Posy the Porcelain Pig

Wow, it's been a very crazy couple of weeks here! And, it doesn't look like it will calm down anytime soon. I was initially hoping to keep blogging despite the fact that I'm doing a 2-week Italian Opera Study program, but honestly, I just have to focus on one thing at a time!

However, something crazy happened last night and I just feel the need to write about it, just to help debrief myself from the situation!

Josh (my hubby) went to the gym to work out with some friends yesterday evening, and I was exhausted from the program so I put on some PJ's and was catching up on my fav tv show.

After a couple hours, I heard the car pull up outside, the garage door open, and Josh starts honking the car horn repeatedly. At first, it didn't even register that it was OUR car, I thought some neighbor's car alarm was going off. Then, I realized it was Josh and I was actually slightly annoyed at the fact that he was honking (seriously, I should win the Terrible Wife of the Year award for that one). So, I ran down in my pajamas to see what was going on.

Josh was completely limp in the front seat, his hands were frozen in claws, and he couldn't move his legs. He opened his mouth and started telling me that he began feeling weird on the way back from the gym, but his speech was slurred. My first thought was "Is he having a stroke? These are symptoms of a stroke!" and then Josh actually said, "I think I might be having a stroke." I have never been so afraid in my entire life. I managed to get him out of the car (pure adrenaline) and lay him down on the driveway and ran up to get my phone and call 911. The fire department and then the EMTs were there in less than 5 minutes, and it was a complete blur as they surrounded him and checked his vitals and administered tests to see if he was having a stroke. I'm so thankful for one of our neighbors who came over and stayed with Josh while I ran up to get my purse and throw jeans on in case we had to take the ambulance!

His symptoms began to subside while the emergency team was there. The EMT said that she suspected it wasn't a stroke, but hyperventilation. However, she said to get him to the ER right away. We got to the ER and were there for a couple of hours while they ran tests to make sure everything was ok. The initial diagnosis was hyperventilation/calcium deficiency, and after the tests it was confirmed. We are SO THANKFUL that it was not a stroke! Looking at the symptoms, every sign seemed to point that way. I had no idea that you could experience those symptoms from hyperventilating.

I have never felt that kind of fear before, seeing my husband unable to move or talk like that was so scary. After the EMT's left, he actually said that he felt fine and could wait to go to the doctor, but I was like "GET IN THE CAR! WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" I turned into Mama Bear.

I am so thankful that Josh is ok. Being the trooper that he is, he actually got up and went to work on time this morning. He amazes me every day. Also, God's grace and provision amazes me. It was clear from the moment that things started happening that God was with us! I broke down crying on the phone with the operator, but I also felt a strange sense of calm and was able to remember everything I needed to. Seriously, with the chaos I'm amazed that I remembered Josh's birthdate. God brought our neighbor (whom we had never even met) over and he stayed with Josh while I went to get some things from the house. We got into the ER immediately, we didn't have to wait at all to see the doctor. Everything worked like clockwork. God's provision was so evident.

I try not to take anything in this life for granted, but it's moments like that when you realize what truly is important in life!