What started as a normal day, ended in a not so normal way.

 Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing was a surprise. I knew where I was going to be that day. I knew how I was going to get there. I knew what I was going to be doing that day. To put it simple, it was a normal day of working. Until...it wasn't normal anymore.

I knew after the staff meeting, I would need to rush over to the football field (literally across the street) to watch my son play in his second game of the season. But...the unthinkable happened. 

I never made it over; I never got to cheer for him.

Something was wrong. I knew this time it was different. It was different than what it had been, and I needed my husband to know. I was going to need him, but I didn't know I would need him sooner rather than later.

I called and told him I wasn't doing well. I was going down hill fast, but I was going to try to make it to and through the football game. So, he waited in the parking lot at the football field. But...

The next call I made to him changed everything from being normal to a not so normal day. As I was leaving my building, I called Jarred in a panic telling him I needed him here now. My next words were just the beginning. 

"I'm going to pass out! I lost too much!"

Through the phone I heard him say, "Get to the car and sit down! Babe... I'm on my way!" 

I managed to open the back end of my car, and I laid there until my husband arrived. I felt as if I was burning up inside, but on the outside, I had chills. My husband arrived and immediately took me to the emergency room. 

I was able to walk into the ER as my husband filled out the paperwork.  Then, as always, we waited. After being called back to triage, the nurses took my vitals and gathered their needed information. 

The ER was very busy that night. Every room was filled with a patient, and they even had an overflow of patients in the hall. Some were even being closely monitored by law enforcement . However, even with the ER being filled, the nurses decided I needed a room, and made the comment, "You look awfully pale." 

I knew I looked pale. I knew losing too much would cause that. I knew what was about to come because it wasn't stopping.

Now, I don't believe there is a person in this world that wakes up and says, "I believe I will go to the emergency room today." Well... maybe if you work in the medical field, but I had no clue I would be there on September 18th, until I was in my new ER room. 

I had lost too much. My hemoglobin level dropped to a seven. The nurses informed me that I needed a blood transfusion. That's when the questions came flooding into my mind. 

"How is this going to physically and emotionally affect me?"

"Whose blood is going to be inside me flowing around?"

"How do we know it's not infected with a disease or something?"

The nurses came in with the unit of blood. They began to read from the bag to ensure their inspection and check was documented safely.  I was to be monitored by a nurse in the room for 15 minutes in case of a reaction to the transfusion. Then, a thought occurred.

The blood that was supposed to save my life could possibly make me lose my life.

I was scared.

So, I prayed!

"Ok, that's 15 minutes!" I heard the nurse say to me. I was in the safe zone. At least for now. 

I was then transported to an upstairs room. I was admitted into the hospital and given medication to stop the bleeding. The medication did it's job, and it stopped! Praise the Lord!

My doctor came in the next day and told me to rest up! We're going to continue the medication to manage the bleeding until your scheduled surgery (2 weeks away). If all goes well during the day and your hemoglobin level is up, you will be discharged! 

When we finally got the word that all went well and my level was up, we were thrilled to be going home. Even though it was 9:00PM on September 19th, we didn't care because we finally made it home!

At least we thought we didn't care, until it happened again. But this time, it came back with a vengeance!

Exhaustion doesn't even equivalently describe my physical state. It was more than exhaustion. It was desperation. My body was clinging to life, and I didn't even give it a thought. 

Until...

Once again, my day began with my knowing where I was going to be, what I was going to be doing, and how I would get there. My travels didn't go far. I traveled from my bed to the couch. I rested. I did absolutely nothing! I heeded everyones advice and was a couch potato!

All was going well. I would be back at work the next day. It was over! I was determined to make it to my scheduled surgery 2 weeks away. I even had three phone calls back-to-back calling to check on me, and I told them all that I would be back at work tomorrow. I was going to be fine!

So I thought!

It came back, and this time it came with a vengeance! A vengeance that was out to destroy with a quick swift blow. An easy day turned to life threatening in a mere matter of moments. Moments that we thought were heading in the right direction when in reality really took us off course. The worst thing about it was I was home alone.

My first call was to my husband. A call he didn't want to receive because of the news I would give him. I then had to manage multiple phone calls before I could be at ease. My children needed to be picked up. My doctor needed to be alerted. I needed help with the dinner I was supposed to be delivering that evening to a dear friend recovery from a procedure. 

A call to a friend that I would not be in tomorrow, even though, I just told three different people I would be at work the next day. This same friend offered to come and take me back to the hospital, but I turned the help away because I am stubborn. I was determined to be ok, but I knew deep down I wasn't ok.

The bible talks about serving others before yourself. (Philippians 2:3-4). Something I strive to live, every day of my life. However, there are times when one will need to lay their service aside to receive the service of others. God reminded me of that lesson as I needed to hear it once again. "Don't interfere or take away someone else’s blessing of service." 

I needed help! Help came in many forms! Help from my doctor. He called in a new prescription that should help me make it to my scheduled surgery 2 weeks away. My mother-in-law for picking up my boys, finishing the dinner, delivering the dinner, and picking up my new medication. Help came from many loved ones, family, friends, & co-workers in prayer! 

So, I laid there physically helpless, but not hopeless!

"My hope is built on nothing less, then Jesus' blood and righteousness!"

I started to sing this sweet hymn and continued singing praises! I knew that whatever God had in store, His timing was always perfect, and He would never leave me nor forsake me! After a few moments, I turned on my worship music and listened. Unfortunately... I began to drift in and out due to too much blood loss.

My husband finally arrived home and asked if I wanted to go back to the emergency room. He said I didn't answer the first time he asked. So, he asked me again. I remember shaking my head yes and trying to sit up. After my husband helped me to my feet, I took a few steps then my body went limp. 

From that moment on, I remember very little. My husband described and explained the following accounts from September 20th. 

Christian, our eldest son, had to assist in carrying me to the car. My husband drove me to the ER, placed me in a wheelchair, pushed me inside, and we waited. 

As we waited, he was asked to move the car twice. He had left our car running and in the tow away zone. He explained that he wasn't leaving me because he was holding me up. He was keeping me from falling out of the wheelchair. I was so pale and not really coherent. 

When my name was called, a nurse took over. The nurse took one look at me and immediately started calling for the doctor. The doctor and nurse tried to get me to show a response. I was going to be put on a ventilator if I didn't show signs of life or response, but... I apparently moaned. They rushed me back to a room and placed me on a bed. They immediately placed an IV in my arm, and requested testing for my hemoglobin level. They knew I had to be low.

I needed blood, but how much?

It was determined that I would need two units of blood transfused before I would even be released from the ER. I would not be discharged to go home, but would be released to an upstairs room. So, one unit went in fast, and then the next started. At this time, I began to be more coherent, and I was moved upstairs where I proceeded to have two more units of blood transfused. 

If you have lost count of the units blood transfused, it's five in total!

The next day my doctor visited and said, "Well, you just couldn't wait?" He said my color looked a little better, but we still needed to check my hemoglobin level. I wasn't going anywhere without having an emergency hysterectomy. I just needed to have enough of a blood supply before the surgery could take place!

My levels weren't exactly where the doctor wanted them to be, but he said it was close enough! He ordered two more units of blood on standby. Just in case it was needed during the surgery. 

The emergency hysterectomy was finally scheduled, but this time it was schedule for Friday, September 22nd. 

I was finally seeing an end to all of this, but was I wrong!