May 28, 2011

just a little change of plans ..

this time last week i was sleeping in the hospital with my Marmie.

she was recovering from a mild / severe heart attack.
talk about wake up call to life!

just thinking about the past week makes me grateful for SO many things, namely ..
#1. my Marmie
#2. technology
#3. Dr.'s & Nurses
#4. my Warner family, my Barlow family & my friends
#5. the gospel of Jesus Christ

last friday 5.20 i get a call at 4am from my Marmie.
i looked at it and thought, "silly, why is she calling me from the other room?!"

not silly.
she called to inform me that she drove herself to the Kaiser ER in Baldwin Park.

she said she had some minor chest pains and didnt know what was going on.
she said they didnt know what it was yet but that they would give her some drugs and that maybe i could wake up early before work and pick her up.
i thought odd but ya i can do that!
also i was kinda groggy at 4am so i just believed her when she told me she was feeling ok.

next thing i know its 8am and time for me to get up for work.
i look at my phone. no call from Marmie.
i immediately start calling her.
5 times. 7 times.
no answer.

finally i look up Kaiser and call the ER.
after getting transfered a couple times to different nurses they finally inform me that my Marmie indeed had a heart attack.

i tell the nurse to tell my Marmie i am on my way!
the nurse tells me that my Marmie said to go to work and maybe come later.
i said no way.
right after that my Marmie texts me and tells me to go to work.
i said no. i am coming!

i call Ray almost in tears and he is a very good man and tells me to keep him informed!
on my way to the hospital my sister black calls me!!!

she was scheduled to fly in that eve!
little j was already here and was out exploring LA.

i tell her what was going on and since my mom thought it was all minor i tell black its still A-OK for her to come!

thats where a little change of plans came in.

i get to the ER and when i saw my Marmie hooked up to all these IV's and monitors i lost it.
i just started hugging her and crying.

she was still in good spirits at this point. 
we were joking about her driving herself and being stubborn.

shay got to the hospital about an hour of so later to be with us.
it was real nice to have her there!

things were looking good and next thing i know they went to panic mode.
the cardiologist came in and did a 3rd EKG b.c. her 2nd was abnormal.

minutes after that he came in and said they were going to immediately transfer her by ambulance to the LA Kaiser for a Cath.

thats when the tears started flooding.
i immediately called jacob sobbing.
he had his parents call me b.c. he had just gotten to his work appt.

the transfer happened so fast that we didnt have time to get a priesthood holder to Baldwin Park to give my Marmie a blessing.

i asked the Barlows if they could meet us at the LA Hospital and luckily jacob was working right next to it.
the ambulance and the Barlows got to LA right before us.

Shay and I were running down the hallway to the Cath Lab to see Marmie before the Cath but we just missed her.
that was really hard.

it was a blessing to have jacob and his parents already there to calm and comfort me.

Shay and I must have made 100 phone calls that friday giving the Sisters and our family updates on Marmies condition.

while i was out in the hall i heard the cardiologist call, "WARNER"
i got off the phone and told him that was me and he started explaining my Marmies heart to me.
complete with iPhone photos of her hearts arteries.
[props to the iPhone!]

as they did the Cath they found the cause of the heart attack.
she had a complete blockage in one of her minor arteries.
the artery had been blocked for almost 48 hours.
if she didnt go in when she did it would of been bad news.

they put a stent in her artery right away and it opened it up and cleared the way for her blood to flow to her heart again!
again so grateful for Dr.'s and Nurses!

we called the Sisters again and told them the good news.
now it was tears of joy!

i then called sister black and told her all that had happened and that i would be focusing on my mom for the weekend so she kindly enough offered to just fly home to AZ instead of coming.
i was sad but it was a blessing.
thank you my blacky.

then i finally called little j and told her everything!
she had been exploring the day in LA.

we were allowed to see her about .5 hour after the stent was put in.
it was hard to see her drugged up and in so much pain.

jacob and his dad gave my mom a beautiful blessing and we left her to rest till they put her in the CCU [cardiac care unit].

the barlows offered to pick little j up in LA and take care of her while i was at the hospital.
serious blessing. they are amazing.
then little j finished her time in LA with a friend of her sisters in HB.
i was again sad she couldnt stay around me but i needed to be there for my Marmie and she understood.

jacob and shay stayed with me for awhile and then my sweet cat showed up with beautiful get well drawings from her kids she nannies!
also i got tons of texts and love from my G7 family.
it was so much appreciated.

friday night was the most intense night with Marmie.
that was her worst night there b.c. she wasnt allowed to move and she was in so much pain.
we both shed tears as the morphine kicked in to relive her.

the next 2 days i learned TONS about the heart and about all the machines and drugs and iv's!
i ask a lot of questions in general but this time i wanted to make sure i knew everything.
this was Marmies life we are talking about!

the Nurses and Cardiac Team were amazing.
doing everything to make sure Marmie was comfortable and taken care of and most importantly healing.
Gus was the Nurse Friday night and he was a trooper taking care of my mom!
Julie was our day Nurse for the most part of Marmies stay and she was patient with my constant questioning.
another blessing to have such wonderful healers.

i was allowed to take Marmie home this past Monday!
it was such a blessing!
one for her to get to come home and shower but also to know that she was in a safe recovery spot.

she is doing well now.
she is home recovering for about another 1.5 weeks.
[any suggestions of good books or shows she should watch let me know!]

we are changing the way we eat and have been going on walks in the eve.
like i said its been a good wake up call!
not only for Marmie but for me.

i also learned how aware the Lord is of each of us individually.
He knows us by name.
Jesus Christ knows how we feel in every single way and is there to comfort and heal.

my sisters and i are blessed to have Terri Lynn Warner as our Mother.

i am so grateful to live in a time where technology can be used to save our lives.
also grateful to those who have chosen their professions in medicine.
i give you props.
i could not do it.

thank you for saving my Marmies life.

10 comments:

  1. You're a strong girl, Mel. It is so great to hear that your mom is doing better and she's going to be ok. I love you, dear:)

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  2. oh my! mel, i hope and pray things continue to improve. you are blessed to have such wonderful and loving people in your life and right by your side. it's humbling the way the Lord works in our lives. my heart goes out to you. i know how scary it is when your mom's health is in jeopardy. i will pray for you and your marmie :)...you are a strong person indeed, and your mom is very lucky to have you too. go, fight, win, right? love you.

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  3. I will definitely be praying for her and for you! Love you lots!

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  4. i'm so glad your mom is ok! heart problems are scary and i'm glad she has had good care (aren't cardio teams just the best!)

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  5. Love you MELANIE! So glad Marmie is all right! Much love...

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  6. Oh I'm so glad she's alright-how scary! She's lucky to have such a sweet daughter!

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  7. Melanie Elizabeth Warner... I LOVE YOU!!! I am glad everything worked out the way it did! You've both been in my prayers! We'll reschedule SOON!!!

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  8. i was thinking of you all last week. so happy that things are settling down and that mama warner is ok!

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  9. I have one single tear in my right eye right now. Mel, wish I could give you a big hug right now. Hope everything is okay and that you, and especially Marmie, are doin well. Love you so much. Praying for you both.

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