Thursday, March 05, 2009

My son got hammered on his 21st birthday.

Yesterday was J-Dub's 21st birthday. I called him on my way home from work to see if I could drop off a cake and a card (with cash), thinking he may have left work early. I asked if he was at home. He said, "No, I'm at the hospital."

Those of you who followed me at Journalspace may remember that I have a phobia of March. March is when all the bad things happen. Last year, my youngest son had emergency surgery to have a blood clot removed from his spine at midnight on February 29th. The year before, my father passed away in March, and in years before that we lost my father-in-law and my husband's favorite uncle.

So it wasn't really unexpected that somebody I know would end up in the hospital. The cause couldn't really be predicted, though - while at work, my son was banging on a piece of equipment with a hammer when the hammer shattered, embedding a piece of steel into his thumb.

I didn't go to the hospital to hold his other hand, because I had the youngest son's sectional basketball game to go to (they lost), and J-Dub wouldn't have wanted me there anyway. When I called later to check on him, he said, "I'm in surgery right now."

Words every mother secretly wishes to hear from her son, but only if he's a doctor.

19 comments:

Marchelle said...

It's sad to say this, but I'm not surprised either!

What the heck?????

Glad he's ok!

Fijufic said...

OUCH!!!!

Marty said...

The post title had me thinking something else... or maybe it is just me.

yackydoodle said...

he had his cell phone with him in surgery?

MauritaMason said...

Marchelle, could've been worse!

Fijufic, exactly.

Marty, no, it's possibly me too.

yacky, I think he was making that up...unless the hospital really wanted to pad the bill and dirtied up an OR to make more money.

doanli said...

I'm glad J-Dub is okay too..*hugs*

We'll try to keep you cheery through this month. Hope this is the only bad thing that happens to you!

jadedj said...

I'm with Marty...not what I expected either. Glad it was just the thumb...coulda been an eye.

BTW-wish you hadn't told me about March badness...3 weeks to go.

becomingkate said...

It's so lucky that it was just his thumb!

Simon Butler said...

Perhaps they were carrying out surgery on his cell phone while he was there. It may have sustained shrapnel injuries too.

MauritaMason said...

doanli, I hope so too. Thanks!

j, yes, the line "you could put your eye out with that thing" did cross my mind.

kate, yes it was!

Simon, true. My phone could use a little surgery, too.

Nautilus said...

I used to call my Mum from the doctors from time to time and just say "guess where I am?"

The reply from Mum would be "how many stiches?"

fragilewisdom said...

I agree with Jaded; it could have been much worse! I am glad that he is going to be ok.

LERMONTOV said...

Better than finding out your daughter needs stiches after being hammered!

MauritaMason said...

Nautilus, I have 3 sons, so I'm familiar with the emergency room too!

fragilewisdom, I got to view the x-rays last night. I guess he was so proud of his wound that he asked for pictures. This sort of thing just makes a guy tougher.

Lerm, some of you guys must have a different definition of 'hammered' than I do. According to the Urban Dictionary, which is without question the premier online dictionary, it means drunk off your ass. So you get hammered your way, and I'll get hammered my way!

Steve said...

Actually, hearing the words, "I'm in surgery right now," are not THAT bad. Because if he can talk while he's being surgified, it's not that bad.

And is there a month where the people you don't like drop dead? That's a month to look forward to!

Unless of course you're one of the people that you don't like.

Steve said...

Things he could've said that might've been worse:

"Mom, just on a break from filming this porn movie."

"Mom, just on a break from filming this gay porn movie."

"Mom, I'm in jail, and there's a federal marshall on his way to your house to take your computer."

"Mom, what's the age of consent in Pennsylvania?"

"Mom, I just saw a picture of you on the internet, and let's just say I didn't know you had any tattoos."

MauritaMason said...

Steve, no one I don't like has ever died. Shame.

I gotta admit, every one of those lines made me laugh.

Linda S. Socha said...

Maurita
You were obviously a child bride.
A 21 year old son. Ok. My granddaughter. who I help raise..about the same age (I was a young mom with a first baby at 16) was just in a car accident and ended up with a steel plate in her wrist and many stitches....She asked the Surgeon to take photos....He did ...on her cell phone
Ah... parenting...really glad he is ok
Linda

MauritaMason said...

Linda, I like you. I like you a lot. Glad your granddaughter is okay, too! Funny about the cell phone photos.