I was deeply engrossed listening to Austin Mitchell tell me how the whips were hot on his tail if they felt he was being indiscreet on his blog when my phone rang. I thought I had switched it off beforehand, and immediately did so, without giving it a second thought.
I checked it when seated on the train home and picked up a voicemail from my son David telling me he was having to go home from school because he had had a bad bang on his head while playing football, having crashed head-on with another player, that he was feeling sick and the school felt he should be checked over by the hospital.
There was lots of whispering in the background: “Tell her not to worry, that you are ok,” he was being prompted to say.
If only I could close my eyes and find myself by his side, I wished. Fortunately, granddad was on hand to take him for a check-up at a local minor injuries unit for concussion. I collected David with an advice sheet of important head injury symptoms to watch out for – no bright lights or loud noises, no TV, just quiet rest.
This kind of accident had also happened to my younger son James, again while playing football. He felt sick and sleepy the next day, but I just thought he was under the weather, unaware he had banged his head the night before. However, when later that evening he wanted to fall asleep on the grass on a beautiful summer’s evening while watching David play cricket, alarm bells began to ring and I took him straight to hospital where he was given a scan and stayed in overnight for observation. Fortunately, he was fine.
David doesn’t seem too bad, he wants to watch Holly Oaks and also fancies a steak. I’m just going to check that he isn’t listening to his iPod.
I hope he’s fine Ellee, I feel sure he will be if he is asking for things!
Reminds of my (then) football crazy younger son who was pretending he was Higino Pereira Josimar (a Brazilian star) when he tried to “head” a face flannel tossed into the air by his brother. He missed and instead head-butted the wash basin and had to be taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary for stitches!
Maalie, your poor boy, it sounds very painful! This is the worst part of parenting, when they injure themselves. However, I am having a job to keep my patient inactive, I guess I shouldn’t even bother trying.
Oh, Ellee, what a fright for you! All best wishes to you and your son and no guilt, now – “there’s a good girl”, as we say in Wales.
Welshcakes, having gone through this once with James, I am not so worried right now. I know with James it was the following day that he felt poorly, he came home from his party full of beans. David has eaten a steak baguette and salad this evening and seems ok. I have just spotted him on MSN with his friends, he quickly switched it off when I walked in the room and hoped I didn’t notice. Fingers crossed, all is well.
You’ve had cricket weather down there? I’m jealous!
Ellee, dearest,
It is Wednesday and I have only 14 votes from 49.
If you’re thinking of waiting until the last minute, may I beg you to reconsider. Though we gave a date of Friday evening, the longer our members refrain from voting, the longer we are preserving the agony.
May I humbly and respectfully ask that you don’t let it go that long but get your vote in soon so we know what is happening?
Yours, James
Good to know that he’s OK. Football (and I’m assuming you mean rugby) can be a very dangerous sport in many ways. It’s amazing that there aren’t more serious injuries more often.
Elder Son walked into a window when he was in junior school. As he head was still hurting the next day I took him to casualty. The doctor checked him, said he was okay but told me the warning signs to look out for, including being sick. We got home and straightaway he was sick. I took him back to hospital where they diagnosed tonsillitis!
Then there was the time he had to have stitches in the top of his head, and the time he broke his ankle and …
Children!!
Hope David is much better today.
Liz, thanks, David seems ok and has gone to school today.
Maalie said: “Reminds of my (then) football crazy younger son who was pretending he was Higino Pereira Josimar (a Brazilian star) when he tried to “headâ€? a face flannel tossed into the air by his brother.”
I was trying to emulate Zico (Spain ’82), NOT Josimar (Mexico 86).
> I was trying to emulate Zico (Spain ‘82), NOT Josimar (Mexico 86).
Ooops!