From another perspective

I got this in my email inbox yesterday from Adelle and I asked her if I could post it here for record keepings.

Looking back your time in the hospital seems to have gone by in an instant, but living through it felt like an eternity. I knew you were sick with a fever and rash. We had been talking all week about it along with our normal topics in the group text message. I had just talked to you on Saturday morning about coming down to Springfield, and I had lined up Liz to watch our kiddos. I didn’t get an answer so I figured you were sleeping…then it all started.

Joe or Allyson (can’t remember now) told us you were going to the hospital because of dehydration. Once there they ran about a million tests and figured out you had pneumonia and they transferred you to St. Joes. I remember Joe telling me that once you got there you felt the best in weeks and that he should go home. I got that message earlier in the evening so I figured you were good and went to sleep…

I woke up at 4am to a text message from Joe saying you were being sedated and intubated. How quickly everything changed.

Joe and Allyson kept us updated for the next couple days, and finally Joe said he was ready for some company. I headed down on Tuesday to see you. I sat in the waiting room and talked to your parents and Joe. At this point they realized they didn’t really know what was wrong with you because you were so sick. That wasn’t a good day. I started crying and Kel Kel told me to knock it off because I was going to make her cry. Finally, I asked if I could go see you and they said of course. The walk felt like forever. Bob-o walked three feet behind me the entire way. My hands were shaking as I put on the gown, gloves, and mask. I walked in and sat next to your bed, held your hand, and just cried. I remember Bob looking in the little window at me, and I hoped he didn’t realize I was a babbling mess. I talked to you, no idea what I said, for awhile then headed out. Joe and your parents walked out to the parking lot with me where my parents were waiting to pick me up. Somehow I’m the one in the parking lot crying and Joe is comforting me. What’s wrong with that picture? Luckily, by that afternoon your cultures were back and they knew what they were battling. Things were looking up…

Wednesday I came back down with Danni and Linds. I was much more composed this day. I thought you looked better than the day before and it helped a lot that they knew what was wrong. We stood in your room in those hideous gowns and told you all the latest news you had missed. At some point during the day we decided to have dinner at your parents’ house because Allyson and Rachel needed to be cheered up and force fed. They hadn’t left the couch in days unless B needed something and were eating very little. Also, this happened to be Nick’s birthday. For the second year in a row he spent his birthday sitting in the St. Joe’s waiting room to see someone in room 1009. I need to remember to do something extra special for him next year. In the end, dinner was nice, we celebrated Nick’s birthday, and made sure Allyson and Rachel ate, but still not the cheery evening it should have been. You know it’s bad when Allyson starts tapping in to her “twin ESP” to help you feel better.

Friday evening Nick and I came down to sit with you so Joe could go home and put Barrett to bed. They were starting to lower your sedation and you would wake up periodically, so we didn’t want to leave you alone. Mostly you slept, but if a nurse touched you you made some great faces. When they came in to test your blood sugar you were very pissed. You opened your eyes several times and made the machines go crazy. I was in your face essentially petting you Aka rubbing your hair telling you to calm down. Finally, I told you it was me and to relax and you calmed down quickly. While you slept I sang you Disney songs off of the Pandora station Joe was playing for you. Not a lot of choices since you only have two stations and luckily you can’t remember my singing! I told Joe I knew you always wanted your life to be like a Disney movie, but watching Sleeping Beauty is way more fun than living it in real life!

The next few days passed and you kept getting better. I felt so bad for you when they would let you be awake while still on the vent. I knew why they were doing it, but still agonizing to watch, and I’m sure worse to experience. The girls and I came back down to see you when you woke up. You were definitely using your eyes to communicate and it was fun watching you spell on Joe’s hand.

We were all relieved the day the vent came out. I know the meds were making you say funny things, and I’m pretty sure we could make a “Taryn’s top ten”, including: I’ll get your email and squirt in the unhip stealth. We all missed you at the reunion, just wasn’t the same. We were glad Joe came, and don’t worry, Allyson started giving him the look when it was time to go back to Bloomington.

I made it a goal to see you every other day. The progress you made each time I saw you was amazing. It was a relief to see you up and talking, but even better when I came back a few days later and found you on the couch. I knew the moment you looked at me that you were back!

I’ve said this several times lately, but let’s not do this again.