Let's Never Do This Again

Well, folks, as most of you know, it's been a rough couple of weeks. But things have calmed down quite substantially, so I am keeping a bravely optimistic face and saying that it's all somewhat behind us now.

On New Year's Day I got a call from an old friend. It was one of those phone calls where you can't understand a word the other person is saying-- only that they're really, really upset. Once I determined that no one had died, I let her talk and cry for a while before I figured out that she was telling me things were going very badly in her marriage. She needed to get away. So she did, to Philadelphia, the week after New Year's. We cleaned out the spare room, borrowed an air mattress and stocked up on ice cream and tissues. It was a good week, relatively speaking-- I hope that my old friend felt loved and supported and taken care of. There was a lot of girl talk and girly movies and eating fattening food. I had hoped that the time and distance would help her marriage, but alas. I got word a few days ago that it was pretty much over, he was moving out and that things continue to be terrible and hard for her.

The day after my old friend left, I was struck with a terrible stomach virus. It was the first time in four years that I called in sick to work. Too bad it was no fun-- convalescing as close to a bathroom as possible does not a relaxing day make.

But my physical woes were small potatoes compared to Deb's-- the very same Sunday I was sick, she returned from the dog park with hives spreading all over her body. She took a Benadryl and went to work, but still felt awful and was actually having trouble breathing. She went to the emergency room Sunday afternoon, and they put her on a nebulizer and pumped her full of more Benadryl, sending her home that evening. Monday morning she woke up, rolled over in bed and the hives returned. She spent all of Monday in the ER, and they released her late that night. A few hours later she was having so much trouble breathing that I had to call 911. This time the hospital kept her overnight, aggressively treating her asthma, but pretty much ignoring the obvious allergy attack.

She was released Tuesday evening. We had planned an evening dinner at Horizon's Restaurant for my birthday with a few friends, and despite my hesitancy, she insisted that we go and that she meet us there. Off I went, with Mel & AJ, Lindsay & Carrie and Amanda. Deb was late, and lots of time passed without an update from her. I got worried. I called her, and our friend Julia answered. Apparently she and Rachel, another friend of ours, had been walking down the street when they just happened to come across Deb. She was sitting down and was not able to talk. She was having trouble breathing again. They managed to get her home, but Deb's breathing did not get better. I rushed home just in time to jump into the ambulance with her.

(Side note: my friends are utterly amazing. From Amanda McKenna jumping up, getting our untouched food wrapped and rushing home with me, to Melanie & AJ taking Hyde to their house for three days, to one of my friends at the restaurant paying for my meal and refusing to accept reimbursement or to even tell me who it was, to Rachel & Julia's quick thinking and level heads, I just can't believe how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life)

This time the ambulance took Deb to a different hospital, which actually made all of the difference in the world. They kept her at the hospital from Tuesday-Friday and worked aggressively to find out what was wrong. Now we still haven't really figured that part out yet, but the good news is that they were able to get rid of the hives and Deb has had no other breathing issues since. (Fingers crossed!) So she has an appointment with an allergist soon to try to really pinpoint the issue, but right now she is controlled, healthy and heavily medicated.

And then two days ago we got word that my wonderful sister-in-law Maria's godmother died in a terrible and senseless accident. I met this woman at Maria's shower, and I remember her as a joyful, giving woman with the biggest heart. She leaves behind a young family and a circle of people who's world is a little dimmer without the light of her smile. My heart goes out to my Puerto Rican family in this terrible time. Te quiero.

So needless to say this has been a very long, very emotionally draining week. But the fact that I have a chance to breath a little, to post this blog, and to come down a little from Red Alert is a good thing. Now I just need to get some sleep....