Today marks the first day of Spring. Yea! Spring means warmer weather, rain showers, blooming flowers, grass turning green .. everything just springs back to life. The air feels fresher, the sun feels warmer and the days are longer.
Spring also brings a sense of renewal. And, a time for reflection. And, even a time to start things anew or change your way of thinking.
My family had quite a scare last night. My dad called me soon after I got home from work, as I was preparing dinner, to let me know my mom was in the hospital's ER and had been taken there from her job via ambulance. She was experiencing sharp, stabbing chest pains, on the left side, leading her to believe she was having a heart attack. When my dad called me, he didn't know anymore than that and that the doctors had done some testing (EKG, blood work, etc.) and that they were giving her nitro-glycerin (which would help her if she was indeed having a heart attack). After questioning him, searching for answers, I was on my way down to the hospital. On my way, I called family and close family friends to ask for prayers for my mom. My sister and I arrived at the same time, and walked in together, and embraced our mom with hugs the minute we saw her.
After waiting and waiting and waiting, I finally got her nurse to tell me what was going on since the test results were back - everything was negative meaning no heart attack. A couple hours later, a ER doctor stepped into the room to go into further detail. He said that with the test results coming back negative, chances are that it wasn't a heart attack, but indicated that those tests are 100 percent, and they'd need to do another round in six hours. He suggested admitting her overnight for observation and a possible stress test in the morning. He also said there was a 2-5 percent chance that this was a heart attack, or heart related, so he couldn't rule that out completely, just yet.
A couple hours later, all of us, but my dad who stayed with her, said our goodbyes to let her get some rest with a request if anything changes to call. As I crawled into bed last night, I was so worried about my mom, even though the doctor said chances are everything is fine. When I awoke this morning, I called for an update. The second round of test results showed negative again, and a couple hours later the doctor told my mom that her heart is healthy. And, that the pain she was having was most likely a combination of extreme stress related to her job and a major flare up of her fibromylagia. The doctor would like her to follow up with her doctor in the next couple months to get a stress test done.
My mom is now in the comfort of her home, and no longer on the ER gurney. Her doctor gave her a note saying she wasn't allowed to go to work today, even though that was her first thought - to go into work this afternoon. And, tomorrow, going to work is up to my mom and how she feels. My hope is she stays home, and has a nice long weekend to rest and not have to face the stress of her job again so soon allowing her body to heal and calm down some.
I need my mom around. My world just wouldn't function without her. My family wouldn't function without her. My mom is the kind of person to take on every task no matter what it is and fulfill it 4000 percent. She's really loving, gentle, caring, friendly, strong, sensitive, a giver not a taker ... just simply a wonderful woman inside and out. But, she doesn't always take care of herself, and I am praying very hard that with this experience, she will try something new and start taking care of herself. Because, like I said, I need her around, heck, everyone that knows my mom needs her around and not just for what she does for each and every one of us, but simply for who she is. Our world is so much better because we know her and have her in our lives, and because she loves us.
My brother-in-law serving over in Iraq
