We had big plans for our 10 year meet-a-versary. There was to be wining, dining and even a pair of tickets for Cirque du Soleil. But then this happened. Not quite what either of us had in mind.
Friday night’s alright – but not when it’s in Emergency
There are a few things that I have a belly aching fear of; mice, cockroaches, home invasions, to name but a few, but right up there at the top is something happening to David.
And then something happened to David. To my surprise, I didn’t crumble like a cookie, instead I rose like a CWA prize winning sponge. And you know why? Because I found the flip side. One’s imagination can often lead one astray at times like this, thinking of the worst case scenarios, but instead I prefer to channel my energies into finding the flip side. I won’t lie, some flip sides are a bit trickier to find than others but you’ll find them in the end. You might just have to look a bit harder.
I spent a lot of time looking for the flip side this weekend and here’s how I found it.
We spent our meet-a-versary in the Emergency Department.
The Flip Side? It’s a brand new state of the art Emergency Department with hot doctors and kind nurses.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Exhibit A. (I left my phone charger in the ER and when I went back for it, I found the nurse, packaging it up for me like so!) Doesn’t everyone like their nurses well qualified, big hearted and with a sense of humour?
Thank you Ed!
David had to stay in hospital all weekend and he’s still there.
The Flip Side? It’s exactly where he needs to be to get the care, attention and tests that he needs. He couldn’t be in better hands. If he had come home, I’d have been constantly standing over him and prodding him to check that he was still alive. And that would so not be cool.
The doctors think he may have had a mini stroke. That’s not good.
The Flip Side? It’s not good but it’s much better than having a big stroke, right?
We’re won’t really know what’s happening until he has an MRI.
The Flip Side? He’s already had a CT scan which ruled out some super serious problems.
The paparazzi perils of having a wife who is a blogger
Seeing someone you love in hospital sucks.
The Flip Side? We’ve spent a lot of time in this hospital in recent years so we’ve totally gotten with the system. We have bucketloads of empathy for each other now that the boot is on the other foot. (Just for the record, I prefer to be the patient, much less stressful!)
I’ve been up and down to the hospital like a yoyo.
The Flip Side? Lucky for us, it’s right around the corner and thank heavens, for long visiting hours and nurses who don’t mind you visiting outside of them. We’ve had lots of “quality” time together.
Happy Meetaversary!
This is very stressful. (So everyone keeps on telling me.)
The Flip Side? I have to keep my own counsel, keep cool and keep everything in perspective. Things aren’t great but they could be a lot worse. The years I spent in therapy have served me well. I am thinking about the best possible outcome. It’s all about the self talk. And stepping away from the computer and steering clear of good old Dr Google. I’ve also been doing a lot of the things I love like eating (there is a direct correlation to my stress levels and the amount of chocolate that I eat,) baking (see below,) blogging (here I am “waves”) and exercising (I’ve been setting a lot of endorphins free.)
I had to stay home alone.
The Flip Side? I’m not really alone. I have Julius the monkey to keep David’s side of the bed warm.
Our friends and family are awesome and have supported us by phone, skype and in person. And don’t get me started on my online friends! David and I have been smothered in virtual hugs, basked in online love and on the receiving end of so much good juju and positive vibes from my friends on the interwebs, (namely Facebook and Instagram.) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Thank you for my friends. And of course, rellos that rock.
Life has thrown us a huge curveball.
The Flip Side? When life throws you a curveball, you can either drop it or catch it. I prefer to catch it where possible, and then run with it. Even if I don’t know where I’m running to. I could drive myself nuts second guessing the situation and making predictions but that would be futile. Sometimes, I have to throw my hands up, work with what I know, accept what I don’t and go with the flow. Swimming against the tide is just a waste of energy.
Wheelies!
This is so not what I planned. Plans are good. Until they go wrong.
The Flip Side? Anniversaries are all about being together, right? Well, David and I have spent a lot of time together this weekend. Just the two of us (and a heart rate machine.) As a bonus, he’s had his first ride in a wheelchair (it turns out I’m not such a bad driver after all,) and I’ve never had a better reason to bake. Those nurses are hungry and more to the point, they’re worth it. My new motto is “keep calm and bake on.”
Butterscotch Cookies – all the noms!
But mostly, this has taught me to enjoy life and cherish every moment because you never know what’s going to happen next. My mum is always saying to me “your life can change in 20 seconds flat’ and you know mother is always right, right?! Enjoy the moment, even the el crappo ones, and keep looking for the flip side.
So tell me, where did you find the flip side today?
