Roller Coaster

You know when life seems to be going up and then before you know it, life is headed back down. Life is a roller coaster, compete with a variety of twists and turns ups and downs.

Just a few days after Este was receiving attention for being crowned Homecoming King, he was receiving a attention for a very different reason.

During football practice early in the next week he tackled a kid at full speed. Este went in to the tackle with his head down. His head collided with the kid's thigh pad. Este felt the impact run down his neck and into his back. He went down. The next thing he remembers is waking up from a dream and being confused as to why his coach was in his face asking if he was ok. He remembered what happened and moved his feet just to make sure he still could. The coaches wanted to call the ambulance but Este told them he could get up and walk. They escorted him to the trainer's room.

The coaches called Aaron and I to come to the school immediately. Upon arrival they filled us in on the events. His vital signs were good at that time but we all knew he needed to be evaluated by a doctor. He didn't want to go to the emergency room in his football pads so the trainer took him into the locker room to help him change. At that point it became obvious that he was having difficulty breathing. He was struggling for air and had difficulty talking. His breathes were labored and shallow. The trainer brought him back into the training room with the rest of his pads still on. We faced the decision of calling the ambulance or transporting him ourselves to the emergency room. Aaron's response was, "I grew up on a farm where we yanked people off the barbed wire fence, threw them in the back of the car, and drove them to the hospital." My response was "My dad is the emergency manager and ambulance supervisor in my hometown." The trainer smiled and told us we had to decide. Because his vital signs were still fairly stable, our compromise was that I would drive Este to a free standing ER just a few minutes away. If his condition became worse or the doctor's felt he needed more than they would transfer him to the hospital. We left immediately. He was still dressed in his football pads, had no shoes on, and still had grass on his face from the hit. I told Este I would be fine to take him but he would have to warn me if he felt like he was going to pass out again because so much smaller than him I needed ample warning if I had to catch him on the way down.

When we arrived at the ER they immediately put a C-collar on him, started an IV, and ordered CT Scan and chest x-rays. We waited.

The room was FREEZING!! They brought Este a warm blanket  because his sweat had made him wet and he was shivering. I didn't know how to ask for a warm blanket for me since I wasn't a patient. I thought about crawling next to Este and sharing his blanket but, he smelled really bad. I decided the smell was worse than the cold temps. I endured it on my own.

The x-rays and CT scan came back clear. No damage done to his neck and back. The diagnosis was a concussion and back sprain. We needed to follow up with our doctor. He was supposed to miss school the next day and just take it easy. This photo was posted online by one of his friends asking the school to come together in prayer on Este's behalf. Although we may differ in our beliefs, we do not differ in our faith in God.  I was so very grateful for each and every person who prayed on his behalf. It's important that we all strive to help each other on this roller coaster we call life.