A Campout Miracle

There's nothing like a good, solid miracle to resurrect a blog (with a big, long post).

On the weekend of March 14th, four of the kids were with Milo (it was his weekend) and Nathan was on a campout with the scouts. I made last minute plans to hang out with my friend Stephanie. I was going to grab dinner while she drove the 45 minutes to my house.

While I was waiting for our food, my phone rang. I didn't know who it was but answered it anyway (I usually don't). It was a friend's husband and he was on the campout with Nate. He was so calm on the phone. He said, 'I don't want you to worry but I have Nathan here with me. He had an accident with an ax that we want to get checked out. We think it should be looked at by a Dr just to be safe.' We talked for a few minutes. At one point I asked if they were going to take him back to camp because I couldn't get a read on how serious of an injury it was. He told me he didn't think he'd be going back to camp. That was the first time I wondered if it was a big deal.

Truthfully, I didn't panic once during the phone call. Not even when he said the word ax. He gave the phone to Nathan and when Nathan's voice cracked and he started to cry, I had to force myself to stay calm and positive for my scared, little boy.

Stephanie followed me to my house and we ate a quick dinner. I felt bad she had driven all that way only to turn back around but she completely understood. We parted ways and I pulled into the hospital parking lot the same time as Nathan and his leaders. The first thing I noticed was he wasn't wearing his boots and instead was wearing shoes I didn't recognize. His leader told me that Nathan knew that was the first thing I was going to say. We must be alike, or something?!

It was then that I started to get the story (which took a day or two to fully emerge). Nathan was wearing hiking boots but he took them off when they started playing a game of football after dinner. He borrowed a friend's pair of Nike's that were a size and a half too small. (I actually think that's a pretty important part of the story.) When they stopped playing football, they decided to chop some wood and he did not put his hiking boots back on (bad idea #1). Nathan grabbed the ax and swung with all his might. He was not goofing off per se but he wasn't paying good attention either.

He was standing with his feet together (bad idea #2) and when he swung the newly sharpened, razor sharp ax, he missed the log completely. That's when he put the ax into his right foot (bad idea #3).

There was a police officer camping with them that is not in our ward and they called him over to help assess the situation. He took one look at Nathan's foot and told them to not remove the shoe. They put pressure on it and wrapped the toe of his shoe in white medical tape (in every trusty scout first aid kid!). A couple of his leaders gave him a priesthood blessing, they prayed as a troop and then they left for the hospital. I find so much comfort in the steps they took before they ever left camp. It makes me weepy to know how well he was taken care of while he was away from me. So completely watched over.

In the triage room in the ER, a nurse stared at his shoe for a minute before she felt brave enough to take the tape off. She took off one layer. Then another and again another. There might have even been a fourth layer. She smiled and made a comment that whenever a hurt scout gets brought in, they are taped up, wrapped up or tied up nice and tight, ha.

It took moving to a room and 2 more nurses before finding one brave enough to remove the shoe. We knew because it wasn't gushing blood that he probably had all 5 toes intact but it was still pretty unknown at this point. Nathan was in shock when we were first put in a room, he was so pale and nauseous. They removed the shoe, cut off his sock and we had our first look at his injury. All 5 toes! He missed an artery by about 1/4", he could move all his toes and there didn't appear to be any broken bones.

I wont post the gross pictures here but it was a very deep cut between his first and second toe (as you can see by the shoe). The cut in the shoe is at an angle but the cut in his foot (that I wont show you...c'mon, who wants to see it??) is straight. Because the shoe was too small, his foot was sitting scrunched up and sideways. To me, this is how the diagonal cut could make a straight line in his foot. Well, that and an army of guardian angels at Bing Canyon. They put 8 big stitches in his foot (the cut is probably 5 or so inches long), gave him a walking boot and crutches and sent us home just before midnight.

 We saw an orthopedic doctor five days after the initial injury and it was there that I again realized what a miracle this had been. He told us within a small margin of room there was one place Nathan could have put that ax to miss bone, tendon, ligaments and an artery. There are over 100 bones in a foot and he did not crack or break one of them. After the stitches were in and his foot was cleaned up, we could see just how close the ax came to going all the way through his foot. On the bottom part of his foot he had a bruise in a straight line showing exactly where the ax hit. I know he was watched over because this could have been a much more serious injury. 

He's been a pretty good sport and has taken quite a bit of teasing. He is definitely ready to be active and 'normal' again. His foot was really swollen for a few days and is now turning some pretty ugly colors. He has started gradually walking on it and has been able to go without any Tylenol/Advil. He gets the stitches removed on Wednesday. The first few days, he never lacked for treats and well wishes. A little boy in our ward about Reed's age brought him cookies with this note. We didn't notice it until the second day but don't you just love the ax and arrow pointing to a stick foot?

I was composed the whole time they were working on him and that is a miracle too. I teared up a couple times but knew for Nathan's sake I had to pray I'd keep it together.  Once we were home and he was settled in bed, I cried and was awake for hours.  The relief and love I felt for Nathan was indescribable.

It's been an exhausting 10 days both physically and emotionally. Yet at the same time, I have felt grateful for so many things- The protection Nathan had while he was using a razor sharp ax. His scout leaders that worthily hold and exercise the priesthood. That they called on heaven in prayer and in a priesthood blessing before they ever left camp (that probably touched me the most). The calming influence of the Holy Ghost for both Nathan and I while we were in the hospital. His pain has been easy to control. Most importantly, the answers to many prayers on our behalf.

He's going on another campout in three weeks. Can I ban the ax for a few months??