Not many children can say they've had the experience of saving a life, especially the life of their parent.
10 years ago on July 27th, around 5:00 in the evening, an unimaginable, and UNFORGETTABLE day occurred.
My Mom nearly died.
and I saved her from dying.
I get chill bumps still thinking about it. To this day I still cringe at the sound of a helicopter (although I've had to adjust to that noise as the 101st Airborne Army Division flies over our little city of Cadiz multiple times a day it seems). I still worry at every moment if my Mother takes prescription medication, or OTC Tylenol even alone.
Had I not been at home, to perform Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation, and literally speak to the 911 operator via the speaker phone between breathes into my Mothers blue lips, and not breathing body, she would have been the UN-surviving victim of an Anphlyectic Shock. She took a prescription, which she'd taken for 10 years for arthritis, and 5 minutes later was in denial about needing to go to the ER, although her body was blood read, her throat was closing up, and her heart rate had plummeted. Against her will, I called 911.
It was something I never want to live through again. We had a cockier spaniel at the time, who dared anyone to come near my Mom at any other given moment. Captain was his name. Captain sat, propping her hand as it had fallen from the table she'd rested on when she passed out. Had he not with the tip of his nose, held her hand up, I would have had to have scooted her by myself into the floor of the dining room. Instead, he braced the left side of her limp body with his head, and I had the ability to keep her held against the back of the chair she sat in. I was a afraid of what he'd do to the Paramedics, but somehow Captain knew something was wrong. As soon as they entered the door, they asked about the barking dog, and for some unknown reason, I told them to just come in, that he wouldn't hurt. (any other time...he'd a torn into them!...literally he was protective!) Captain backed out of the way, and allowed them to take care of her.
They took her to Fulton Parkway Regional Hospital, where the ER staff worked relentlessly on her for 4 hours, before they made the bleak decision of hoping she would make the flight to Paducah Lourdes.
I will forever be thankful for them in the ER that night. It was literally the scariest sight I'd ever seen. I'd braced myself for the worst, although completely didn't want to live through it.
At Lourdes Hospital in Paducah KY, Dr. Smith, still her Dr. today, was completing a 12 hour shift, and wouldn't leave b/c Mom was no where near being out of the woods, were his very words. She laid in a coma for 4 days, and was able to go home after visiting the Cardiac, and Respiratory floors after 12 days.
The event changed her life forever. She can't take NSAIDS for anything. Which meant she has to deal with pain of arthritis. She lost 48% of her heart muscle, which means she takes lots of heart medications, and several other medical conditions.
But thanks be to GOD that I still have my Mother today. I will forever be grateful to Him that I was home to help my Mom when she needed me, and not off at a friends house. (as I usually was at that particular time).
My Mom is my crutch. (other than my husband and kids), I can't imagine life without her. Hopefully I'll never have to. God just wasn't through with her on earth. He left her with us to continue to bless us with her wisdom, smile, and her ability to always know the right thing to do/say ! She's truly an ANGEL on Earth!
So here's to you Mom....
I LOVE YOU! :) Happy Anniversary, and or 10th BIRTHDAY Again! :)
This is the shirt my Mom wore to that night, to the ER in the ambulance. I SAW it ripped and stained with blood in the floor of the ER, before they loaded her into the helicopter. I had no idea it had been savored. Mom had a quilt made for me at Christmas 08'. This piece of shirt is top center. Thank you Mom.
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