It was one of the scariest moments of my life. It happened last weekend on a beautiful 4th of July while lounging at a friend’s pool. We were floating around on some noodles in the warm water when she began to feel ill. While I got out of the pool to get her some water, she moved to the edge to sit on the steps.
A few moments later, she began to convulse, with her eyes closed, mouth sealed tight, her body clenched and writhing. I dialed 911, tried to control my own hysteria, and begged her to wake up. I gave the operator all of our information as her body went limp and I struggled to keep her out of the water. Within minutes, a police officer arrived as she slowly woke up, exhausted and incoherent. She kept asking me to put her head under the water because she was hot. Reasoning with her was useless. The paramedics arrived, she vomited, and they loaded her into the ambulance. I followed in my own car.
It was awful, but she’s ok. She was released a few hours later with an inconclusive diagnosis. We may never know what happened, but I know why.
In the hospital, I reached out to her children to tell them what was happening. Her daughter immediately boarded a plane from Denver to rush to her mother’s side. Her son managed to find the only sober person on Big Island in Lake Minnetonka to speed him home to be with his mother. Her brother and family called constantly that night to check on her, and even her ex-husband came by to see if she was ok. She was humbled and thrilled with the outpouring of love and support.
That night as she recovered at home surrounded by her family and friends, we played the “what-if” game about her situation. What if she was alone? What if she was in the deep end during the episode? What if we lived in a time without cell phones? She could have slipped under when I ran inside to call 911. What if she hit her head? It wasn’t a fun game, but it was illuminating. It helped answer the question as to why this happened to her.
In the pool before she felt sick, she and I were having an esoteric conversation about whether God loves us. Girlfriend, God certainly loves you, and so do your awesome family and friends. Sometimes it takes a scare to help us realize that.
This week I wish you the knowledge that God, family, and friends love you, minus the hospital drama!
