The story.

Jordan told me he was ill November 18th.  Since the rest of us had had chills, fevers, and horrible coughs, we thought he was coming down with the same thing.  He felt terrible and his belly ached a bit. He had vomited a few times- immediately after consumption, but nothing serious.   Finally on Tuesday (20th) I took him to see our regular doctor.  She told us, that yes he probably had the flu- and to get some rest.  Thanksgiving was in a few days, Nicole was already in Ogden for the big day, so we thought we would all just go home and rest.  That night Jordan kept coming in- telling us his belly hurt.  I would tell him to go to the bathroom, take some tums, rub some essential oils on his belly, and go back to bed.
Yes. I am the worst mother in the entire world.
The next morning, (21st) Dave had gone to work, and I was just waking up.  Jordan told me that he was dressed, and wanted me to take him to the doctor again.  So I called, and she was not in yet.
He didn't care!  He said he would be in the car waiting for me!  I told him again she was not in, and he said I needed to take him to the hospital.  I figured I had better- 15 year olds do not usually ASK to go to a hospital. 

We went.  They talked to him- he was not in huge pain, so nothing pointed in a specific direction.  So they took blood.  They were kind of just fishing at that point. Then I mentioned that Jordan had told me that the lymph nodes near his groin were swollen.  This interested the ER doc and after feeling them- I could see a look on her face.  A look of clarity crossed her face, and I know- something was up. 

(Jordan, in pain, in the ER)

She then said that they were going to go ahead and order a MRI before the blood work came back.  While I was surprised, I was glad too.  They brought him some contrast to drink, started and IV, and in an hour- we would get some real answers!  about 30 minutes later the blood work said his white blood count was through the roof, so we were already ahead of the game with the contrast!  Good call Doc!

They let me come to the MRI.  It was really neat.

It did not take long at all for them to come tell me that his appendix had ruptured.  They said that we needed to move fast- because it was quite severe.  Jordan then started having uncontrollable pain, and I called Dave and told him to get to the hospital quickly!


A surgeon came in- and said we would be in there as soon as a OR was open.   He started turning gray.  I was starting to worry.  People started rushing, he had to get in, NOW.Afterwords, he felt so much better- he looked better.  He had a new 5 inch incision, a drain, and lots of pain, but he was better.  Thanksgiving became being thankful for Jordan still with us.  He could have no food, water, or even ice chips for 4 days, but he was alive! Thank goodness!





After he started a 6 day at the hospital.  He could not have ANYTHING my mouth for the first 4 days.   Nothing!  Not even an ice chip!  It was super rough for him, but he was very heavily morphined, and the poison was continually draining out of him.  He felt horrible, but you could see him getting better all the time.  By the time he came home, he was so ready, and so were we.  He couldn't take all his anti-biotics or his pain killers without vomiting because it filling hid tiny tummy.   I had to crush them. He was only eating a bite or two every few hours, and he swore it was because his belly shrunk from not eatin for so long.  days passed, then the vomiting and I realized my boy was wasting to absolutely nothing. I was panicing. I could see him dying this time.

ER again. this time when I showed up at triage the nurse looked at him and buzzed him in. They were putting an IV in before I was even done singing consents.  The doc was ordering tests and his surgeon was there in 5 minutes. We were both very scared.  His white blood count was 35,000 when just 4 days prior it was 7.  He was to drink the contrast again and then another CT scan.  Within a very short time, we were back in the same room, with a new plan.  Jordan has a bowel obstruction.  When the appendix burst, the bowel closest to it, seemed to die.  They had to get Jordan healthy enough to give his bowel time to revive or they would have to open him back up and resect his bowel.  It was kind of his worst nightmare!  But Jordan was so emaciated- he was barely alive.  My 5 foot 7 inch son was down to 86 pounds.  He was so weak, it was bad bad bad.  After getting him back on IV antibiotics, they started hydrating him. The surgeon came in later to put in a central line.  That is an IV that basically goes into the large veins near his heart.  That way they would be able to put him on total parenteral nutrition or TPN.  The TPN was a miracle.  He was getting fat, calories, sugars, everything you need to live!  I was so grateful, when I went home that night, I just cried and cried.  I was worry about the resection, but at least I was not watching him die.  I am so very thankful for the medical knowledge the Lord has blessed the world with to save my boy. Thankfully within 5 more days- Jordan's bowels awoke and he had gained 5 pounds. 

16 days in the hospital total and a 3 month recovery still in process, but Jordan is a strong beautiful boy.  I love him so very much.

Photo Dump

 Juliet Waiting for Daddy's train to come on October 3rd.

 Playing in mommy's shoes.

 Nicole and Jacob

 Jordan's Birthday Dinner!

 He was feeling sick- he had a fever! :(

 Juliet is a funny funny baby!

 Nicole

 Jordan's news hair cut!

 Chellee Hugging the baby.

 Hanging at the Gehrett's

 Timm

 My son is getting so tall!

 Leatham family reunion!

 Andrew

 Cute cousins

 A slew of them!

 On the train!

 David and Gabrielle

 Kira and Daddy

 Dad, Lorelei, Chellee, and Rex

 Jess, Mom, Dave, and Dad

 Juliet's progression through her blisters!

 :(

 Homeless Baby!

 Better?

 Sorta better?

 At the Gateway!

 Dave stuck in Gravel!

Almost out!

Dave, Lorelei and I went to a haunted house Friday night.  Its been a while since we have gone- and it was so strange- different!   We went to the ones they have at Lagoon a couple of years ago- but it was not the same.  Not at all!  First thing- PRICE!  Its HORRIBLY expensive!   It costs $20 a person!!! (well...that was not what we paid.)  We did have a $2 off coupon per person.  (We also did not pay $18 a person!)

