Can I vent a little? Absolutely—it's my blog, after all. And no, this isn't about my knee (you'd be nodding off by now). My rehab is going steadily, with just the occasional hiccup, so let's move on.
It's my three daughters I'm talking about—two still at home and both incredibly athletic. They ditch screens for hockey fields, school soccer, and gymnastics cartwheels, pouring heart and hustle into every practice. No complaints there... until now.
Wi-Fi
This year alone, we've hit the First Aid Post seven times for sports injuries (not counting GP visits, follow-ups, casts, or physio). The year isn't even over. Broken foot, torn ankle ligaments, bruised elbows, fractured toes—you name it, we've got it. At the Academic Medical Center (AMC), they know my coffee order; the ER volunteer even slides over the milk jug. The doorman greets us: "You know the way? Register left." I quip, "Yes, we do." Perks include keeping elbow crutches in two sizes at home (great for friends too), up-to-date insurance cards, and my phone auto-connecting to every local hospital's Wi-Fi.
Thunderstorm
Fresh off a hospital-free family holiday (just my inflamed wisdom tooth extraction), school and sports resumed. Picking up the youngest from gymnastics, she's sidelined with a wet cloth on her ankle, tears streaming. Home treatment: ice and arnica. After rupturing ligaments in April, this makes injury number six. Orthopedist next. The middle one storms home from hockey, arm throbbing. Paracetamol and elevation overnight, but morning pain was unbearable. GP ordered X-rays at the hospital: "Break seems likely."
Munchhausen
"You know the way?" the doorman asks again. I'm starting to worry the ER nurses see me as a Munchausen by Proxy case—a rare psychiatric condition where parents fake or induce illness in kids for attention. (They sometimes even harm them.) My girls always recount their own stories, asked repeatedly: "How exactly did you fall?" Smart protocol. Friend Joyce calls, hearing via the grapevine: "Back in rhythm already? You'd panic without a monthly ER trip!"
Who is Marie-Anne? Marie-Anne, 48, married mother of three daughters, battles severe cartilage issues. She's thrilled with her new knee (next one's turn next year). Every other week, she blogs on family life, Dutch healthcare, her knee odyssey, and more.
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