Hell Week

When I was in college, the week prior to exams was called Hell Week because we all were cramming our butts off studying. Even though I'm not in college anymore, I honestly think this week beats any Hell Week I ever had.

It started with Jessi getting sick in Knoxville and our being worried about her. I left Lance a voice mail Monday morning to check on her. He sent me a text a little later and said she still wasn't any better and that he was going to take her to the doctor. So I was on alert in case there was something that they needed. Fortunately, it turns out that it was "just" an ulcer. Now, don't get me wrong...I've had ulcers, so I know how horrible they can be, and I do know that they can be severe. I say "just" because I know that with correct treatment, they can be taken care of. I checked on her again Tuesday, and she said she was still not at 100% but that it was getting better. (After taking the WRONG medications for 2 1/2 days, I'm sure her ulcer was more irritated than ever.)

On Tuesday afternoon (was that only yesterday? It feels like it's been a year ago), I had just sat down at my computer to enter some grades when I felt my phone vibrate. There was a missed call and then a text from Mom: "Call me ASAP." Mom never uses ASAP, so I knew it was urgent. I immediately called her back. She was on her way to Birmingham from a conference in Montgomery. Dad had been to the doctor to have some tests run because he had been having some facial numbness and headaches (which Mom knew nothing about until yesterday because he didn't tell her.) The tests results showed that there were a couple of blood clots on his brain, so they were sending him by ambulance to Princeton Hospital. I freaked out. Blood clot, brain, facial numbness, trip by ambulance...I could only think the worst.

I flew down to the office to tell Debbie I had to leave. Everything is a complete blur. I remember sitting there while Mr. Reyes called John and made arrangements for me to get home. I couldn't think. I couldn't talk. I've never hyperventilated, but I think I was pretty close.

After getting home, I managed to toss a change of clothes into a bag, and as soon as John got here, we left. On the way to Birmingham, Mom called and said she had talked to their primary physician again, and she assured me that everything was going to be okay, but I still could imagine only the worst.

When we got to the hospital, Mom was able to give me more information. They had done a second CT scan on Dad at Princeton, and the neurologist saw only one clot, and it wasn't large enough to make him think immediate surgery was necessary. He took Dad off his coumadin (which Dad refers to as rat poison) and was going to rescan this morning. They did the scan again, and everything was looking good. They gave him a vitamin K tablet to reverse the effects of the coumadin, and he was getting plasma when John and I left the hospital. They will rescan again on Friday, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'll be able to come home.

I don't know if the original scan showed something more than what the second one showed or if the radiologist just thought there was something more there or if it was a "God thing" as my sweet, sweet surrogate daughter Kristen said, but whatever the case, I am so thankful that everything is okay. No matter what was really there or not there, prayers WERE answered.

Now, I'm going to go into hiding so that if anyone else gets sick over the next six months, I won't know about it until he/she is healthy. :)

There are only two more days until fall break is here. I think I need it.

Have a GREAT evening!