By the Grace of God

You hear people say that, and they don't always really mean it. They might mean oh that was close or any other thing. I truly saw that today, God's grace. Because without that Mike's Uncle Jerry would have died today.

It started out ok enough. I went for a haircut. Which is a huge deal in my life. I have to plan for that and usually talk myself out of it for one reason or another. But I'd hacked off the top of my hair two weeks ago and my choice was to continue to layer it myself or get help. So I choose help. I took Zachery with me and was thinking we'd stop at Sonic on the way home. But things were going good and I decided I had a hankering for a cherry limeade on the way so we went before.

The haircut was great. I could have gone to sleep. On the way home I was going to stop at Walmart for a few things. I was actually looking at Walmart and decided I'd turn the other way and just go home. I don't get out much so that's huge for me. lol Walmart is the biggest thing out here.

I'd only been home a few minutes. I'd put some chicken in the micro to thaw out and sat down on the couch to pop on facebook. I heard the dogs start barking and told Zachery to look out the door to see if anyone was here. As he walked outside Mike, who was sleeping, hollered that someone was here. Well, I'd just sent my four year old out to great whoever that was and thought it best to not bother with shoes and to just get out there.

It was a neighbor, Johnny. As I walked to his truck, he said, "some thing's wrong with Jerry." I said I'd go right over. Uncle Jerry is diabetic and has stage 4 renal failure. Aunt Linda called me the day before to let me know she had to go watch the grand babies from Tuesday till Thursday. I ran in the house yelled at Mike it was his uncle and for him to watch Zachery I had to go.

I drove next door and ran into the house. Let me just say nothing in my life had prepared me for what I found. Uncle Jerry was on the floor, screaming, seizing, thrashing about and alternately begging for help and telling me he was going trying to take a nap. I was pretty sure it was his blood sugar but didn't know was it too high? Too low? I knew I needed help and went to call 911. I had no idea where the phone was. I've been in the house tons of times but evidently hadn't made any phone calls. I found the phone and made the call. Ok I need an ambulance. What's your address. Huh? Well I know my address and I live next door so lets start with that. No you can't see the house from the road. I'm sending Johnny to the highway he's going to flag them down. Meanwhile uncle Jerry is knocking over things with his screaming and thrashing. He's beating his head on the back door. Now this I have been prepared for. Zachery has been a headbanger for years, so I'm thinking it's genetic.

I give the emergency responders directions. Tell them to go 1.5 miles, turn right at the first drive past the red barn. Remember which way is West and North and am feeling pretty good about that. Ok so bye then, oh do you have an ETA? No but they'll be there soon as they can. Ok.

I'm still talking to him. Uncle Jerry I'm going to help you. It's ok Uncle Jerry. Do you know where you blood sugar tester is Uncle Jerry? Ok run to the bedrooms. Look all over. Search the fridge. He needs something, what do I do. If it's too high and I give him sugar will I make it worse? If he needs the sugar and I don't give it, will he die? So I grab orange juice. I've seen Steal Magnolias right?

Let me just say it's not easy to get someone to drink juice as they are thrashing and screaming on the floor. I gave him some, then the head banging started. Ok I'm standing there and looking and all I can do is call, Jesus. "Jesus, help me! Tell me what to do. Help him." "Jesus!" And Uncle Jerry starts singing. Now first let me say there are a lot of dogs. Like I don't know 8 and a large bird. So he's thrashing, and moaning and yelling and the dogs are barking and running and the bird is swaking and here I am calling out to God. And Uncle Jerry starts singing. So I start to sing. The only song I can think of that I know the words to is Amazing Grace. So I start singing. Uncle Jerry sings with me. The dogs stop barking the bird starts singing. Uncle Jerry is laying on the floor but he's calm now. He keeps up for the first 2 viruses. I sing 4 and start with the fifth. Uncle Jerry is calm. I reach down and rub his arm and talk to him. I realize the little bit of oj I got into him has helped. He's not thrashing. So I grab the bottle, life his head and get the rest of it in him.

It wasn't too long and the ambulance got there. They got an iv started and got his blood sugar up. I made him a sandwich and got him some milk. He made it, we made it. He refused transport to the hospital but called his Dr. It was amazing to watch him come back to himself. But he'd been alone out in the garage. Aunt Linda had only been gone a couple of hours. She'd taken his lunch to him and he waited too long to eat it. Johnny got there at the right time. If he didn't just stop by for a visit, well that would have been it. If I'd, gone to Walmart, I wouldn't have been there.

So today I saw God's Grace. I saw how he helped Jerry by putting people in place when he needed them. I was clueless and felt him lead me. I know Johnny was clueless and we were both scared out of our minds. But it was ok, we were enough for God to work with.