That old phrase about life is what happens other than your plans is so very true! I planned a very different "vacation" from what actually happened this holiday. But regardless, our family time together was amazing and wonderful and I am so very grateful. My company closed early for the holiday on December 22nd. The doors closed at noon and I actually was able to wrap up my work and be out the door by 1:30 or so. Those who know me well, know that is pretty unprecedented. I usually work till near to our regular closure time but I was seriously excited for vacation! I went to my mom's and got her shopping list, went straight to the grocery store and did her shopping and came home.
Meanwhile, my wife had taken Elisabeth to the podiatrist that day for a surgery on her foot. She had a growth which he thought was a wart but wasn't sure and wanted to operate on. It wound up meaning that she had 5 stitches in the bottom of her foot days before Christmas.
Right after I got home with the groceries and got them unloaded, Chet came downstairs and was talking with my wife and I. About a minute or two in and he began to say he was dizzy and very hot. We got him into a chair and seated and almost immediately he began to have a seizure. I could brace him and make sure that he did not fall and my wife called 911. It was only about 6 weeks since his previous serious seizure incident. The doctors had thought the seizure were due to his severe shingle outbreak and we had thought it was an isolated event.
Things worsened though and the EMTs decided he should be transported to the hospital. Once there, they discovered he had dangerously low potassium levels (likely due to the violent voiding of his stomach after the seizures) They admitted him, put him on a potassium drip, and scheduled 2 MRI's, one without contrast and one with. My wife was with him for most of this; I was home taking care of Elisabeth and her stitched foot.
We were lucky that we were able to have him discharged before Christmas so we were all together, despite stitches and seizures. Rob came down from Maine and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I went and brought my Mom to the house to spend Christmas Day with us. Despite the unexpected (which is what life is) we had a happy time and made wonderful memories.
However my days off were filled with surgical follow ups, KC's annual physical, and Chet's drs appointments. We are still waiting for a contrast MRI which will take place early next month. The non contrast MRI showed some brain scarring and they therefore want a contrast. He has started a low dose of anti seizure meds and thus far there have been no other seizures. We have also practiced with him what to do if he feels like he might have a seizure as there are times when he is home alone.
What I didn't do on my vacation was work on beginning the repointing of our foundation. This was my hope but it was not to be. But the foundation will still be there the next time I have a bit of time off!
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