Worst. Birthday. Ever
This blog is going to be brief. All day, I've nursed a sick kid. Fever. Sore throat. Body aches. Runny nose. Normal stuff in any other era but in the days of The Flu Formerly Known as Swine incredible cause for alarm.
For example, the doctor wanted to see him but only if he agreed to wear a face mask and be placed in an isolated room. Actually, that made me feel kind of better about going to the doctor's. The school, which previously didn't care how sick kids were as long as they weren't smoking pot, has issued a new policy: any fever - ANY fever - is an excused absence and kids are not allowed to return until 24 hours of being fever free. Since Sam's fever returned tonight, he won't be going to school tomorrow.
Small comfort for a birthday boy.
Yup. Sam's birthday was yesterday. He turned 14 and is now man enough not to care that much about how he celebrates his big day. It was on a Monday, anyway. Bummer. But a sucky birthday is still a sucky birthday, a good baseline, as I told him, for fun ones to come. Plus, he'll never forget it.
I remember my worst birthday - my eighteenth. I was a freshman in college and it was finals week - the curse of a December 17 birth. My mother came up from Pennsylvania with a cake, though, really, she shouldn't have bothered. I was so stretched thin and, little did I know, so ill, I barely noticed. She took me out to dinner and I counted the minutes until I could get back to my dorm and study. Plus, I had a killer headache.
The next morning, the day of my last final, I woke to a 104 degree fever. Somehow, I managed to make it to my history of political science final where my ancient professor, who'd seen plenty of students fake it, asked me if I could muscle the strength to finish the exam since I'd be looking at a 0 otherwise. Needless to say, I "muscled," despite a particularly intriguing experience of tunnel vision. Next I knew, I was in the infirmary and some Tufts intern was palpitating my abdomen and making a crack about it being like "white dough." (Thanks buddy.) My next memory after that was waking in my grandmother's house in Watertown.
What I had I'll never know. But, aside from the chickenpox at 19 and a flu I had a year ago in March, I have never been so ill. That was the - Worst. Birthday. Ever.
So as I collapse into bed and wake a bazillion times tonight to check on Sam, chime in, won't you, about your worst birthday experiences. I'm sure in the end, it'll do us all a world of good.
Thanks,
Sarah
Not mine, but my wife's. One of the years before we had children (1987-90), she had such a bad earache that I took her to the hospital in the middle of the night. They put something in there, and we went home. Then, I lay in bed listening to whatever was in her ear popping and fizzing as the meds did their thing. I can't imagine what it sounded or felt like to her.
My best birthday was when I had a second stage of a two-stage surgery, re-attaching insides that had been disconnected in a surgery nine months earlier. That was nice, and I got to have morphine for the evening, too.
Posted by: Josh | October 13, 2009 at 05:26 AM
On second thought, it had to have been 1987 or 1988. She worked 1,000 miles away on her birthday in 1989, and we went to dinner and she got pregnant with our son on her birthday in 1990.
The things you remember.
Posted by: Josh | October 13, 2009 at 06:02 AM
9/9/99 I was recovering from a broken ankle that I broke on the way to the airport for a vacation. Seattle had a heat wave and I got a rash from the antibiotics everywhere not exposed to air. Like in the boot I was wearing for my ankle.
I was not happy.
I hope Sam will be much better soon.
Posted by: hollygee | October 13, 2009 at 07:49 AM
I just want to note that I got up to snow this morning.
Posted by: sarahS | October 13, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Sarah, I hope Sam feels better soon. It really does suck to be sick, let alone on your birthday.
My worst was my 21st. It was kinda a tradition to go to the Fairmont Park race track in Fairview Heights, IL for the 21st in my family. But my dad had had a heart attack about 2 weeks before so we had to postpone. I was ok with that because I'm a "Daddy's girl". My brother came home from work and said, "Grab your license & your purse & lets go." I thought, "How sweet, my baby brother is going to take me out for my birthday."
