I was getting ready for the day, so I was in my room. The kids were out playing in the loft. I heard one of the older girls say that Evalyn was hurt, but I didn't hear any crying...so I thought to myself "it must not be that bad". Then I opened my door to find Evalyn right outside of it laying on the ground, still not crying. I asked her what hurt and she pointed to her leg. I thought maybe she did something to bruise it, but nothing major since she wasn't crying at all. I carried her downstairs to eat some breakfast. Then after awhile she again was saying her leg hurt. So I asked her to walk on her leg so I could watch her. I thought if I did that I could see if she limps or where the problem was. She was a trooper and tried to walk on it a few steps but then quickly fell to the ground, and this time she started to cry just a little bit. But then she started to shake a little, I could tell she was in pain (but so tough she still was not really crying). I asked her to point right where it hurt and she did right on her shin. I felt that spot and it was very warm to the touch and swollen....I had the thought right away, I think it is broken.
So off to the Doctor we went and they confirmed that we should get it x-rayed. After the x-ray it was confirmed it was broken and we needed to get it casted. This was some said news since we were just starting summer and swim season. This little cuties could not get wet for the next several weeks.
We went to get her cast and of course she chose pink :) I was surprised that the cast needed to go all the way up to almost her hip. And it needed to be as if she was in the seated position and all times. And then the other news was dropped, she could not walk on it, which means I would need to carry her everywhere or she would have to scoot along the floor. Lifting her and Henry around for weeks gave me quite the work out. But the whole time Evalyn was a real trooper.
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Then in the middle of all of this something very unexpected happened!
My good friend Amanda Brown had taken the four oldest kids with her to a water park while I kept Evalyn (with her cast) and Henry at home. That evening Gordon had a speech appointment so Amanda being so kind offered to watch the kids while I took Gordon to this appointment. She was going to let the kids sleep over too since I was going to get home late and then I was going to pick them up the next day. So Gordon, Henry and I were making our way up to his speech appointment (which is far north from our house up the 101). We arrived a few minutes early. I had Henry out of his car seat and on my lap ready to nurse him once Gordon went back with Terry for his appointment.
Gordon went back to start his appointment and I was now alone with Henry in the lobby and that is when I started to feel really weird. I remember thinking to myself, 'am I sitting weird on the couch, I feel like I am not getting enough circulation'. So I looked down to see if I was crossing my legs or pinching something in a weird way, I wasn't, I was sitting just normal on the couch. Then very quickly I felt as if I might pass out or throw up, my heart started to hurt...I yelled back for Terry to come out. I didn't want to pass out with Henry on my lap. Terry could sense the urgency in my voice and came very quickly. Between the time of me calling for him and him coming the whole right side of my body had gone numb. Again I thought to myself, 'I am either having a heart attack or a stroke'. I was trying to quickly tell him all of my symptoms in case I did pass out he would know how I was feeling and what to tell paramedics. (afterwards, Terry told me that while I was telling him these things my speech was slurred).
Terry was very concerned and called Taylor right away. Taylor was in a hearing and thought Terry was calling because I was late to my appointment and was wondering if he knew where I was, so he did not answer. I told Terry that I would try to give him a call from my phone. When I went to reach for my phone on the couch my depth perception was very off. I could not grasp my phone either. So I held it in my left hand and called Taylor. This time he answered. He quickly said, "Terry just called me..." I interrupted and told him I was with Terry and I was pretty sure I just had a stroke. We decided it would be a good idea for me to get checked out at the hospital. So we had some dear friends, Don and Leslie Petersen, drive up so that they could drive me to the the hospital. While I was waiting for them to arrive I figured Gordon could still have his appointment with Terry and I just talked on the phone with my Mom the whole time in case something else happened I wouldn't be 'alone'. I remember while talking to my Mom I had an itch on my nose. I went to scratch it and thinking my fingers would make contact with my nose but instead my hand went above my head. A very strange feeling...I was getting anxious to get checked out. The Petersens arrived and took me to the hospital. We got to the hospital right at the same time that Taylor got there too. The Petersens took Gordon to the Browns to sleep over with the rest of the kids and they kept Henry until they heard what was going on with me.
