Every parent's WORST nightmare

This is football season in Ukiah.  It is LIFE.  As many of you know Jelly has stepped away from fishing to pursue his football dream, and as a dad you gotta have his back.  Jelly has had a great season in the trenches, multilple sacks, blocked punts, etc...he has done his job.  I was in SR yesterday to cheer him on at a playoff game against Redwood PAL, their arch rivals.

In the middle of the second quarter, Redwood's fullback rounded the corner and Jelly is there to greet him.  Jelly speared the kid off his feet and out of bounds...but then Jelly didn't get up as fast as usual...and then he fell back down before getting on his feet...and before you know it he surrounded by the paramedics and I am on the field...h@ly $hit...my kid is hurt bad.

If your kid plays football, you know it happens...but when all of a sudden its your kid its a whole different deal.  When the entire stadium cheers as your son gets slid into the ambulance it doesn't help.  My gut was sinking and my spouse was a wreck.  Time to man-up and keep it all under control.

I rode with Jelly to Memorial.  The worst view I have ever seen...



The trauma center was plugged and Jelly got parked.  He was hurting bad, but  after some meds he wasn't even "there", it it got kinda weird...



Then the agonizing part...waiting.  Is he ok?  X-rays, CT Scans, exams...more waiting.  I realize your gonna wait at the ER, and the staff was great, but the uncertainty was excruciating.   My phone was ringing off of the hook.  Jelly came out of his haze, and I told him that I got a call from the game and they beat Redwood PAL.  Jelly's spirit started to return...



A few hours later I got the best news of my life...he was fine.  Sore, swollen, high-as-a-kite on meds, but fine.  THANK YOU!!!!!



When we got home I felt like we had REALLY dodged a bullet.  Me and Leah hugged, cried, hugged and cried some more, and again.  Damn...what a stressor!!!  Everyone from the Fire Dept. to the folks at the ER were 10 out of 10.  Thanks for the tremendous work!!! 

Jelly is home today. Life is good.

My thoughts are with you, Great outcome,,,

Dale L

I am glad to see Jelly is OK SBD.

Jedmo

Great report and pics!     I'm glad it turned out so well.   

Wow glad it turned out OK, that is super  scary for sure.

Jelly, you need to go fishing more 

Thanks guys...and Jelly does need to fish more often!

WOW that must have been scary glad eveything turned out well.

Me and Leah hugged, cried, hugged and cried some more, and again.  Damn...what a stressor!!!

Glad everything came out OK.  I know how stressful it can be for the family.  When I covered the ER at Sonoma General, families would agonize as we tried to assess head/neck injuries.  Only back then we didn't have MRIs and CAT scans--real dark-age medicine back then.  Memorial was just getting the first CAT scan in the region.

So I call Sean last nite to ask a kayak question which turns into "I'm at the hospital" then a series of....Oh Sh!t, oh Sh!t, are you kidding me..
 Does Jelly have a headache today?

Indeed Doug...me and Leah still feel wrung-out!  The folks and facilities at Memorial were 100% awesome.

Does Jelly have a headache today?

Jelly is deep in meds...not even sure if he knows he has a head!

Hang in there Sean/Leah and fam. Jelly will heal fast and be rocking again in no time.
Im glad to hear that he received good care from the system. I always worry a bit when its not me taking care of my friends.

Jelly,
that which does not kill us makes us stranger.

Glad everything turned out OK thoughts are with you!

I nearly cried reading the story, just evoked some memories.  So glad for your family to hear he's up and at 'em.

Glad every thing is well. Sean Its only just begun if he stays in sports. Bit of advise DONT LET HIM WRESTLE. We have gone thru broken collar bone, leg and an arm. Thats just one sport.
Jelly take it easy.