Pain logic

Princess, we know, has a high tolerance to physical pain. The poking and prodding she has sometimes had to endure would bring tears to the eyes of the most stoic individual (and often has to mine). Princess, however, seems to be made of very tough stuff and though I know she does feel pain, sometimes it's hard to know to what degree. She really doesn't seem to like giving much away.

Last Friday afternoon she had an inexplicably swollen ankle, but was tight-lipped as to how or when the cause of it happened, or even if it was hurting her. Finally, after a discussion about going to the doctor for an x-ray she blurted out that it DID hurt but she didn't want to go to the hospital (which we unfortunately ended up doing because no other x-ray places were open).

She then told us it had happened the night before (I remember the likely incident - had no idea she had actually HURT herself!). In hindsight, she had been teary that morning, but I couldn't pin-point why. All day at school she had quietly endured the pain, and after school she remained tight-lipped - all because she didn't want to go to the doctor. And who can blame her?

Sigh. A child's logic can be so heartbreakingly logical.

End result: No broken bones. Probably stretched ligaments. Definitely a much wiser mother. And Princess is all smiles again.

(PS. I know I'm not the only parent of a child who thinks things through...)