Uh, no.
He took me by the liquor store, had me buy him some beer (he is only 1 year & 9 days younger than me), and the DROPPED ME OFF AT HOME. I stayed home with Mom & Dad all night.
Posted by: Pam aka SisterZip | October 13, 2009 at 09:33 AM
December 17 has it's charms...it's my birthday too, but my worst birthday was my 13th...8th grade, Friday night boy-girl party in my basement...a good time had by all, including my two years younger sister who broke out with chicken pox the following day! The entire class was infected and most of us (yes, me too) spent our holiday vacations in bed looking like pink spotted creatures from Dr. Seuss while my sister was free to sled, skate, see movies and all the other fun stuff. I don't think I've ever quite forgiven her for that one :o) Even the birthday I spent with my arm in a cast from shoulder to wrist was more fun!
Posted by: Maryann Mercer | October 13, 2009 at 09:58 AM
Poor Sam!
My worst was the birthday when my sister-in-law called me up and yelled, "Did you hear? Isn't it awful? The Challenger blew up!!"
Every year on my birthday, some newscaster will remind us of that. As they should. I'm just grateful I'm not a 9-11 birthday girl.
Posted by: Harley | October 13, 2009 at 09:59 AM
How is Sam this morning, Sarah? I hope he's feeling at least a little better by now. Poor kid.
I refuse to have bad birthdays, or at least I've put them out of my mind and just don't remember them any more. The worst/best was my 30th. My boyfriend of three years and I had been secretly engaged for two weeks, and then he got cold feet just before my birthday. I was so mad, so I decided to throw myself a bash. A bar/restaurant down the street always had a favorite guitar player on Monday nights, so I spread the word that I was celebrating there that Monday. About 60 friends joined me, half of whom were single men, including boyfriend's roommate, who said BF had been in a super foul mood for several days.
That day, I had received a dozen roses with no card, so I asked every guy at the party if they had sent them. They either said "no", or they said something like, "White, right?" or "10 yellow and 2 white" (Huh? Who does something weird like that?). Anyway, it turned out to be BF, who ended up proposing for real a week later. Yep, that was 28 years ago.
Now bad Christmases, I've had plenty of those. I used to get sick every year on the holidays, including my horrible freshman year in college when I had strep throat so bad I couldn't lift my head. And then those awful years after my divorce when my daughter spent Christmas with her dad. One year I was going to be completely alone because my mom and stepdad were out of town, and my other single friend invited me to her parents' for Christmas dinner. It was dreadful, except we had an hour's drive each way to spend together.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | October 13, 2009 at 10:09 AM
I can't think of a bad birthday - although September 2001 was pretty much a bummer all together.
I did have one unfortunate ending to my 40th birthday. It ended up being a very late night. We were on a boat and stopped at a favorite bar with a dock. Apparently I had one too many Dead Hitlers (side note - it sounds bad because it IS bad. Thank you Susan for ordering up a whole bunch of these - shots which combine the bottom shelf favorites of Jagermeister and Rumplemintz.)
I felt great, but apparently the combination of short legs and slow reflexes were not conducive to jumping from the dock to the boat. I ended up in the lovely Allegheny River. Which is not as bad as you think - I could actually see underwater. I even kept my shoes on. That, my friend, takes concentration and muscle control, since they were backless. Just saying.
Happy Birthday Sam! And Happy Birthday Sarah - I mean, really - Moms should celebrate too - we're the ones who did the work that day, no?
Posted by: Kathy Sweeney | October 13, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Kathy, that is a great idea!
I'll make my daughter send me a card on the 27th of this month!
(she will be 25, gack!)
Posted by: Pam aka SisterZip | October 13, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Kathy, I think you get the prize for worst birthday after Sam's, so far! Step away from the Rumplemintz. Ugh.
