It's Basic Physics

The other day, after school, we were all playing outside. The kids love to decorate the driveway with sidewalk chalk. They like to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards. They love chasing the dog, and she likes when the kids play frisbee with her. 

This particular afternoon was not any different. Rea was riding up and down the driveway on her skateboard. I was goofing off on her bike. Buddy was drawing. 

Bud wanted to see what would happen if I ran over a piece of the sidewalk chalk. Challenge accepted. The air in the tires absorbed the chalk and I rode smoothly over. Before I could stop it, Rea said she was going to go over it. On the skateboard. The skateboard that has solid wheels. 

I turned around, mouth open, just in time to watch her fly forward. She twisted a little in the air and the brunt of the impact was on her right side. It ended with a little head bounce off the concrete. 

Yes, she was wearing a helmet. No, the helmet was not cracked. 

She was mostly concerned with her elbow (which was scratched and bleeding) and her knee. I looked her in the eyes to tell her it would be ok... Her pupils looked fine. So I sent her in to shower up. 

This is actually an incredibly accurate picture of the scene... Except Rea had a helmet on. Click on the image to brush up on your physics (and see this little guy in motion).

We were walking out the door to head off to karate when Rea said, "Whoa, I feel dizzy." She walked away to get her shoes, and I thought crap, she doesn't know that's a problem. 

As we were watching her bro kick butt, she made the comment that she was feeling yucky, like she wanted to throw up. Double poop. A bit later, when I asked her something, she turned to me with her entire upper body, not simply her head. I asked if there was a problem with her neck. She told me she couldn't move it. 

Oh no. 

​My mom came to get Buddy. Rea and I headed to the ER. 

In the waiting room... She was not amused.

She looked like a turtle retreating into her shell. So the first order of business was to straighten her out. They put the hard brace on to keep it in place and relieve the stress. 

The docs ordered X-rays of her neck and elbow. 

Both X-rays were clear. No fractures or breaks. 

Rea strained her neck. That was the official diagnosis. 

After a big shot of valium in the butt*, we were sent home with a soft brace for her neck. 

We'd like to give a big THANK YOU to the ER staff at Jupiter Medical Center. You guys were amazing!

*The shot was easily the WORST part of the entire experience. She was SCREAMING! It took two people to hold her down and one to poke her. Ugh. Drama. 
It worked though. As I knew it would. She relaxed and slept.