Last Saturday my son almost died...
Yes, you read that correctly. Last Saturday my son almost died. He is FINE. Let me put that out there for all of you before you worry too much.
How did he almost die?
My son picked up a rattlesnake. A young, very venomous, very real rattlesnake. I know it was a rattlesnake because I took a picture of it at the end of it all.
He WASN'T bitten. I don't know how. I don't know why. I am just very thankful.
Now that you know all the important parts I will begin the story.
I had decided to take my husband and family camping for fathers day. My husband loves to camp. I hate it. I hate it even more now. Anyways, I went shopping and purchased all the food required for this weekend retreat. Gram crackers, marsh mellows, chocolate... can you tell we made smores? I also picked up some chicken and potatoes for dutch oven cooking. Yum. My husband was in charge of packing the tent, sleeping bags, and all the other camping equipment. He did a great job.
Saturday morning my husband went and picked out a camping spot up Logan Canyon. Guinavah-Malibu was his camp site of choice. The site was great. Close to the bathrooms and nicely shaded. He took the kids up early and set up camp. I had to work until 5:30 p.m. that night, so I arrived around 7:00 p.m. I finally arrive and the kids go nuts. The are very excited that I am there. The really cool feature at this particular campsite is there is an amphitheater. My husband and I actually got married there.
My husband and kids all brought their guitars so they wanted to perform on the stage. We go up and they all take turns performing. My husband plays real songs while my kids strum and make up songs. Quite entertaining. It is fun to hear what they come up with. During my daughters performance my son goes down the side steps to come around and sit by me. He decided, I guess, to go the "long" way. Then he starts calling me,"Hey Mom! Come here!" He sounded really excited and honestly WAS. /shudders I stand up and walk behind the amphitheaterwhere he is now located. He bends down and picks up a snake and starts laughing.
Alright, we ALL now know how much I really HATE snakes. Any snakes.
Here is the dialog and my observations at this point:
Me: PUT THAT SNAKE DOWN!
Son: Why? Is it venomous?
(At this particular time I cannot tell that it is a rattlesnake. I am about 15 feet away and it is small. It also looked slightly yellow to me, but alarm bells were ringing in my head.)
Me: I DON'T KNOW. PUT THE SNAKE DOWN!
Son: I want to show dad.
Me: PUT THE SNAKE DOWN!
Son: If I swing it this way mom it can't bite me.
(He starts swinging the snake in a circle. He is holding the snake by the tail. He also starts running towards me since he KNOWS I am scared of snakes.)
Son: Dad! I got a snake!
Dad: Let me see it.
Me: PUT THE SNAKE DOWN! (seems this is all I could say)
Dad: (takes snake by tail) Um, this is a Rattlesnake Brigitte.)
Me: SON, GET AWAY FROM YOUR DAD NOW!!! THAT SNAKE IS POISONOUS!
(My son steps away and I pull him back. My husband walks away and puts the snake down. FINALLY)
Me: Son, did you get bitten? Honestly, tell me now. Did the snake bite you? I need to know if I have to take you to the hospital right now.
Son: Um... no.
Me: Son, you have to tell me now. Did it bite you anywhere?
Son: NO MOM!
(My husband comes back now)
Me: Dad, did the snake bite you?
Dad: No.
Me: Are you sure? Check.
(This is when I personally check my son and husband for bites. I honestly don't believe either of them.)
In conclusion, both my son and husband are fine. Neither was bitten. I have checked my son at least five times a day since this event. I keep looking at his feet and hands. I know how serious this is. If that snake would have bitten my son he would most likely be dead right now. At the least his arm would have been amputated. The smaller rattlesnakes supposedly have three times the concentrate of venom. I am very thankful that this didn't end up a tragedy. Around 8000 people are bitten each year by venomous snakes in the United States. Around 15 of them die each year. Most of the deaths occur in children and people who weigh less than 120 lbs. I've been studying. Just go to the links to read for yourself.
I am very relieved, but I am also very angry. I am angry at myself that I didn't teach my son better. I have a snake book and have often read it to him. I have shown him what a rattlesnake looks like. We have a lot around here. I am very angry with myself for not explaining in absolute detail what we should do when we see this type of snake. I have said that we leave them alone and get away. Obviously it wasn't enough. Now he knows that he is NOT allowed to pick up any snakes at all, unless his dad says he can. NO SNAKES. NONE. So if his dad is not there... too bad. I made this point clear. I make it clear everyday.
