Halloween and the Scare of my Life

Three days before Halloween, my mom had a brain aneurysm rupture during a photo shoot she was doing for some family friends in Ogden. One second she was completely fine, doing what she loved. The next she fell to her knee, said her head hurt, passed out and started having seizures. Miraculously, it happened at the exact moment that she was with people, not driving, and only 10 minutes from a fire station (ambulance) and McKay Dee Hospital. 

I had just gotten home from church and was feeding Finn. Matt came upstairs and told me my mom passed out and was taken to McKay and his number was the only one the people with her could find in her phone. I immediately got in the car, started driving and making calls. I had no idea how bad it was. 

When I got to the hospital and was finally allowed to see her, while they were getting her ready for Life Flight, I completely lost it. She didn't even look like herself. She was swollen and lifeless and hooked up to so many things. I thought this was it for her. I told her the things I hoped she could somehow hear in her final moments. I wasn't trusted to drive myself, so my sister drove us to IMC, where she was being taken to see a neurosurgeon. Our brother was getting on the first flight from Houston to Salt Lake. I was surprised when we got there and she was still alive. Especially after they told us her hemorrhage was a bad one and it rebled when she got to IMC. (The only thing I knew about brain aneurysms before this, was a story about someone's wife saying she had a headache, going to bed and never waking up.)

They scheduled her for surgery to clip the aneurysm for the next day. I didn't want to leave her, so it was a long, stressful, sleepless night in the hallway outside of the Neuro ICU. It was made a little eventful when Nick showed up, fresh off his flight and fainted after seeing her. I freaked out again. For a moment, I felt like my family was being picked off one by one. But he was awake and cracking jokes after just a couple minutes. 

With every hour that passed with my mom hanging on, I felt a little more hope. By the time she went in for surgery the next day at 4:00 pm, I was feeling much more hopeful. And when the surgeon told us it was a success, that increased tenfold. When she first woke up and did a thumbs up that she knew who we were, it increased again. When they were able to remove the life support... more hope. Every single day that has gone by and has brought us closer to the magic post-hemorrhage day 22  that the doctors say is when things stop being scary and start getting better, I feel certain that she has been spared. Right now she is very confused and has no short term memory. It is going to be a very long road to recovery. But as long as she can be herself again someday it will be so worth it. I still need my mom and my kids need her for a grandma. The pics I had on my camera show the bits and pieces that happened when I wasn't at the hospital. I've learned that in the midst of crises, your children keep you sane. They keep life rolling along.

 Couldn't resist a naked shot!

 At the Dr's office on Halloween for his 6 month check up.

 Covey decorating a pumpkin for Grandma's hospital room. He ran into a lot of walls this day for some reason.

 Finn's 6 month stats: length 27" long 73rd %, weight 16.6 lbs, 32nd %, head 17.3" 60th %.

 Covey got the flu mist while we were there. He cried and cried and had to be held down. Finn had 4 shots, no tears. :)

 Heading out to trick or treat. This was the first time we stuck around to do it in our own neighborhood. It was so much fun. So many kids and parents out.

 Some of the neighbor kids.

Finn was an angel, watching the goings on for awhile and then falling asleep in my arms.

 Covey had fun but only lasted an hour. I thought for sure he'd have Matt out all night. But, no, he kept reminding us he had plenty of  candy.

This garage was sweet! Nick, I mostly took this to show you...

And this house was Halloween Central. Complete with full size candy bars. :)

Finn's first food besides baby cereal. Did not go so well. He struggles with solids. Just gags and spits them out. Even applesauce. He's getting a little better. Tonight most all his squash made it down but I have to trick him to get his mouth open. Silly boy.

 With cousin Lucie, who recently got a hold of the scissors again... and gave herself a haircut, again!

This day, I didn't have a choice but to take Finn with me to sit with Mom. She was intrigued by him and I could tell she really enjoyed his sweet little touch. She kept her hand off the side of her bed where he kept playing with her fingers. It was so sweet and I was glad he could bring a little happiness to her miserable time strapped in bed.

Nick and Stacey flew in to be with Mom for a few days, gather up some storage items and drive them back to Texas. This was Stacey's first time meeting Finn! (Nick had met him the first time he flew in after Mom's aneurysm and hung out with him at the hospital the day of the surgery.)

Today, just sleeping.  It's hard to be away from them so much as I spend as much time as I can at the hospital. So, I am cherishing these days that I get to be with them all day.

Covey has been so funny lately. He always gives you the opposite reason for not being able to do something.  He can't lift something because he's "too strong" or he can't clean up because he's "too fast" or "too old". I can also be sure that anytime I say something nice to him he's going to return it right back to me. For example, a conversation we had today: "I love you, Covey." "I love you too, mom." "You are the cutest boy in the world." "You're the cutest mommy in the world." "Who taught  you to be so sweet?" "Mmmm, you did." Pure happiness right there. :)