The ER

I'm way behind on updating everyone, and life has been overly tiring lately, so I'm going to cheat and use e-mails that my mom sent out to my immediate family during some of the recent drama.  I'm sorry for not getting this done sooner, but the few spare minutes I've had to myself I've spent keeping myself sane and not worrying about this here blog...  Hopefully life will calm down at some point and I'll be able to get back on top of things.  I'm not holding my breath though, so I recommend you don't either  :)

Tues Oct 15th:

Hi All,

I got a text from Rachel this afternoon letting me know that she was in the ER with Mark.  The ER doctors suspected that Mark was having seizures and were giving him meds through an IV, saying that Mark will need to take anti-seizure medicine for the foreseeable short-term future. [editors note: a year or so, depending on how he does]

I spoke with Rachel later in the afternoon and found out some of what happened during the day that led them to the ER.  Elaine reported to Rachel that on Sunday Mark was driving erratically to church, swerving between lanes and almost hitting parked cars.  Rachel had some errands to run today and was going to have Mark drive so she could see how he was doing and see if he could drive himself to work and other places.

When Rachel was ready to go, Mark said that he had bent down to pick something up and felt dizzy.  Rachel waited for 15 minutes or so and Mark then told her to go without him.  So Rachel ran to the post office while Elaine stayed home with the family.  While Rachel was gone Elaine asked Mark a question and Mark was not able to give a verbal answer and was drooling - he was awake, but fidgeting strangely and unresponsive.

Elaine called Rachel and Rachel told her to get Mark to the ER and she would meet them there.  Then Rachel realized that Elaine didn't have a car, the battery in the van was dead [again] because a light was left on overnight.  So Elaine called LaMont at work, who beat Rachel getting to the house.  LaMont and Elaine had a hard time getting Mark to the car, they had to give directions over and over again and then had to tell Mark which leg to lift and move so that he could walk, then had to help Mark get his legs into the car.

Rachel and Elaine left Emily and Annie with a neighbor, Shelly and Jason were at school, so they took Nikki and went to the hospital.  After Mark was given the meds and was discharged, he threw up on the way to the car.  When I spoke with Rachel tonight, Mark had been asleep since leaving the hospital and she expected him to sleep through the night as well.

They have an appointment to see Mark's oncologist on Monday and were given a name of a neurologist to see.  Rachel called to get an appointment and first available was Nov 26!!??!?!?  Hopefully the oncologist might know someone else or be able to pull some strings to get Mark seen sooner.

Elaine, earlier in the day, had asked Rachel if she would be okay if she didn't stay the night - Elaine has been living there since Nikki was born.  Needless to say Elaine is still there, bless her wonderful heart!!!!  I'm sure that she and LaMont were rather worried today when they saw Mark in that kind of condition.  Thank goodness for wonderful, loving families.

Please keep Rachel and Mark in your prayers.  There will be more tests and exams while trying to figure out exactly what is going on and what can be done to help Mark the best.