Black Eyed Pea

On Wednesday afternoon Aaron was playing with a bungee cord and hooked it onto a tree. He pulled it back and the hook came off the tree and hit him in the eye. It was HORRIBLE. Long story short, he fractured the bone around his eye, has 7 stitches in the fleshy part of his skin underneath his eyeball, ripped his globe and has a hemorrhaged retina. There are not words to explain the trauma. I will spare you the gory details, but it was the worst thing I have gone through with one of my kids. Usually things don't get to me like that but it was really difficult to watch him in so much pain. When my dad was a resident, he would occasionally take me with him on his rounds. I remember on one occasion, I watched an eye surgery. I found it interesting but I could hardly be in the room as they examined Aaron's eye over and over. Thank goodness Adam was there. Both Aaron and Adam were amazing. (I wanted to scream my head off).

The doctors are optimistic that his vision will not be permanently affected. Which is miraculous. Fortunately, the part of the eye that was damaged is not connected to his sight. They also think the globe and retina will be able to heal without surgery, which is also a huge blessing. The swelling in his eye has gone down tremendously, and as you can see in the picture, he can now open it.

We have had an outpouring of support from friends, family and neighbors. Meals have been brought, children tended, cards and gifts sent. When it happened, the older boys were at scouts and Adam was at work. Aaron was screaming, Benjamin was screaming and I was overwhelmed. As I hurried to put an ice pack together I noticed Benjamin stopped screaming. I looked to see my neighbor in the doorway holding Benjamin in one hand and Ruby's hand in the other.

As usual, this trial has brought a renewed remembrance of our dearest blessings and what matters most.