Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day of Freedom!

     Six months ago on a cold December night, my guys were in a Primerica office, just like they found themselves together in tonight, when I got that horrific phone call that Heath had just had a seizure and that I needed to make my way to him.  I remember it as though it were yesterday . . . the frantic rush to get our office locked up, the dark detoured drive through unfamiliar streets while talking on my phone to gather information, the pacing at the emergency room waiting for him to arrive via ambulance, the stoned look upon his arrival, the frustration that all of us felt that he'd had a second seizure, the stark realization that we about lost our son that night, and then the assurance that God was in it, even though it was all horrible.  Not a day goes by without wondering if and when another one will happen . . . without being a mother hen and encouraging him to get enough sleep and making sure he's taking his medication and following doctor's orders . . . without thinking about when and where he needs to be and making sure he has all the rides he needs . . . without constant prayers of thanks and continual prayers for protection and safety.  He hasn't been driving since that first seizure on September 22, 2010, and today is finally his day of freedom!  We are so happy for him to finally have his life back, and I'll admit that it was great fun to come up with a list of errands that he could run for me today! 

     Will I continue to worry and stress and pray over him, especially in light of the fact that that tumor in his brain still needs to be monitored?  Of course!  In fact, now that he's able to be on the road again, my anxiety level may actually increase, but we're just going to keep right on praying that he will remain seizure free forever and that the tumor is shrinking.  We'll go check on that in another six months if all goes as planned, and if we can make it that long without further complications, that will be a really good sign that things are going well. 

     In other medical news, Harris went in for his repeat upper endoscopy on Monday morning, and we are pleased to report that his esophageal ulcers were gone!  He's been on medication and watching his diet for a couple months with that goal in mind, so that was really good news.  The tissue underneath their location was red, so a biopsy was still taken to check on whether or not there is any precancerous tissue in the area, but the doctor sounded hopeful that all will be okay, and we're just waiting for the pathology report.  Other than that, Harris is feeling back to normal and is working again at a good pace, so we're ready to enjoy the summer months and give his colon plenty of time to heal before the next surgery. 

     Haley's gone to church camp for the week.  She had to miss it last year because of her trip to Africa, so she was really excited to have one final chance to hang out with her youth group friends and was looking forward to the spiritual renewal that always occurs at camp. 

     Kelsey had to make a tough choice between going to church camp or staying home so she could perform in her final year-end dance recital on Saturday that she's worked hard for all year long.  Now that her studio is closing down after this season, it will probably be her last recital ever, so she made a good choice.  She's been so busy dancing, running, and swimming, and we're just in awe of her energy level. 

     Keaton . . . well, he's keeping himself busy in the kitchen having an intense war with his Army guys at the moment, but since we are home alone tonight, he asked if we could watch a movie together and hang out.  There are a million other things I could spend my time doing, but I'm thinking that a little date night with my youngest is in order.  Life has had a way of teaching me to savor every moment with my family, so if you'll excuse me now, there is a cute little freckle-faced blond awaiting my attention . . .

     Good night, folks!

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