The foot.......sigh

We were so close to the end of the walking boot, that we let Liam go swimming and lounging without it. On Black Friday, (now to be known as "bleak Friday") we went to breakfast in the hotel. We let Liam go without the boot. (smacking self in head). Then we got the bright idea to head to the waterfront and forgot to go get the boot. For those of you who have been to Maui, you know about the Banyan tree in Lahaina town. Its huge, and old. Liam says, "mama, 8 year old boys supposed to play"!. Mama says, "no playing or running or jumping"!! "but... we can take a picture of you with the tree". (start foreboding music now)

We staged the picture, I took the picture. Liam went to get down and just landed wrong on his foot. Yes "THAT" foot! We knew by how badly he was reacting it was not good. He was in way more pain than the last time he broke his foot. It swelled pretty quickly and pretty big. We were told by an information person, that a clinic was right around the corner. Unfortunately we arrived 3 minutes too late. The 4 people behind the counter doing nothing informed me that we had to wait 2 hours until they got back from lunch. After much back and forth, we were told that hawaiians are laid back and basically even if he were spewing blood, he'd have to wait. But, since we thought he might have broken something, well... they didnt have xray capabilities until tuesdays when the tech worked. So, we could wait for 2 hours, see a doctor and THEN get sent to the hospital, or go right to the hospital now. ugh.

We have experience with this hospital. 6 years ago, on Shauns first trip to Maui, he fell and banged his head on some lava and required stitches. We had to go to this hospital, which is a far cry from the medical care we are used to here in Boston. After 3 hours, an xray and some codeine, we were told that Liam had a distal break in his tibia. He was splinted and we got his xray on a cd to bring to his orthopedic doc. Poor Liam.

The tree. aka "scene of the crime" It was planted in 1873. This is the center of the tree. This tree grows, drops vines that then root and create different trunk like offshoots.






Here are the boys sitting on the branches of the Banyan tree. It's hard to see but these branches are very low. I put the boys up there, and the branches were at my waist height.


Apparently health care excellence means something different in Maui. This is the sign to the first clinic we went to.


This is the place. A 40 minute drive to the "other side" and we arrive at Maui Memorial Hospital.


Waiting in the hospital to be "triaged". Luckily there were only a few drug addicts in the waiting room this time. When Shaun was there 6 years ago, it seems we were the only people there who were not in search of drugs.


A little pain med on board and a long wait to be told that it was broken by a doctor who never actually examined or touched him. He poked his head in the door and said "it's broken, go to your orthopedist when you get home".