My dear friends, I got a call tonight from
my youngest daughter. She had been in the ER most of today trying to
find out the reason why the headache that she has had for the past
several days wasn't getting any better. They sent her for a CT scan.
The results were troubling and they now want her to be seen by a
neurologist in Des Moines on Monday. Their tentative diagnosis?
Either she had a small stroke or she has a cranial aneurism. She is
only 28 and has three young children.
Unfortunately there is a very good chance that she could possibly
have an aneurism. Her paternal grandmother died of one when my
daughter was only 16. They warned the family then that there was a
possibility that they could be inherited and to keep an eye on all the
children born to the family.
Her symptoms today were blurring of her vision in her left eye, some
vertigo and slurring of her speech. She described the sensation as
feeling like someone was cracking an egg on the top of her head and as
the contents would spread, the skin and tissues would become cold and
numb. Eventually it spread all the way down to her neck. I had hoped
that it was just a migraine or cluster headaches like I get, but the
sensation though similar is not the same.
I would ask of each of you that if you could spare any healing
energies that you direct them in the direction of Osceola, Iowa this
weekend and Des Moines, Iowa Monday. She is scared and I am concerned
for her. I don't want to jump to any conclusions nor do I want to
think the worst case scenario. I do want to send her calming and
soothing energies so that her own fears don't overwhelm her.
I will update as I know more.
Thank you all so very much.
May 18, 9:54AM
Small update - I spoke to her this morning and she is feeling about the same. They have her on aspirin therapy and a mild painkiller. They have asked her to rest as much as possible. I will know more after her appointment tomorrow.
I wanted to wish each and every one of the mothers out there a very blessed Mother's Day.
The connection between mother and child has been a common theme with me as of late. I have been working on a DVD of family photos for my siblings and as part and parcel of that I have been going through old family photos. It has brought back to me how much of an incredible connection there is between the generations of women in my family. I still feel such a connection to my great grandmother and my grandmother, though they have both been gone for many years. Their wisdom lives on in my mother, my self, my daughters and my granddaughters. There is an unbroken cord that still links us together.
To all those generations that have gone before ... thank you for your love, your generosity, your wisdom ... I am honored to be a link in the chain alongside you. To those generations that are yet to come ... you are blessed to be a part of this chain. It is a chain of love, of commitment, of strength and integrity. May it support you as well as it has supported me.
I thought I would leave you with a few of my favorite images of mother and child.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU AMAZINGLY AWESOME MOTHERS OUT THERE!!!!
I had always planned to be a midwife, had dreamed about it since I was a teen. When real-life intervened and I was not able to complete the college necessary when I was in my twenties, I adjusted and promised myself it would just be .... later.
Twenty plus years gone by, I went back to college and life again intervened. Despite my 3.84 GPA, I was forced to forgo my dream to help my then 9 year old son when he began to have problems at school (problems that eventually led to a Autism diagnosis). Since that time, I have acted as a birth coach and it has been fulfilling. I don't know that I will ever get back to school, but I do intend to continue to work as a birth coach when someone needs me.
When I was hired this past week, I had no clue that I would love this job as much as I do. I was just thrilled to be working again after a considerable length of time working only temp jobs. As a single mom, that was a terrifying place to be. I was hired by a company that provides care-givers for the elderly and disabled, enabling them to stay in their own homes.
I just love the job! I feel needed. The clients are truly appreciative of the time you spend with them. For me it is easy to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve ... I just treat them as if they were a member of my own family ... the same way I would treat my grandmother were she still alive. I have always wondered why the crones and sages among us were not treated with more reverence ... I may never have the answer to that question, but now I have the chance to make a difference, one person at a time.
Today when I got ready to leave one clients home, she asked when I would be back ... I told her on Wednesday. She said "That's a long time." I agreed, but assured her I would be back. As I turned to leave, she looked up at me and said "I love you." I turned back to her, gave her a hug and told her I loved her too. And I do. She is so sweet.
The goddess has been so good to me and I am so very blessed.
Not that I will throw caution to the wind, but after today's orientation I am no longer worried about whether or not I am truly employed. I definitely am.
I begin tomorrow with one client in the morning and another in the evening. Next week I gain two, possibly three more clients. Since I work varied hours I don't even mind working seven days a week for the next couple of weeks.
It just feels SO GOOD to be employed again! Doing the happy employment dance!
