It has been a hellacious week at my house. Both Erik and Jayson became sick last Saturday night and suffered from some kind of virus for the next 5 days. Jayson missed a week of school and Erik missed a week of work. I thought things couldn't get any worse. They did. But they also didn't. Here is what I have learned - hope some of it sticks with you in case you (God Forbid) ever need it:
1. Viruses can turn. It doesn't matter if you are young, strong, and healthy. Erik is one of the strongest men I know. He doesn't smoke, he eats well, he exercises, and generally takes care of himself. Right now he is sitting in the hospital with acute pneumonia. 24 hours after being admitted we are just now getting a clearer picture of how sick he was, and how very close he was to having his story turn out a VERY different way. I thought I was shaken up yesterday on the ambulance ride to the hospital - I'm more shaken up now knowing how close I came to losing him. Don't mess around with possible pneumonia. Please.
2. Be forever thankful for your friends and family. I don't know what I would do without them. 2 of my friends had my back in about 10 minutes from when I made that first phone call from the ER, and soon many others joined in. My kids were taken care of, I was being prayed for hard, wonderful doctors were suggested, plans were rearranged to help get my daughter through a skating competition, and a wonderful meal appeared on my doorstep to get us through the weekend. God Bless all of you - truly. I'm so close to falling apart and I'm convinced it's everyone's support that's keeping it at bay.
3. Don't be complacent. 16 years ago Erik had cancer and beat it - beat it soundly. We haven't thought about it in a LONG time. Yesterday a radiologist in the ER, being overly cautious about what he was seeing on the chest x ray, made some comments about a possible return of the cancer, throwing us into an absolutely terrifying tailspin. In all honesty, the last time I remember having that instant "I'm going to throw up" feeling was when I was told my son had autism. I hate that feeling. I don't ever want that feeling ever again. Many doctors have consulted with us in the last 24 hours. Tests have been run. It is much more likely the spots on the X ray were due to the pneumonia. There is really no indication of the cancer's return upon further study. We aren't nearly as scared about that as we were yesterday. Now we are freaked out about the severity of the pneumonia. Don't become complacent. Things can turn on a dime. I've heard more stories in the last 24 hours of how things could go wrong.
4. Priorities. In one swift instant nothing else mattered. Nothing. I hate that it takes something like this to clear all the bullsh** from my brain. Erik too. We both had a long talk today about what needs to take precedence in our minds and bodies. Color us both sufficiently scared into change.
5. My husband is the center of my universe. Without him I am lost. Thank you, God, for letting him remain with me. I cherish every single second.
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