Part 2/3 of A Memorial Day Miracle.
While I fought to stay alive, my family faced their own battles. After the ambulance left, Don remained in his truck and made a few phone calls. Brooke & Janae rushed to take care of the dogs, call family members and lock up our house. She arrived at the hospital about 20 minutes after she thought Don would be there, but he was nowhere to be found. She called him and in his state of shock became lost on his way to the hospital.
Finding each other, Brooke and Don waited in the emergency room lobby to hear any word. Several friends and Pastor Eddie arrived to wait with them. Brittany at that time was in rehab and could not be reached, so my sister Robin living in Riverside went to get her temporarily released and bring her to the hospital.
In the meantime, they couldn’t reach Brent. Home asleep with his two sons, he had turned his phone to silent. Frantic to reach him, Brooke asked one of his friends to go to his house and beat on the door until he answers. Jeff had to bang on the windows and doors to wake Brent. Jeff quickly told him “Get dressed and get to the hospital! Something is wrong with your Mom. I’ll watch the boys.”
Don, Brooke and friends continued to wait. The ER team was trying to stabilize me before allowing family in. After an hour and a half they opted to let them back because I was so critical. Having no idea what to expect, they were stunned. To see me in a trauma unit with numerous IV’s and breathing from a ventilator was indeed staggering. I didn’t even look the same. My stomach was bloated and face swollen as I lay there unconscious.
Dr. Thomas, one of the doctors in the room asked Don, “Are you the husband?” Don nodded and asked how I was. He answered, “Your wife is extremely ill and in critical condition.” Don asked him to score me on a scale of one to ten. Dr. Thomas responded, “Your wife is a 9.5 and in very bad shape. Do you want us to resuscitate her?” Don outwardly distraught exclaimed, “What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean?” The second doctor there asked about my religious preferences and if I had last wishes. Dr. Thomas again reiterated they were trying to get me stabilized, I was extremely critical and they were attempting to diagnose my situation. We later learned that score was really a 15 or 16, he was trying to be nice with 9.5.
I needed someone who specialized in pulmonary disease and intensive critical care. God designed it that when I arrived at EMC the very best was there for me! Having been called in for an earlier emergency, Dr. Thomas was in the perfect place at the perfect time and precisely who I needed.
Returning to the waiting room, Brooke broke down. As Don explained to the friends there that I was critical and on life support, Brent walked in. Don shed tears at seeing him which made Brent feel that he had not made it in time and they had lost me.
I will be eternally grateful for the people that came to the hospital that morning on a holiday to tend and care for my family. Because through this trauma, they were going to need them.
Like wildfire, word began to spread and prayers began soaring into heaven, at the same time storming the gates of hell. I was battling for my life as death was lurking in the shadows.
Around 9am I was transferred to ICU on life support. They were trying to assess if I had sepsis. My organs were attempting to shut down, my blood pressure was dangerously low and they worked frantically to find the source of my condition.
Thankfully, Brittany arrived with my sister shortly thereafter. When she saw my sister walk into the facility Brittany instantly knew something was wrong. Robin cut through all the red tape to get Brittany released and made sure she got Brittany to the hospital ASAP.
The ICU waiting area continued to fill. My family had arrived after being apprised of my declining state. Friends came from near and far. They prayed, cried, laughed and loved on each other. Several brought food, coffee, water and snacks. So many people proved to be the hands and feet of Jesus to my heartbroken husband and kids.
Later in the day Dr. Thomas stated, “Dana has two clusters each with numerous blood clots. One cluster is larger than the other and it’s keeping her heart from beating. She has been on large doses of blood thinners that are not working. I am concerned more about the cluster that has gone to the back of her heart than the cluster in her lungs. So, Plan A: we are going to take her to surgery tomorrow morning and put in a catheter that will drip blood thinner directly to the cluster of clots to break them up. We are hopeful it will be successful. One of two things will happen: It will work and dissolve the cluster of clots or she will bleed out. We will leave the catheter in for 24 hours then remove it and evaluate the results. Then if we have to we go to plan B.”
Don and Brent had no idea that going forward for prayer Sunday morning would have such an impact a mere 24 hours later.
To be continued in: A Memorial Day Miracle – Part 3