# The Family Whammy strikes again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025 "2026-02-26T18:49:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/1 "2026-02-26T18:49:42Z")
As folks here might recall, our family–including extended members–has a sometimes vicious, often hilarious and always ready to strike at any time jinx, hex, curse, whatever you want to call it. We call it the Family Whammy. It’s something like Murphy’s law: if anything can go wrong, it will. Last night we got clobbered with a doozy. I had asked Mr VOW earlier in the day to liberate some hearing aid batteries for me. The manufacturers now enclose the batteries in damned-near-impossible-to-open packaging. I have some special, easier-to-open boxes for my batteries, and those little boxes were empty and hearing aid was bleeping that it needed to be fed a new battery. Mr VOW, in his ever helpful way, liberated more batteries than my little boxes could hold. He put the extra batteries in a pill cup. You do see where this is going, don’t you? Later in the day, I gave him an extra dose of one of his medications. After he swallowed it, he held out his hand to me and said, “This is yours.” The planet gave a hefty thump as it fell off its axis, and it rolled closer and closer to the fiery pits of Hell. A hurried inspection nothing but bad news. The previously liberated batteries were nowhere to be found. The Daughter and The Son-in-Law gravitate to the “ahem” conversation Mr VOW and I were having. The Daughter said she would take her dad to the ER. He didn’t want all the fuss, but we all explained to him this was a bona fide emergency. At the hospital, he immediately saw an NP, who ordered a full set of abdominal xrays. Then they had to wait (and wait) for the radiologist to evaluate everything. One of the xrays showed six little hearing aid batteries huddled together, beginning their long journey to freedom. They had passed through the esophagus without problems, so the doctor said the first at-home step was to “examine all stool” for the next 48 hours. If the batteries were a no-show in that 48 hours, he was to return to the ER for further examination. Yep, pure Whammy at work. I’m thinking I need to make a BIG pot of three-bean chili. After I get my heart to start beating again. I’m still shaking. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/2 "2026-02-26T20:01:13Z")
Yikes. Words fail. I hope everything comes out OK in the end. Uh, phrasing, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/3 "2026-02-26T20:03:25Z")
What a shit of a Whammy. 😛 Good luck to Mr VOW. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/4 "2026-02-26T20:06:04Z")
You’ve got a way with words, @VOW! I hope to read this again later and be able to laugh about it. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/5 "2026-02-26T20:26:15Z")
This, too, shall pass. Hopefully he won’t need to undergo another battery of tests. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/6 "2026-02-26T20:33:40Z")
Pass. You said _pass._ Yikes ~VOW. I do hope it all comes out in the end(😀 someone stop me). No really keep a good thought. I suggest chili needs cooking. A good spicy one. Beans might be explosive in worse bad ways. Good luck and {{{hugs}}} to you two whacky kids. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/7 "2026-02-26T21:11:07Z")
Did you get a bill from the ER? Or was it ‘no charge’? Remember, it could have been worse. Could’ve been D batteries. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/8 "2026-02-27T10:41:34Z")
Never put poison or hazardous materials in food containers. Words to live by. Glad the batteries will pass instead of Mr. VOW. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/9 "2026-02-27T15:05:42Z")
We need an update, what us the _current_ situation? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/10 "2026-02-27T18:48:09Z")
I cry every time I have to toss a pill bottle from the pharmacy. In the trash. They could be so handy for tiny doo-dads which I seem to have an unusually large amount of. But I was warned long ago not to. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/11 "2026-02-27T19:06:23Z")
What a revolting development. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2026, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/12 "2026-02-27T19:08:13Z")
I share your utter disdain for the hearing aid battery packs. With my arthritis the fact that they are so difficult is nearly a crime. Good luck to all the VOWs! ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/13 "2026-02-28T00:38:37Z")
Update: I placed a handful of nitrile gloves on top of the TP tower next to the toilet. Mr VOW brought in a stool (haha, I said “stool”) so he has a place to sit while doing his…we can call it “sorting duties.” Nothing to report, yet. I read my original post plus all replies to Mr VOW. He tried to show bored indifference, but by the time I read “at least they weren’t D” he cracked up. The man has always loved a good pun, and he relates an ungodly amount of really bad puns, so the entire thread was right up his alley. Shoot me at dawn, that was an awful pun there! You all have provided a lot of smiles to a crappy situation. We do thank you. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/14 "2026-02-28T00:40:50Z")
As long as we can amp up the humor & put a charge in his life we’re happy. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/15 "2026-02-28T00:58:45Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > You all have provided a lot of smiles to a crappy situation. We do thank you. This is not a moment in which we’re going to dump on our friends. With this kind of fellowship, maybe we can start some sort of movement. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/16 "2026-02-28T01:01:44Z")
They were inserted correctly, weren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/17 "2026-02-28T01:06:00Z")
They’re not positive. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/18 "2026-02-28T12:10:56Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > They had passed through the esophagus without problems, so the doctor said the first at-home step was to “examine all stool” for the next 48 hours. I think I’d just buy new ones instead. I’m all in favor of recycling, but sometimes you’ve got to call a loss a loss. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/19 "2026-02-28T12:18:34Z")
But it would be wise to make sure all the batteries have been successfully evacuated. ---
**Author:** ![GenerationJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@GenerationJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GenerationJones)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025/20 "2026-02-28T13:40:21Z")
I’m wondering if they still work. Like that old Timex slogan, “takes a licking and keeps on ticking!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-family-whammy-strikes-again/1028025.md?page=2)