Remember that annoying song sung by Melanie back in the 70s? It had a good message but her voice just GOT to me. Anyway, the point of the song was that you sometimes don't realize how wonderful something is until it is gone, so appreciate it NOW. I had a lesson in that today.
It started with hey, honey, let's take a quick shower before we take Caspian to a friend's house. We'd already been to Curve's and back and the day was rolling. We took the shower (our shower is big enough to host a small tea party and have room left over for dancing) and I got out first. I was dry and getting dressed and the hubby still hadn't emerged. Finally, I went in to check on him. He was getting out and something was wrong--I could tell that immediately. He said he had terrible head pain and a burning in his chest. The same thing has happened twice in the last five years and the time we went to the ER, he was diagnosed with acid reflux, so I had a pretty good idea what we were in for.
The main thing that hits him is pure panic. Now, if you know Joseph, you know that this is really ALIEN to his personality. This man was once nicknamed Mr. Mellow. He is just very calm and steady 99.9% of the time. When this hits, it's like he becomes someone else. He starts to hyperventilate and pace. He becomes very agitated and god forbid, I come near him or touch him. He gets angry. He was clearly in a lot of pain and before, I gave him a purse to hyperventilate into because it slowed his breathing. I did the same thing this time and if I hadn't been so worried, the sight of him breathing into a Tinkerbell purse would have had me on the floor laughing. The idea of getting the camera did occur to me. Yes, I'm a bad, bad wife.
For 2 1/2 hours, we went through this. I sent the kids away to lunch (and once again was so grateful that my responsible 17 yr old could just head out the door with the boys, get them on the bus and to lunch without a blink of an eye). I flew down to the drugstore and asked for advice on what to give him. They recommended a couple of OTC products so I bought them and flew home again. Very hard to get this man to take medication . . . . but he did. The burning subsided a bit but the head pain and nausea continued. His breathing sped up and slowed down sporadically.
I brought him an Advil for the head pain. This man does NOT take pain killers of any kind. NONE. It was tough to get him to take ONE but I did it. I walked the fine line between checking on him and hovering. Finally he suggested he try something to eat and within 5 minutes, he was 90% better.
The recovery was almost as instanteous as the attack!
So, was it acid reflux? I don't know. I just know that it scared the pee out of me because I adore this man with every fiber of my being. He's my best friend in the whole world and I can't imagine a day without him. He's my paradise that life was trying to pave but I wouldn't let it. (Yes, that is the strangest analogy I've ever made in my writing career.)
Tomorrow is Caspian's birthday. I cannot believe he is turning 15. He is excited and I KNOW he will looooooove his present (more on that later).
This has been a harrowing day.
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