Actually, I had a pretty crap birthday this year, just last week. See, I had almost succeeded in putting it out of my mind. ;-) Spent most of the day at a family member's funeral, then came home to houseguests, friends of my husband's who I had never met, and we went out to dinner. (Hubs wanted me to cook, if you can imagine.) After we got home the wife of the couple realized she had lost her purse somewhere, so back I went to the other side of town with them, to check the two restaurants we'd been to, check in with security, etc. Ended up getting to bed after midnight, crawling in next to my sound asleep husband. Sigh. And he didn't give me a gift, either. This is after his 60th, which we celebrated with a party here. Yes, I cooked.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | October 13, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Worst birthday?It's hard to celebrate anything in early February, when St. Louis was cold as a meat locker. And many of my German relatives felt that it was somehow my fault I was born too close to Christmas. They'd already given me a Christmas present and that was enough.
But you and Sam both have my sympathy. Feel better, Sam. And many happy future birthdays.
Posted by: Elaine Viets | October 13, 2009 at 10:38 AM
I think my worst may have been the year my husband got his dates mixed up (we were on vacation) and he wished me Happy Birthday as soon as I woke up, except my birthday had been the day before. I pouted all day! LOL
I know all about those December birthdays. Mine is Dec 20...so very close to Christmas.
Sorry about the kiddo, Sarah! How's he feeling this morning?
Posted by: ArkansasCyndi | October 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Spent my birthday in 2006 in the South of France unable to get up out of bed. For the entire 10 days we were there...and then another week sick after returning. Who knows what it was but it was miserable.
Posted by: JodiL | October 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM
December birthdays suck. Your birthday present gets rolled into your xmas present.
Plus my brother's was the same day, so money for presents was split too. Add to that, that Dad worked construction & was often laid off in the winter Ugh!
The very worst was when I was 7 or 8 & had the measles. For some reason they thought you should be kept in a dark room (??)They did put the big Philco radio in there for me but I didn't get a piece of cake, just 7UP (which I still hate).
Dark chocolate cake w/ whipped cream frosting, yum! If I can figure out how to arrange the fridge to have room for the cake cover and box of wine, I'll make myself one this year! LOL
Posted by: Rita Scott | October 13, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I had a couple that sucked for very different reasons. Birthdays weren't a big deal at my house growing up, but on my 17th, my dad was recovering from open heart surgery, so my mom was rather preoccupied. She said happy birthday and made me come home by midnight from a pretty rockin' party at a friend's house. That was it for 17. I felt pretty ignored. Understandable, but it was still disappointing.
The other one that was lousy was about 12 years ago. I was desperately ill, and I had to go pick up my mother and buy her some spring flowers. As we neared the store, I thought I was going to faint or puke or both, and I told her I had to go home. Then the rest of my family, who now embrace birthdays, kept arriving and giving me chocolate. I was so sick, I just wanted them all to take their chocolate and go back home. I couldn't wait for them to leave. I finally told everyone I needed a nap and excused myself. I lost 7 pounds in two days and didn't fully recover for two months. Yuck.
Posted by: Amy | October 13, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Having my birthday at the end of January usually means sucky California winter weather, but I cannot reamember having a really bad birthday. A couple of dull ones, yes. A couple of adrenalin pumping adventerous ones, yes. But none that really sucked.
Posted by: Doc in CA | October 13, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Rita, this year I'll make you a dark chocolate cake, and eat it in honor of your birthday. Since you were so kind to do the same for me on mine! LOL
The reason they put you in a dark room when you had measles is that the light could cause harm to your eyesight, somehow. At least that was the prevailing thinking on the matter at the time.
Christmas birthdays are like birthdays in early October--I always, always got school clothes. That also felt like a gyp.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | October 13, 2009 at 12:13 PM
I can't really remember any horrible birthdays, either. Maybe I blocked them out. I have one of 6 family birthdays in the same week in August, including both of my parents, so I guess there was always a party somewhere.
For August birthdays, you always got school clothes as gifts.
