ANYWAY......
A year ago this month our family went through some major trials. We had a 4 week old baby, Ricky was laid off, and then hospitalized for a week. Fun times.
I never blogged about what happened last year. In a nutshell..... April 8th was Ricky's last day of work (we knew it was coming so we were prepared). We were not, however, prepared for his health issues that arose that same day.
The night of the 8th we spent in the ER at U-M hospital. Ricky was diagnosed with kidney stones and spent the next couple of weeks in bed, in LOTS of pain, and in and out of Dr's/urgent care offices. Everyone told him.. "The stones will pass." "There is nothing we can do." "Keep doing what you're doing." What he was doing... was alternating between ibuprofen and excendrin to help take the edge off the pain. He ate almost nothing (no appetite) and drank as much water as he could before he felt like he wanted to vomit.
The pain was getting worse, not better, and on the morning of the 18th he began throwing up blood. We hightailed it back to Ann Arbor where he ultimately spent 6 days in the hospital, 3 of which were in the ICU. He was bleeding internally. They had to scope him, twice. The first time to stop the bleeding, then second to make sure the bleeds were indeed, stopped. But first they had to pump as much blood as they could out of his stomach. Not a pretty sight and not something anyone would want repeated.
In the end he lost almost half his blood volume, and received 2 (almost 3) units of blood through, what looked like, a McDonalds straw that they had placed in his neck.
He was sent home on Ashely's 5th birthday. It was probably the best present she got that year.
The following months were challenging. He was very weak (losing blood will do that to a person), and his appetite wasn't quite normal, and he had several follow-up visits (including an additional scope) to make sure everything was going ok. Not to mention the Rx's that were now a part of his normal routine to help ensure this would never happen again.
The job thing was minimal compared to the health issues. It was actually nice to have him around more often. The kids got to spend the entire summer with their dad. Not many kids can say that. In hindsight I think it was a blessing in disguise. Funny how things work out. ;)
And it all ended well. He got a job in December (just as his unemployment was about to run out. Again.... funny how things work out. ;) AND... he just had his one-year-follow-up appt and everything looks good. :) He was given the ok to go off of the Rx that he's been on the past year and the Dr's are confident that this is all behind us now. (fingers crossed they're right).
I know I've said it before.... but it's worth repeating: Things ALWAYS work out. It's true. They may not work out right when we want them too... but they do, eventually, work out. As I look back on this year I can see the reasons why (almost) everything happened when it did. If things had gone according to MY timeline.... well, lets just say it's a good thing they didn't. Things work out when they are supposed to work out. Always.
Now.... if things would hurry and work out in the "house hunting" chapter of our lives, I would be a very happy chick. (more to come on that later....)
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