Monday, March 5, 2018

Surviving Incredible Tragedy and Near Death

Have you ever had a loved one miraculously survived an incredible tragedy?
Have you ever escaped your own near-death experience?

In 2017, I had the unfortunate privilege of experiencing both. It was horrifying. It was tragic and terrifying. And I hope I make the most of what life I'm meant to live.


MY LOVED ONES
It's hard to believe that just a year ago, here I was posting about nearly losing my mom, and nearly every family member I have living in Ashland, KS.  It really is hard to find the words to describe what it is like to almost lose your family, for individual incidents related to the same fire - but in different locations, for different reasons, and even for fallout after the disaster. If you didn't read my post about the Starbuck Fire that affected TX, OK, and KS last March - you can read it HERE.

One year later, I still can't believe I almost lost multiple people I love from multiple family units.

Today I got the calls that once again, nearly a year to the day - they are fighting fires again. These are MUCH closer in proximity, which means flare ups are also close in proximity. It means none of them are sleeping, because they are fearful about missing the fire sirens to evacuate. Their PTSD is rearing its ugly head, as is mine. That helpless feelings, that constant fear that once of them won't ever return my call again, that they will suffer loss on top of their current loss. The whole darn state of Kansas is under high threat of fire outbreak - it's super dry, and the winds are high. All of us are on edge. And I don't know when it's going to be over.

Pictures from today's fire:





Back when all of this was happening in March 2017, I couldn't see what was coming next, nor could I have imagined it.

I ALMOST DIED TOO
And later that summer, I would become a survivor in my own right. An ovarian torsion had me in so much pain, I desperately sought ER treatment, only to be released and sent home... TO DIE.

I am "lucky" I have had previous experience advocating for my son's health and treatment. Because unlike a few friends of mine who have suffered from an ovarian torsion - they eventually ended up in septic comas and almost died. ER doctors are not trained in how to look for an ovarian torsion - a pain quite similar to a burst appendix, with similar but not as extreme clinical presentations.

I don't know why my ER doctor didn't take the clinical presentations and lab results and give them proper consideration for a hospital admission. I'm grateful I have doctor friends I could take my questions to - who urged me to go see my Primary Care Physician and get a second opinion - it might be one of the only reasons I'm still here. What I do know, is in that week I was in-patient, and the following week or so - is that I was diagnosed with several, life-threatening medical conditions that would require 8 medical procedures and 3 surgeons to address everything going on. After another stint in the ICU, they confirmed that due to my sensitivities to medication and medical history, I will ALWAYS need at least an overnight in the ICU following any medical procedure. (If you wanted to read everything that was bubbling up inside of me and presenting all at once, you can read about it HERE.

These are things you just don't know until you are on the brink of life and death... again. When I had given birth to my son, I had also ended up in the ICU because according to my anesthetist friend, I was not "breathing enough to support life." OK, if you say so. I always feel fine, LOL.

2017 WAS A BEAST
So 2017 was probably the most scary one in my life to date. The things I can actually control, I am taking action on. The things I cannot control - well all i can do is pray, and keep tabs on my loved ones.

Don't take your life for granted, or the lives of those you love. Love more, serve others more, share your feelings with those you care about more. Be less negative, less selfish, and spend your time doing the things that matter the most and with the people you care about the most.

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