Well, it was definitely NOT COOL...
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So, I'm six years old, in bed, sleeping on a Saturday morning with the covers up to my chin.. I'm awake, but haven't opened my eyes.. I sensed my mom hovering over me and fully expected her to brush my hair back.. Then I'd open my eyes and pretend to wake up... By "sensed", if you close your eyes and move your hand in front of your face, you can definitely tell your hand is there and moving.. that's what I sensed...
So, INSTEAD, I feel this REALLY sharp pain in my lower lip.. I open my eyes and blood is POURING out of my lower lip.. I'm freaking out and scared to death and my brother keeps telling me to shut up and go to sleep.. I jump up and, not knowing what was going on, run into the bathroom and crawl on top of the sink where I thought I'd be safe, off the floor.. Blood is just POURING out of my lip, going everywhere and I'm crying and probably screaming..
Eventually my mom came in the bathroom and FREAKED out when she saw me - I had blood all over me and was in the fetal position on the sink.. Of course she was asking what I did to myself and I had NO idea what was going on - I was totally freaked out.. It was a scene right out of a horror movie..
So, I don't remember how, but my parents (and maybe the doctor at the ER) put it all together that I must have been bitten on the lip, and probably by a rat.. Cuz what else could have gotten in the house? So, they move my brother and me out of that room and set up traps..
Sure enough, they caught a HUGE rat later that night.. They didn't let me see it because they thought I'd be traumatized.. Guess what? I ALREADY WAS!
So, the doctor (and this was at the Sheppard Air Force Base hospital) says they will send the rat to Austin for rabies testing, which will take 3 days, and that I NEED to start rabies shots immediately to get a jump on it, just in case.. So, I was set up to get one shot a day - all I knew was that it was in the abdomen and that it wouldn't be cool..
So, I get the first two shots and it really wasn't that bad.. They were both about navel height on each side of it.. My mom had taken me and she was really proud of how I had handled it, considering what kind of shots they were.. So, my dad takes me for the third shot, and, as I mentioned, it was much lower and was EXCRUTIATING.. I was screaming and fighting as hard as I could and I could see the disappointed look in my dad's eyes - it was embarrassing to me, even at six years old..
Thankfully, that night the results came back and the rat did NOT have rabies, so I didn't have to continue the shots.. Thank goodness.. the 4th would have been in the same location as the third, other side of navel..
So, feeling safe in my bed, and then being attacked by a rat was pretty traumatizing to me.. I really never let on how affected I was by it, but it was pretty terrifying to a six year old kid.. Amazingly there are still times I feel somewhat "safe" under the covers, even though I absolutely KNOW being under the covers really doesn't keep you safe, at all..
Even though I was getting to be a little bit older, my parents still got me a teddy bear for going through all that.. I still have that teddy bear, but, no I don't sleep with it.. I HAVE had a LOT of sleep issues my whole life - I'm not sure this incident caused any of it, but it sure wouldn't surprise me...
All I EVER am thankful for is that I DIDN'T open my eyes that morning when I sensed something in front of me.. If I had, I would have seen that rat right in my face and I might have had a heart attack along with the stitches..
Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..
So, INSTEAD, I feel this REALLY sharp pain in my lower lip.. I open my eyes and blood is POURING out of my lower lip.. I'm freaking out and scared to death and my brother keeps telling me to shut up and go to sleep.. I jump up and, not knowing what was going on, run into the bathroom and crawl on top of the sink where I thought I'd be safe, off the floor.. Blood is just POURING out of my lip, going everywhere and I'm crying and probably screaming..
Eventually my mom came in the bathroom and FREAKED out when she saw me - I had blood all over me and was in the fetal position on the sink.. Of course she was asking what I did to myself and I had NO idea what was going on - I was totally freaked out.. It was a scene right out of a horror movie..
So, I don't remember how, but my parents (and maybe the doctor at the ER) put it all together that I must have been bitten on the lip, and probably by a rat.. Cuz what else could have gotten in the house? So, they move my brother and me out of that room and set up traps..
Sure enough, they caught a HUGE rat later that night.. They didn't let me see it because they thought I'd be traumatized.. Guess what? I ALREADY WAS!
So, the doctor (and this was at the Sheppard Air Force Base hospital) says they will send the rat to Austin for rabies testing, which will take 3 days, and that I NEED to start rabies shots immediately to get a jump on it, just in case.. So, I was set up to get one shot a day - all I knew was that it was in the abdomen and that it wouldn't be cool..
So, I get the first two shots and it really wasn't that bad.. They were both about navel height on each side of it.. My mom had taken me and she was really proud of how I had handled it, considering what kind of shots they were.. So, my dad takes me for the third shot, and, as I mentioned, it was much lower and was EXCRUTIATING.. I was screaming and fighting as hard as I could and I could see the disappointed look in my dad's eyes - it was embarrassing to me, even at six years old..
Thankfully, that night the results came back and the rat did NOT have rabies, so I didn't have to continue the shots.. Thank goodness.. the 4th would have been in the same location as the third, other side of navel..
So, feeling safe in my bed, and then being attacked by a rat was pretty traumatizing to me.. I really never let on how affected I was by it, but it was pretty terrifying to a six year old kid.. Amazingly there are still times I feel somewhat "safe" under the covers, even though I absolutely KNOW being under the covers really doesn't keep you safe, at all..
Even though I was getting to be a little bit older, my parents still got me a teddy bear for going through all that.. I still have that teddy bear, but, no I don't sleep with it.. I HAVE had a LOT of sleep issues my whole life - I'm not sure this incident caused any of it, but it sure wouldn't surprise me...
All I EVER am thankful for is that I DIDN'T open my eyes that morning when I sensed something in front of me.. If I had, I would have seen that rat right in my face and I might have had a heart attack along with the stitches..
Friendship is like peeing your pants.. Everybody can see it, but only you can feel the warmth..
