Ouch!

Have you ever had a moment in your life where you actually felt your heart stop?  That momentary panic where everything inside you just freezes is so awful.  That's what happened to me at J's baseball game last night.  His team was in first place prior to last night's game and they were playing the only team to have beaten them this year.  The main reason this other team is so good is because of its pitchers.  They have two "ace" pitchers who throw hard and throw accurately.  Unfortunately for J, he found out that they always throw hard, even when not accurate.

He was only up to bat once in the game, and on the third pitch the ball hit him square in the cheek.  I was sitting on a bench behind home plate so I had a clear view of the ball zooming straight towards his head.  It was a hard hit that you could hear, and immediately afterward J grabbed his head and started screaming.  From the sound of the hit, I knew it didn't hit his helmet but rather it hit HIM, I just wasn't sure where.  I could only see from the back side of him and I had visions of him turning around with blood streaming down his face.

Luckily for him, he got hit on the only part of your face where I guess it's not horrible to be hit - right smack in the middle of his cheek.  An inch higher and it would have crashed into his cheekbone.  An inch lower and his jaw would have been struck.  An inch or two to the side would have hit his mouth and/or nose.  So all in all, taking a baseball to the fleshy part of your cheek is the best case scenerio.

This first picture was last night right after the game.  The second one was taken this morning before he went to school.  The swelling is just as bad and now his cheek is turning a lovely reddish-purple color. 

I am so thankful that he wasn't more seriously injured, because it could have been so much worse, with bones and teeth and even eyes involved.  I had a hard time going to sleep last night because I just kept reliving that moment of impact again and again and hearing him scream in pain.  I was so, so proud though, because in just a few minutes he composed himself and even took his base.  His coach asked him if he could run and he said yes, and hubby even asked again when they got to the base.  J also told me afterward that he was hoping to get up to bat again so he could try to get his team some points.  I hope he doesn't let this affect him the next time he faces a pitcher.  I'm thinking the sooner he gets "back in the saddle" the better. 

If I never have to relive a moment like that in my life I will be forever grateful.  Poor little guy.