The Dreaded Phone Call and a Parent's Worst Nightmare

Our community held an event where proceeds were given to 4 non-profit organizations in our area. Being in-between treatment side effects, I was able to assist in the festival.

Many patients choose to back off outside activity during treatment. Chemo is like a chameleon, transforming differently with each administering of drugs. My organization was one of the 4 recipients from the proceeds and I felt obligated to volunteer my time.

After a quick dinner that evening, I immediately was off to bed to watch TV and it's doubtful that I made it as far as the 9:00 time slot before falling asleep. This schedule had become the norm for me now that I required 9-10 hours of sleep each night.

Danny came to bed at 10:30 and I asked him if Jill had returned home and he said no. She and her friend Cody were off enjoying an annual event, “Terror Trails”, a Halloween fright house in a neighboring town. In years past she would arrive home between 10-11pm from TT, so I wasn’t worried.

At 11:11, the phone rang waking us and Danny answered. I could tell by his answers that something was wrong and I couldn't determine who was on the other end. He turned to me and said Jill had been in a car accident and was being care-flighted into Tyler. . . . they needed to know which hospital we preferred. I responded and began dressing.

We knew it was of no use to first go to the scene of the accident. . . .this has been a frequent question asked by many, so we began the long 1 hour drive to Tyler. Once in the car we turned off the music and traveled in silence unless we had to speak. I sent many prayers to God – I don’t remember the details, but I’m sure I offered my soul if he allowed Jill to live.

I’m a person who likes to know where she stands at all times – I work hard at the good virtue known as patience. There’s no doubt Danny’s and my silence was due to dealing with the unknown. We were parents in the middle of our worst nightmare.

At the hospital, we were escorted into a private waiting area. I was led to a room like this before when my father was thought to be DOA. . . . 15 minutes later the hospital in Dallas realized they had the wrong family. So, I knew rooms like this didn't always bring good news and I feared the  worst.

A nurse came in and said Jill was in the ER with a broken femur and the hospital Chaplin would be in shortly.

She was alive - thank you, thank you, thank you dear Lord, Jill’s alive!

As it turned out, a broken leg was the least of Jill's injuries and I will blog later about her miraculous recovery and how my cancer became my secondary priority until I found myself in the hospital. 

To all of those who are reading this blog:  As Christians, as parents, as daughters or sons, as wives or husbands, as devoted friends. . . . our first response in dealing with someone else's adversity is to put the other person first above all.  When you are facing a life threatening illness yourself such as cancer, you MUST put yourself first.  Why?  Without your health, you can't be the help you wish to be to your loved ones. 

I know and I could have died - and not from cancer.

Next:  The many faces of my masquerade ball.