And in health.
I stumbled on that vow. I hesitated forming the words. I stood in that beautiful Church facing my handsome husband and I faltered……
What I wanted to say was in sickness and in sickness. I knew I was marrying a type 1 diabetic. I had experience with one in 2004, an uncle I loved dearly. I was also raised by a step-dad with polio. I knew sickness. I was raised with sickness. I embraced this man’s sickness because that is what I vowed to do. In health? Not so much. It was the sickness I pledged to stand by.
For richer or poorer, meh, I’ll take either.
Love and honor – absolutely.
Until death due us part – I wouldn’t miss a thing. Life is a gift. Scratch that. Life with him is a gift.
Today, I write this blog post from a hospital room.
My husband started feeling worse and worse a few days after the wedding. He hadn’t been feeling completely well for a while. He had gone to the urgent care center a week before the wedding and got diagnosed with bronchitis. They gave him an antibiotics shot, but he still hadn’t quite kicked it ten days later. When breathing laying down got difficult, and his face started swelling. He ventured back to the neighborhood clinic.
They took an x-ray of his lungs and compared it with ten days before, along with his blood work. The x-ray showed more fluid build-up on his lungs, and the blood work showed loss of blood – significantly. Enough that they recommended him going to the ER with their blessing. I couldn’t believe it when he called me.
What? Emergency room? Double pneumonia? Hemoglobin drop? WHAT?
I met him there and waited in the ER. What I expected was an IV of antibiotics and a possible over night stay. But that wasn’t to be. While there was fluid on his lungs, there was not a rise in white blood cells. Nor was he feverish, coughing, or showing signs of pneumonia. The ER doctor that came to admit him advised us, it was not pneumonia, but looked more like congestive heart failure.
Heart failure. *gulp*
My jaw dropped to the floor. My heart and stomach quickly followed.
*PLOP*
All splayed out in a pile of, “What the crap!”. Four days ago I said I DO, or I will, or actually I said vow by vow repeated after the minister in front of God, and 70 or so witnesses. I had no idea how fast those bonds would be put to the test.
I trust God. I do. There are so many blessings about this moment. We had canceled the honeymoon to Canada because of Jason’s mom. It was possible she would have a second surgery this week and we didn’t want to be out of the country when it happened. Come to find out, she did not, but she did get moved out of ICU. We got to talk to her the day before our ER visit. It was wonderful news. It was joyful tears to love on her awake and aware and I’m glad we didn’t miss it.
I am also glad we were not in Canada and unsure of the health care and procedures. I am glad we were not thousands of miles away from our friends and family. I am glad we were not on top of Whistler Mountain – far away from anywhere or anything. I am glad we were not zipping through time and space on an airplane high up in the sky. So many things….that could have been so much worse.
Instead, we take the hospital honeymoon trip. Complete with an HD TV.
Three delicious meals a day by room service (for him anyway). Daily social visits by doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists. Tons of time together. No kids or dogs. I can even get coffee most hours of the day in the waiting room concierge lounge. It’s all-inclusive folks. Stop being so jealous.
And hey, it’s like camping…..
We are on day three here. All we know for sure is that his heart is not damaged. He does have an enlarged left ventricle, but that is not completely uncommon for a diabetic man with high blood pressure. They were able to relieve him of five LITERS of fluid, so he can breathe easier although there is still fluid on and in his lungs.
We have a test on Monday to check for artery blockage and to fix them if he has any through a heart cath. If it’s not that, it could be a number of things they are hoping to eliminate with tests. Nothing is determined, and not much has been ruled out. It could be congestive heart failure, or it could be a mean virus that caused cardiac issues.
No matter what it is. No matter what our future holds with his health. I will be here.
In sickness, and in sickness……because that is what I pledged to do six days ago.
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Not just what you pledged to do, but what you want to do just out of pure love.
My heart goes out to yall! I am also glad to see “It” happen here in civilization, considering the alternatives. I mentioned your situation in my blog, so all my freinds and folks have yall on their prayer lists.
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My love and prayers to you both. Goodness.. You will get through this… Love to you!
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My prayers are with you and your husband! I hope he gets better soon and I am so sorry that you guys are not having the honeymoon you hoped!
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Wow, almost sounds like Pericarditis. Good luck for both of you! you both are in my thoughts.
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My prayers are with you & yours. This is such a lovely post.
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Bless you, Ange. Praying for you, Jason, your MIL, and your children. Very freightening for you–good think he married a great girl!
Take care of yourself too.
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Omgoodness. I put you two and your mil on my church’s prayer list. Bless you all.
