tell your family you love them! Hang in there Scotty and be there for your son, all will work out!

[pbe2410@wanadooadsl.net]

Children are made of rubber, in ten days or so you will motice his lip are OK

If were you who crashed more than two months in bed...

Anyway we all father know what you felt

Father

[scotty]

Thanks guys.

Shock now over and prognosis from the dentist looking good, so all are happier.

Especially Duncan who is actively abusing his TV allowance, and seems to have wangled that we buy a dog!!!

And he called by school today to pick up homework for while he's off, and managed to scare some of his friends with his 'grin', so the battle scars comparisons are well underway.

Loads of his mates sent e.mails and MSN comments this afternoon, which helps reinforce his network of friends...

Really thanks to all. I just started this thread as a vent of frustration and nerves.

Much worse can happen as Eton has said here - that is a tragedy. The world is full of strife I know.

So we move on and get it all sorted out.

Thanks again to all....

[Eton]

[chronoluvvv]

i would give every tooth in my jaw to be 12 again

back then i was damn near invincible

nowadays, not so much

hang in there, papa

nothing hurts more to a parent than seeing their children in pain

saving grace is that junior is taking it in stride and sometimes that's all it takes to be well again

[Watchmeister]

Great to hear he is on the mend.

[maxman]

Wishing your son and family the very best Scotty,Im sure all will be fine In time Mike

[jkarpas]

my best wishes for your sons health..

i as a kid had many accidents from bicycle and bikes later.. now i am 25 and i am fine. Dont worry he will heal quick. Children have high hormone levels and recover faster than any adult.

good luck

[KB]

Popped in and read this yesterday but I saw all the right things had been said already.

My girl (9yo) is yet to suffer any kind of injury, let alone any kind of serious illness and I shudder to think how I will handle it when that happens.

One thing I have learned about Children injuries (I have 5 God children) is that they always look far worse when they happen than when all the swelling goes down.

Ken