from time to time

[Coach]

I'm reminded ( I think by the Holy Spirit) to share something that happened in my life that may be useful for someone else to hear at this time in their life.
I can't explain how I sense it, but I know i'm convicted to do so........

It's been a few years now but it seems like just yesterday, as my spouse and i were getting ready for bed. She didn't feel well and shared some symptims with me that didn't sound right. Tho she wanted to wait till morning, I insisted she dress and we go to the emergency room and have it checked out. No arguments.

After a blood test revealed something that confirmed maybe a minor heart attack, my wife was hospitalized overnight for observation and first thing in the morning, dr's would go into to her arteries and look for damage. It was a long sleepless night and about the time i expected to get my phoned report, I got a call from the hospital saying to get down there ASAP. So i raced down to the hospital and was told that the dr had run the probe camera thru my wife's artery and she was being tranferred to a hopital in tacoma for emergency open heart surgery to repair the damage.

My heart was in my throat as i raced the 20 miles or so to get there. For three and a half hours I prayed and felt so powerless as i awaited word. It seemed like an eternity. Finally word came that the repair had gone well and she was in ICU. For three days, I traveled back and forth from home and hospital, not really sleeping but only allowed to be there when they would let me. they had overdosed her with anestesia (she's real sensitive to it, but i was not consulted about it tho I could have warned them.) So for three days I came in, she didn't move, she didn't respond to my voice nothing. I had this sinking feeling that i was gonna lose my sweetie.

But finally on the 4th day as i entered her room I saw her sitting up and awake. I was overcome with emotion. ( I am now as i retell it). Slowly over
the next few days she improved got strong and came home. She goes in for annual checks with the heart surgeon who did the open heart repair and it seems things have repaired very well.

I share this story because it changed my attitude about a lot of things. for one, it used to bug me that every day when I'd shower and find her hair in the drain it would irk me. I mean really irk me. Now every day, since this occurance ( and it's been close to a decade) I thank God for the PRIVILEDGE
of being able to remove the hair of the person he gave back to me. Oh there are lots of other things as well that i could share, But I think I retell this story to remind us all that in a heartbeat we could loose something precious to us and no matter what the faults or irritations with those individuals are
( you can be in love with someone but still be mad at them) we can't imagine life without them. so whether it's clothes thrown around in a teenagers room, or mud tracked into a clean house etc etc etc, think about the void in your life without this person and maybe reevaluate how you look at things. I think your life will be blessed as your reprioritize what's really important. I hope this touches the person who needs to hear this at this time
and that my conviction to share it today ( even tho it makes me go thru the
experience all over again) was worthwhile.:yes:

[Lilylady]

You are a good man.

[Kntry]

Dick, all that you write is so very true. For those of us that have come SO close to losing our soul/life mate, it's a very emotional experience every time you think about it no matter how much time has passed. August 9th will be 8 years since Mike was hit head on by a drunk while on his Harley. I still can't talk about it without tearing up. The first 2 weeks, we didn't know if he'd live and if he did, if he'd have to relearn how to do a lot of things.

I remember being run out of the ICU late at night. I slept in my clothes and shoes with my cell phone under my head in case I got THAT call during the night. After 2 nights, the guys in ICU knew he was better while I was there so they let me stay 24/7.

For those 16 days, every time I'd leave to take a shower and go back, something else would stop working (kidneys, liver, heart, etc) from the severe trauma. I never knew what to expect when I walked back in. Two different occasions, they met me in the hall to tell me what I'd see when I went in his room.

They also overdosed him on pain meds and tranquilizers to the point he had no idea anyone was in the room with him. He was strapped to the bed but running his crews and building things for 2 days without stopping, day and night. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him till I insisted they get a specialist. Instead, luckily, the anesthesiologist walked past his ICU room and said to take him off every med. The next morning, he was back to normal.

And that ride. I know exactly what you're talking about. Mike was able to give the people my phone number to call me while they were working on him. I got a call at 9:30 that night saying he'd had a wreck and I needed to get there. Knowing he was on the bike, I asked if he was ok and they just replied I needed to get there. My oldest son was home. He drove 90 miles an hour down a 45 mph street, sometimes driving down the center lane between 2 lanes of traffic. I jumped out of the truck before we ever stopped and the cops grabbed me. They wouldn't let me go anywhere near him or see him. I had to ride in the front of the ambulance, still not knowing how badly he was hurt. When they told me what hospital they were going to, I requested another hospital about 4 miles further out and they told me no, he wouldn't make it.

Cherish every single second you have with your loved ones. You never know when it could be the last one.

Dick, you're better than me. It still aggravates me when Mike leaves the toilet seat up. ROFLOL

[Coach]

Sandy, I can't thank-you enough for sharing your story. It's good to have all of us reminded and let's hope our story hits home to the person that I think needs to hear it. thank-you again for sharing!

[Kntry]

Do you have someone in mind? It may be me. I can't find time to call my parents when it's a good time for them. I worry about them every day because I can't get over there to help my Dad.

[koikeepr]

Dick, sometimes these things happen in life to serve as reminders as to who and what really matters. So many of us wander through life taking, but give little. Incidents such as this stop is in our tracks to knock us on the head (and heart) to say "Slow down! These are the people that matter!"

Glad your sweetheart is doing well. Cherish her.

[Meganne]

you never know when lif is going to give you a reality check, you both still have more patience than I, but I am learning!
I am also learning not to sweat the little things, it all gets done...eventually

[Luvmypond]

Very heart warming stories. I don't know what I would do if something happened to my hubby. Just the thought makes me cringe. My pet peve with him is, when he comes in from out side and his shoes are dirty, he takes them off right in the doorway. I have tripped over his shoes many times. I wouldn't know how to walk from one room to another without looking down to see if shoes are there. But, I'll take that over not having him here.