#BacktoSchool with a Broken Thumb - Another Soccer Injury

I really can't believe the year my kids have had.  Thankfully, they made it to 12 and 15 years old with almost no injuries.  And that's saying a lot, since they both play sports.  Then there's the every day kid stuff that takes its toll, but I guess we were lucky.  Then last February, my older son broke his leg.  Very badly.  There is probably no good way to break a leg, but this injury was so severe we were transported 2 hours to a Children's Hospital where they performed emergency surgery to pin the fracture, after working to straighten the immensely swollen knee before compartmentalization became an issue.  His leg was immobilized from groin to ankle in a Bledsoe brace for the next 6 weeks; the constant pain required strong medications.  He missed school, sports, and social events.  Six months later, he is just starting to return to full capacity.

The before xray -
the break is near the bottom,
at the growth plate

So, at least we have a new perspective in the household about what constitutes a catastrophic injury.  This made my younger son's recent broken thumb slightly less alarming.  Still, a broken thumb is no fun, and this is another bad break.  One that required surgery and pins.  His fingers and wrist are now encased in a cast, which makes writing impossible (of course it's his right hand).  He's already nervous about school, as this is his first year in Middle School.  Now he'll have additional challenges.  Plus he'll miss fall soccer, which he's been waiting for all summer.

The after xray -
Pins through the skin and bones

Speaking of soccer, both injuries occurred during soccer practices.  Both were just a slip with a bad fall; something that could have happened simply playing tag.  I managed to break both my collar bone and my ankle when I was little, and I didn't really play any organized sports.  So despite all the jokes about "maybe it's time for your family to give up soccer", I'll continue to support their endeavors, and I look forward to watching my older son finally get back into the game he loves after missing all spring and summer.  Sports injuries happen, and fitness is important.  But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we've endured our share of broken bones for a while...

In the meantime, we're working on how to handle school.  We begin the Tuesday after Labor Day, so we'll have to scramble to get some accommodations in place.  At the moment, we're finishing his summer work via a collaboration style of his dictating to me what to write.  Unfortunately this requires a great deal of patience on both our parts--something we are short on at the end of summer.  I've also purchased this "Writing Bird", which may hopefully allow him to write a little with his immobile hand.

I really hope this works

So...2015, where are you?