Secondly- you pay an entrance fee, and then can add- ADD ONS!  Really???  One of them- get this- You can pay $5 extra to sign a waiver, where a glow in the dark red necklace, and ALLOW the spooks, ghouls, clowns, zombies, and CHAIN SAW GUYS to TOUCH you.   Like put their hands over your mouth, tug your hair, hug you, or hold your hands.  SERIOUSLY?   Why on Earth would you PAY EXTRA FOR THAT!?!?!?!?  -shudder!

Did we pay for a necklace?   Yah! NO!!! What a crazy idea?   Who would do that?   Well- Lots of teenage girls did it.  Crazy.

Another thing to pay for? A VIP pass.   Buy this- and it puts you in the front of the line.  There are 3 different versions inside the house- 3 spooktacular places.  Each with lines.  We did not day $5 a person for those either!  Well...not until after we stood in line for over an hour- FOR ONE line- So yeah- Dave bought us all one...after talking them down to $2 a person... so- $20 a piece later... we were spooked.

It was worth the experience....once every 15 years.  Happy Halloween!

Time machine- 1992

20 years ago I met David.  We had met a few times before- even 2 years prior, once at a party, and once by a friend who had asked him to a dance at my high school and after days and days of being excited- she introduced us.  (I actually remember this, but it did not stick...until I saw the dance picture amongst Dave's things after we married.)  But the time we met, when he became a permanent fixture in my life was 20 years ago. 
This meeting was after Darrell had gone to North Carolina to see Dez.  My best friend going to see our other best friend.  Clearly after Darrell was home- I had to know everything!  So we sat out on the lawn talking while a party was going on inside of the house on 400 North.  David was rollerblading and stoped a few times to (in what seemed to be interrupt us) sit and chat for a few.  Darrell and I eventually went in- and Dave again showed up, this time laying next to me, laying his head in my lap- and asking if he could lay there.  What a nut.
After this bizarre encounter, we met again at Bonnie's house where he offered to drive me home.  (I looked awesome that day.  Really.  Ask Dave.) As we drove home- he had his idiot friends in the back of the pick up- hucking ding dongs and Twinkies as pedestrians.  I was pretty sure this was the end of the relationship. (since I barely knew him!  why start something with this goofball!) When we arrived at my house- David Gave me this little brown paper from a grocery bag.  It was oval in shape- and I kept it for years.  It said:

Dave Swaner

563-5932

I can see it in my mind still.  He asked if I wanted to watch movies with him and some friends that night.   I told him I would see.   NO THANK YOU! Is what I was thinking!   He was a dork- or at least his friends were...dork by association,  Yes? 

If you fast forward a few weeks to October 25th 1992- My friends and I decided to ask boys out to haunted houses. I ask my usual guys- and then my back ups- and was baffled when I could not find a date.  Fate.  Fate was calling.  There was that little oval grocery bag on my dresser- haunting me:

Dave Swaner

563-5932

So I called.  Asked him out. My life has never been the same.  Never.  (At one point early on- I was still not convinced that he was not a huge huge dork, and tried to take a step back...I went on a trip- a fake trip to "Wisconsin" and he almost died in a car accident that weekend.  So no more of that nonsense!)  I will never be the same person- after falling for that man.  He is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.  Or you- Be honest.

So this is NOT where I was going with this.  But I guess today it is where I went.  I wanted to talk about going to the haunted house this weekend- in celebration of 20 years since that first haunted house.  But I will do it tomorrow.  

(I know- you don't believe me- but Dave told me the other day- I need to get going again.  He likes that I am recording this for our family. I generally like to do what he asks.  He asks so little of me.  I think he is the cat's meow.)  -I don't really know what that means...but people say it.

Its been a really long time.  It was summer.  and we had a great one.  We swam, we BBQ'd, we family reunioned, we cleaned the house, well, not very much, we watched TV, we walked the dog, we camped, we ate potato salad and watermelon, we all slept in the family room, we shopped, we tried new ways to keep cool...even though its pointless, and we just need to use the airconditioner, we went on drives, we played with friends, we weeded the flower patch, we fought, we laughed, we went to the dentist, we birthdayed, we anniversaried, and we worked out, and we had a great great summer.

Somewhere there are pictures.  I am not sure where.  I just don't care at the moment.

I always thing that the summer is over when the kids go back to school.  This year I have the 2 highschoolers and one in elementary.  That is wild to me.  I feel so old.   I feel so lucky and blessed to have these older children.  They sure teach me so much, and worst of all, best of all, they are eveidence of the training they have been given.  Good and bad.

We were going to have one last big hurrah of summer on September 1st.  We went to O-town for sweet little Myles and Annabelle's 2nd and 3rd birthday.  We were going to swim, eat hotdogs, and hang out with family.  Later Awesome Alison was going to have her 13th birthday party.  Good times right? 

It turned into the worst day I have ever known.  Makes any day of sadness to this point seem so small. feeling as though I was TRAPPED in a nightmare.  One I would like to awaken from.  One that leaves my blood cold and my eyes wet.  It is still in every thought, prayer, and breath.  Our little family is so shaken.  We will never be the same.

Michelle called during the birthday party.  Timm has a huge mass in his brain.  She is terrified and needs us.  I wanted to fall.  But I had to hold others up.  The range of terror and emotion was behemothic.  The vast pain crushed out my breath- from just a mass, to 3moths to live, to cancer, to surgery, to going blind, to widow, to a surgeon who brought HOPE.  By September 4th I was exhausted.  The mental state roller coaster was hard to convey to even my own heart.

But STUFF it in my pocket, and make it go away.  Dave needed me.  Nicole needed me. Michelle. My sweet sister.  My dearest little friend.  My confidant, and counselor needs me.  I have to put it away.  Storage.  My Jack needs his B.  My heart can wait.  It always does.