Catching a Break Isn't Always a Good Thing

I played tackle football from the fifth grade through high school. I had my share of bumps and bruises, but my worst injury was a sprained ankle and perhaps a concussion or two (concussions weren't of great concern in those days). My son, who is starting the eighth grade this fall, wasn't quite as lucky. Before any games have been played, he is out for the season . . . broken leg.

In the spirit of "go big or go home", his leg is broken in three places. We drove him in the minivan from the practice field to the hospital and every bump and turn made him wince in pain. It was a long drive! 

At times like this, most of us aren't thinking about taking photos and videos. I'll admit, capturing the moment was the last thing on my mind as I struggled to get my son out of the car and into the emergency room.  However, once a shot of morphine kicked in (for him, not me), it was time to record this experience for posterity.

These days, most of us pack around a very high-quality camera on our smartphone. I pulled out my iPhone 8 and snapped a few pics and videos between signing insurance documents and chatting with the doctors, nurses, and X-ray technicians.

First off, the X-rays. You know it is a little out of the ordinary when the X-Ray tech asks you if you want to check it out.

X-Ray of the three breaks

Then it was time for the before and after pics. They did have to cut off his new Nike football pants before putting on the cast.

Before the Cast

After the Cast

I know smartphones can be obnoxious and invasive when it comes to taking photos at sensitive times. However, once we knew our son would be okay, we thought it would be very appropriate to take photos and videos both to document the experience for later in life and to share with family and friends.