I wanted to write this post while the events were still fresh in my mind.
Writing is very therapeutic for me.
Late Tuesday night I found Kevin in bed thrashing from side to side. I thought maybe he was having a nightmare so I tried to wake him. He was completely unresponsive. He tried to stand and fell numerous times. I knew something was desprately wrong. I ran to my phone and dialed 911. His thrashing and falling increased as I spoke to the dispatcher. The ambulance took what seemed like eternity to arrive. The EMTs tried to hold him down but he was far to powerful. Before I knew it another ambulance came and they were still not enough man power to subdue Kevin's strength. The police arrived and with nearly ten people they were able to tie him to the gerny. I stood in the hall way crying as they rushed him into the ambulance. I was hardly able to breath.
Kevin has epilepsy and has has two seizures in the recent past but they were never in front of me. He stopped taking his anti-seizure medication shortly after and against the doctors and my opinion.
I tried to reach Kevin's family with no answer. I called Kevin's sensi (who is our adopted famliy) and he and his wife rushed over to be with the boys while I drove frantically to the ER. Thank the Lord my boys didn't wake while this ordeal was happening.
I grabbed Kevin's clothes and a pair of shoes as I ran out the door. He had removed all his clothes while he was being subdued. My hopes were that he was starting to come to as he reached the hospital and I would be able to take him home later that night. I arrived at the hospital and was required to wait till he was settled in. Minutes seemed like hours till the nurse called me back to his bed.
Behind the curtain was my husband. Tied to a bed, both wrists and ankles bound thrashing and mumbling. My heart sank. I couldn't see him this way and I quickly told the nurse I had to leave. In tears I called Joa (Kevin's sensi) and he offered to come to the ER while I stayed with my sleeping boys. The desision was so hard to leave my husband, my love, like this. I layed in the dark my heart pounding waiting for my phone to ring. The doctor called an hour later and asked a million questions. Medications, health history and so on. He told me Kevin was so violent that they had sedated him and with the sedation he needed to be intubated and transfered to the ICU. So many things crossed my mind as he told me this. Was Kevin going to come back ? I knew seizures that last a certain amount of time cause brain damage. Was he going to be brain damaged? I prayed so hard. I felt God say it was going to be okay. The doctor promised to call me with news good or bad till I was able to get to the hospital.
The boys woke me an hour later when they crawled out of bed. I was finally able to get family to come to my house so I could go to the hospital.
I can't even discribe how hard it was to see him still tied to the bed with a large tube emerging from his mouth. It was far worse than what I had seen earlier in the ER. He needed me and I prayed for strength.
By this point news had spread among family, church, and friends and hundreds of prayers were said.
Through out the day Kevin would regain somewhat conciousness and would try and take the tube out. The nurse and I constantly reminded him he was to lie down or he would risk injury to his vocal cords. He yanked and pulled at his restaints. He looked me in the eyes begging me to untie him. The sedation was so strong he was incoherant and confused. I felt just as helpless as he did.
It was one of the most painful things I have ever witnessed. Honestly I didn't think I could do it. But God answered my prayers and kept me strong.
Late afternoon the ventalator was removed. Kevin was calm enough to have the restraints taken off. Praise God! He was able to talk to me finally. He had no memories of anything. I held his hand so grateful to talk to him, so grateful he was back.
I went home after being up nearly 14 hours. I was exhosted.
Today he was released from the hospital and is sleepy but doing well.
You better believe he will take his medicine from now on!
I am so grateful for such wonderful people in my life. People that are there for Kevin and I. People that pray for us.
I am grateful for a God that answers prayers!
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
