And the award for bringing Perfectly's spirits up is........

DINGO!! Woot Woot!!

Dingo, you made me laugh out loud, and I've had a STRESSFUL day, therefore the laughter is most welcome. I see that you DO pay attention to my little ramblings. How I wish you were HERE to have some of those $1.50 margaritas with me tonight! Actually, I think they are $3.95 on 'non' margarita nights........still, not to bad.

OK, First and foremost my baby got hurt playing football last night. I (luckily) didn't see him NOT GET UP AFTER BEING TACKLED (otherwise, a sweaty fat mama would have been on the field with the sweaty, fit football players). He apparently got up and I saw him limp off of the field. Now, bless his heart, Son #2 has been known to over play his conditions.......but this is FOOTBALL....and boys don't fake it, you know? So, I assumed he had a leg/knee/ankle injury of some sort. The doctor on the field began messing with his BACK----his BACK people!! They pulled his helmet off (another sign of doom) and I saw shaking of heads (translated as 'you are out for the night) and some pissed off boy walking, etc. The doctor came back and affixed an ice pack to his back (lower left, for the record). They put what looks like saran wrap around whatever body part is hurt----with the ice under it, and it secures the ice to the body without the player having to hold it (those un-reliable teenagers!!!). This mama was NOT happy.....I missed the rest of the game for keeping my keen mama eyes on my kid for the duration. He limped ALOT (ok....limping means legs, right? not back WTF??)

As it turned out, he HAD injured his back. The Doctor (whom I now know to be an orthopaedist---) said he was bruised, and to keep it iced. He complained of severe pain last night, so we called the family doctor....we ended up giving him 500 mg of Naprosen.......that didn't seem to help....he said he was up alot in the night (awakened, that is). His lower left back was SWOLLEN....how does a skinny back SWELL? So, being the momsey womsey that I am, I made him an appointment to see the doctor. The doctor was surprised at the 'puffiness' of the back area (ok, so I said swollen---it sounds more serious than 'puffy'). They did an x-ray. The injury appeared to be a spasming muscle, for which he got drugs (lucky kid). BUT....now's the REST of the story....

He has a condition called SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA. Yes, SPINA BIFIDA. This did not make the mama very happy. The doctor prescribed an MRI and NO FOOTBALL (seeing as there is some sort of opening to the freaking spinal cord) until an Orthopaedic dr evaluates the situation. I STRONGLY suggested to the referral clerk that we get an mri TODAY. An an Ortho consult TODAY. And guess what? We got the MRI TODAY...but no ortho consult.

I came home and immediately googled Spina Bifida. That is what the doctor told me son #2 has. I am thinking wheelchairs, neurological deficits, and all the TERRIBLE things we moms are warned about during pregnancy. Apparently, there is more than ONE TYPE of spina biffida, and he has the most minor and most common variety. I found the occulta name ON MY OWN (thanks for the panic, Doc). We miraculously got the mri results by 3pm today (see, living in a small city does have it's perks) Here is the IMPRESSION of the radiologist:

1. Minimal posterior fusion defect at S1, with no MRI evidence of associated complication. Specifically, there is no evidence of a stress fracure in the lumbosacral spine, and no evidence of instability in the lumbar spine.

2. No spinal canal, lateral recess or neural foramina stenosis is present at any level.

What does that mean? I have no earthly idea, but I see minimal defect and no stenosis (which sounds bad)...so I feel better.

THEN I came home to google where in the heck S1 is in the back, and found Dingo's comment, which made me LAUGH OUT LOUD, which I really needed.

I feel loved people. You all LIKE ME, YOU REALLY, REALLY LIKE ME!!

We are still required to get a 'free to play football' pass from an orthopaedist, but from googling spina bifida occulta, it doesn't appear that there's tons of sports related info on it, therefore, we are assuming (ahem, hoping) that maybe this means he'll be able to play as normal---no restrictions. I'll give the doctor who evaluated is non spina bifida injury last night a copy of the findings and we'll see what he thinks. He doesn't take spinal referrals, but he is the football volunteer doctor, and he IS an orthopod, so hopefully he'll at least have some educated insight to all of this.

And I missed work.........which is fine....but on a FRIDAY---my favorite day!!!

So, see people? I need margaritas tonight!! And some nachos. Who's buying?