E.R., Season 3, episode 22

Well, this morning started as so many before with a trip to our local hospital. OK, it's only happened a handful of times, but the X-ray technicians now recognize me. Seriously. For those morbid readers with a macabre sense of humor (especially those wishing that I would experience more sprains, fractures, and other gruesome physical problems) I must disappoint you; this wasn't for me. No, this time it was Trey. Actually, Trey has been the most healthy of us all. This is only the second time he has been to the hospital since birth (the first being the time I accidentally pulled his arm out of joint; that was back in the Cincinnati days).

To get my children so hyper they can barely fall asleep, I have a nightly routine involving running pell-mell through the house to their bedrooms. The winner of the race must make it up on top of the bed before the other contestants. This is a very competitive time and so Trey and Kassady get pretty pumped up before we take off. I even announce the race, making up statistics and nicknames for each of us. I know, I don't get out much. Anyway, last night after brushing his teeth, Trey was running to the starting line, which is in the hall beside our bedroom. His feet slipped out from under him and while his momentum carried him forward, he crashed into the corner of the wall. He hit his back rather hard and crumpled in a heap, screaming. It left quite a welt on his lower back, but eventually he was up and ready to run. In fact, he won the race last night (mainly because he employed drafting, a NASCAR-like technique whereby he grabs the back of my pants and while slowing me down, rockets around me).

Well, he tried to get up this morning and couldn't. I heard him crying and ran into the room, where he was laying on his stomach holding the back of his head. He told me that he couldn't stand up or even sit up. He said when he tried the back of his head began hurting really bad. I tested him, by saying that he wasn't going to be able to go to school unless he was able to walk. That got him up, but he immediately screamed, clutched the back of his head, and fell down. I tried to help get him dressed, but he couldn't even sit up without his head hurting. To be honest with you, it scared me. Lori was working at the church so I had her come home so I could take Trey in to the emergency room. On the way over to the hospital, Trey asked if he was going to get a shot. He said, "That's my most not favorite part about going to the hospital". Fortunately, he didn't have to get a shot. They just took some X-rays, which thankfully turned out negative. The doctor's diagnosis is that he sprained his back and neck, which was causing him to spasm. He said Trey should be up and around in no time.

As of this posting, Trey is doing much better. He is pretty bummed out that he missed a day of school.