Milestones and Medicines

Wow. The last 40 hours or so...sheesh! It's been a whirlwind, really.

So I'll set it up, spill it out, and leave it here...

A few weeks ago, I noticed when Luke came to sit on my lap at the end of a hot day that he was rather...uh...well, stinky. Not just dirty little boy stink, either. Like 7th grade pubescent nastiness. Well, I chalked it up to the temperature and the outdoor activity and moved on. A few nights later, our family had been out until dark, which here is around 10. The boys were so tired when we came in the house that Chad just told them all to go to bed and they could get baths the next day. I wasn't arguing because I was quite worn out and didn't especially relish the thought of bathing 4 kids. Luke began crying at this order from his dad and when I asked him why, he cried, "Because I stink." Trying to lighten the moment, I said, "No way! You don't stink!" And not thinking of the previous situation explained here, I lifted his arm and comically started sniffing his armpits. Much to my chagrin, he was, in fact, correct. He smelled like onions. Not wanting my 6-year-old to continue crying, I told him to go ahead and take his shower that night because he DID smell. But this time the incident didn't escape my memory as quickly. Over the next few days, I tried (from afar) to notice his aroma....and the conclusion was not good. He did, in fact, need deodorant. I talked to a friend who has two older boys and asked when her boys had started using deodorant. One of them did start using it at about the age of 7. Well, Luke turns 7 on August 4. So yesterday, after a 4th of July picnic, we were having some friends over. I decided to run to the dollar store and pick up some drinks for the evening. The house was quiet, and so I let Luke come with me, knowing the other boys were content and wouldn't throw a fit about not being able to go.

Luke and I headed to the dollar store. Instantly, he took on the personna of a much older kid. We got to the store and walked in. To the right were the shopping carts, and he automatically headed to get one. Seeing his puffed up chest, I knew he wanted to push it, but he confirmed my thought by announcing (in the grown-uppiest voice he could muster), "I think I need to push this cart." I didn't argue. We headed to get the drinks. We walked to find the deodorant next.

As we approached that section, he got a little more excited, and his step sped up slightly. We got there, and he wanted to grab every bar. I told him to slow down, and then gave him the limits. We were at the dollar store, for heaven's sake, so he could get a deodorant that was an antiperspirant as well and had a 1 or a 2 at the front of the cost. I didn't see the need for the most expensive ones...I also steered him away from the sprays because I knew the spray would last for all of about 2 minutes.

He diligently stood and took off caps, smelling each one with the long a word (antiperspirant) that was within his price range. He decided upon Speed Stick. He was soooo proud. He put all the items on the check out counter, and he bagged the items. He loaded the cart; he pushed the cart back to the van. He also loaded the bags in to the van, but before shutting the door, found the bag with the beloved deodorant and got it out to hold it on his lap. He was growing up in front of my eyes....what a milestone.

But his true age came quickly back in to focus....we went across the street to the gas station so I could get a fountain diet coke (mmm). As I got out, his friend from T-Ball had pulled up and had seen Luke, so he came running to Luke's door. When Luke saw Parker coming, he opened the door, held up his deodorant like he was the model in the commercial itself and proclaimed: "Parker! Look what I have! Deodorant! Because I STINK!" He had the biggest Chad-grin on his face I have ever seen. So proud to smell!

When we got home, I discussed how often he would have to turn the bottom dial to move the deodorant up and that it might be 4 or 5 DAYS before he would need to do so. I also showed him the right way to apply it. (Because I could see the future and know he would cake about 3 inches of deodorant on.) He practiced swiping 5 strokes under each arm, replaced the cap, put it on its shelf, and promptly sniffed under his arm.

It was quite comical.

Later that night, we had friends over. They have 4 kids like us, and they also have twins in the middle like us. We were all hanging out doing fireworks in the back yard. Chad's dad is an EMT and whenever there is an issue we need to hear about (weather-wise), he calls.

Well the sky had some pretty orange lightning to accent the fireworks, and 8 children were getting a little edgy about it. I persuaded them that we would hear sirens if something was wrong. About 5 minutes later, we heard ambulance sirens. The kids tensed up. I then explained that if something bad were to happen that Chad's dad would call. He always did.

We finished our fireworks and headed inside. We were just walking in when the phone rang. The caller ID said it was Chad's dad. So I told him it was for him, and he answered. He disappeared a minute later. He came back with my cell phone, and he said, "Check your voicemail." I asked why, and looking at my phone realized that I had missed a call from my dad. Chad didn't answer me and just kept repeating, "Check your voicemail." So I did. There were 3 messages. Two didn't matter, and then I got to the third one. It was my dad's neighbor. After she introduced herself, all I heard was "I'm calling because Jenny asked me to call" (Jenny is my stepmom) "and they are here with the ambulance to take your dad...." I hung up my phone and looked up. Without thinking of who was in the room and who would hear, I blurted out, "I have to go. I'm leaving right now." Chad hung up with his mom and dad (who had obviously called to let me know that the EMT radio had ordered an ambulance to my dad's house). He looked at me and just said, "WAIT! I'm going with you."

Now I pause to tell you that this meant a delay. I wasn't happy about the delay. He had injured his knee wrestling with our kids and the other family's dad earlier that night....he's probably hurt his MCL or maniscus.

The delay of his hobbling didn't make me happy...Luke in the meantime had heard me say I was leaving. His radar went off. He got teary and started asking "Where are you going? I want to go with you." I told him he couldn't. "Where are you going?" I paused, thinking of what I could say. Finally I answered with "I have to run some errands."

We got in the van, and we left the kids with our friends. Chad drove about 110 mph to the hospital, passing all the fireworks gawkers with flashing lights and horns. We beat Jenny to the hospital, but on the way I had talked to HER on the cell phone. She said Dad had been exercising on his eliptical machine. He always does this for 30 minutes while watching tv. Jenny was cleaning my old bedroom, which is right beside his exercising room. She heard the tv go to a channel that doesn't have programming and she heard the static. The static didn't change. She went to check to see why Dad hadn't changed the channel, but he sat slumped down in a chair unable to communicate effectively. She asked several questions and got answers like "What are you going to do?....Where did I put the front of the disk?....I have to empty the washing machine water.....Where is the hot fudge sundae?..." When she asked him her name, he looked blankly at her and said, "Honey? Swee--?" She told him to sit right there and called 911.

The next hour seemed like an eternity to me. I finally was called back with Jenny to his room in the ER. He was able to talk, but was extremely emotional. He remembers being confused and unable to find words. He is coherent now, and they have ruled out stroke and brain bleeds and heart attack. He remains in the hospital again tonight. They are running several tests.

I am so thankful that he has been cleared of some major biggies like stroke and such, but the fact that he has not been able to use his right hand since May and he has had excruciating back pain since like Christmas (I think) is scary, especially topped with last night's episode.

Please pray for him. He's probably going to be okay, but he has some real questions that need to be answered, and he's been to doctor after doctor. Hopefully he will start getting some more intense treatment so they can get to the bottom of this.

I was amazed at the amount of people that showed up in such a little time. Two men from our church, our preacher, my grandpa, two family friends of Jenny's, my uncle and his wife all came to support our family that night...even though it was really late. It was such a comfort!! I have such a deep respect for all of these people....

Thanks for your prayers. God is in control, and I have to remember that...but no doubt about it, I'm a Daddy's Girl, so last night completely rocked my world.