The Amazing Human Body

In school I remember being amazed at animals that could grow another leg if they lost one or another tail. Some (like a sea cucumber) can be cut in pieces and each piece will be a new sea cucumber! Now that is pretty amazing.

But, I have to say, I am currently amazed at how God created the human body. Unless you count giving birth (and your body does heal from that…sort of), I’ve never done anything very damaging to my body until that fight with the immersion blender. It was truly nasty. The top digit of my left pointer finger was pretty shredded like it had been caught in a…mmh, blender. I didn’t really mind when the orthopedic decided against stitching it as I had really seen more than enough of the inside of a doctor’s office by that time, but I did have to wonder how well “give it four weeks” meant as far as actual healing. It’s been three weeks, and I honestly think if I have a scar left to prove my stupidity, it will be so small no one will ever notice it.

Truly, it is amazing how the human body heals itself. The nail has grown back. The shredded skin has pieced itself back together with hardly a mark. The only things remaining are the outer layers of my skin that will cover the rather sickening under skin and the nerve system connecting back in the place. It’s the latter I’m the most interested in. Right now my finger feels like I still have a bandage on it. Typing rather hurts. Catching it on anything (including the inside of Ethan’s fist) is quite painful. It kind of tingles at times. I still tend to not use it very much, although I make a concerted effort to try to in hopes that will bring everything to rights sooner rather than later. It’s really amazing how many little things one small area of a finger entails…and how well it heals.

It’s also kind of humbling that it takes a fight with a dangerous kitchen tool to make me realize how amazing God has created the human body. And that’s just a finger!

Great Heroes

…And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.  Hebrews 11:36-38

I love these verses. I’ve probably read them a million times. Every time I do, I want to stand up and shout them…getting even louder with “Of whom the world was not worthy!” Perhaps it’s the verses leading up to these that make me excited, listing the exploits of the Old Testament heroes as if they were real-life Marvel characters (only way better). Then you come to the price they paid for the amazing things God called them to do and it’s…well, it’s astounding. Because the cost of true heroism is high and costly. And these men and women weren’t Spiderman or Captain America who lived to fight another day. Most of them died. Horribly. And all for Christ.

Every month I read the Voices of the Martyrs magazine and I wonder: Could I pay that cost for my faith? Even more, could I sacrifice my kids to pay that cost for my faith? It’s a question I can’t answer. I can hope I will answer as the persecuted are answering every day, but I really don’t know. And often it makes me feel sad. Because it makes my faith seem small. And it certainly doesn’t put me in the same class as the heroes of Hebrews 11. No where close. Or does it?

Last Sunday, we were studying Hebrews 11 in Sunday School. For the first time, versus 39 and 40 really stood out:

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Wait a minute. I read it again. And then again. And probably two or three more times as I pondered that little clause, “that they without us”. Without us? Did he mean me? That these amazing heroes of the faith have yet to obtain their full, glorious reward because it won’t be complete until…me? Not me specifically, of course. I’m not the cornerstone of the whole building, but the whole building which sets upon the Cornerstone isn’t complete until every stone is set. And, as one of God’s elect children, I am one of the stones. Set in the same building as Abel, David, Moses, Rahab and every other saint whose exploits are worth shouting from the mountaintop. I will share their reward. Me.

It’s a humbling thought…but it also gives me courage.

PPG Place

On our trip to the Point in Pittsburgh last weekend, we ended up parking on the street near the PPG Place. (Again, for those of you who relate Pittsburgh to steel and smog like I do, PPG stands for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company which is a Fortune 500 company here in Pittsburgh. If that rings a bell, you might think of glass that looks like ice cubes and paint.) PPG Place is where the PPG Company is located, in several buildings of various sizes (but similar shapes) all with a façade of – you guessed it! – glass.

In the winter, PPG Place is known for its large Christmas tree with a skating rink. Ed even took me on a date there the winter after Emry was born. In the summer, it has a huge planter in the center which is surrounded by dancing water fountains, complete with lights for a very pretty show at night. Emry saw the fountains as we walked by them last weekend, but as our trip was impromptu, her only item of clothing was the beautiful Sunday dress she wore (designed and created by Aunt Jenny). Hardly the thing to wear playing in fountains.

But Ed had this Sunday off, too, so we packed a lunch, swimsuits and changes of clothes to enjoy an hour or two in the fountain. Where we discovered that Emry might as well wear her Sunday dress versus the swimsuit because actually being up close and personal with the squirting water…well, she was terrified. Aside from her feet and hands, I got wetter that she did and I didn’t go to play. She was even more mortally terrified for Ethan, screaming for me to get him when he ventured in and the water grew higher. And Ethan? He didn’t really care. He was drenched and happy!

The Plaza at PPG Place

Ethan in the fountain.

This was as daring as Emry got…

The courageously happy Ethan!

Happy 25^th Birthday, Charlie!

