But lingering coughs are really quite undramatic and make poor fodder for blogs. Let’s try something a tad more exciting… New Years Eve up in the mountains. Eli get’s invited to go to the slopes with his friend for a day of snowboarding but declines for some unknown reason. Later in the day we head out to the little golf course right by our cabin and he decides to take a few shots at the jumps he and his friends designed earlier in the week. The snow is starting to fall really hard but no-one is worried. That is until Eli finds himself practically blinded without goggles and unprepared when he hits the jump ramp. Long story short he pretty much does a face plant… which would be okay if it weren’t for that left arm he stuck out at the last second trying to break the fall. Ouch!!! So we start calling local hospitals and find the one that actually has a doctor on duty on December 31st. Predictably it’s the hospital closest to the ski slopes. We put chains on all four wheels and head out into the blizzard. A couple of x-rays later we get the news; fractured radius, near the wrist… The conclusion of this story is that Eli had a cast on for about 2 weeks (only half as long as the first doctor recommended) and missed a couple of basketball games but was back in action exactly 1 month after the injury and helped lead his team to an undefeated season!
Skip ahead to February 13th, the night before Miles and his team head to the Far East basketball tournament. They had a record of 22-1 at that point and were considered one of the favorites to win the whole tournament. They were the first CAJ team to be undefeated in league play since 1973! February 13 was a warm-up game against Faith Academy. But early in the first quarter Miles came down on his left ankle and went straight to the bench and a bucket of ice. By the time the game was over his ankle was swollen badly and he went home on crutches. We were all heartbroken but prayed with him that night for healing. His team played without him in the first 3 games of the tournament which was okay since it was just pool play; and they actually did pretty well, winning the first two. But losing the 3rd one put them in a 3-way tie in their pool and score differentials saw them placed 3rd. That was unfortunate because it meant they had to play the only team that had beaten them prior to the tournament, and subsequently the other favorite to win the whole thing, in the very first round. In other words the two best teams had to play each other in the first round of the main bracket, meaning who ever lost wouldn’t make it to the finals. Miles played on a heavily taped ankle with lots of pain killer and actually had a great game with 21 points and 17 rebounds but they came up just a few points short. Such a heartbreaker! They went on to win all their other games and took 5th place. The team that beat them went on to win the tournament. Miles’ ankle is almost completely better!
And you thought that was all? Nope! Amidst all the drama of Miles’ team, Kendra was also playing at the girls’ Far East tournament at a different location. Her team wasn’t really in the running but it was a great tournament for Kendra as she earned a starting position for the last several games. Then it happened! Second to the last game, I was busy taking photos until I looked up for a second and saw Kendra writhing on the floor in pain. It turned out to be yet another sprained Peterson ankle! grrrrr… She was done for the day and had to sit out the following day as well. Her team missed her and they lost that game. Well, the good news is her ankle is healing nicely as well.
It’s hard to watch your own kids get hurt. Even harder to see the injuries affect their goals and dreams. But one thing is for sure: the human body and its ability to heal itself is a wonderful thing.
