Twists of life.....

Life hands us many twists, some fun and others challenging. A few weeks after learning that the son of some special friends has cancer, we learned that Christmas week found Zach in the hospital after an hour of wrenching vomiting. I tried to keep perspective and prayed that it was not anything serious. The doctors are not sure if the scar tissue from the appendectomy caused a blockage or a twist from the wrenching. Either way it was not a fun way for him and his the family to celebrate Christmas, but being in a room with no roommate, the hospital allowed them all to come open presents and enjoy each others company for the day, even though Becca was under age. After much walking, his body started functioning slowly at first and then enough to be allowed to have the IV out. Saturday, when Cherie learned that Zach was out of the woods, she packed up the rest to the kids (leaving Tommy to comfort Zach in the hospital) and came "home" to join the Place's party. Excited to see them, I waited up till about 11:30 when the younger 3 were brought to snuggle in bed at our house, while Cherie and Mike returned to help clean up.

While Dad and I were attending Church, Cherie and the kids visited with her parents, her brother and his partner until around 3pm, when she dropped the kids off and took her mother to visit a friend. The kids were anxious to open their presents, so I allowed them to dump their stockings, which were filled with new treasures instead of the usual goodies of past Christmases! Dad got home around 4pm after doing several tithing settlements and was HUNGRY, so he snacked, but had to wait till Tommy arrived with Zach for the full meal. Hurray!!! The doctor said he could leave the hospital, so home to pack and hit the road!! They arrived around 5:30pm. We ate, then opened presents, including Matt's birthday present, sang and had cake (forgot to buy ice cream). While eating cake, Sylvia Place called to have Cherie and family come visit again, so she and "company" could see Zach.

Around 9pm, Cherie brought Dan home throwing up and went back to Sylvia's. He threw up every half hour to hour all night either in a bucket or the upstairs toilet ..... Poor baby. Tommy and Cherie arrived home with the rest of the kids around 11pm. Becca slept in the bed with Cherie, and Matt slept in Becca's bed, so that Tommy could sleep in the room with Dan to care for him.

Unfortunately for Tommy, about 2am, Matt started throwing up for the next 2 hours either in a bucket or the upstairs toilet. Around 4am Zach started having pain in his abdomen again, so Tommy set him to walking on the treadmill and sleeping on the couch with the heating pad on his abdomen, instead of the basement, which was a bit chilly in-spite of the furnace being turned up for comfort during the night (we usually turn it from 70 down to 60 at night), and around 6am, Mike started throwing up for the next 2hrs. Thus Tommy had no sleep all night. Poor dutiful daddy. Finally, around 8am all had stopped throwing up, and cramping (at least for a while) and were peacefully asleep, so Tommy slipped into the bed assigned him the night before to get some much needed sleep. I stayed up to man the fort, since I had slept from midnight to 6am. Mike felt insecure about leaving the toilet because we were out of buckets, so I put the foam, from one of the cots, on the floor for him and gave him a blanket.

Cherie got up and took Zach and Mike to visit her parents. Dan and Tommy got up around 1pm about the time Dad came home to say good-bye. I called Cherie to tell her he was here and wanted to say good-bye, and Dan said his stomach hurt. After Cherie came, she gave Dan some liquid Tylenol, which he promptly throw up. She suggested Tommy give him a father's blessing. (Dad had already left to go back to work, so only a father's blessing was quickly available) Cherie took Becca and Zach home in the car around 2pm, and Tommy was taking the rest in the van after dinner in hopes they would be able to withstand the trip. Dad had planned to buy Chinese for everyone for dinner. I wasn't so sure that would set well after a night and morning of throwing up, but we all compromised and ordered less greasy meals. Consumption was meager, so doggy bags were sent along for later devouring. Around 10pm, they arrived home safely with no problems on the way, whew!!

I am grateful that life helps us realize the true meaning of the Christmas Season, the birth of the Lord and Savior which allows us to be comforted, when life takes twists and turns far from our best laid plans. May the New Year be blessed with good health for our whole family, and all of our loved ones, whom we feel as close to as family!!!