An Update on my Finger

It has been a week since I had a fight with an immersion blender and lost. And it is amazing how much trouble one finger can cause! (And I don’t many any typos you may come across as I’m one finger short in typing…)

As of last Friday evening, I had been told the radiologist saw a fracture in my x-rays and I needed to see an orthopedic first thing Monday. I had a babysitter lined up, called the orthopedic office the moment they opened at eight and got an 11:40 appointment, tossed the kids in the car so we could get Ed to work by nine, went by the urgent care to get my x-rays and then zoomed home to feed two very hungry kids breakfast and make the house look somewhat decent before the sitter arrived. I got the doctor with plenty of time to fill out paperwork and come down from feeling rushed about. Only to find out my finger isn’t fractured at all.

Yes, I am more than a bit upset with the urgent care and am seriously wondering if any education at all is necessary to be a radiologist. After all, I had to put a lot of ducks in a row so I could have a car, a sitter and time to see a specialist. Not to mention the co-pay. And for what exactly? It’s no wonder I avoid doctors like a plague.

However, there are some good things that came of it. For one, I would have never known what to soak my finger in to get those blood-crusted wrappings off. Secondly, I really liked the orthopedic doctor who took a good look at my finger and told me it really wasn’t that bad although he was having trouble seeing it with the gel foam packed in. So, he sent me home with a cheap cleansing trick and band-aids, telling me to return in 48-hours so he could get a better look. Thankfully, Ed had a late shift on Wednesday so I went back, the doctor said he wasn’t going to stitch it but I needed to keep it clean, keep it covered with band-aids and give it at least four weeks before all the skin would grow back. It doesn’t look pretty and I’m sure there will be a scar or two, but it will be just fine.

Meanwhile, I got my money’s worth out of that co-pay in taking the opportunity to ask the doctor about my knee I’m having problems with from running. Leaving with some good advice, I guess it all worked out in the end.

The Point

I don’t think I’ll ever call myself a bad Pittsburgh parent. After all, I’m not from Pittsburgh. Although I want my kids to see some of the highlights of the place where they are from, it will never be my goal that they go to a Steelers game or tour the Andy Warhol Museum. I’d like them to be more well-rounded than most Pittsburgh natives I know who think Indiana is a nearby city (not a state) and taxes are simply high and one pays a multitude of them because…well, aren’t they everywhere and doesn’t everyone?

On the other hand, I do confess I am often a bad parent when it comes to Ethan. It’s that whole second-born thing: less pictures taken, less one-on-one attention given, less energy to exert on his behalf. So, even I will say it is a shame we have never taken our 18-month old son to The Point until yesterday. (For by the time Emry was 18-months old, she had probably been half a dozen times!)

For those of you who know nothing of Pittsburgh except steel, Andrew Carnegie and smog I will give a brief history/geography lesson. “The Point” is more properly called Point State Park. It is the location where the three rivers of Pittsburgh meet: the Allegheny and the Monongahela to form the Ohio. It is also where Fort Pitt (for which Pittsburgh is named) and Fort Duquesne once stood, protecting the region from the French and Indians. Neither are there any longer, although there are outlines of the forts created in the grassy areas where they once stood. For a long time, two bridges spanned the rivers from that point but both were removed in 1970 in order to make the area a state park. All kinds of designers entered the contest for what should rise over the “Golden Triangle” including an outlandish one from Frank Lloyd Wright. A fountain won and was dedicated in 1974. Today it is a focal point of the city and a very pretty place to visit.

All kids (and probably all adults) love fountains. Emry always enjoyed seeing it, sitting on its wide edge and watching it spout into the air, getting a little (or a lot) wet if the wind blows the right way. This time, she wanted to take her shoes off and dip them in the lower basin. Ethan? Well, he loved it, too. Only he wanted to do much more than simply put his feet in. Hence the signs that warn against wading. I never really had to worry about Emry around the fountain but, as usual, Ethan was another matter entirely. And maybe that’s the real reason we never took him to The Point…

Emry happily splashing her feet and watching the fountain.

Ethan in a moment of stillness by the fountain.

Supermom - Failed

I’m sure I’m not the only mom in the world who feels like she does not measure up. And, so, tries harder. And, so, fails miserably. Although I hope no one has failed like I managed to today.

I’m also sure I’m not the only mom who tries to encourage in her children things she wishes she were better at. For me, one of those things is creativity. Ed wouldn’t agree, but I am not very creative. Of course, my barometer has always been my sister Katey which may not be a completely fair standard of measurement since she can paint, and draw, and make beautiful Better Homes and Gardens décor while I can…none of those. So, naturally, she’s a crafty mom and even has a place in their upstairs hall where the boys can hang their masterpieces. My kids use the fridge which is all the space we require considering how little arts and crafts I initiate. But today was a rare day when I had the house clean, dinner didn’t need to be prepped till the evening and no laundry to do. So, I decided to try something I had seen on Pinterest…

Honestly, it should have been simple enough. One would think even Melissa Sturm Camus could not fail at Moon Sand which requires only flour and baby oil. But it wasn’t really fine mixing it by hand, my blender was in the sink dirty and I didn’t want to wash it so I thought my immersion blender would work just fine. Which it would be half-decent if I hadn’t been in a rush in order to attempt to keep Ethan out of the wading pool so he wouldn’t get his clothes drenched. (8:30 in the morning is a little early to be on set-of-clothes-#2.) Well, not thinking, I did not unplug the blender to clean the Moon Sand from the head where the blade is. You can imagine the rest…

