Sickness

A week ago on Friday night, LaNelle called to tell me Patti was sick. I knew that. Patti had been feeling yucky for several days and had stayed home from work on Friday...then LaNelle said, "Mom, she is kinda scaring me. She is too sick to come out to dinner and she looks awful" I called Patti and she was crying. sobbing. and not making much sense. I texted LaNelle and asked her to take Patti to the ER when she returned to Spanish Fork. I didn't sleep that night. It is hard to be a PICU nurse and 2000 miles away when your kids are complaining of "the worst headache in my life" and have had a sinus infection. you know all the things most parents would never know to consider. not fun. I talked to LaNelle, to Steven, to Andrew and then, twice...to the ER doc. He was voicing my deepest fears. He was saying, "I'm worried it might become an empyema..." and I was thinking, "She's 2000 miles away and she's got an abcess on her brain." She could have had...would have had if LaNelle and Steven had not forgone their plans to rush back to her (thank you dear children!!)... but she didn't. at least, not yet... She had one massive sinus infection...totally blocked sphenoid sinuses causing an excruciating headache (think worse migraine ever!!). We talked and pondered and talked again...and Pete and I prayed. In the end, she went home...on massive antibiotics and narcotic painkillers. We would, as the ER Doc said, watch and wait (done it many times inthe PICU...hate it when it's my child!!!)

She didn't get better Saturday or Sunday and by the wee hours on Monday, Pete and I made a decision and bought me a plane ticket.

Remember...my Heather was due on Saturday and here I was at 5 am on Tuesday getting on a jet headed 2000 miles away. It hurt...especially when later that night, she went into labor and on Wednesday morning delivered my new grandson!! But I knew Kyle could and would be there for her and that Patti needed her Mama. (you never get too old for your Mama when you are sick)

And, on Tuesday evening, FINALLY, we saw signs of improvement and by late Wednesday night, she was well enough to fly home with me. Her Utah days are OVER! at least for now

I was anxious to return and work Thursday and Friday night so I could get to Raleigh and my PRECIOUS new grandson...but not to happen....

Pete met me in Charlotte with two sick 9 year olds...yep, they have the flu...type A which is presumed to be swine flu...H1N1 to be exact...so I had to switch plans...AGAIN.

So I am working Friday and Saturday nights and then Monday (day shift) to make up for all the missed time (mortgages insist on being paid even when new grandbabies are waiting to be held..drat!)

So Peter and Ellen are in Raleigh loving on Kalib and Nolan and I am in the PICU...but soon, soon...I will be in Raleigh too!

I am so thankful for my 7 children and all the inlaws that are also my children and especially for two precious grandsons...I am thankful that we are real and that we love each other and that when we disagree, we TALK about it (sometimes loudly but in the end we hug...ALWAYS)

Life is good...I got to love on LaLa and Steven for a day...Patti is mending and no longer needs narcotics to deal with the headache (and she's home in SC)...the twins are getting better and I have 2 grandsons now and Heather and Kyle are doing great...AND LaNelle and Steven will be home for Christmas, Peter and Ellen are getting married in June and Andrew???? Andrew is happy...yep, her name is Bethany and she is too cute for words...I'll keep you posted on that!

thanks for all of your prayers...we surely needed them this past week....