So now you see we have 4 beautiful children. 2 boys, 2 girls; couldn't be anymore perfect right? I mentioned that things were getting rough with our marriage. By the time that the youngest was 2, I was working 45 hours a week, and my husband about 80! Yes, I said 80. He wouldn't get home until about 1-2a.m. and then was back to work by 5a.m., and he had to drive almost an hour to work! So he came home for an hours nap. Then it got to the point where some nights he would stay the night at work, or at a buddy's house a few minutes from there. Weekends were the only time we were able to spend time with him. We were all missing our time with him. Sundays are our church day, and we were going twice on Sundays, for morning and evening services. So Saturdays were the only time that we really had with him. We would usually do our running then. I didn't have a lot of time between working and picking the kids up at their grandparents, and getting them bathed and into bed. School functions for the oldest two, were usually by myself, and when they could, the grandparents would join me. I felt like a single mom for a couple years. It was getting really rough.
There was a small change in my husband about mid-summer. He was starting to come home around 11p.m. I was able to talk to him a little before I fell asleep! During this time he would mention on and off that he had some tingling in one side of his face and sometimes his hands. I thought, well maybe he was just wearing his body down too much. We didn't think too much about it. It would last about a week and then be gone. About a year of this, and he was having troubles holding on to things. We couldn't understand why he wasn't able to grip much.
Memorial Day weekend of June 2006 and we went to visit grave sites with his parents, of loved ones. It was raining good. He seemed to be tripping over his feet a lot. So we decided it was enough and went back to the house. Got through the weekend, and on Monday, he mentioned that he was going to go to the chiropractor before heading into work the next day.
Tuesday came, I had the day off. I was so glad. I could just relax and enjoy the summer day in Kansas. I got a call about 1'ish from his cell. When I answered, he did not sound well at all. When I asked him to repeat something, he started crying, and just said, "Come help me!" His co-worker, and ex-paramedic, took the phone and mentioned who he was, and that he had called the ambulance to come get him, where they had taken him, and for me to come as soon as I could.
I called his parents house, and no one answered. So I took the kids and we drove over there. My MIL was outside mowing, so didn't hear the phone. I was panicked. I don't get that way often but did. I finally was able to get her attention, and told her what was going on, and that I didn't know the way in Kansas City, and if she or my FIL could drive me there, and help by driving his car home. So she watched the kids, and my FIL drove me there.
When we got there, they were ready to discharge him from the hospital, with the diagnosis of a stroke. They claimed he wasn't in the middle of it, so there was nothing they could do. Yet, he collapsed at work and they called them right away, so how that wasn't in the middle of it, I don't know. So we took him home. In the next couple of days he was to go to his PCP for a follow up. He did.
When he arrived at the doctor's office, the doctor didn't do much but mentioned he was to go to the local hospital, and he would be admitted when he got there. What?! What was going on with him! His mother was with him, so I knew that anything major and I would get a phone call. His appointment was at 9a.m. By break time for me at work, 1p.m., I hadn't heard anything so I called his cell phone. No one answered. So a few minutes later I tried again. His mom answered the phone. Why wasn't he? She mentione that he wanted to call me, but they were doing more testing, so he wasn't able to talk for a while. All day long and he wanted me to just get through the work day. I was training new employees at the time. So I scrambled for a replacement for the last couple hours, and left early, to the hospital.
By the time I got there, they were getting ready to do a spinal tap. He wanted me there for that. So I did. I stood there along side of him, holding his hand. Seemed like many hours had slipped by. I made a few phone calls to immediate family, for prayer.
By like 7p.m., the doctor came in and mentioned that he had Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Then he went on to explain more about this disease, and that with us being young parents, with young kids, we were going to have some adjustments to make, emotionally and physically. WOW! I was so not ready for this!
He wasn't joking! He had 11 days in the hospital, and many days of outpatient therapy following. He was paralyzed on his right side, his dominant side. Work worked with him, and was able to get him things that he could work from home on, on his computer. We were so thankful! (blessing #12?)
A few months later, we were ready to get our own home again. This rental had been broken into, and had creepers walking around our house outside, and I hated being home alone with the kids anymore. So we looked for a while and found a home in Burlingame (we were living in Lawrence), and hour away from where we were. We loved the home! Not real big, but big enough for us. 1100 sq. ft. (#13)
Not long after moving into our new home (July1, 2007), my husband had another relapse (his form of MS is unilateral and relapse/remit). It took him down good, and he was not able to bounce back very well. He had only gained like 75% from the initial attack. So he was down good. He was out of work for a while, and we were hurting bad financially. I was able to get a job, as a PCA, and was taking care of people in their homes. (#14) But I was only grossing about $150 a month. So not much at all. We were not able to make payments for many bills at all. That pretty much paid our gas for appointments throughout the month.
Within a handful of months, we were going to lose our home. We looked around to find a place for our size family that went by income. Nothing in any safe areas. We would have had to go to the ghettos of Topeka. So we prayed, and prayed and prayed. Found a place. Confirmed a month prior. Then we got the mail one day. In the mail was our date to move out by. The sheriffs sale for the house was going to be in 2 weeks. So we called and let the landlords of the new rental know that we were going to be needing it a week sooner than thought. She mentioned, "We never said you could rent anythinhg here." We told her the address, and she mentioned that she just rented it out to someone else that day. What were we going to do?!
So along came a week and a half of hard core prayer and packing. Saying our goodbyes, and much more. Not having a clue as to where we were going to move to. 2 days before move out day, we received in the mail the approval for Matt's disability! Thank you Lord! (#15) So we called the mortgage company right away, and told them what we had. The next day we faxed things in, and they put a hold on the foreclosure. Within 48 hours, foreclosure was removed and we were able to stay in our home! (#16)
More to come!
