Recruit 2 Visits a mountain ER but all is Well. (I sang that on my drive there BTW)

*The following talks about some boy-man parts and may not be appropriate for everyone.
**I have permission from Recruit 2 to share the following.
***If you're a guy you may want to hold some one's hand.

Well you know what they say about good intentions. I had really really good intentions of hanging out with the two little recruits, visiting a friend I had not seen in way too many years and leisurely making my way to the mountains to pick Recruit 2 up from his ten days of fun.

I also intended to capture fun photos and think up clever little comments. Well, comments anyway. I have a few photos, but I don't want to go get the camera right now.

My leisurely trip was not to be. I have lots of stories, none which will be shared in order because the big news around here is Recruit 2's latest injury. Those who have followed the chronicles of this Marine Family know Recruit 2 not only sustains injuries on a regular basis, but rarely are they normal!

Just was the case this Thursday. There I was getting ready to head into a small town to find something to wear the two little fellas out when my phone rang. When I saw it was the number of the counselor at Recruit 2's camp I answered already knowing there was a problem.

A small part of me thought maybe they're letting him call me to say bring more clean underwear.

A very small, minuscule, squeaky part.

Kelli: "Hello"

Counselor: "Hi this is a counselor and I wanted to call and let you know Recruit 2 has received an injury on the trail and they've taken him to the hospital. His counselor is with him and he's okay, but they need to get him checked."

Kelli: "Okay..."

Counselor continues as I pull over into a store parking lot.

Counselor: "Apparently he fell and cut his scrotum"

Kelli: "Okay"

I asked several questions. I don't remember them. I just remember thinking WHAT? Where were his pants? What was he doing with his scrotum that it got cut? OH MY GOSH! MY GRANDCHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I told you this was not a normal injury and not to read this alone if you were a guy didn't I?

Counselor: "They are on their way now and they should be calling you very soon. I just wanted to let you know what was happening before you got a call from the hospital. I'm so sorry I don't have any other details."

The counselor was really sweet and oddly enough I wasn't panicking. Probably for several reasons. In some ways a phone call that this particular child has been injured is a.) not uncommon, and b.) that it's an odd injury is not uncommon. Plus if you read the post on dropping Recruit 2 off, you'll remember a blessing he and I both received from The Marine. It came to mind as I headed back to my friend's home to pack up my gear.

Fortunately we hadn't been there long, so not a lot to gather. I received a call from the hospital and spoke with Recruit 2. He had been assessed but they were waiting on a surgeon to come in and evaluate the situation to see if it needed surgery or just suturing because of the location of the injury.

Recruit 2: "MOM"

Kelli: "Recruit! What the heck! What happened?

So he told me enough for me to get the picture.

Kelli: "Okay, listen. Do you want me there? I'm only four hours from you."

R2 without hesitation said yes.

We left 6.4 minutes later.

Here is what happened from all the details I've gathered.

The group was on their two night three day adventure up on the mountain. On the second day it began raining so they stopped to prepare a shelter. Recruit 2 shimmied up a tree to tie a tarp. It was already wet and he slipped and slid/fell down the tree approximately 2 feet. There must have been something protruding from the tree that his little friends caught on and while the shorts didn't rip, his personals did, causing a 4 inch gash down there. There was one layer of skin holding the left fellow inside.

(I'm not sure how to appropriately write this by the way. I usually use anatomically correct words, but that just somehow doesn't work here.)

He said there was no pain, but he had this "feeling" something wasn't right so he looked in there and said "Hey guys, I have a problem". (he was speaking to the others in his group, not into his pants)

They created a makeshift litter with their walking sticks and a tarp. Two of them ran two different directions to get a signal on their cell phones to call the camp and EMS.

EMS met them and transferred Recruit 2 onto the basket for the rest of the way to the ambulance. It was about 2.5 miles off the mountain according to R2.

So some details I'll leave out, like all the man part jokes, many of which I think my son was cracking.

The surgeon decided he didn't need surgery and using a local stitched up the muscular layer and then about 40 stitches according to R2 put the outside layer back in place. However I found out the stitch count was according to R2's count as he watched his anatomy being quilted back into place. I have no idea the actual number.

Other factoids:

• He had morphine in the ambulance but nothing else until the hotel when he took a vicodin.
• He had the presence of mind to make fun of a guy with a bee sting in the curtain next to him which I told him was NOT NICE.
• 20 cc of lidacain (I know that's not spelled right, but it's four a.m.) shot directly into his scrotum. (If you're a man we'll all pause for you to stop gasping for air. Okay stand back up it's really not happening to you right now!)
• He really wanted to stay to see his group come off the trail so he could say goodbye.
• He wanted his MOM! (okay he was on morphine and will probably deny this part)
• He was never scared. I actually believe that. Every time I spoke with him I never heard fear.
• He plans to frame the shorts he was wearing and hang them in his room. My family is weird.

I arrived at 2330 and he had just been released from the ER. I picked him up and we went to a hotel where he took a much needed shower.

I would be remiss in not stating here how great the staff was at the camp. One of his counselors stayed with him the whole time at the hospital and they were very accomadating when I called and kept me informed, so I'm very pleased with the care and concern R2 received from the staff.

okay on with the tale.

I was followed to the hotel by a police man. Apparently I failed to dim my lights at him but when I told him my son was injured and we were arriving at our THIRD hotel because all night clerks in the area must have been having a meeting he was very nice, and I profusely apologized as well for blinding him. I had in fact just been complaining myself about some inconsiderate drivers who did the same thing to me, so I felt really stupid.

R2 was fairly ripe from being out on the trail. I stopped at a local gas station/food mart and lucky for him they had cool tie-died t-shirts since he had none of his gear. They had cut off his UNSCATHED shorts and he had cool hospital pants on.

Now the two little recruits were with me the whole time, so you know, YOU KNOW, there are many details I'm not sharing. Just thought I would blog those separate and get this story concluded.

We got up the next morning (Friday) and picked up the rest of his gear from camp and headed home. I took him straight to the urgent care clinic here at our base (WE DON'T HAVE AN ER) to get a wound check and see if they would do an ultrasound which was not done at the ER on the mountain and should have been.

They were all impressed here at home with the fact Recruit 2 had 0 pain and 0 swelling. It was a little odd seeing three men all looking at his business (and saying how great the injury looked)while I sat looking the other way.

The pain part is because he is a carbon copy of his Dad who is a freakish man when it comes to injury and pain and the 0 swelling probably can be attributed to the ice R2 sat on for seven hours while we drove home.

Currently he sleeps in the room next to me as I type this out. We will go see an urologists this week to follow up.

I must say he is an amazing young man. Brave and tough with a wonderful sense of humor. I am so thankful for the blessings he and I received when he left for camp, and I am even more grateful for a Loving Father in Heaven who watches over my handsome son... ALOT

As far as his posterity? The ER nurse on the mountain said he will still be able to have many beautiful three eyed children just as expected!