I’m Sitting Here Bawling

If you’ve been following along, you know that in December, I had a life-threatening illness that doctors were convinced I would not survive.  I was in a coma for 3 weeks.  Once I came out of the coma and was well enough to talk on the phone, I called my mother to say hi.  My mother was absolutely breathless.  She lives in California and I had moved out here to North Carolina only a year before.  She and my dad had flown out to see me and kiss me and basically tell me goodbye.  So when she heard my voice she was kind of overwhelmed.  After she told me how happy she was that I was talking and getting better, she said, “Jenna, your friends are so wonderful!”

That’s when I was told how via Facebook, my friends and family had come together to make sure that my parents were able to come to be with me.  It wasn’t just a matter of getting airfare.  My mother needs to be on oxygen at all times.  There was a specific kind of oxygen machine that she would need to get to be able to fly and stay with me for a few days.

I cannot put into words how incredibly grateful I am to have so many wonderful people in my life.  But, tonight, my sister gave me some new details that just took my breath away.  So I’m sitting in the middle of Hurricane Florence, crying like a baby over the last disaster we went through.  The wind is whistling through the cracks in the door almost like the soundtrack for a haunted house.  The animals are whining and restless.  And I’m just so thankful.

Audra

Harmony called all over to find mom the special oxygen thing she needed, and I had to go to Chico for it. When I left for Chico we had like close to no donations and after I got there picked up the machine and had made it just past Ophir road on 70 heading to moms when I glanced at my email and saw a bunch of PayPal notifications. I opened PayPal and saw all the money and had to pull over because I was crying so hard and I called mom and she heard me crying and started sobbing thinking the worst.

Jenna

Oh, my God! Now you’ve got me bawling!

Audra

And I was like no! no! no! we have the money and started crying again and she cried and laughed. I hadn’t really cried because I was keeping my brain in denial about it all.

Jenna

I’m still crying. But I’m ok, now.

Audra

I thought we would have to put it all on a credit card, but we made enough to cover even the oxygen and extra batteries I had put on the card

Jenna

I’m glad.

Audra

It was an emotional time

Jenna

Yeah.

Audra

It’s hard to remember pretty much all this last year

Jenna

You guys were going to put all of it on your Credit Card?

Audra

Yeah.

Jenna

Tell Dave (my sister’s husband) I love him and that really means a lot to me.  And you know I love you. But that really does mean so much.

Audra

I still feel guilty I was too chicken to fly

Jenna

Don’t. You did a lot.

I feel so incredibly blessed.

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September 14, 2018

I went through something similar recently. In April I had a mystery illness that caused me to gain 90 pounds in two weeks. I was eventually diagnosed with MCD, an autoimmune kidney disease. I was in the hospital for a month. I was sent home. Then it happened again. 80 pounds in two weeks this time, but somehow this time was even worse. The edema wouldn’t come off. Eventually I had chemo to help me. I was in the hospital a second month. I really found out who my friends were. I lost some friends too. It’s amazing how illness makes people show their true colors.

I’m glad you’re well now.

September 14, 2018

It’s wonderful to know that people can be so kind.
You are in my thoughts tonight as you weather the storm.
Pleases check in frequently, so that your friends here know you’re ok now.

September 14, 2018

You are blessed…I am sorry you have to sit in the hurricane. I hope there is no damage and everyone is still standing….

September 14, 2018

That’s awesome that you have so many people in your life, continuing to offer you love and support.

Good luck making it out of this hurricane.