Medical Personnel

When someone is bleeding it is always nice to have medical personnel on hand. Now, in the normal run of things, I consider people like my mom to be medical personnel. Basically, anyone who knows how to clean a minor, kid-type wound without gagging or passing out. I can do it, mind you, but I prefer to not do it whenever possible.

However, when your daughter heads out to the van from a party and then comes back in a little while later sobbing (loudly) and limping and basically acting like she is dying (she's a touch dramatic--have no idea where she gets it from) and then you notice that her wrist has a very strange looking bump underneath the blood, there is something very comforting in the words, "Myles, go get your mom." Soothing to the soul, I tell you. Because my sister Megan is serious medical personnel.

Upon first inspection Dr. Megan thought Miriam's wrist was broken, but after Miriam finally consented to try to move all the parts of her hand, the general diagnosis (by then Aunt(ish) Heidi and Uncle(ish) Matt were also evaluating) was that there was just a lot of swelling. She had gouged a bit of skin out of her hand and her knee had a pretty fantastic scrape--but no doctor-that-requires-monetary-payment was required. Yeah.

When we got home, we put her to bed and put some ice on her hand, as per our medical personnel's instructions. Thank you, Megan and Heidi!

PS As a sidenote, after the whole incident Cowen decided (on the way home) that he wanted to be a doctor. Guess he's a blood and guts guy.

PPS The other day was Miriam's Book Club. Usually I drop Miriam off and then the rest of us go hang out at a park until she is done. When I told Cowen that we weren't going to a park this month, but were instead staying at the lady's house and playing in a toy room, he was upset.

Cowen: "Why can't we go to a park?!"

Me: "It's too cold."

Cowen: "It's not that cold!!"

Me: "You're right, but it is too cold for Harriet."

Cowen: "Why?"

Me: "Because when you are at a park you run around a lot and your muscles get all warm from the exercise and you don't get cold. But Harriet doesn't do that." (Forgive me medical people--I'm sure it is something like that.)

Cowen: "Then why don't you run around with Harriet?"

Me: "Because she still wouldn't be using her own muscles."

Cowen: "Then why don't you eat her?"

Me: ????