I have also cried everyday. The emotions that go through me astound me. One second I am fine, and then the next I am bawling. I can't help it. I just keep thinking "what if?" I really could use some type of muscle relaxer, Valium, mind-altering drug (not that I am endorsing them at all) to get my mind off of this. I have to take Tylenol PM at night just to finally fall asleep. I hope this goes away someday. Any advice?
I love my son.
I love my husband.
I love my daughter.
I love my parents.
I love my friends. All of you.
How did he almost die?
My son picked up a rattlesnake. A young, very venomous, very real rattlesnake. I know it was a rattlesnake because I took a picture of it at the end of it all.
He WASN'T bitten. I don't know how. I don't know why. I am just very thankful.
Now that you know all the important parts I will begin the story.
I had decided to take my husband and family camping for fathers day. My husband loves to camp. I hate it. I hate it even more now. Anyways, I went shopping and purchased all the food required for this weekend retreat. Gram crackers, marsh mellows, chocolate... can you tell we made smores? I also picked up some chicken and potatoes for dutch oven cooking. Yum. My husband was in charge of packing the tent, sleeping bags, and all the other camping equipment. He did a great job.
Saturday morning my husband went and picked out a camping spot up Logan Canyon. Guinavah-Malibu was his camp site of choice. The site was great. Close to the bathrooms and nicely shaded. He took the kids up early and set up camp. I had to work until 5:30 p.m. that night, so I arrived around 7:00 p.m. I finally arrive and the kids go nuts. The are very excited that I am there. The really cool feature at this particular campsite is there is an amphitheater. My husband and I actually got married there.
My husband and kids all brought their guitars so they wanted to perform on the stage. We go up and they all take turns performing. My husband plays real songs while my kids strum and make up songs. Quite entertaining. It is fun to hear what they come up with. During my daughters performance my son goes down the side steps to come around and sit by me. He decided, I guess, to go the "long" way. Then he starts calling me,"Hey Mom! Come here!" He sounded really excited and honestly WAS. /shudders I stand up and walk behind the amphitheaterwhere he is now located. He bends down and picks up a snake and starts laughing.
Alright, we ALL now know how much I really HATE snakes. Any snakes.
Here is the dialog and my observations at this point:
Me: PUT THAT SNAKE DOWN!
Son: Why? Is it venomous?
(At this particular time I cannot tell that it is a rattlesnake. I am about 15 feet away and it is small. It also looked slightly yellow to me, but alarm bells were ringing in my head.)
Me: I DON'T KNOW. PUT THE SNAKE DOWN!
Son: I want to show dad.
Me: PUT THE SNAKE DOWN!
Son: If I swing it this way mom it can't bite me.
(He starts swinging the snake in a circle. He is holding the snake by the tail. He also starts running towards me since he KNOWS I am scared of snakes.)
Son: Dad! I got a snake!
Dad: Let me see it.
Me: PUT THE SNAKE DOWN! (seems this is all I could say)
Dad: (takes snake by tail) Um, this is a Rattlesnake Brigitte.)
Me: SON, GET AWAY FROM YOUR DAD NOW!!! THAT SNAKE IS POISONOUS!
(My son steps away and I pull him back. My husband walks away and puts the snake down. FINALLY)
Me: Son, did you get bitten? Honestly, tell me now. Did the snake bite you? I need to know if I have to take you to the hospital right now.
Son: Um... no.
Me: Son, you have to tell me now. Did it bite you anywhere?
Son: NO MOM!
(My husband comes back now)
Me: Dad, did the snake bite you?
Dad: No.
Me: Are you sure? Check.
(This is when I personally check my son and husband for bites. I honestly don't believe either of them.)
In conclusion, both my son and husband are fine. Neither was bitten. I have checked my son at least five times a day since this event. I keep looking at his feet and hands. I know how serious this is. If that snake would have bitten my son he would most likely be dead right now. At the least his arm would have been amputated. The smaller rattlesnakes supposedly have three times the concentrate of venom. I am very thankful that this didn't end up a tragedy. Around 8000 people are bitten each year by venomous snakes in the United States. Around 15 of them die each year. Most of the deaths occur in children and people who weigh less than 120 lbs. I've been studying. Just go to the links to read for yourself.
