Unexpected Gift

This is one Eli said, "We have to write down to remember" ...

Friday morning the boys and I got home from the gym. The boys had gone up to FitKids that morning, and come back down sweaty and exhilarated from games and work and all kinds of fun. And kept telling me how they had taken their shoes off and were "sliding all over the floor!" Didn't think much of it ... and didn't make any connection as the day wore on, and Reuben complained several times of one of his legs aching and hurting.

I assumed 4 year old growth pains - or imagined pains. Either one quite possible, right? I asked him where it hurt, and he pointed towards his hip joint, and down the front of his leg (I'll refrain from getting super technical with muscle names here!).  I told him to relax and it would feel better. And, sadly to say, I kind of put it out of my mind. We were headed to a Christmas party, I had an hour at work before heading straight to that party, and we were getting things ready all afternoon.

Saturday morning, though, Eli lifted him out of bed, and we were greeted with cries of pain and immediate tears streaming down that little boy's face. "My leg! my leg!" It was a total shocker. We literally had 20 minutes before I had to load the boys up in the van to head to the gym, and he was obviously in real pain. Again, pointing to those same areas when asked where it hurt. We had to dress him, because he wasn't wanting to walk on it. Finally, I think something of the tightness began to wear off, and he was limping along. My best guess was a pulled muscle from sliding all over a floor, having too much fun.

Limped alongside of me as I carried Matthias from the van to the gym front door. A member, whose face I recognized, but I didn't know her name, came up beside me and looked at him. "I think he might have pulled a muscle" I offered. She looked right at me and said, "Well, I'm a pediatric physical therapist; would you like me to take a look at him after class?"

HECK, YES!!!! Pediatric Physical Therapist? I didn't even know there were people like that in Lawrence! I taught class: she took it, and afterwards, she went into the kids' center with me and looked him over. Worked with him. And bless that woman's heart. It was the Saturday before Christmas! Eli and I would have spend the weekend worrying what to do and what might be wrong!

Ends up her best diagnosis was either something overstretched or slightly torn in the hip. A ligament or tendon. That's where the pain originated when we moved his leg at all. But, she offered advice and methods to help over the weekend, and if the pain was still there Tuesday, to call the doctor then.

I can't call this a coincidence as some might. I truly believe that it was just a heaven-sent gift to Eli, Reuben, and I to have this wonderful woman, Karen, walk up beside me at 8am Saturday morning, so that our weekend would be worry-free.

Amazingly, today he woke up and it is almost completely pain-free ... another miracle. And he enjoyed playing in the snow, Christmas with family, and church - running around just like a 4 year old should.