When Life is Like a Tilt-A-Whirl

Do you ever feel like you just got off an amusement park ride that was spinning too fast? That's kinda how I'm feeling, a little wobbly, as I try to regain my balance this week.

As many of you know, my mom ended up in the hospital for multiple blood clots in both of her lungs the day I last posted. We're so thankful for the gift of more life together. A friend, who is also a nurse, told me yesterday that 80% of people with pulmonary embolisms don't make it to the hospital.

Mom was admitted on Wednesday morning, November 18th and stayed until Wednesday night, November 25th. We were told she'd be there two nights but each day a new door opened to the unexpected and her release date was extended.

The doctors told us she had a blood clot, most likely in her leg, that dislodged and went through her heart before it shattered into several smaller clots into both lungs. They immediately put her on Coumadin, a blood thinner, to prevent more clotting.

She was supposed to go home that Friday evening, but she developed severe lower left back pain and a fever. They put her on morphine to ease her pain and by the time the Dr came to see her Sat morning, she was feeling a bit better. She self-diagnosed that she'd pulled a muscle doing her breathing exercises and her Dr. believed her.

Unfortunately, I was not at the hospital when all this happened. By the time I got there she was "morphed" out of pain and in a deep sleep most of Saturday. Eventually the morphine wore off and I was able to see the excruciating pain she had. It was classic kidney stone symptoms so we ordered another CT scan and they found a 5mm stone in her left kidney.

On Monday they decided to do surgery to remove it since it was too large to pass. But when they went in to start the surgery they discovered she had a severe kidney infection so they had to stop the procedure. Her fever continued to increase and some concerns also developed about pneumonia so they decided to keep her until Wednesday.

By that morning, my mom was planning our Thanksgiving day menu and her escape!

Fortunately, they determined she was well enough to go home and we all got to be together for Thanksgiving day and weekend. She's moved in with us for at least this week and we'll see each day how she is doing and what plans we need to make. She will also be having surgery this week to remove the kidney stone, we hope.

This past week, I have felt like my life was tilting and whirling at high speed!

Between dropping being at the hospital with my mom as much as possible since I am the only family in town, being her hospital care advocate, keeping other family members posted on her condition, finding someone to watch Aster every day, worrying about her being confused because her new mommy was gone, arranging carpool for the boys and trying to keep their schedules as normal as possible... I have felt totally out of sorts.

It's been so hard to see my mom who is so energetic and spunky become pale, weak and very uncomfortable.

But oh how thankful I am that I know the One who holds my world and my days in His hands. I couldn't do it without Him. I'd be a basket case! I am so grateful I can look to Him to help me find balance today, and a new way of doing life each day as we move forward.

Has your life felt a little too much tilt and whirl lately? Is some area spinning out of control? Do you feel off balance? I know where you are and I'd love to know how I can pray for you!! Our family has been so blessed by so many prayers and so much support. We'd love to give some back to you!