The broken finger

I have so much to do at work.  Hard deadline on a two year old project is coming up this week.  Will I make it?  I was having doubts last week.  Only one week to go.  Yesterday was a forced day off (state employees get a day off each month without pay to help balance the budget, and yesterday was my day off) so it's a four day week at the end of the deadline.  Just a bit of worry.  Today I went to the office and started working.  I was getting lots accomplished.  Then I got the phone call...

"Is this Girl's grandparent?"  "Yes, it is.  I will be there right away, rather in 40 minutes as that's how long it takes to get from here to there."  Got to the school and there she was.  Laying down on the nurses couch. Her hand with a bag of ice on it.  I took one look at it.  Can you move it like this?  Like that?  Like that?  OK, let's go.  The nurse looked bewildered that I didn't say anything else.  Sorry lady, I'm not discussing this with you.  After all, you just said she hurt her hand and she was crying and normally she doesn't cry.  Yes I know you can't diagnose, but I can...after all, I'm a grandparent!   I can't begin to count the times I've said to someone "I can't tell you what to do, but if it was me in your situation this is what I would do."  Yes, we always have to watch our diagnosis. 

I brought her to the hospital and 3 1/2 hours later she got released.  Cast on hand and arm.  Her pinkie finger was broken, but worse than that, they needed to pull it back into place so it would heal straight.  They stuck her with a good pain killer, put a pencil between her little finger and ring finger, and pulled away.  She cried when getting stuck with the needle, but otherwise was quite brave. 

While we were there at the hospital and also on the drive home we had a nice discussion about What If.  What if I couldn't take her to the hospital?  What if there wasn't a doctor around?  She now knows what to do with a broken finger.  Immobilize it.  What about trying to straighten it? If it was necessary then she would have been drinking lots of alcohol to help numb the pain.  We also talked about what would be needed if there wasn't casting material.  Good lessons for her.  Just wish they didn't have to be taught first hand. 

My work project?  Perhaps God is telling me something.  Don't worry, the project will get done.  Slow down.  Take some time off.  Other things are more important.  OK, two days off this week but you know what?  I am not worried about it.  The project will be completed by the end of the week.