In Sickness and in Health
December 30, 2007Thursday night Mom and I left around 10pm to drive an hour to SFO to pick up Big Sis and her husband from their honeymoon. When we were leaving, my brother, who already has a diagnosed heart condition, started complaining of chest pain, so he took some medicine and then Mom and I headed out. About 2 hours later, 20 minutes away from home, we get a call from Lil Sis saying Brother is splayed out on the floor in complete chest pain. He can’t move, he’s nauseous, she’s sorta freaking out.
Ambulance is called, we meet them at the house, Brother is inside with the Paramedics. They’re asking him questions and he’s barely groaning out the responses. He’s got a pretty high threshold for pain, so seeing this is really starting to get to me, I thought he was having a heart attack. They take him away and at that very moment I am so thankful for VA benefits because he’s not covered by his current job. Mom goes to the hospital, I stay home with Lil Sis and Big Sis and BiL go to their apartment. It’s 1:30am and I’m worried - extremely worried. I was so tired and I felt a little guilty for going to bed, but I knew I couldn’t help him at all, whether asleep or awake. I didn’t find out until about 6am that it was his appendix.
I breathed the biggest sigh of relief because Brother is only 24. We’re only 14 months apart and we graduated high school together. He’s almost like a twin to me. I was afraid for a moment that he wouldn’t be around anymore.
They removed his appendix, he’s back home today, playing Call of Duty on Xbox 360 and I’m sooooo grateful. Praise God.
Praise God indeed. What a time you have all had. Wedding, Christmas and now this. My mother’s appendix burst when she was just a little older than you and then she almost died of post surgical complications….she was given the last rites and after that had a spiritual experience where it is believed she died and came back to us after a period of time. We were brought up on that story and indeed when you go through the experience your brother did you are lucky to get through without complications.
So yes I do praise God for this and also for you and your wonderfully close family. I am sure you will feel emotional for some time. It is a wonderful thing to know that we are loved…..your brother is very lucky to have you all as siblings. Please give my best to your mother it must have all been a great strain on her.
May the new year bring you even closer together as a family and may your heart’s desire be granted to you.
Love from Kathleen.
xxxx