The Storm .... Part 1

I want and need to begin blogging again.  I enjoy writing and I just haven't made the time to over the last couple of years.  My two oldest girls have encouraged me to start my blog back up and honestly, writing is so healing to me in so many ways so I thought now was the perfect time to start. I thought it would be helpful to begin with a "brief" overview of what has happened over the last two plus years.  To say it has been a difficult two plus years is an understatement.  They have been, by far, the hardest years of my life. 

Life as I knew it drastically changed on January 24th, 2014  when I was sitting in the Dr.'s office with dad and mom.  We went there knowing that dad had lung cancer, but we had no idea how bad it was.  Dad went through the previous 10 days or so of tests where the cancer was diagnosed but he really felt certain he had caught it early and it would be stage 1.  The shock and sadness that filled that room when the Dr. said "I'm sorry to tell you you have stage 4 lung cancer, it's terminal, and you have maybe 3 to 6 mos. without treatment.  Maybe a year or two with treatment."  Now I knew how it felt to have a knife pierced through my heart.  Amazingly, dad was the strong one.  He was the one holding mom and us kids up in his own battle as well as the battle mom was going to go through that none of us yet knew about.

Not everything was hard over the last couple of years and hubby and I were blessed with another baby girl, Ms. Dava, in April of 2015.  There were some struggles with the pregnancy and a few minor things after her birth but all so worth it!  She has truly been a blessing to us and so many, especially helping us smile during the hard days that were yet to come in November and beyond in Rochester.

On November 15th, 2015 the day began in anticipation as we were going to church  to celebrate Ms. Dava's dedication.  Papa, Grandma's, Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins celebrated her dedication with us at church and then came to our home after wards for a late lunch and an afternoon of togetherness.  It was a warm day, windows open, the breeze blowing in.  I remember the Packers were playing that afternoon.  Mostly I  remember that because mom was yelling cheering them on quite loudly!  Little did I know as I hugged mom good-bye late that Sunday afternoon, how much life would change in just a few short hours.

The phone rang around 11:15 that night.  Hubby and I were already sleeping as it had been a wonderful, but tiring day.  Justin answered the phone and I could tell from his part of the conversation that someone was in the hospital.  I thought it must either be my grandma (who was 92 at the time and not in the best health) or my dad (who was almost two years into his battle with cancer).  I can't explain the shock that went through me when Justin hung up the phone and said "It's your mom."  Immediate tears and shaking hit me as Justin said "She went to Luther (in EC) by ambulance and they think she had a stroke.  Your dad heard her yell out at 10:30 shortly after she went to bed.  He went in the room and your mom was grabbing her head and said she thought she was having a stroke."  It took me less than a second to say "I'm going to Eau Claire."  At that time Ms. Dava was still nursing so I went and woke her to get her nursed and settled in the car to make the trip with me.  I threw a few things in a suitcase and went out to the car.  Just as I was getting Ms. Dava buckled in the car seat my phone rang.  It was dad.  All I remember hearing is things like "brain aneurysm, helicopter, Rochester."  And that's when I lost it.  I laid on the driveway, pounded it, and started yelling "no, this can't be happening."  It was clear I couldn't make the drive to Rochester alone so Justin called his mom to come be with my other kiddos, and once she got there, we took off for Rochester.  Longest 2 hour trip ever...wondering over and over "will she be alive when I get there?" 

Mom had had a severe brain aneurysm rupture.  Seeing her lay in that hospital bed with tubes all over her was almost more than I could take. It was more than I could take but God saw me through that most difficult time.  The next 3 weeks she was in intensive care with several concerning moments.  She had numerous vessel spasms which required many procedures, all with a risk.  She finally got moved out of intensive care after 3 weeks but about a week after being moved to the regular neuro floor, she got a UTI which set her back a lot.  Then in January fluid started building up on her brain which required her to have a shunt put in (drains the fluid off the brain since her brain couldn't absorb these fluids like a healthy brain can).  There's been issues with the shunt plugging which has required many more appointments, and more surgeries.  She also has had two more UTI's, and many falls, some resulting in emergency room visits. She has lived in 3 nursing homes in the last nine months, as well as being home for 2 and a half mos. with a lot of assistance from dad from mid Feb. through early May. 

Not only was all of this going on with mom over the last several mos. but more difficulties were around the corner .....

(Part 2 will be coming soon .... I wanted to do a brief summary of the last couple of years but there has been so much that has happened I can't do it in one post .... just too much to process)