I apologize for the blackout. We’ve been having “fun” addressing Winter Storm Jonas. With all of the warnings and advisories the meteorologists put out, I made sure to stay home Friday. The school systems mimicked our lead and kept our little people home as well.
The snow was scheduled to start at 1PM. I was all set to sit down and hunker in, but then we received a call. My husband’s father was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. This was huge because my father in law never goes to the hospital. After a series of phone calls, S., our son, our daughter, and I loaded up the vehicle and drove an hour away to the hospital…with the knowledge that the blizzard would begin in a couple of hours.
We arrived to the hospital and went to his room. You could tell he was in such pain. The doctors had run tests and were awaiting results, but were certain that surgery would have to be performed. He was pale and in such massive pain. While waiting for results and guidance, the snow began to fall.
A phone call from home let us know the snow was falling at a frantic pace. The doctor told us it would be several hours before the test results were read and he would call us with the results. So at my father in law’s insistence that the family leave for safer road conditions and with the assurance of a follow-up call from the doctor, our family climbed in the car to make the hour trek back home. Only, it wasn’t that simple. By now the snow had been falling at a pretty good clip and driving was slow. The roads weren’t exactly pretty either. I’m eternally thankful for four wheel drive and a dedicated husband.
Close to two hours later, we made it home and got inside. I made some hot chocolate and checked some email while we awaited the doctor’s call. Another hour later, the doctor called and told us they were taking my father in law back for surgery immediately. Our father in law had an organ transplant in the last year and the scar tissue had wrapped itself around his bowel. About 8 inches of his small intestine was now dead and had to be removed. The surgery would take about an hour and they would let us know how the surgery went.
So, for an hour, we sat while TONS of snow fell all around us outside. Finally, the phone rang and the doctor explained the surgery was a success, that my father in law was in pain from the surgery, but on medication, and that he would be able to speak with us later that evening, but we should consider keeping it brief to let him rest. What a relief! S., my mother in law, and I were able to relax much better after that. My mother in law was able to do so even more after hearing her husband’s voice. With her fighting a severe illness of her own, she cannot be in the hospital because of a compromised immune system. It was frustrating for her not to be with her husband or able to get to him if she could with all of the snow.
About fifteen minutes later, my father in law called and calmed her fears. He let her know that he was hurting, but was okay and wanted to get some rest. I love their love. Meanwhile, we (S. and I) sat and watched the snow fall for 36 hours straight. It was amazing.
Today was the first day we’ve seen sun in 36 hours. The sun rose and the men shoveled the sidewalks and driveways while I made hot breakfasts and cocoa. I think we’ve watched so many Lifetime movies, I should own stock in the channel. The only interesting thing was our neighborhood was plowed right away (surprise!) but the connecting sister subdivision was not and they are not happy about that at all. You should read the comments on our HOA page. But it wasn’t an HOA thing, it was a private resident thing who owns some equipment and took it on himself to plow the roads on this side of the development because that’s what he uses. Either way, there is no school tomorrow and I’ll be teleworking because I can’t leave the little people when my mother in law has a medical appointment.
Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. We’ve a lot going on with all of the medical appointments and doctor visits, but this too shall pass. Pray especially for my husband. He seems to be handling everything well, but it has to be a lot to have both your mother and father ill at the same time. I appreciate all of your prayers.
In the meantime, I hope you all have fared well in the storm. The news just said we hit 20 inches in snowfall total in our neighborhood. Other have received much more. Got to love the Winter.
Be blessed and I will speak to you soon.
-K.
