<p>Here’s a doozy: “Mom. I got bit by a shark”</p>
<p>Not something I expected to hear and hope I never do again. (He’s fine, just a few stitches many hours after the event when someone convinced him he should go get it checked).</p>
<p>Oh my goodness! I don’t have anything to top that!</p>
<p>nope nothing to top that either!</p>
<p>I think we have a winner!</p>
<p>Winner, winner, chicken dinner! How did it happen? Was he in shallow water? That seems to be when it happens. I’ve dived with sharks for decades and never had a problem. Usually it’s a combination of murky water and movement. Sharks bite things to see if they are good to eat. Luckily they don’t really like how humans taste! Hope he heals quickly. I’m sure he’s been told to be vigilant about watching for infection.</p>
<p>He was fishing (so can’t blame the shark even though they weren’t fishing for shark). He wasn’t even going to go get it stitched, as he was out on a boat and he thought it was too late when he got back to shore hours later. Luckily a friend who was not on the fishing trip heard about it and persuaded him to go to the ER and also said what you did about infection. They stitched his hand and put him on a strong dose of antibiotics. He has beautiful hands 
but will probably carry a pretty big scar. I’m just glad he still has all his fingers.</p>
<p>The big prize goes to swmicatsson! LOL (and a shudder) about all those fingers.</p>
<p>You are definitely the winner of a contest none of us wanted to win!</p>
<p>It actually was not near as bad as it sounds. He was lucky and just ended up with a deep gash. But it was a pretty startling conversation opener. (he just wanted to let me know before i saw the pictures on facebook!!). </p>
<p>Funny thing is, he never goes to the doctor. He changed to a high deductible plan in April and since then has hurt his back and had to have xrays and now has had an ER trip. Feels like he jinxed himself switching to the high deductible and Is thinking he may switch back to the regular health plan next April.</p>
<p>I’m glad he’s OK! We jinxed ourselves this year by putting DH on a separate insurance plan (we’re self-employed and could save a couple of hundred dollars a month this way). So this year, DS AND DH have each required medical care costing over $10,000. We would have been better off having DH on the same plan as the rest of us, but who would have expected this to happen?</p>
<p>I struggle every year when the time comes to decide on our health insurance plan. have gone high deductible the last couple of years to get the tax break on the HSA savings. have noticed the price on the HD getting closer and closer to the non HD the last year or so, plus I do find I am avoiding going to the doc when I know I should because I begrudge paying out more money on top of the thousands I am paying on insurance. May switch back to the other plan this year.</p>
<p>MaineLonghorn, we also learned the hard way not to skimp on health insurance. We’re also self-employed, but years ago, when we were both working for corporations, DH and I chose a really cheap health plan because, hey, we were young and healthy. That was the year DH got cancer. Our out-of-pocket expenses were horrendous. We’ve opted for the maxi-premium-expensive-extra-special-plan every year since.</p>
<p>Like swimcatsmom, we do have a high deductible, but at least we know when there’s a real health crisis, the expensive stuff is covered.</p>
<p>One of the reasons I took my present job was because of the superior health benefits. We were forced to go on DH’s policy when I was unemployed for 18 months ($10,000 family deductible) and we’ll be digging out from that for years.</p>
<p>Wow. That is impressive. And I’m very glad it wasn’t a very big bite!</p>
<p>“he just wanted to let me know before i saw the pictures on facebook!!”</p>
<p>How 21st century is this?</p>
<p>I’m still speechless…</p>
<p>Swimcat…glad your S is o.k.!</p>
<p>I do remember the old thread about calls from our kids…lots of hair raising calls, but many on this thread made me laugh out loud. </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/858300-actual-phone-calls-you-do-not-want-receive-your-child.html?highlight=actual+calls[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/858300-actual-phone-calls-you-do-not-want-receive-your-child.html?highlight=actual+calls</a></p>
<p>
. I know - but at least he wanted me to know first!</p>
<p>I was on FB one day ant the messenger popped up with a message “Steve died Sunday, I’m devastated”. My brother’s name is Steve and I thought for one awful minute my sister in law was telling me on facebook that he had died! It turned out to be an old friend in England whose husband had died.</p>
<p>My youngest took a softball to the face. Sitting in the ER my H decided to " check in " on facebook. Our college girl phoned immediately. The next action on his smart phone was to remove the check in update before grandparents saw it!</p>
<p>Your children let you on facebook? Mine have declared it’s for “friends only.”</p>
<p>Glad your son is okay. At least he’ll have a good story for that scar.</p>