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Playing football with a cracked back
Creed has always loved sports. And now he has a broken back. Should we still let him play tackle football?
I know it sounds ridiculous, but the answer we've arrived at is yes. We're going to send our 12-year-old son out onto the football field with a fractured L5 vertebra.
The docs say it's OK, as long as he's not in pain. Come on, football is a great game!
Get into the spirit!
You can never assume that just because you have healthy children and seemingly good genes, that the next day isn't going to remind you of that cliche about what you do when you "assume'' something.
Creed had had back pain when he was 9, and when he complained of lower back pain again this year, they ran a bunch of tests. (Now I know why health insurance is so expensive.)
After x-rays, a bone scan and an MRI, doctors determined last week that Creed has spondylosis, some kind of defect that makes you susceptible to stress fractures in your back.
And furthermore, his "L5'' is fractured all the way through, on both sides.
Apparently this is usually caused by playing sports. Not necessarily tackle football, either. It was maybe the wrestling, or baseball, or any sport that requires hyperextension of the back.
The words "body cast'' have not been mentioned. 
They say if he's in pain, he'll have to drop out of sports for three months.
That would be devastating.
I'm a sports cultist, really. I see the power of team sports on a boy.
I'm really not willing to give that up for Creed, by being overly conservative about this injury.
Maybe other parents would take tackle football off the list. But if sports playing is a great influence on a kid, football is the king daddy. It's almost like boot camp that a kid agrees to.
I love it.
And I'm not having my kid to turn into an obese TV-junkie who smokes pot.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work...
Joy Oglesby has an infant daughter and a sister 13 years her junior, whom she babies to the now-adult...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s...
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters...
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters...
Anne Vasquez is the Online Editor in charge of overseeing SunSentinel.com. She is the mother of a 5-year-old boy and a newborn daughter.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces...
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 13, and Lily, 6, and is married...
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator, and father of two boys and a girl all under the age of seven.
Comments
So, all kids who don't play football are obese TV junkies who smoke pot? Painting with that broad brush again, are we?
However, good for you for not letting fear paralyze (pun intended) you in making this tough decision. I applaud your family's decision to do what is right for you all and not let others interfere with what should be a personal choice.
Posted by: Michael's Mommy | July 24, 2007 3:40 PM
After reading this I would like 3 minutes of my life back.............................
Posted by: Huh | July 24, 2007 3:45 PM
I have put in a request with my editors to give you your three minutes of life back. We'll see how it goes, with budget cuts and all that.
Posted by: Brittany Wallman | July 24, 2007 6:38 PM
When your child becomes paralyzed because of your neglect and abuse this column will serve as an excellent submission of guilt to the fine people at HRS......I am completely disgusted that any parent could be so short sided to think that 3 months of no sports could be equal to lifelong paralysis. I, having played team sports my entire life, understand the importance of what can be learned through athletics and the many benifits. At the same time it is risk vs reward and it is your child's life not yours that you are playing with. Are you willing to pay that price?
Posted by: dumbfounded | July 26, 2007 11:33 AM
When your child becomes paralyzed because of your neglect and abuse this column will serve as an excellent submission of guilt to the fine people at HRS......I am completely disgusted that any parent could be so short sided to think that 3 months of no sports could be equal to lifelong paralysis. I, having played team sports my entire life, understand the importance of what can be learned through athletics and the many benifits. At the same time it is risk vs reward and it is your child's life not yours that you are playing with. Are you willing to pay that price?
Posted by: dumbfounded | July 26, 2007 11:33 AM
What does playing football have to do with not smoking pot?
Don't be hatin' on the weed, beeatch.
Posted by: Ricky Williams | July 27, 2007 8:13 AM
Look, if his doctor had said there was any danger, I would not hesitate to pull him out.
Posted by: Brittany Wallman | July 27, 2007 3:11 PM
Well,I have a fracture in my L5 vertebra and i totally understand your issue,im only 19 and yes ive played high school football with it!I had pain but it wasnt bad,it wasnt till after i stoped playing i started really noticing it,so i had full scholarship to go and play college football but i turned it down so i can kind of recover,i've got tons of shots in my spin and none of them really worked for long but i havent really lifted wieghts anymore but i plan on playing football again in the future,i know its a risk but im not going to let this stop me from what i love doing!And my doctor said i'll be fine!Alot of NFL players have this and they still play with it.
Posted by: Bishop | December 10, 2007 10:11 PM