God knows that posting here has been few and far between but....when post-worthy things happen, they happen BIG

Yesterday was a normal day, post-transition (translation?  I'm sitting on my hands waiting for others to do their magic, so I can do mine), when, by some miraculous turn of events, I actually had something to DO.  Something PRESSING!

And, of course, that is when my phone rang.  It was The Husband telling me I needed to call Man-Child and calm him down.

Apparently, last Saturday, MC offered to help his friend's parents begin renovation on their house.  (What a good, thoughtful boy).  And, in the process, he punctured his hand on a rusty nail (of COURSE he did).  They poured some peroxide over it and called it done.

Here is where I can only assume what happened in the following days....

Someone must have mentioned tetanus shots and lock-jaw to him. 

The next thing I know, MC called The Husband to inform him that he punctured his hand with a rusty nail, neglected to go to the doctor and now he is all achy (particularly in the jaw) and worried.  In an attempt to alleviate his worry he went to the Minute Clinic (since school is not in session yet, he couldn't go to the campus clinic) and was told that they don't administer tetanus shots.  From there he went to the hospital where he was told more than 72 hours after the fact is too late to get the shot.

From all this I can only surmise that MC had consulted WebMD (he had) and didn't want to call me for fear that I would freak out.  So he called his dad - who, while trying to be calming, was definitely freaking out on the inside and, apparently not doing a good job at hiding it...hence why I was called.

So I texted MC and told him to call me.  When he did I could hear the worry in his voice.  I was calm as I explained to him that, more than likely, he is fine.  That if I remembered correctly (I hoped!) he had a shot not too long ago.  And that (again, if I remembered correctly) they were good for about ten years.  In an effort to teach him to think on his feet and deal with life, I told him I was in the middle of something (I WAS) that he should call our doctor's office first and find out when his last shot was and see what they had to say.  He said he would and that he'd call me back.

After two hours had passed, I texted him to find out what was going on.  When he called he told me that they had said they would have a Physician's Assistant call him - BUT that he had a tetanus shot in 2010 and was probably fine, and even though they DO last for ten years (who knew THAT was the kind of information my brain would actually hold on to?) it would probably be a good idea to get another one anyway.

And then, him being him, he missed the PA's call and by the time he called her back it was after hours and he couldn't reach her because....he has NEVER set up his voicemail ("Because, seriously Mom, who even USES voicemail anymore?) and she had no way of leaving him a message ("Now do you see WHY you need to set up your voicemail, Son?!).  *sigh*

I told him to use Advil for the "achy-ness" and to keep his hand clean and disinfected.  When I texted the next day he was feeling MUCH better.  I told him to stay away from WebMD and that I'd see him on Saturday (it is coincidental that I had already planned to be up there this weekend anyway, but it will be nice to see for myself what is what).

I think the boy has learned a few valuable lessons from this experience...

1.  If you puncture yourself with a rusty anything; immediately get a tetanus shot.
2.  Every ten years, get a tetanus shot - whether you need it or not.
3.  Stay away from WebMD - particularly about tetanus...apparently, it's pretty gruesome stuff.