3 a.m.
June 14th, 2012
David wakes up feeling sick. He said it was gradual. It started at what felt like a stomach bug. Then all the sudden he felt like he had been sucker punched.
Maybe stabbed in the stomach with a knife.
WORST PAIN OF HIS LIFE
He says. Horrible.
On a scale from 1-10 he was a 13.
I've never understood the pain scale. Not until I was in labor, then it was like I just knew what number I was. 7 I said proudly with much confidence.
I knew no doubt I was a 7, didn't feel like I was dying but certainly didn't feel like a walk in the park either. I knew it wasn't life threaten.
He didn't.
4:36 am.
He wakes me up gently but with a sudden urgency. Immediately I knew something was wrong.
Was is me?
Was is Riley?
Nope neither of us.
One look at him and I KNEW exactly who it was.
It was him. He was curled over in pain.
In the dark night, I can see he is SHEET white.
I've NEVER seen him like this
His exact words "I am going to the hospital."
My thoughts okay great, how are you getting there.
Before I could ask a single question he starts again
"I have a serious pain in my stomach. I can't sleep. I've gotten sick 3 times. I'm driving myself to the hospital."
I immediately ask the ever so popular question
"Honey, on a scale of 1-10 what's your pain?"
"13"
No second guesses, no thought, he knew it. I trusted him.
A man who never complains about pain or hurt or being sick.
A man who never goes to the doctor, in fact in the almost 4 years we've been together, he's been once.
He's been to the doctor more times with Riley in her little 5 months of life than he has been himself in the last 5 years. Yep. Something is VERY wrong.
I start back with "No I am going to take you."
"What about Riley?"
"Looks like she will be joining us on this CRAZY adventure"
I try my hardest to hold it together. Not to lose my marbles or anything in the process. I don't want to cry, but I just don't want him to be in pain either. He's my rock, my hand when I hurt and now he needs me more than ever. No time for me to be weak.
Calm, collected, I gather my stuff, her stuff and his stuff.
Oh and I pray. I pray a lot. I pray it's nothing too major. I try he will be okay. I pray Riley will behave. I pray no surgery is needed. I pray that I can take on the role of the strong, leading wife.
And He just gives it all back to me. All my prayers answered.
We decided upon Carolina's as it is not but 1 minute from our house. Left on the Pamplico, drive 50 feet. Turn right. There's Carolina's.
He said he was is too much pain to go all the way to McLeod.
And I trust him.
I don't do throw up, so the last thing I wanted was him getting sick in the car.
Problem is... I've never been to Carolina's
"Honey I don't know where to go"
"Me either, just get me to a door, I'll find out"
You think they would make those ER's a little more well marked then they already have.
The
BRIGHT RED EMERGENCY
sign just didn't do it for this worried wife.
Suddenly I remembered
"Yes I have been to Carolina's ER."
I do know where to go. It hits me. 2 fast seconds later we are at the ER door. I drop him off, he goes in, I go park and get the baby out and ready to rock.
I walk in. He's hunched over in pain once again and can't even tell them what's going on.
Oh lord, shows in my hands.
I quickly pull myself together. Okay Grace you got this. You take the rains and lead this poor pitiful guy into safety.
I tell the lady "My husbands a 13, he's in SERIOUS pain. It's in his tummy, he feels like he can't get comfortable. I need to see someone NOW"
Yes people I said Tummy in a time like this. I am a mom, it just slipped out.
Quickly, they register him. 10 long minutes later for him and 10 short breezed by minutes for me, we are called back. Prepped and laid onto the bed.
Here we are. All three of us.
Starting our journey in Carolina's ER.
They are great and friendly, but for something that we thought could be life threatening, they moved so slow. A little help here people, I don't need my husband dying on me.
I also can't stand watching him in this terrible pain knowing there is nothing I can do to help. I mean NOTHING.
They do a CT scan. And we waited for 3 hours for them to say they wanted a tee tee sample. If you catch my drift. So I flush fluids down his throat.
In the mean time they had given him pain medicines so he was finally relaxed and I could make him smile a little bit. Riley was more successful than I was. I don't blame him, she's way much cuter at 7am than I am. Especially since I had no prep time what so ever.
Back to his needing to tee tee.
"Please pee honey, if you do we can go home"
So he does.
And it was yucky. I'll spare you the details.
He begins the feel the pain again. We ask for pain medicines.
1 hour later they bring it.
By this time he was back to a 9.
And losing his marbles in the trash can.
No thanks to me, I run out the room.
Again, I don't do throw up.
I about lost it when he did that. I love the guy so much more than words explain, but I don't care who it is, I just don't do it. He has a long life of dealing with that ahead of him.
Thankfully, he's a charmer at that.
Been there for me during it. Just held my hair and rubbed my back.
Me, yep I don't do all that.
Sorry.
Finally we see a doctor.
After 3 came in and said they "were going to read his charts"
And we get an answer...
So the verdict of it all
KIDNEY STONES. Painful yucky kidney stones.
So now the waiting game has started. We have to wait for him to pass it. But thankfully he has pain medicine and is not in pain. That's all that matters.
That was by far the toughest thing I've ever seen was him watching him in that much pain. I cried once or twice because I had no idea what to do. I just wanted to make it all go away.
I now know what it felt like for him to watch me endure the pain of delivering Riley. He had no idea how to make me comfortable. He tried everything. Encouraged me, held my hand, kissed my forehead. EVERYTHING.
I tried it all too, but it didn't make it go away. I pray I never have to see him go thru such a severe pain again.
I pray that next time I am in that pain from child birth, he and I will both know a little better how to comfort each other.
This was learning experience for us.
What a wonderful thing it was for such TERRIBLE timing.
Oh and Thank God Riley is so go with the flow. Happy go lucky. She just got mad once because she was dying to roll on her tummy. But the ER is no place for that. It's better for naps and playing pass the baby with the nurses.
They loved her. Goodness we are blessed.
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