When it rains, it pours.....

For once, I am not actually referring to the Cleveland weather. As I describe the events from Thursday onwards, you will understand exactly what I mean. In fact, let me change that slightly, and rephrase it as "when it rains, it is a deluge in the McCarthy household!

Let's start by giving an update on Nathan.
After having his cast on his hand for 10 days, Liesel thought she would take the boys to a playground on one of the lovely Spring mornings. On the way to the playground, Nathan casually mentioned that he was going to try slide down the pole. Upon hearing that, Liesel promptly said, "No!" as his right hand was still in the cast and he wouldn't be able to hold his entire weight with just his left hand. However, boys will be boys, and he thought he knew better than his mother, and that the law of gravity didn't apply to him. So while Liesel was following Josh around the playground she heard a thud, followed by a bloodcurdling scream from Nathan. When she found him at the bottom of the pole he told her he had a sharp pain in his lower leg. So we rushed him to the ER for a more thorough examination and the X-rays confirmed, that he had in fact broken his tibia. So has been to the ER twice in 10 days and has had two casts made for two different appendages in the same period! On the bright side, the Orthopedic Doctor removed his hand cast, and saved us another visit to their offices.

Having a broken leg is not all that it is cracked up to be. Nathan has his leg in a full leg cast, and is not allowed to put any pressure on the broken leg at all. This means that he is confined to a wheel chair for at least the next 3 weeks! This restriction is going to affect a number of areas of our lives. For example, he won't be able to attend school (his class is on an upper level). He needs either Liesel or myself to carry him to the bathroom every time nature calls. Liesel cannot do her grocery shopping with the two boys. Nathan cannot go to any child-care facility, be it at the Church or the gym. So in a nutshell, all of our lives are significantly impacted for the next few weeks. All I can say is, "Kids - don't try this at home, or in the playground!"

On Friday night, we did go out to our friends' house for dinner, where we all had a great time. Nathan's friends were taking turns riding in his wheelchair. While the children were paying attention to Nathan and his new blue cast, the adults had a great time together, and it was a perfect de-stresser for Liesel and myself! The remainder of the weekend was spent at home.

Just as we were getting into a groove with Nathan's temporary disability, Liesel started experiencing an excruciating tooth ache. Her dentist had been concerned about this particular tooth for a while, but it had never bothered Liesel until Saturday night! The pain was so severe, it made her feel nauseous, and on Sunday, she spent the majority of the day in bed with a heated beanbag placed on her jaw. The pain is so intense that it even prevents her from falling asleep. We pray that the dentist can see her tomorrow, and do something that will take the pain away!

The McCarthy family would really appreciate your prayers at this time, especially for Nathan and Liesel!