Posted by: Laura (in PA) | October 13, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Oops, too quick on the trigger. Hope Sam is feeling better, and I'm sorry he had a sucky birthday. :(
Posted by: Laura (in PA) | October 13, 2009 at 12:21 PM
My birthday is in June. Its nice that you get presents every 6 months! It was right after you get out of school & not close enough to warrent school close. Perfect!
My favorite birthday gift was my Barbie house. I was 11 or so & it came in a large, flat, thin box. I had no idea what it was. My parents stayed up all night putting together this Ideal Toys knockoff of the Barbie Dream House. All that pressed board with notches & slots. And it took them all night, too.
Two weeks after my birthday, my brother & a friend of his took the entire house apart and left it flat on the floor of the play room (my mother was wise to stay out of that room). My brother got a momumental spanking, as did his friend. His friend actually got the worst of it. My mom spanked him, and then his mom spanked him.
Posted by: Pam aka SisterZip | October 13, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Good Lord. I just noticed the spelling on that post.
warrant and clothes.
Sheesh.
Posted by: Pam aka SisterZip | October 13, 2009 at 12:36 PM
My suckiest birthday was my Sweet-16.
NO one in my family remembered, and my best friend's parents took me to dinner the next night to celebrate.
I mean - I'd just helped give my BFF a surprise Sweet-16 at my house - 2 weeks earlier. How was it possible they forgot mine? (And NO - they weren't expecting said friend to surprise me - this had been discussed!)
Many good birthday celebrations since then. Since I've had kids, I've ALWAYS made a big deal about their birthdays and we've had some super parties.
Hope your son feels better soon. We are on about 10 days through pneumonia recovery, and the cough is starting to let up - finally.
Posted by: Marcia in OK | October 13, 2009 at 12:43 PM
I was living with my fiance (ex-husband now) when I turned 22. He woke me up in the middle of the night when he got home from working a 4-midnight shift to make me open my present. He was so excited about his awesome present. It was a set of knives and a knife block. He couldn't understand why I was so underwhelmed about this present at 1:30 a.m. He spent my birthday pouting. Such class.
I know my birthday in 1971 sucked, my brother had died in September of that year, my birthday is in November. I have blocked that one out, but I know it sucked.
Posted by: gaylin in vancouver | October 13, 2009 at 01:04 PM
Harley, my mom's birthday is 1/28 too! And yes, I remember the pretty sad party in 1986. I heard the news while I was picking up Bissinger's chocolate covered strawberries for her.
I don't really remember any bad birthdays, they have always been a bid deal for my mom.
Molly (Mrs. Alan) did have surgery on her birthday in 2005. It did mean a birthday dinner of ice chips, but it was a pretty good day overall. The surgery was a
C-section. Molly and Merav share a birthday. Best birthday present ever.
So, Sam, happy birthday. Have some cake next week and enjoy. And many, many more.
Posted by: Alan P. | October 13, 2009 at 01:17 PM
Chicken Pox for my 19th birthday. Broke out 2 days after finals my freshman year. I was always grateful it was for my BD and not during finals, though.
My grandfather's 81st was 9/11. He doesn't complain, but that has to stink.
Posted by: JanetLynn13 | October 13, 2009 at 01:22 PM
This isn't really about my birthday, but the birthday of my youngest brother -- who will be 40 on 10/23. Anyway, I was 9 and already had two smelly boys in the house and I was so upset when I found out it was another male child that I told my grandmother I wouldn't go to school unless she drove me.
This was the time and place where unless you lived on the other side of a 4 lane freeway, you walked to school along with all the other neighborhood kids.
Said baby brother is a single dad and is throwing himself a Surprise Party.
We won't talk about how my next birthday is also one of those 'significant' ones.
Posted by: Debra in MN | October 13, 2009 at 02:09 PM
I've got a smack-dab-on Christmas birthday, and it's actually worked out well for the most part because it's balanced by being the youngest and ridiculously spoiled. Still, it also creates so much excitement for the season that the first birthday I didn't break down and cry was my 19th.
