Cheri Update

Ok, so finally it’s not Kurt causing the medical crisis for once, but Cheri. So for those tuning in from around the globe, here’s the deal. On Thursday 2/5 Cheri took Rebecca (our 9 year old) ice skating at the outdoor rink about 2 minutes drive from her school. Rebecca has developed a real love of ice skating over the last few weeks and we just purchased her a membership for the season.

Now, those who have known Cheri for decades should know we are headed for disaster. She ice skated once as a child, fell and broke her leg. However, Becca asked Cheri to come with her on the ice and Cheri complied. As they were skating and having a great time, she lost her balance and fell backwards hitting her head on the ice and knocking herself out. The other skaters and rink people tended to Cheri and Becca, who was naturally freaked out, and called 911 and me.

Fortunately, I was not that far away, 5-10 minutes drive, and I got there as the rescue squad were ready to load her into the ambulance. I collected Becca, and hopefully all of their things, and drove to get Jamie at a friend’s house nearby. So, we got to the ER at Toledo Hospital, 2 minutes by ambulance away, and went to Cheri room. She has a 2 inch gash in the back of the head. And they were getting ready to do a whole bunch of tests of CT Scans etc.

I took the kids to the cafeteria, Becca still assuming all responsibility for her mother’s lack of coordination. Jamie’s only expressed concern was the Toledo Hospital Cafeteria no longer has the McDonald’s it had years ago (guess the health people won out). The kids hit the wall soon afterwards, but thankfully our good friend and neighbor got them and another set of good friends got Cheri’s car home from the skating rink, while still another good friend who is a medical person and was in the hospital made sure Kurt had his medical stuff right.

So, now is when I report that Cheri officially has a 66% batting average at breaking things ice skating. The doctors in the ER reported to me that Cheri has fractured her skull, but if you’re going to fracture your skull, this is the fracture to get. No brain damage, it’s just a crack. She does have a concussion, and may already be showing some signs of a post concussion syndrome, but mild. She also got several staples in the back of her head. The ER doctor was very impressed with our Cheri’s toughness. She declined the pain meds as he described it as “I can give you the pain of two bee stings (the numbing meds) and then staple you or give you the equivalent of two bee stings with the staples”. When he was done, he noted he has had street and motorcycle gang members come up off the table after him for the pain, but she did not even flinch.

So, they have transferred her now to the Neurosurgical ICU for the night to monitor her. Unfortunately, she is not the first member of the Young Holdridge family to spend a night in such a unit in the last 6 years. Jamie started us with a night on his date of birth as he thought breathing was optional when he was born and came out purple. My mom decided it was time to give it a try last year during spring break after her kidneys decided working for them was optional post flu. I, of course, had my little fun with the header into the toilet and heart that thought beating in rhythm was optional for 3/4 of a day in December. So, Rebecca and Cheri’s mom are our holdouts and we hope they break the trend for a few decades.

Cheri will recover and should be out by the time most of your read this. Becca may need a trip to a doctor or two for her psyche and probably will not be on the ice for a while. Drats, I had hope to be married to a hockey mom without the lipstick on a pit bull references and dead moose.

I typed this in her Neuro-surgical ICU room, they even have WiFi but Facebook is strangely not able to work. And I can tell you almost weirder than watching my wife in a hospital bed is the fact she is sleeping with the TV on and Justin Timberlake’s prior SNL episode (W Administration still in effect) on. But she is, other than she is sleeping right now, alert and with us.

More when we know more and thanks for all the well wishes, prayers, offers of help and suggestions of bubble wrapping us all (thanks Kevin, my Mom’s buying it now).