Call from Annapolis

lovethenavy

lovethenavy

5-Year Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
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Today we got the phone call every parent dreads. The USNA orthopedic surgeon called us today and our son broke his ankle today going down a hill and will require surgery to put in plates and pins. I am crying as I write this. I am in shock. We are over 2000 miles away. Should I make the trip to be there for his surgery? I asked if he could complete Plebe summer. He said he will not be sent home. This is my biggest fear. All he has worked so hard for. Doctor said our son is in fairly good spirits and taking it as well as can be expected. We have been through this when DS tore his ACL on the football field as a Junior. Please offer me some advice. I am coming unglued....
 
I sent you a private message. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your son.
 
lovethenavy said:
Today we got the phone call every parent dreads. The USNA orthopedic surgeon called us today and our son broke his ankle today going down a hill and will require surgery to put in plates and pins. I am crying as I write this. I am in shock. We are over 2000 miles away. Should I make the trip to be there for his surgery? I asked if he could complete Plebe summer. He said he will not be sent home. This is my biggest fear. All he has worked so hard for. Doctor said our son is in fairly good spirits and taking it as well as can be expected. We have been through this when DS tore his ACL on the football field as a Junior. Please offer me some advice. I am coming unglued....
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Just be glad something like this didn't happen before I-Day ... or during the 1st week.

You're son is going to be fine. They'll fix him up. The worst part of his injury is not that his ankle is broken. That'll heal. The worst part is that, I'm sure, deep down, he does not want to dodge the full Plebe Summer experience.

He wants to be out there sweating on the parade field with his classmates. He wants to be climbing walls and leaping obstacles with his classmates. He wants to march with them, in formation, not hobble along behind them with crutches.

Something like this happens all the time. You'd be surprised how well they manage to still incorporate an injured Plebe in the company's activities. He will not just be sitting in his room while they are off doing things. When his platoon goes somewhere, he will probably be going with them. He'll just have to keep up the best he can on his crutches. In some ways, it's harder.

He'll be fine and it will be something you laugh about in the future ... but not now.

It is disappointing, but he has already learned all the marching and military stuff. The second half of Plebe Summer is just a "Ground Hog Day" experience anyway.

Relax. (that's easy for me to say, huh?)
 
That's not an easy phone call to take. Sorry that you are worrying about this. I would see what your DS wants you to do. Mine would tell me to stay home, I'm sure. But others would find comfort in their parent being there. I can only imagine the creative activities the detailers will put him through. He'll be well in no time at all. I'm thinking about you and your family!
 
I sent you a private message also. I think Memphis had some really good points. While we were at the Academy in March for a weekend for potential students (we had never been there before) one current student said that he also was injured during plebe summer and it was HORRIBLE - not the injury, but the fact that he couldn't fully participate with his buddies. I'm sure DS is feeling alot of that. However, I'm also pretty sure they (the buddies) at least can have the secure knowledge that he's not slacking off!

Really great to know they won't send him home. That would be a tragedy.

Thoughts and prayers coming your way.
 
My thoughts and prayers are with you as well - my son broke his foot the first weekend in September of Plebe Year. It was awful being on crutches all semester but he did it. I just want to tell you that my son's surgery went well and the orthopaedic surgeon was fantastic! He is in great hands and he will receive excellent aftercare. My son had never experienced a broken bone before, never had to rely on anyone physically and he learned to rely on his shipmates and ask for help when he needed it. He had to find other ways to be supportive of the "team" other than physically. He was better for it.
 
Thank you all for the kind words and prayers. Since we will not get to talk to our son until Friday morning of the surgery and he would not want us to come out. My husband and I both agree that this is something that he will have to go thru with the support of the people at the USNA. Does anyone know where they recover after the surgery? Will they stay in their same room and bring in a cot since he will not be able to make it to the bed? These are questions I did not think to ask the doctor on the phone call today and any experience from the past would be appreciated.
 
A few thoughts (and lots of mental good wishes sent to your son and your family):
Some years ago I broke my ankle playing college sports and required surgery. I was very tough-minded and independent and assured my parents they didn't need to come. Thankfully they ignored me and came anyway and it was wonderful to see them in the recovery room! So if you can do it without financial hardship I say make the trip. Secondly, for me learning to deal with that injury--when I could go it on my own and when I needed to ask for help--was a great learning experience. Obviously being at USNA is orders of magnitude more difficult but I strongly believe your son will learn and grow as this new "team" he has joined helps him adjust. Finally, you'd be surprised by how fast bones knit! He will be A-okay and this will ultimately just be a few months out of a 47 month journey. Best of luck to you and yours!
 
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This is hopefully just a little bit of comfort to you, but my neighbor's daughter is a USNA grad and now working with the Sports doctors at USNA. She probably has had contact with your son since this injury occured. The word from this neighbor is that her daughter was extremely pleased by the doctors at USNA and thrilled with how the plebes are treated medically. He will be in good hands.
 
lovethenavy - we went down to Annapolis last Thursday evening with intentions to watch the 4/C first formal parade scheduled for 9:30 Friday morning. Well, it was cancelled at the last minute (9:25) due to the climbing temperature. However, we saw at least three Plebes on crutches making their way to Worden field with Detailer escorts - I guess to support their fellow Plebes from the sidelines. There was also a Plebe with a 'boot' on his right foot to stabilize an ankle or maybe a shin. So, there is ample evidence that your DS will be reunited with his fellow Plebes as soon as is practicable after his recovery. :smile: As for the parade being cancelled, we saw our Plebe Thursday evening on way to Alumni Hall for a character building lecture, then again Friday morning doing close order drill practice.
 
