The short version~
1. We prayed for our house to sell. Minutes later, the hot water heater at our house crashed. IT was under warranty, so it should have been a quick fix ~ if you aren't a McKinney.
2. Butch went to the doctor Wednesday and they admitted him Thursday to the hospital for a blood transfusion because of his hemoglobin being a 6.
3. Mama got sick and couldn't drive home. She refused to go to the emergency room, and her fever ended up being 102.6. Jim finally got her to go Friday morning. She has the flu. The bad kind of flu... the kind that she has been in the bed. Jane doesn't go anywhere without taking a shower and putting on makeup... she has been very sick.
4. Daddy needed someone at the hospital with him Friday for a procedure... I left work and headed toward home... Mayonnaise rode with me and we got him settled. After we got back home, Guille said he would bring me a hamburger for supper. He was going right home to cook it around 6... at 8:30... I still didn't have a burger... HE FORGOT.
5. Mama stayed up until about 4 AM with an allergic reaction to the Tamiflu. She finally settled and we slept until about 8:00 AM.
6. Jim, Guille, and I headed to the hospital Saturday morning to check on Daddy again. I drove those two to Augusta... every minute being criticized for my driving, every minute begin told what to do, every minute treating me like the "baby". We stopped at Rhinehart's on the way home for lunch... I can't ever remember a time that just the three of us sat together and chatted.... other than eating too much... it wasn't that bad. They really are good boys... you can ask them for help if you need it! The best part was them sleeping (snoring) the entire way home, while I drove in the peace and quiet.
7. Mama and I settled in for bed about 10:00... 11:00 new time... and slept. About 6ish... Mama woke up hurting again... about 7ish... the nurse called and told me Daddy had tested positive for the flu. I called Jim and Guille... and decided that I would go back down there again. He wanted a Butterfinger... how could I not take him one????
8. Mayonnaise, Veve, and I headed back to Augusta. I took him Butterfingers and Toastcheez crackers...he was happy, but he was very sick. I told him he better get his heart right with God if he thought he was dying... he told me he had already talked to HIM.
9. I took Mama a few things back to Lincolnton and headed back to Greer. I felt so good about leaving Mama... she was looking better... and Daddy was doing well. Just as I was about to carry hot water upstairs because WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE ANY... the nurse called and said Daddy had taken a turn for the worse... he was talking out of his head, his oxygen was low, and his blood pressure was high... I had a small mental, emotional breakdown as I tried to be strong calling Jim and Mama... and then... when they decided to go back down there I was better.
I called my sounding board, BC, and she talked me through my stupid idea of driving in the night to get back to the hospital. She said Daddy wouldn't have wanted that... Jim and Guil called back and said he was in ICU and they were getting him settled... the nurses have been great... they don't care how many times I call. I held my phone in my hand during the night because I wanted to hear it if anyone called.
10. This morning I was at my limit of understanding why I still didn't have hot water... so I started calling... and the really short version of the story is HOME WARRANTY COMPANIES SUCK! I have managed to make it through this entire ordeal and never curse... I have wanted to, but I want both of you to see that you can go through hard times and not have to say a word! The straw that broke the camel's back was that the lady told me it would be 6 weeks.... yes SIX weeks before we could get a hot water heater... I mean we don't live in the Biltmore... our house is not anything special... I don't care about brand names... I just want hot water... I know I was extra emotional because of daddy, but that was a little ridiculous! Mark handled from that point on because I lost it and probably made one of the supervisors scared to step foot in South Carolina.
11. On the way home today I passed McDonalds and didn't stop... from the time I started student teaching, if I had a bad day... I would get a quarter pounder... I wanted one... I wanted it badly... but I didn't... I didn't stop... I zoomed on by... kind of like the woman in Fried Green Tomatoes when she hits the lady in the parking lot.
12. I cooked supper when I got home because WE HAVE HOT WATER NOW.... and as I was about to sit down... my phone rang...it was Daddy.... I could hardly understand him, but he called me. I asked him did he see Heaven... he said he might have... he saw a lot... I'm thinking it was the high fever that caused the crazy dreams.
13. Jane is better, but she is still at home. I wish she had come back up here with us! She isn't used to sitting all day long. I know her Words with Friends peeps thinks something bad has happened to her. Hopefully, she will be up and playing soon!
I could really write a book about this entire week... I have so many blessings even with all these hard things going on... so... don't be an emotional eater... just pray.... that's all you can do! And remember, if I'm in the hospital one day... bring me a Butterfinger! I would have written a really long version to this story with lots more details, but I am so excited about finally taking a long, hot bath!