I am very relieved, but I am also very angry. I am angry at myself that I didn't teach my son better. I have a snake book and have often read it to him. I have shown him what a rattlesnake looks like. We have a lot around here. I am very angry with myself for not explaining in absolute detail what we should do when we see this type of snake. I have said that we leave them alone and get away. Obviously it wasn't enough. Now he knows that he is NOT allowed to pick up any snakes at all, unless his dad says he can. NO SNAKES. NONE. So if his dad is not there... too bad. I made this point clear. I make it clear everyday.
I have also cried everyday. The emotions that go through me astound me. One second I am fine, and then the next I am bawling. I can't help it. I just keep thinking "what if?" I really could use some type of muscle relaxer, Valium, mind-altering drug (not that I am endorsing them at all) to get my mind off of this. I have to take Tylenol PM at night just to finally fall asleep. I hope this goes away someday. Any advice?
I love my son.
I love my husband.
I love my daughter.
I love my parents.
I love my friends. All of you.
eloquently composed by Brigitte Ballard at 10:44 PM
4 Comments:
scary bridge, there are a lot of those rattlesnakes at the amphitheater, we used to go up there for church once a year and every year there was always a rattlesnake that was either hanging out on the stage or around it. I think its because it is a big rocky place and the snakes just love it. I also believe that there is a den nearby too, its that time of the year for them. Thank god that Mason did not get bit, that would have really sucked, and you would have been a serious mess, more then you are right now even though he didn't get bit. Take care Bridge, love you all
Jeez, Bridge... you just can't catch a break, can you?
Thank God no one was bitten.
Now. Stop looking up snakes and scaring the hell outta yourself. Stop asking "what if." "If" didn't happen. 'Tsok now.
Got it? ;-)
Seriously, I'm glad to hear everyone's fine. Except your nerves, that is :-)
Your breaking my heart!
I'm so glad M is fine and I agree with eagle... put the mouse down now. No don't go to that snake site! It's too much for you ;-)
You have to stop thinking that he almost died. That's putting thoughts in your mind that don't need to be there - if you're saying it, if you're thinking it.. you're giving it right back to yourself and affirming it. If he *had* been bitten, he would have been rushed to a doctor and treated for a snake bite. Only like 5% of the people bitten die - right? And it's because they have an allergic reaction... which is about the same percent of people who have a reaction to a bee sting.
I grew up around snakes (we lived on a lake in the country). I used to pick up copperheads and rattlesnakes all the time and it would really piss off my mom. If she knew half of the stuff I did while I was off wandering the country by myself or in my little row boat (why I was allowed to go out in a little boat at the age of 9 is just beyond me??) she would have flipped.
The biggest fight my parents ever got in was when Poppy brought a black rat snake into our house during Easter. My grandmother (her mother) was on chemo and very sick. My great grandmother was 101. They both got so upset they started vomiting. I literally thought (because my mother hates snakes that much too) that my mother was going to beat my father within an inch of his life).
We can't prepare for EVERY SINGLE situation that our children might encounter in life. I've talked to Faith about spiders - but not snakes. I've talked to her about crossing the street - but I haven't impressed stranger danger on her enough yet. I'm working on it.
The world is full of unlimited danger - you can't just bombard a child with everything. All that negativity would freak them out to the point they would be frozen and incapable of actually living. How awful would that be???
You were calm enough to save the day - right?
You are a very good mother. Everything is okay. Chances are more accidents will happen. Good grief - Faith has had some pretty bad things happen.. when she slid on the ice and ended up in the emergency room (have you seen those pictures?? Go to my flickr account and look for the "Ice Ice.. oh shut it" set) I realized that she nearly lost her eyesight and could have broken her neck, ended up paralyzed, had her face ruined for life or died.. I thought about it for awhile - I could either blamed Tom and obsessed out about the "what if's" or I could thank God that he protected my child.
Write a post about being thankful... write a post about what a great mom you are to care so much - or how brave you are. You fucking rock.
HUGS.
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