If there was ever a quote to hit me like a ton of bricks and make me think of my mom, it's this one...well, this one and quite a few bible verses.
Life happens, sometimes when you least expect it and sometimes when you are right in the thick of it, and you don't know how much more "life" you can take. It's a roller coaster and you just hold on for the ride.
It's no secret that the past 6 months have been rough...and that's putting it mildly. We all got the wind knocked out of us when Jackson was diagnosed with AML last March. It was a punch to the gut that we never saw coming. But the thing about my family, is that we rally...and not just my immediate family. The whole lot of us rally! Aunts, uncles, cousins...we pull together and get through it. Amazing things happened with fundraisers, and blood drives and more, all because we are loved.
My mom, not even sure where to begin. Everything good in me is because of her. I have the best parts of her and still will never be half as amazing as she is. And I know that because I see the community, the friends and the family that treasure her so. The outpouring this past few days has been spectacular. I made phone calls and her friends cried with me, and let me know that they were lifting her up and love her so.
Saturday started out as a good day. Jackson had been out of the hospital for a week and we were so excited to see him at the JFL Football game in Mt. Zion. It did all of our hearts good seeing cousins together again. When Gigi got to the game she said she wasn't feeling great and thought she had heartburn. After the game she was coming back to our house to watch the girls while Mitch and I got away to St. Louis for a belated birthday celebration. When she arrived we gave her something for her heartburn and I went up to pack. When I came back down I could tell she wasn't feeling well and I asked her if she was okay to stay. Knowing my mom I knew she would never admit that she wasn't up to it, especially in front of the girls.
While I was in the car I texted her that we didn't have to go, that the Cardinals play all the time and it wasn't a big deal. That we could even still find a sitter. But she thought she would be fine. I texted her when we got to St. Louis and she said it was coming and going and that she was taking the girls to a movie. An hour later I got a call that she needed me to have someone come to the theater to get the girls. She was dizzy and lightheaded and had called my dad to come to Decatur. I hung up and found someone. I texted her that Ashlyn was on her way. Not even 10 minutes later Cynthia called and told me that the mom was in an ambulance on her way to the hospital and she wanted to know where the girls were. I told her the girls were taken care of.
On the way home I called Laura.Thankfully she was in Minneapolis and was able to make it to Decatur to be with us. After midnight they got mom into a room on the Cardio floor. They wouldn't say that she had a heart attack but they said her troponin levels were elevated which indicated damage to the heart. After she got settled in her room I had to take care of my mom for the first time in my life. I helped her get to the bathroom, helped her get comfy in her bed and got her a washcloth so she could wash her face. I got home late that night and I doubt anyone slept well.
The next morning I started making phone calls. And at the hospital Dr. Waters got started with her heart cath. It went very well and when it was done he told us that she had a 100% complete blockage in a main left artery on the back of the heart. He was able to place a stent and believes that she will recover nicely. We were so relieved to hear the news. Fast forward, and she has very limited restrictions and should be back to normal in no time with the exception of a few new prescriptions.
Saturday night I was really beating myself up. I should have made her go get checked out. I should have stayed home. But the more I've thought about it over the past few days, God was holding us in his hands the entire time, right where we were supposed to be. He is the ultimate healer and he knew the plan. What if she had left Decatur and this had happened in rural Illinois on Route 121. How long would it have taken an ambulance to get to her and get her proper care. Instead she was blocks from DMH. What if it had happened at home. Would Sarah Bush be able to offer her the same amazing care that she received at DMH...I'm not a fan and so glad she was here. My sister, what are the odds that for once she was close enough to get here...Not 24 hours away in Arizona. Her tournament could've been in Hawaii. It was so incredibly comforting for us all to be together. Moms nurses on Sunday were even named Natalie and Joanna. What are the odds!?!? My brother was in Shelbyville and made it here in no time. All the pieces fit together exactly like they were supposed to for us to have the positive outcome that we did. You can't convince me that wasn't all part of HIS master plan.
So for now, I'm counting my blessings with a grateful heart. My mom is such a special lady and we all are better for having her in our lives. We have the best of the best and we don't intend to take that for granted. We can't thank you enough for all the prayers, messages, calls. The love and support for our family has once again been a tremendous blessing. And a HUGE thank you to Ashlyn...everyone should have such an amazing young girl for a neighbor. One who jumps in her car and doesn't miss a beat when your kids just witnessed an ambulance leave with their grandmother and they are stranded at the movie theater. And to my husband, there aren't even words for how wonderful you are at holding me up and carrying the load for our family. I couldn't do life without you. Seriously, guys..Sunday night my fridge was full of meals he prepped for the week. Every mom should be so lucky! In the meantime, I'll be trying to figure out how to spend as much time as possible with my mom...because she's the absolute best.
Isaiah 43:1-2, "See, you have nothing to fear. I, who made you, will take you back. I have chosen you, named you as my own. When you face stormy seas I will be there with you with endurance and calm. you will not be engulfed in the raging rivers.
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