Dad Vs The Wild

So... My dad decided to go "Float the Buffalo" with the kiddos at church last Saturday. Basically, it's getting in a little boat and braving the rapids. Well, we all know that nature and man don't always exist in harmony...

Dad, his cousin Mark, and Mark's 12 year old daughter Rachel were in a boat together. They were doing well and having a grand time until Rachel looks up at a tree they were heading towards and yells "SNAKE!". Before they knew it, the snake fell from the tree and into to the boat. I'm inclined to think the snake jumped. That's they way it plays out in my head.

Luckily... No one was bitten, despite the many attempts by the snake. Basically chaos broke out in the boat and the boat was flipped, and all three occupants were sent into the water... to get away from the snake... that was now also in the water with them. :-)

To make a long story short... the current took the boat, the boat took my dad, and my dad took a tree to the back. He is in a lot of pain and could definitely use your prayers.

Sunday he was pretty sore. Monday he went to work and they sent him home. So he went to the doctor who took an xray and told him no ribs were broken and sent him home. Tuesday he went back to work. Tuesday night he paid for it. He was in so much pain he was shaking. And then he kept falling down from it all. The pain was just so much to bear that his legs would give out and he'd just fall to his knees. So we took him to the ER. They gave him a pain reliever, an anti-inflammatory/steroid, and a muscle relaxer. It all helped to ease the pain. He still hurts, but is doing much better under the supervision of medication. :-)

If he continues to hurt, though, he'll need to go in for an MRI and see if he has any muscle damage. They took more xrays in the ER and determined there was no spinal damage, which is a relief.

Please pray for his healing. My family thanks you. :-)