The worst birthday, however, was the year my parents had just moved to Vacation Land, my 21st, and I decided the thing I needed was Christmas Eve at my own church, so I made plans to fly out to them on the 26th, spending the holiday and my birthday with my scrooge-like brother, SIL and aunt (and yes, I mean they are all scrooge like).
It had been two super low-key, boring days of hearing how this was the greatest Christmas EVER - the one without my parents or my sister. This was bad enough, but then I went to see a movie with my friend in the evening of the 25th, and the crowd-induced panic attacks that had been developing all fall as I worked at the biggest mall in the U.S. came to the surface as we were trying to leave. I ended up in tears after nearly hyperventilating in the freezing parking lot. As my friend tried to calm me down some jerk from the movie walked by and said, "Jeez, it's not like the ending was THAT sad!" ugh.
Posted by: Sisterfilms | October 13, 2009 at 02:41 PM
Hijack:
Is anyone who regularly posts here going to Bouchercon? I am meeting a friend there, a fellow who has written several thrillers (that I've edited), and his writing partner. Would love to meet up with anyone who's going, if it works out.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | October 13, 2009 at 03:08 PM
Harley, my secretary at the time's birthday was 9/11. She didn't want cake, so we had gotten bagels and cream cheese (no lox). Ever since, I have told people that we should not get bagels for office birthdays, because, well, no reason to tempt fate.
Posted by: Josh | October 13, 2009 at 03:18 PM
Sara, I hope that Sam is feeling better. Nothing like a sick child to produce anxiety. The most child connected birthday I had was when I went on a tour of England and Scotland which fell right on my daughter's birthday. Nothing could deter my mission to reach a computer to relay best wishes to my baby girl in her thirties thousands of miles away. Finally in the hotel in the Isle of Skye I finally got my turn at the computer. A fellow tourist was using the computer before me and I was anxiously awaiting my turn. Nothing ever felt so powerful to me than sending her my birthday wishes. She was supposed to be born on my birthday but a C-Section took her early.
Posted by: Marie | October 13, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Sam is 14 now? OH MY!!! And probably taller than me, too!! Hopefully, he is feeling better now.
My worst birthday was probably my 18th. It was open house day for incoming freshman as my bday is July 7th. And I couldn't sit down due to a cyst on my tailbone that I would end up having surgery for a week later!
Or my 17th? I was a counselor at church camp, and some of the other staff thought that I deserved a celebratory toss into the pool. Thing was, the instigator was only kidding, but he forgot to tell the other one. So, I crash landed on the edge before flopping into the pool. Ended up at the hospital with a massive contusion on my upper thigh and the threat to be careful or else.
My best? My 30th. No boyfriends to be had, so I gave myself a major make-over. Hair. Clothes. Boobs (down-sized). Just in time for my best-friends wedding (where a 19 year old groomsman hit on me!).
Posted by: Debby | October 13, 2009 at 03:59 PM
I can't think of a worst -- not in that mood, I guess -- but the BEST was my 50th -- at the National Storytelling Festival after-party, invited by one of the youth tellers. At 11:45 I realized I was fifteen minutes away from 50. Jessica organized ice cream with a candle and got all my favorite storytellers to sing Happy Birthday to me.
All you December folks should add a half-birthday celebration in June . . . .
Posted by: storyteller Mary | October 13, 2009 at 05:49 PM
My worst birthday was my 21st. My b-day is Feb. 21, so this could have been the coolest birthday ever. Except that I was looming on the edge of a divorce, and spent the evening with my mom, watching a Lily Tomlin comedy special and eating cheap and very bad cheesecake. And before you say, "Well, gee, Lily Tomlin's usually pretty funny," let me explain that my mom hated the show and spent the whole time offering her opinion of why it wasn't funny.
