I did NOT fall off the face of the earth! I promise! I'm still here. "Well then, Jami, where have you been???" Well, it's been one of "those" months for the Kastners.
1. I was SICK (and actually am AGAIN now!) I got a cold and it lingered for three weeks before this stubborn, hard-headed, martyr mom, FINALLY went to the doctor. It took nearly the whole ten days of antibiotics to feel better. Now, I am coming down with something else. Before my inbox gets flooded with suggestions as to how to improve my immune system and demands that I see the doctor in case I have something wrong with me, I KNOW what is wrong with me: immune system horribly compromised by severe sleep deprivation. I'm working on it! I promise! Hannah's just going through the growing pains of giving up a nap, but yet she's not TOTALLY ready to give it up... Of course this means increased sleep deprivation for the mom. In the middle of cold/flu season, that is a LETHAL combination for my immune system.
Lesson learned: Playing the martyr typically does not end well. Trying to tough it out can sometimes be good (like if you're a professional football player getting paid a zillion dollars to tough it out through an injury).... but if you're a mom toughing it out with sickness typically just gets you further and further behind the eight ball. I STILL have not caught up on the laundry, the dishes have been one load behind for a month, and I am CONSTANTLY feeling tired. But God is SOOO good. Not only does He teach us a lesson: "Jami, do NOT put your health last ALL the time or the whole family will suffer." But He gives us a follow-up pop quiz: "Here's another little cold. Will you chose to take it easy or will you prove that you NEVER learn your lesson?" (I'm taking a nap in 33 min! I learned MY lesson!)
2. This past month, we had a WEEK filled with terror and death. Here's how it went down:
Thursday, October 14th.... I was only on day 2 of antibiotics... I had actually called in sick to my work-at-home job (that's only happened maybe 4 times in the past 11 years)... I was in bed and awoke to find I had missed several calls from my sister. When I finally called her back, she asked me some nutty question about John working and then hung up on me. I was half asleep, sick and VERY confused. I called her back several times and when she finally answered she asked me to meet her at Hartford Hospital because Luke was being sent to Children's in Flight for Life with a brain injury. The adrenaline PULSED through my body. I flew outta bed. I raced around looking for clothes while barking orders to the kids: "Get dressed! We're leaving! NOW!" It was one of the scariest things I can recall going through... Luke fell from a tree and ended up with a severe concussion, because Hartford Hospital doesn't handle pediatric head trauma he had to go to Children's in Flight for Life... scary, scary, SCARY.... but he is FINE! Struggling through recovering from a concussion but it could have been SO MUCH WORSE.
While all this was going on I was in communication with Christina about what had happened to Luke. At some point, she informed me that she had just found out her father had died. (I don't know if you all recall, but Christina lost her mother tragically in 2009... now she is 22 and an orphan.)
While we were still reeling from Luke's injury and trying to arrange plans for me to be at Christina's Dad's funeral, we learned that John's childhood best friend had passed away. While they had lost touch a little in recent years, this was a TRAGIC loss for John. He had been friends with Ron Kloeden since he was 5 years old. Every childhood memory John has includes Ron Kloeden. Ron was the best man in our wedding. It was VERY difficult for John.
That week was the toughest we've had since brain surgery. But as in all things, we persevered with His support.
Lesson learned: Life is SO fleeting. You just NEVER know what is around the corner. Live life to the fullest. Cherish every moment. Cling to those you love and don't let ONE MOMENT pass without telling them how you feel. [Oh and one more side lesson from this: my crazy, loud, occasionally-invasive family is THE BEST! As I stood there in the ER waiting room at Children's looking around at my sister who raced over from work, my Gma sitting in the wheelchair, Mom and Dad trying hard to be strong but terrified for their baby and their grandbaby, my husband who called in to his second job to support us all, and my sister the STRONGEST woman I know handling yet ANOTHER life-threatening crisis with her baby boy.... I reazlied... I have the GREATEST family in the whole entire world.]
Sooooo am I back? idk... I will try... but I have had to prioritize to get through this past month and blogging has been pushed WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to the bottom of my priority list. So never fear... I am still here... but I may be a little quiet right now because now that I'm kinda on the upswing from crazy, zany October, I can see THE HOLIDAYS on the horizon and WAH! that's NOT going to ease my load!
Take care everyone!
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