Some weeks glide by, almost without notice. Others pack a punch, pitching and tossing like the wildest roller coasters. The last couple of weeks have been a roller-coaster for me. I don’t like roller coasters.
Like a roller coaster, the end of April was quiet enough. But my husband and I knew the pace would pick up—our daughter had scheduled her childbirth for May 1, if Granddaughter #2 didn’t decide to come sooner. She told me not to expect regular updates during labor and delivery, so I knew I would have to wait.
On the morning of May 1, I heard from our daughter’s friend who was babysitting Granddaughter #1—they had gone to the hospital Wednesday evening because our daughter was in labor. The roller-coaster started climbing the hill.
Within an hour after hearing from the friend, I had a call from my brother—our sister was in the hospital after a “cardiac event.” Her husband had called 911 about the time on Wednesday evening that our daughter left for the hospital. The roller coaster careened down its first dive.
No news through midday on Thursday on either front. The suspense of the next climb heightened.
I called my brother-in-law. My sister was having an angiogram. That would determine whether she needed a pacemaker. She’s many years younger than me!
When no news came about the baby, I suspected my daughter was having another C-section, as she had with her first child. Finally, Thursday evening, we heard from our son-in-law—it had been “a long and wild day” (i.e., a roller coaster), but baby and mother were fine. We had an 8 pound, 4 ounce granddaughter. (And I learned her name, but I’m under instructions not to reveal it online.)
That evening, our daughter was able to call—she’d had a C-section under general anesthesia, and it had been a little complicated, but she was fine and so was the baby.
The roller coaster slowed, but another dip was coming.
Friday morning, I learned my sister had had another “cardiac event” and was in the ICU and intubated, with plans to put in a temporary pacemaker.
The roller coaster dropped to the bottom.
Saturday, our ride began to even out. With her temporary pacemaker, my sister was doing better, she was extubated, and she even responded to a text I sent. Daughter, her husband, and new baby all went home.
And Sunday, I met my second granddaughter. Who is beautiful . . . as beautiful as her older sister was. Love blooms immediately.
Monday, our daughter’s dog Langley died, which I wrote about last week. That set off another drop and climb in the roller coaster. The curves and dips lasted through last week.
Sister had a heart biopsy, during which there was a complication that left her with a painful drain tube. Then she got a permanent pacemaker. But we still don’t have a definitive diagnosis as to what caused the myocarditis that led to the initial “cardiac events.”
Daughter developed an infection that sent her back to the ER one evening. Antibiotics helped, and we had a very nice Mother’s Day together. (It was also daughter’s birthday.) I played with toddler granddaughter and held her newborn sister.
I thought we were done with trauma, but just as I drafted this post, toddler granddaughter stuck a pea up her nose. At least this event was mostly traumatic only to her. The pea is out, and a nap helped.
Dips and rolls and acceleration.
At the moment, we are coasting again, and I hope it stays that way. Our patients have some recuperation to do—my sister is still hospitalized—but we can breathe at the moment. I’m looking forward to this ride ending.
When have you had a roller-coaster period in your life?
That’s quite the week! Glad everyone is doing well.
Wow. What a week. I hope everyone continues to be OK. Congratulations on your new granddaughter!!!!