I hope Same doesn't have the swine flu, and I hope he gets better soon. But I tell ya - I'd have traded places with him in a New York minute.
Gayle
http://gaylecarline.blogspot.com
Posted by: Gayle Carline | October 13, 2009 at 06:06 PM
thanks for your well wishes everyone. After a dr's appt. today, I am sad to report we are now dealing with the swine flu proper. I have him on Tamiflu, tons of fluids, rest and elderberries. Nasty stuff, this.
Posted by: Sarah | October 13, 2009 at 09:19 PM
Hugs and healing thoughts, sweetie. My friend's daughter got through it ok, some spicy Cajun chicken soup helped, I think. . . and since she caught it on a vacation in Mexico, the family is getting a free trip later . . . not that it's worth it even so . . .
I hope all is well soon.
Posted by: storyteller Mary | October 13, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Worst birthday? My 16th. My brother fell out of a tree out in the woods that afternoon and fractured his leg. Multiple places. After he got it set he ended up sleeping in my bedroom because it was on the main floor and he couldn't do stairs. He moaned all night. I had to watch him. Never did get to celebrate that 16th birthday. Bet he doesn't even remember! :) (My birthday that is, I'm sure he remembers the broken leg!)
Posted by: Dawn K | October 13, 2009 at 10:31 PM
My birthday is not only in June, but on the 25th - exactly half a year away from Christmas! :-) On the other hand, my birthday is 5 days before my brother's (I came home from the hospital on his first birthday, back in the days when mums spent five days in the hospital after giving birth). 9 years later, my sister was also born in June. We tended to have joint birthday celebrations (usually family only - no big birthday parties like seem the norm now) all through my childhood, and I don't remember feeling unhappy about it. The only bad-ish birthday connections were when two friends each had a loved one die on my birthday - I always wonder if my birthday reminds them of their loss.
Posted by: Avis | October 13, 2009 at 10:39 PM
Oh, Sarah, prayers and good wishes are on their way for your family. I hope Sam recovers quickly, and that no one else in the family gets the crud.
Posted by: Karen in Ohio | October 13, 2009 at 10:49 PM
My 21st was my worst. I had a night class with a major project due so it couldn't be skipped. My boyfriend had mono. I ended up eating microwaved ravioli at 9 o'clock in my dorm room. It was sad, but memorable!
Posted by: Amy | October 13, 2009 at 11:23 PM
I could add that I know my grandfathers worst birthday. Every birthday! Actually, his birthday was December 26th...and his dad passed away on December 25th.
I forgot about my 16th...probably because everybody else in the family did, too! I remember going to the orthodontist and then cleaning the house in hopes of a surprise party. Nope. Surprise...clean it again.
I mentioned to my best friend that I wouldn't mind having a surprise 44th birthday party next year. :)
Posted by: Debby | October 14, 2009 at 10:13 AM
My friend Kristin was dating a guy she was crazy about for several years through college.
Instead of proposing (as she expected,) he dumped her. It just happened to be her birthday, which he had apparently forgotten.
That little stunt was a cloud over her birthday for years.
Nice, huh?
Hope Sam has a better birthday next year.
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Daily | October 14, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Way late here--but my birthday's 9-11. Need I say more?
I hope Sam's recovering by now.
Posted by: Jill | October 19, 2009 at 06:41 PM
It's a toss up...I spent my 18th bday in Navy Basic Training. Can't remember much about it except for endless pushups. Second worst was my 19th - had my Wisdom teeth removed (or three of them) and spent the day alone in my barracks room with drysocket. More painful than childbirth, I'm here to tell you!
Posted by: Cathleen in NL | October 20, 2009 at 05:06 PM
The school, which previously didn't care how sick kids were as long as they weren't smoking pot, has issued a new policy: any fever - ANY fever - is an excused absence and kids are not allowed to return until 24 hours of being fever free.
Posted by: Term Papers | February 11, 2010 at 07:55 AM