Now it could have been way worse. I could have chopped off my finger. I could have sliced a bone. All I had really done is slice it enough that I knew it needed stitches. So, while it was under running water, I called Ed and told him he needed to come home NOW. Then I wrapped my finger in a cloth with ice. And headed outside where Ethan was in the pool fully dressed and Emry bouncing around outside it, dropped into the grass and put my feet high in the air – barely managing to avoid fainting. Over the next 30 minutes as we waited for Ed, I avoided one more fainting spell, managed to get the kids ready to go (minus Ethan’s shoes), packed a few snacks and Emry provided me with a Star Wars Band-aid so my finger would get all better.

My finger is way beyond the need of a Band-aid (although the nurses thought it was very sweet of Emry). The first attempt (after a good cleaning and Tetnus shot) was to stitch the finger – at least the one major laceration. But the PA warned me right way it was going to be tricky and not pretty: my dream career as a hand model was over. So after numbing my entire left pointer finger, she made a very courageous attempt. But the flaps of skin were too thin and the stitches wouldn’t knot in place. So, she called the doctor for a second opinion. One look and the doctor ordered an x-ray to insure I had not hit any bone (I didn’t) and said the PA would have to gel foam it. Gel foam is tiny pieces of foam she packed into my cuts to stop the bleeding, cause clotting and then allow the finger to heal naturally. Which means hopes of any career as a burglar are over as well for if I failed to wear gloves, the scars on my fingerprints will be a dead giveaway. Two hours later, I left the office with an antibiotic for the next 10 days, extra dressings, an order to not let it get wet for at least 3 days but the more the better, instructions to come back just to see how it was healing in a week, lots of scary warnings and Emry admonishing me, “Mama, you need to be careful.” That is an understatement.

All in all, I praise God it was not worse than it could have been – I’ll still have use of my finger and its my left hand, not my right. I praise Him for modern medicine and the glories of being numbed in order to be stitched and gel foamed. I praise Him the kids were good for Ed who walked them over to the toy section in Walmart and then lunch at McDonalds. And I pray this thing heals well. It doesn’t have to be beautiful; I just want it to heal without complications. And I pray Ethan will stop trying to touch it!

Note from August 11: Actually, it is fractured. I have to make an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor as soon as I can Monday morning. Sigh. With one vehicle and both of us working...that's all I needed!

A Day of Family Fun

Our life is such that some days I feel like Ed and I are ships passing in the night. His schedule is different every week. He’s extremely lucky if he gets a weekend off. In fact, he’s lucky if he gets a Saturday off. We feel blessed if one of his days off is Sunday. The other is usually a weekday. On that weekday, I work – leaving the house at 5:30 in the morning and not getting back till 4:30 or so. And then if he works the late shift one weekday (which is from 2 to 10), off I head to work from 5:30 to 1. And since every week is different, it’s hard to plan anything.

This week, though, he had an extremely rare two days off in a row!!!! It ended up being Monday and Tuesday. I could have easily worked both of them, but I decided to only work Tuesday. Monday would be a family day. And we had the perfect plan. Thanks to his best friend, we had free tickets to a little amusement park 1½ away called Idlewild. So, we packed a lunch, swimsuits, towels and extra clothes…and off we went.

Idlewild has been voted the best family amusement park in the country – and I can see why. There’s certainly nothing fancy about it. In fact, a woman I work with says it’s hardly changed since she was a kid. No huge rollercoasters or suicidal thrills. The rides are targeted at kids – a smaller Ferris wheel, log ride, carousel, paratroopers. At just 36 inches, Emry was able to ride a great deal of them. There’s Storybrook Forrest, which is simply a pleasant walk full of little houses, a castle, the shoe the Old Woman lived in and Mother Goose to greet you to her land of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. The most popular attraction is probably the water park, complete with lazy river, really great looking waterslides, a wave pool and splash zone for the littlest ones. But the greatest area by far has got to the Jumping Jungle. There’s a ball pool, but Emry adored the huge climbing net, lots of steps, a cross bridge and slides. Ethan could have spent hours putting balls in pipes that blow air and send them soaring into the air. In all honesty, it was nothing fancy…but every kid I saw there was loving every moment of it!

And for us parents, well, it’s shaded. Located in the middle of woods, there’s hardly ever a place you can’t find shade. I like the fact that you pay as you park so there is no main entrance – every parking area is near a way in and out. It’s not huge so you’re not walking extraordinary distances. Emry is an ardent runner and walker so she scampered all over the place, hopping in the stroller with Ethan only once for a brief time. Best of all, though, we took two extremely exhausted, dirty and happy children home. Not to mention that we were a bit tired, too!

Emry’s first ride – the Ferris wheel.

Ethan’s first ride – the hot air balloons.

Even I rode the hot air balloons!

Emry in the balls.

Ethan trying to catch a ball – it was fun to watch!

Emry and Papa climbing the net.

Emry isn’t the new king – that sword just wouldn’t come out!

Ethan loved the carousel!