We stood in line to check in, the ER was very full that night. I thought we would be here for quite some time. It was my turn to check in and I was explaining my symptoms to the gal at the desk and a nurse was standing behind her at the check in desk and jumped in and asked when my symptoms started. I told him just after 7. (it was now close to 9). He left quickly and I finished the check in/paperwork process. Then as we were going to find a seat among all the other patients they called my name. I was surprised, that was really fast I thought to myself. They get me back and take my vitals and before I know it there are about 10 different people around my bed getting me all hooked up to lots of things. There was a Doctor asking me loads of questions. I did not know this but if you have stroke symptoms or think you may have had a stroke you should get to the hospital immediately. There is a shot that they need to give you within two hours. So since I was cutting it close they were moving very quickly. That shot was in my tummy...not a fun experience. Within the first 15 min they had me back getting a CT Scan. And then chest x-rays, blood draw, tests on my heart, an Echo-cardiogram, and an MRI. I was admitted to stay over night in the hospital for observation.
I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. I was very nervous. I felt like I was a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. (I felt this way for a long time afterwards...and still do from time to time---I am writing this about 6 months after the fact). Henry was able to be with us in the hospital that night so I could nurse him. The next day Taylor needed to go and get Evalyns old cast taken off and the new one on. Oh and did I mention it was also Taylor's birthday that day :( I totally ruined that birthday! But we were able to go home that day. Didn't have any answers just more doctors appointments, but well enough that I could go home.
I did have another scare about a month later. With some of the same symptoms but not all. I went back to the ER to get checked again. CT scan again, but this time didnt need to stay over night. I came home and had numbness in mostly my right arm and face, but also some in my left side of my face. These were long months for me. I was very worried. I had a heart monitor for a month, that was comforting knowing that things were being recorded when I had the second symptoms. I also had a TCC done to get a closer look at my heart since they said the right side of my heart was extra large. Then after having the TCC found that the right side of my heart was no longer enlarged. I was glad the tests I was getting done were coming back with normal or good results, but it was also concerning that there wasn't an answer as to why this happened.
It was challenging for me to have other serve me. I wanted to be able to do it all on my own. It was a great reminder that I shouldn't be doing it on my own. That the Savior is always with me. And sometimes the Savior uses others to get done what he would do.
So many tender mercies came from that experience: That we arrived to the speech appointment a little early and that I wasn't driving when it happened. That Amanda Brown had most of the kids at her house so that I didn't have to experience the mini stroke with all the kids around and watching, possibly getting scared. She was already planning on having them sleep over at her house so they all had their things with them already and it wasn't an abrupt change of plans to cause concern for them. That the Petersens were home and so was their daughter so that they were able to shuffle cars and give me a ride and watch Henry for a few hours. That my parents hopped in the car almost immediately to be with me and to help watch the kids. That Uncle Cameron came to our side of town to pick up the kids from the Browns and take them to the movies to see finding Dori. That Papa Earl had something similar happen to him and was able to give me a great referral for a cardiologist. That my visiting teaching companion works with cardiologist and was able to ease some of my fears about the TCC. That one of the sweet sisters in our ward was in the bathroom at church at the same time I was and happened to ask how I was, she gave me a referral to a great neurologist.
And a tender mercy that was so small but so big at the same time....I was up in our bedroom folding laundry a few days after everything had happened. I was feeling very overwhelmed and I remember trying so hard to feel back to normal, to do normal things...like folding laundry. And without saying anything Taylor came in and started folding laundry with me. I can't remember if I started crying then or if I was able to keep it in...but it was exactly what I needed at that moment, to know that my sweet amazing husband is there always by my side. It was the exact lift I needed at that exact moment. Such a sweet tender mercy. I know that the Savior knows me, He knows how I am feeling because he has felt it, He knows what I need in the moment I need it. I am so blessed to know these truths.
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Back to Evalyn's cast :) After weeks with the pink cast it was time to get that one removed and a new one put on. This one would only go to just below her knee so she could bend her leg!! And they also have her a little boot so she could walk on it as well. This made a HUGE difference!
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