I like to plan. I like to have some forethought and organization in my life. A little structure and routine to make the days go smoother. I like to be on time, I like to have a plan on what needs to be done in a day.
I'm not so rigid as to know that there are always hiccups and room for variance to the planning. I like to be pretty go with the flow if I can, but there is structure in this flow and that suits me well. It suits our family well actually.
But sometimes life has other plans. Sometimes it throws a couple curveballs and then another high and inside just to keep you on your toes.
That's what happened last week.
As mentioned in my previous post Big C hadn't been feeling all that good lately and that his grandfather had died.
He was going to drive 10+ hours on the weekend to his grandfathers funeral and then leave immediately after it was done so he could be back for a work conference in a nearby big city. Which meant we wouldn't see him for nearly 5 days again.
But you do what you gotta do right?
Except that was all to change.
Last Wednesday evening I asked Big C what was wrong. He told me he wasn't feeling good again. And in the next breath he said he was actually going to go to a doctor and get it checked out, so I knew it was not good. He is the typical man, you have to be on your death bed before you will go and seek help. (though I'm not much different)
He suffered in agony with severe stomach pain most of Wednesday night and had the chills/fever thing going on too.
I was due in for a treatment at the hospital that Thursday morning and Big C said he was coming into the city too and would hit the walk in clinic. That way once he was done there, he could do some Christmas shopping and then meet me for lunch if I got done early enough. Cool, I had the whole day off, he had a day off for bereavement leave, we'd do some power shopping and have a lunch date all at the same time.
But that all changed about 9:30 am. I was reading the paper waiting for my "drugs" to be mixed up when I get a tap on the shoulder.
It was Big C. He'd tracked me down at the hospital. He was not looking good. Pale and ghostly would describe it best. He's darker complexioned having some native blood in his veins and he did not look good. The walk in clinic told him to go to the Emergency dept. of the hospital. It could be any number of things but possibly his appendix.
Wow. OK. I will try to find you when I get out of my treatment.
So after a series of gory details I won't get into. I spent the afternoon I had off with my husband, but it was not for a date. Nope, waiting in the ER for the results of the CT scan they had taken.
Awesome. I held out as long as I could but I had to go to pick up Miss K and explain to her why dad wasn't coming home. Then it was the flurry of phone calls to let those know who needed to, and roll with the new life plan that was thrown at us.
In reality it was pretty good. He waited almost 36 hours before they did the surgery on him. He was hungry and thirsty, but not really in any danger of the appendix bursting.
They had to cut him open, no little laproscopic holes for him as there was some sort of mass around the appendix they didn't like the looks of.
Lots of sleepless nights on my part from shear adrenalin/worry and his part due to a noisy roommate.
They sprung him loose a mere 12 hours after coming out of recovery. He was a hurting unit for sure, but happy to be home. Miss K was too, she misses her dad when he's away for work, but the hospital kinda kicked it up a notch.
So now, 4 weeks of no lifting, no twisting, no work of any kind for the big guy. 4 weeks of no waterfowl hunting which we're getting into prime season for. No driving for the week while he's on any sort of pain meeds.
There was no attending his grandfather's funeral, no Christmas parades on the weekend for any of us.
He's getting better, he can put on his own pants and underwear as of today. But still needs help with shoes and socks. He can't reach anything in the bottom of the fridge, or lift anything out of the oven so he's not much of a house husband right now.
Yup, I know, first world problems. But our own problems, everything is relative and we all deal with pain, change and life's challenges in our own way.
I'm just glad it was not something more serious. I'm glad he is home. I'm glad that he is not sick any more. I'm glad he can do some gift wrapping when the time is right.
I'm glad that when our new mudpuppy comes home he's going to be able to hang out with Big C for the first week or two.
Life gets flipped upside down every now and again. It helps us take stock of what is really important.
It helped me realize that I am doing enough. That I can keep it together and be there when I'm needed most. I can do it. I maybe can't do it all, but I can do what I need to get by, even when life throws you a wild pitch
Til next time, give those loved ones in the hospital an extra hug for me and if life throws you a curveball, try to hit it out of the park
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