Well....

Our luck continues. And, on St. Patrick's Day, no doubt. And we're even a little bit Irish!

I drove my mom to Topeka Saturday (she'd been staying with us over spring break) to see my niece play in a volleyball tourney. The day was going great, we were having a good time watching her play. Mom, my niece, my sister and I even went out to lunch - which NEVER happens.

Then 3 minutes before the final game ended, I started getting VERY sleepy. The arena we were in was not air conditioned, but doors were open and there was a nice breeze. It wasn't hot, it was just the perfect storm for a nap. I got out my phone to distract me from sleepiness and sent a text to my husband.

"I'm getting VERY SLEEPY" it said.

He replies "Take a nap."

"I can't...if I fall asleep, I'd get hit by a....."

And I kid you not (I have the text draft to prove it), at that very moment, a ball whizzed between my hands holding the phone, and my face and smack into the side of my mom's head. I looked over and said "Are you ok?!" She was holding her face. I was worried it'd broken her nose or something horrible because she wouldn't move her hand. I got up to look at her straight on and said again, "Are you ok?!"

She looked at me and said "No." And then she was gone. Her head fell to the side and her whole body went limp. I started yelling for help and within a nanosecond, I had people surrounding me, helping to hold her. 911 was called. There was no visible evidence of her being hit, but I knew it had happened. I heard the smack.

A whirlwind ensued, resulting in her waking up after about a minute, but still not able to respond verbally. The EMTs were saying to squeeze their hands and she couldn't. No feeling in her arms. Back board, neck brace. Ambulance ride.

Me internally FREAKING OUT. I beat the ambulance in my own car (don't ask how), and my sister followed after explaining the situation to my niece. When we got back to see her, she was fully awake. Still favoring her left arm. Head CT.

One hour later, she walked out of the hospital. No brain injury. Concussion. Whiplash. It hit a nerve that connected to her left arm, but she had full use by the time we left. She did end up getting sick in the night, but overall, she came through it unbelievably. I, on the other hand, seem more scarred than I thought I'd be. I keep having flashbacks of watching the life just shut off in her face. I've seen it so many times in the last decade, I can't even believe it. Then there's that whole "it should have been me" complex. How that ball missed me and hit her - going 50 mph they think - I'll never know.

Next weekend, I'm not leaving the house.