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Thinking of you both. What a sad but beautiful post. xo
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Angelia,
Thinking and praying for both of you during all of this…
Much peace,
Lance
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Oh, Angelia–and you still have that wonderful sense of humour (and trust) even going through wave after wave of adversity. Praying you would continue to sense God’s presence and love through it all, as you wait for calmer seas ahead.
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Life can take such wonderful and strange and scary turns in the blink of an eye. As they say, “you can’t make this stuff up”! You are in my thoughts and prayers. Beautiful post.
xoxo
Colleen
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Sending you lots of love and prayers for Jason’s quick recovery. Much love to you Angelia!
Peggy
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Thoughts and prayers are with you both! Hang in there!
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So sad you missed your honeymoon, bu so glad you did and were close to family and friends and good helath care while this happened. Lifting Jason and his mother up for healing and you for strength. Hang in there. Hope he’s better soon.
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Praying for ya’ll! May God grant you peace strength healing and grace through this time of adversity.
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Oh Angelia my heart goes out to you right now. You and your wonderful new husband simply deserve the very best of things in life and happiness right now but instead this. I hope Jason continues to get stronger and that the doctors figure out the cause. Sending you hugs right now and thinking of you.
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Your strength and love is abundant. Thank you for posting this, letting us know about your husband and Mother In Law. I’m praying for a speedy recovery for all. ♥
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I think we discussed before that everything happens for a reason, right? Like you said, thankful (and a reason) your honeymoon got cancelled and you weren’t out in the middle of nowhere when all this happened. Praying not only for recovery for Jason and his mom but also for the strength for you all to be able to withstand all this. Well wishes all around. {{{Angelia, Jason, Sue}}}
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In the spring of last year, as you already know, Rod was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He was put on 3 new medications and immediately started an exercise program, lost weight (which he needed to do!), cut down drastically on salt, and was determined to outlive the average 68 year old man with congestive heart failure.
You and your wonderful new husband can and will get through this. It may even be a blessing in disguise, just as it was for Rod and me.
I will continue to think about you both every single day, and about Sue, as well.
xoxo!!!
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Oh, I almost forgot. Had you been in Canada, the health care would have been excellent, and you would not have been charged a dime for it. That’s their system.
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What terrible news, so short a time after your wedding. I’m keeping you in my prayers and thoughts!
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Oh. I am just cathing this now (the details).
Still praying for you all!
XOXOX
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Just catching up on my reading and when I cam to yours my heart sank. You and your husband are in my thoughts and prayers.
Sending you hugs and healing energy your way.
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Huge Hugs, Angelia. Thinking of you and your hubby 🙂
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My thoughts are with you and your wonderful new family. And I’m sure all will work out exactly like it’s supposed to and you and your love wind up being joyously old and will have celebrated loads of anniversaries wherein you chuckle over your….second honeymoon!
Good luck to you all!
Avery Brown
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Powerful post. You all are in my prayers.
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Oh Angelia, I just can’t believe it. There has to be light at the end of this tunnel soon. You are in my thoughts and prayers every day.
Huge hug to you.
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Adding my prayers in too! So sorry that things have started like this but also relieved you ended up in the best place to get care. You have strength in this new bond it can only become stronger. You both will be in my thoughts!
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Oh my. I just don’t know what to say. Of all the darned luck! Though I just “met” you not to long ago, I can tell you are a strong person and you and your hubby are meant to be. It will work out and you two will be able to enjoy the rest of your days.
Supah hugs!
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OK you got me here, being the Type-1 Diabetic man in my Family I have seen the look of fear on my wifes face and will only say it takes a strong woman to care for the needs of a man going through these struggles.
You are that woman and we will have you both in our prayers, Diabetic stories we will swap later on and for now look forward to him being better real soon 🙂
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Sorry I have been out of the loop this last week! I have been praying for Jason’t mom, and sent happy thoughts for ya’ll on the 10th, but am just now getting the latest medical update.
As I was just at the endocrinologist this morning myself, it seems appropriate I guess that I read it today. We diabetics may be susceptible to more, but we are fighters. Remind Jason of that, okay?
Keep that positive attitude, especially for him, and when you need a reminder for yourself, feel free to vent to me. You have my E-mail address. I would be happy to give you encouragement, or just a listening ear if you need. Blessings!
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OH, dear sweet beautiful Angelia. Don’t you know that those vows aren’t meant to be tested until you’ve got lots and lots of years as a foundation. There’s not to be a trial to see if it all works! What an amazing ‘Honeymoon’ story this is. Nothing but the off the wall and different for you.
I’m glad to hear that your sense of humor is still there (though it’s getting a bit thin in the day-by-day post).
Jason is so very very blessed to have you there with him and you are so very very blessed to have the strength and energy to be there for him.
Prayers, honey.
Blessings for healing.
Weezer
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