January 15 – “… that coin just dropped”

Panama Canal Cruise countdown … four days …

I thought yesterday was going to be a day of relative ease.  It was to be a designated errands day.  Bank to make the deposit to cover bills that are to come due while we are gone.  Randall’s to pick up the last prescription to cover all the days that we are gone.  Gas in the car to cover our jaunt into Texas today to check on Sam before her surgery.  Hold one end of the quilt for Chris while she irons the other.  You know, just a fairly typical, calm, Galveston day …

Right.

That was just until I checked my fire department app and noticed a call to an address that seemed vaguely familiar.  It was in Jamaica Beach, so I began thumbing through our directory to see if anything matched up.  And while I was looking I got a call from one of our volunteer fire department members (OK, it was Lauren).  She put a name to the address for me.

Seems Joe, one of our daredevil 71 year-old Seasiders, had attempted a tuck, duck, and roll dive down his attic stairs.  The ambulance had been called and he was on his way to the emergency room.  I changed clothes and headed right over.  I actually beat the ambulance by just a minute or two.  I saw one of our fire department guys who was working his second job there.  He assured me that he would let me know as soon they got Joe settled.  Actually Joe’s wife Cindy came out to join me not long after that, and we were both ushered back to see him after ten minutes or so. 

Joe was on one of those hard stretchers and had a cervical collar on, so he looked pretty banged up.  He was in great spirits, though.  Even talked about what his chances were of still making the cruise this weekend.  He figured the coin flip on that one had hit the ground and was kind of spinning on its side.  Initial x-ray reports indicated that he had broken a few ribs, had some bruising on his lungs (and the rest of his body, for that matter), but seemed pretty healthy otherwise.  They were waiting for the CT scan results for further developments.  About that time a neurology team resident came in and did an exam.  Joe passed with flying colors (Well, if you ignore the obvious pain).  But the doc finally got around to mentioning that Joe had fractured the T6 vertebra in his back.  There would be lots more testing to come, but Joe’s response to me was, “Looks like that coin just dropped on its side about that cruise, didn’t it?”  Gotta love that attitude, Joe.  They finally took him up to ICU to spend the night and await further instructions from his doctors. 

Meanwhile, back at the old homestead, Chris had received a call from Christina.  Seems Ezra was still running a pretty high fever, so she was taking him to the minor emergency clinic.  They have been passing the flu around in their little household.  Not long after I got home, we were joined by Noa and Josiah while Ezra made his little ER visit.  Turns out it was pretty much what Mom expected.  He was given the magic drug Tami-flu for a few days. 

You know what?  I think that’s enough, don’t you?  Let’s stay healthy, everybody.  And Joe, please save the acrobatic training for the youngsters.  Or at least wait until you’re jumping into bed …

Romans 12:1 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.”

Father, please heal Ezra and Joe quickly.  And be with each one’s family as they walk through two different, but not so different, paths.  Amen.