{"id":64,"date":"2018-07-01T18:16:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-01T18:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.strongwithmitzi.net\/blog\/?p=64"},"modified":"2021-06-21T18:36:44","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T18:36:44","slug":"you-never-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strongwithmitzi.net\/blog\/you-never-know\/","title":{"rendered":"YOU NEVER KNOW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
8 weeks ago, I saw a picture on Facebook of one of my best friends from college in the hospital. Now if you are anything like me, you have a crazy life. You keep in touch with friends, pick up where you left off, but not always talk to them on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis. It\u2019s just the way it goes. It doesn\u2019t mean you love any less. It just means people are people and we are busy and sometimes self-absorbed. Good or bad, it is what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little snip it of LP\u2019s nature\u2026 She is caring and nurturing and will love with all of her being, but she will not ask for help. She is golden and ALWAYS the life of the party. In saying that, I had messaged her and she said she was fine. I\u2019m like\u2026Nah. Something is wrong. Immediately I text her oldest daughter to find out that she was diagnosed with West Nile. WHAT? Without many answers or even understanding what was going on, I had no response. LP was not taking calls, not returning text, and all I knew was that she was in a hospital in Thibodaux (at the time). And I just accepted it. I would randomly send a text that said, \u201cI love you\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m praying for you\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Last Thursday night was the night that I text and received a text back, \u201cI\u2019m being transferred to the Neurocenter in Baton Rouge.\u201d My mind went nuts. Please know I have no clue what is going on still. Without a hitch I say, \u201cI can be there tomorrow\u201d. Shockingly, she said, \u201cPlease. I would love that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Y\u2019all, I could not wait to leave work on Friday. As I\u2019m driving, I have no clue what I\u2019m about to walk in to. And listen, I am not a nurse. I suck at taking care of people. I don\u2019t like hospitals. I am the worst at nurturing people. That, my friends, is the truth. I head up to the 6th floor. As I turn the corner to walk in her room, she is sitting in a wheelchair. The tears begin to fall, from her and me. She was doing PT, so I waited until I was given the OK to go in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is now back in her bed as I walk in. As I sit on the side of her bed, I am noticing her hands and feet. \u201cLP, what is wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said, \u201cI can\u2019t walk\u201d.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Those 3 words have never hit me so hard. I swear I was like, \u201cGET UP\u201d, \u201cSHOW ME\u201d, \u201cTHERE IS NO WAY\u201d. I had been in that room for like 4 minutes and I was like \u201csit up, I want to see.\u201d She scooted herself to the edge of her bed (which she did very well) and placed her feet on the ground. They immediately curled up under her, almost looking crippled. I said, \u201cplant your feet on the floor.\u201d \u201cMitz, I can\u2019t.\u201d Do you know how hard this was for me? It was like Ariel from The Little Mermaid when Ursula gave her legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is her 4th hospital in 9 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I knew my stay would be extended until Sunday. I wasn\u2019t going home. We brought the party to a hospital room the size of most of your bathrooms. The first day there was a lot of fighting. She was telling me to stop, shut up, don\u2019t call the nurse, don\u2019t ask questions, quit making me do stuff and the list goes on. The nurse said, \u201care y\u2019all sisters?\u201d HAHA\u2026 not quite but close. By the end of Friday night, we had made lots of progress and balanced our personalities, just like the good ole days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I could tell you all about Saturday laughing until we cried and reminiscing over college, and last year\u2019s girl trip. I could talk about line dancing with the nurses to bring the party, making a run for her favorite food, welcoming the staff into her room like they are old friends, and being happy and grateful for what we do have. But\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m going to say this\u2026 One moment LP\u2019s life was normal, and, in an instance, she lost her ability to walk, TO WALK, not broke a limb, not on crutches, but is confined to a bed. WTF? Her nervous system went bonkers. There was no warning. Her ankles may not be strong, but her spirits are. I\u2019m not sure how strong I would be. She is making memories with wonderful people she meets every day. She is smiling (yes, there have been lots of tears). She is killing it at watching Lifetime. Her will to fight is so present to everyone. Dropping everything else in my life and coming here, is a blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you think you can\u2019t, you can<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When life sucks, you best find something to pull you through. Feeling sorry for yourself is never an option. At least you have a choice. You can lay around and take your health for granted or you can get your ass up and do something about it. You don\u2019t have to stay inside, you don\u2019t have to scoot yourself from place to place, you don\u2019t have to depend on someone to get you in a wheelchair, you don\u2019t have an excuse\u2026 YOU HAVE A CHOICE!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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