I'll Be Back...

Has it only been a week since the only thing I had to worry or bitch about was looking for a job? It's amazing how in a split second, your life can change forever.

Last Monday morning I received a call from a prospective employer inviting me in for an interview (hooray!) I was so excited and soooooo nervous. I can't believe how nervous I was. I practiced answering about a gazillion questions in my head that I thought they might ask. I even went online and looked up the 50 Hardest Interview Questions and practiced those. By Wednesday night I was mentally exhausted and thought... enough. I'm either a fit for this job or I'm not.

My interview was scheduled for 11:00 on Thursday morning. I knew exactly what I was going to wear (I had even tried it on twice to make sure it hadn't miraculously shrunk while hanging in my closest) and I slowly started dressing while still practicing my interview questions.

Then my phone rang.

It was my nephew calling to tell me that his mother -- my sister -- had suffered a stroke and was on her way into surgery to have a rather large blood clot removed from her brain. My knees went weak, then buckled. My heart felt like it shattered into a million tiny pieces.

I cancelled the interview. The hubby raced me to the hospital -- thank goodness he had the presence of mind to come home and get me -- I'm not sure I would have been able to drive myself across town to her.

We as a family sat there and we waited and we prayed. We prayed to God to not take her from us. I have never prayed for anything so hard and for so long in my entire life.

Finally, the surgeon came out and told us she had a very significant head injury (from the stroke and the subsequent surgery) but only time would tell. The sooner she woke up and started responding the better her chances. I was afraid he was painting a very grim picture of her prognosis, but I now realize, he was just preparing us for the worst. I asked in the best case scenario, when would she open her eyes? He said 48 hours. She opened her eyes in 24.

She's responding to commands from the nurses, she opens her eyes and tries to focus on her family and every time I see her, she looks better and looks more like herself. To quote her surgeon last night... "I am very excited about her progress so far."

The relief that she's alive and doing so well is beyond words. She's on the road to recovery but it's going to be a long, hard journey. I want to be there for her as much as I can and help her and her family every step of the way.

But this is her journey and I'm not sure it's appropriate for me to blog about it so this will be my last post for awhile. I'm starting a journal for us to keep and detail her progress and our feelings so that when she's back and fully recovered, she can read about it and experience it from another angle -- if she wants to.

By the way -- the prospective employer called Thursday night and asked if there was any way I could come in Friday at 3:00. They were only interviewing people on Thursday and Friday then they would make a decision. I thought, why not. Visiting hours are closed from 1:00 to 4:00 and I have nothing to lose and it might be good to get my mind off of the situation for a few hours. I have to say, I think I somehow managed to do the very best I that could do during the interview. I wasn't nervous... how could I be nervous and scared about a job interview when my sister and best friend was laying in the ICU fighting to come back to us?

If I get the job, I'll be closer to her and can see her at lunch time and after work. If I don't get the job, well then, that's okay too. Maybe that's my purpose right now... to help her and her family.

If you're so inclined, please say a little prayer for my sister Susan, and don't worry, I'll be back...