Intussusception. It's a long word and most of us have never heard of it. My first introduction to this word happened on Thursday, April 19th. Nate was hysterical at school and they needed me to get him - something was wrong with his tummy. When I pulled up to the school, I could hear him screaming - he was in the office and I only had one foot out of my car in the parking lot. I walked in, got him and took him to the car where he had one of his "episodes" in my arms. It looked a bit like a seizure - his eyes rolled back and he arched backwards over my arm screaming. It lasted for a good minute and then he went limp and cried about his tummy. I strapped him in his car seat, and started driving. It hit him again and I immediately started toward the nearest emergency room - something in my gut said go, don't wait. I couldn't get Doug or my mom on the phone for several tries. I second-guessed myself the entire way. When I pulled up to the ER, Nate was in shock - he was a strange grayish color and was sweating like a man who had mowed the yard in August. I carried him in and the triage nurse took us straight away. In less than an hour, the ER doctor had X-rayed, recorded an ultrasound, medicated Nate and had us in an ambulance on the way to Dell Children's hospital. I will never forget the words he used in letting us know what Intussusception would result in if it was not corrected immediately: "uniformly fatal". What an odd way to put it. I will forever be grateful to that doctor and his ER staff - they took unbelievable care of us. We were blessed to be cared for well, and to have the best possible outcomes during both times in the hospital (Thursday and then a relapse on Saturday). We were able to reduce the intussusception both times without surgery.
What I learned from this is what I wanted to share in this post:
1. God is ever-present and working daily in our lives. We know this, but it is amazing to see Him care enough about the smallest of details in your own life. Just a few days before, I had decided to pack a small cooler with snacks and water due to the running around we were doing during the week with soccer, karate and gymnastics. This is something that did not exist before - I always just grabbed what I thought we needed as we blew out the door. That Thursday, I had originally planned to drop the boys at preschool and then go straight to Corley's school to do folder duty and then run by the grocery store. At the very last minute after dropping the boys off (I'm talking I had to change my blinker from going right to going left), I decided to go to the grocery store first and then go have lunch with Corley. If you know me well, you know that last minute is not my gig. I stocked up on groceries, came home and put them away, tidied up a bit and then was standing on the school grounds when I got the call for Nate. A coincidence? I think not. Having food available is huge to us because our food allergies make getting a snack next to impossible - even at a hospital! He was aware of what I was walking into and nudged me until I changed my plans so that we would be more prepared for the week to come. I am thankful!
2. Follow your gut - we call it our gut, but I believe it was the Spirit who nudged me toward the hospital. I would've normally been more conservative opting for observation, etc. instead of going straight to the emergency room. I am so grateful for such a strong prompting - one too strong to be ignored.
3. Be prepared. This week in/out of the hospital opened my eyes to how unprepared most of us are for an emergency. We nod our heads in agreement when people tell us, or we see the folks from the Red Cross talk about 3-day bags on TV, yet we still have the attitude that we will just run out and grab what we need when we need it. My life would have been a bit smoother if I would've had a bag for each family member packed and in the closet. Needless to say, we all have 3-day bags now equipped with snacks, toiletries, clothes, etc. that are in our closets. And I will be working on a 2-week+ supply as recommended by the Red Cross. I encourage everyone to go to the Red Cross website and follow their preparedness recommendations. God-willing we will never have to use them, but it sure does give me peace of mind to know that I will have the needed items should we have to make any more unexpected overnight trips to the hospital!
Thank you to all for your prayers and concerns for Nate. A huge thank you to dear friends and family who stepped up at a moment's notice to take kids, dig through my house for needed items, and provided food - you were all a life-saver and I am truly grateful.
Thank you, God, for being present and active in all areas of my life - and for caring about the smallest details as well as the big things!
