This week I am sharing two photos. Mostly because they are of the same tragic story, just different angles! LOL! (and they are from my i-phone).
{Again!!!}
This is the third time. Same arm, same elbow. Broken, dislocated and completely tragic. LOL! The story is still on going, but this particular chapter started on the 29th of December, last year. The full story starts with the first accident way back in 2009, Boxing Day.
The Quad Bike Accident - broken, requires sling and rest. Scared the life out of me. Mark and Liam rolled the huge quad bike and luckily survived with only Mark's injury to talk about.
Then last year, it was followed up with another chapter. While at the snow on "Our Big Trip" in June/July, he thought he was younger than he is (sorry honey!!) and had The Snowboarding Accident- broken, almost needs surgery, physiotherapy required, sling and rest.
This time we were at Wet n Wild. And I'd really love to say that he was doing something completely daring. Trying out one of the new crazy-out-of-your-mind rides (can you tell I don't like torturing myself by performing feats of madness!!) and he smacked his arm really hard against the side of a water slide tube..etc.. But he didn't. He didn't even trip over uneven ground and fall hard onto concrete. But he did save Cameron from drowning.
We were entering the nice sedate cruisey ride at Calypso Beach. It's one of those ride where you sit on a rubber tube and just float. Just float. Mark got in the tube first and reached for Cam. I passed him over and placed him on top of his chest. The line up behind us was a bit pushy and impatient. They kept surging forward to grab the tubes as they floated past. Liam was in his tube and had just started to enter the current that takes you around in a large moat.
Cam got a bit scared with the crowd of people moving in and moved unexpectedly. This movement overbalanced both Mark and Cam in the tube. They both went under the water. It all happened so very quickly. And the lifeguard was standing right next to me. Literally.
Cam was wearing a toddler life vest. Thank-goodness for that. And he cam bobbing straight up from under the surface of the water. He's a little fish and it didn't phase him one bit. It was the current of water that worried me. Immediately as they both went into the water, Mark went to grab Cam. Instinct kicked in. That strong parental instinct where you'd do anything for your child. He twisted his already damaged arm, in among a sea of eager swimmers and their arms and legs surging forward to grab the passing rubber tubes. They didn't stop to help Mark who was clearly in pain. Nor did they stop to pass a small boy back to me who could have easily been swept away. What the people behind me did was grab the tube I was holding out of my hand and use it for themselves...
By this stage I didn't care who had the tube. Liam was already moving along in the current and I yelled at him to go around once and then quickly return to me. I couldn't stop him. He was already a good five meters away from me. I grabbed at Cam next and pulled him out of the water, alerted the lifeguard, who even though he was standing next to me was still watching the wannabe riders push past.
Mark had gone white. Really pale. He had seriously lost all colour in his face and was ready to pass out in the water. I tried to help him up but I could see his elbow was clearly dislocated. There was a golf ball size protrusion coming from his elbow socket that was definitely in the wrong area. I now had Cam in one arm, clinging to me, and grabbing Mark by his rashy (sun safe swim shirt) to help him to the edge of the pool. He was nursing his arm and trying desperately not to throw up and pass out at the same time.
The lifeguard stated to yell at the line behind us telling them to "back off!". One lovely lady in her 60s came to my aid. The only person who offered to help. She helped me sit Mark up against the edge of the pool and tried to make him comfortable. The lifeguard by this stage was trying to get medical help over the radio.
Liam still wasn't with us.
This all happened in seconds. But it felt like forever. We were waiting for the nurse to arrive with a wheelchair, who was trying to get through the crowd. Thankfully, Liam suddenly appeared from behind me and I then had to run off and find everyone else who was in our group (including my Mum, Tahlia and Ethan). Luckily, some of them were in the same area about 50 meters away in a picnic/relaxing area. We had traveled to the theme park with two other families.
After informing our friends what had happened, I found Mark in the first aid complex. One long discussion with the emergency nurse, one torturous wait for an ambulance and one anxious drive on unfamiliar roads, found us at a hospital on the Gold Coast.
The staff at the hospital were amazing. They were lovely, reassuring and very professional. Mark had to have an x-ray to determine the damage and assess what needed to be done. After the x-ray the doctor said he had two options. 1: Mark goes under anesthetic and the elbow goes back into place gently. It gets put into plaster and there is a follow up with his own GP at home. 2: Mark goes under anesthetic and the elbow goes back into place with difficulty. It requires surgery and night in hospital and then we'll see what happens!
I want option one. And thankfully that is the option that pulled through for us. I think I had everything crossed that night - fingers and toes - for that outcome. phew...
Fortunately for us, Wet n Wild was open til late (9pm). Our friends kept our older two kids with them to prevent having to sit them in a waiting room for a few hours while this drama unfolded. It was also fortunate that despite everything, we managed to get into a hospital that was quiet. There were hardly any inpatients. The holiday rush of injuries had lessened. So timing wise, it was perfect. Our friends left the theme park just as we were discharging Mark and they drove the extra fifteen minutes south so we could all travel home together. Two hours north. I am thankful to Calvin and Cindy too, who pushed me out of the driver's seat and took over the driving, so I didn't have to stress about getting us home. I hate driving. At the best of times.
So this is the photo story for week two. Sadly, I have NO photos from Wet n Wild! LOL! But by the time we were at the hospital, I had enough humour to take some there.
Thanks for visiting..x
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