Two thoughts on this ... 1) you know your son, if you think it would help to go give a hug, and you can afford it, GO ... you will not regret it. Parent weekend is coming up, and I have to tell you, my now youngster son gave me the biggest, strongest, longest hug of his life. When my son had his wisdom teeth out after Junior year in High school ... he did not know where he was as he came out of the anthestic ... and he was infinitely glad that I was there. I was cheerful and calm, and it helped him immensley.
2) if you can not go, he will be OK, an ankle break (as bad as this one sounds) is not life threatening, nor likely to be a long-term, life-altering injury. He likely will be just fine ... if you go ... no tears in his presence. This goes for PPW too ... super strong hugs; a brave if quivery smile ... but this is about helping him through a tough time ... his buddies and the medical staff are very supportive, I hear, and I believe it ...
We send you warm thoughts and deep prayers ...
 
Our thoughts are with you, your son, and your family!

He will be fine in the end, but it's still very troubling to have to go through this. Know that the academy will take good care of your son (we all have to have faith in that!) and if you can't get there now, PPW is soon.

Best of luck with the surgery - and please keep us posted!
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with your family, and especially your plebe. As others have said, he is in great hands, they will put him back together again and he will be back with his company before he knows it. His Navy family will take care of him.
So sorry you are going thru this.
 
lovethenavy said:
Thank you all for the kind words and prayers. Since we will not get to talk to our son until Friday morning of the surgery and he would not want us to come out. My husband and I both agree that this is something that he will have to go thru with the support of the people at the USNA. Does anyone know where they recover after the surgery? Will they stay in their same room and bring in a cot since he will not be able to make it to the bed? These are questions I did not think to ask the doctor on the phone call today and any experience from the past would be appreciated.
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First, let me say I'm sorry to hear that he got hurt. You and your son are in my prayers. I know it can be tough so far away, but things happen. When you come out to PPW you'll be surprised by the number of plebes on crutches or in a sling or limping around. Things happen, but like many people have said - he's in good hands.

Most likely the surgery will take place at Bethesda, since it's a little more than just a normal operation like a knee scope. He'll probably have a few days at the hospital as well. When he does get back in the hall they will either bring in a cot, or just pull down his mattress and put it on the floor. They will make sure he spends as much time with his company as possible. He'll have to learn how to adapt and still take part in company activities...he'll probably do a lot of arm circles :)frown:blah!). They've got great medical at USNA - I had two shoulder surgeries and an elbow surgery while there and recovered just great :)

Stay positive and try to keep his spirits high.
 
Really sorry to hear of the bad news and will say prayers for him. I agree that he'll miss not being as big a part of the "gang", but the Detailers I'm sure will keep him on the go as mush as possible. I've seen a number of Plebes walking around on crutches the past week or so; at least your son has a truly legit reason while he was in training! And like someone said, imagine if he did that just before I-Day and failed the entry physical; that would truly suck. As much $ as they invest in every Plebe over 4 yrs, you can bet he'll get top medical care. And a broken ankle is better than something like a torn Achilles (I've been there) from a recovery point of view.

OK...I cannot resist. Since he broke it running down a hill, I fully expect that they have dozers out there right now leveling every hill in sight and placing warning signs that forbid running down hills, since someone can get hurt. (Not poking fun at your son, but at the ridiculous handling of the lard-free Herndon climb this spring which was done to avoid any possibility of injury as if they're at a local daycare facility.)

Good luck to him for a speedy recovery! :thumb:
 
Talked to the Doctor today

Thank you for all of outpouring of support. I can't tell you how much it has helped to read your messages. I can not say enough about how wonderful the doctor has been. He just called my husband on his way to do some other ankle surgeries. He has reassured us that DS is in good hands. It sounds like it will be same day surgery at the hospital in Annapolis, then it will be back to Bancroft to recover in Sick Quarters for about 72 hours. Then he said my son could stay on first floor in a hospital bed, or go back up to the room and sleep on a cot. He said that he knows just by talking to my son that he knows he will not want to spend any time in a hospital bed drawing attention to himself. Said he will want to do all the things his shipmates are doing and so will hopefully just hobble around in his short cast and crutches. I will let everyone know how the surgery goes. Again, thank you for caring. My husband says.."Well, now we know...the Navy takes care of their own".
 
lovethenavy said:
Thank you for all of outpouring of support. I can't tell you how much it has helped to read your messages. I can not say enough about how wonderful the doctor has been. He just called my husband on his way to do some other ankle surgeries. He has reassured us that DS is in good hands. It sounds like it will be same day surgery at the hospital in Annapolis, then it will be back to Bancroft to recover in Sick Quarters for about 72 hours. Then he said my son could stay on first floor in a hospital bed, or go back up to the room and sleep on a cot. He said that he knows just by talking to my son that he knows he will not want to spend any time in a hospital bed drawing attention to himself. Said he will want to do all the things his shipmates are doing and so will hopefully just hobble around in his short cast and crutches. I will let everyone know how the surgery goes. Again, thank you for caring. My husband says.."Well, now we know...the Navy takes care of their own".
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Please keep us posted on his surgery and progress!
 
Dear 'Love the Navy' Mom

Your son will do fine - his classmates/room-mates will help him through this. He will get excellent medical attention and will be back on his feet in no time.
Stay strong for him and remember that he is one of the best and brightest this country has to offer - his determination, that got him into USNA - will see him through. Send care packages - with stuff that he can share with those who will help him.
One of my sons injured his ankle during BUD/S training. They told him he'd recover in 6 weeks. Three weeks later he was back in training. They're made of the "Right Stuff" - you'll see.
 
Lovethenavy: I got tears reading your message and then again reading how they are handling it at USNA! Hang in there, sista!
 
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