Don't Feel Like Writing About Running

I dont feel like writing about running. Because of 2 beautiful faces.

 I was excited to write about my marathon and all the glorious details.  I couldnt wait.  I started it but then things happened the week after the marathon.  I found out that a friend of mine's sister Mary, died of cancer.  Sunday in church someone who was doing a speech about the Ride to Conquer Cancer talked about her.  He said she didnt complain and never said why me but why not me.  I saw pictures of her posted on Facebook about a week before she died.  She was smiling, had short grey hair, no makeup and looked beautiful.  You could just see that she was full of Jesus' love.  To be dying of cancer and look that beautiful and content, now thats amazing! Running a marathon seems so trivial and self absorbed. 

Then that Friday my world stopped.  I got a call from my husband Don around 10 o'clock a.m. while I was at work.  My oldest daughter was in a car accident in a parking lot at a shopping mall.  How bad could it be, at a parking lot.  My husband picked me up and we headed to Sunnybrook hospital.  We met my daughter's boyfriend Adam there and his face looked serious.  Don went in first to see her because they would only allow a couple people with her at a time.  He came back to get me.  He tried to hide his feelings but when he told me it was serious he couldnt hold back the tears.  Then I desperately needed to get to her.  When we got to her room I could see her feet under the curtain.  The nurse was helping her go to the bathroom.  I was shaking and kept whispering under my breath, I have to see her, I have to see her.  Don told me to stay calm and be strong because she didnt know what she looked like.  I just needed to touch her.  All my children know that I dont hide my feelings well.  I am known to easily let the tears flow, loudly and freely.  But when I saw Andrea I held it together.  I just touched her face and kissed her cheek as my tears silently ran down my face.

Im not exaggerating when I say my daugher Andrea has a beautiful face.  She rarely wears makeup, she doesnt need it.  She just has that sweet, natural beauty.

I was not expecting to see her beautiful face so broken.  Her head was wrapped in a blood soaked bandage and dried streaks of blood covered her face, her right eye was swollen shut and black and bulgy like an eye patch.

First the CT scan.  Brain is fine but she might have bleeding behind the eye which could affect her vision.  Then the opthamologist.  The eye looks fine.  Then the plastic surgeon.  She has a broken cheekbone, fractured skull, contusion, broken bones behind her eye.  Another scan.  She has a broken bone behind her eye that is punctioning a muscle, near a nerve and she might have to have an emergency craniotomy. My daughter heard the plastic surgeon explain the surgery and how they would have to peel back her face.  She was in so much pain and so scared!

They gave her morphine but she had an allergic reaction to it and it didnt help and she couldnt get comfortable.  Later in the evening they gave her different meds and she started to relax. She wanted me to lay in the bed with her so she could lean against me on her good side.  She grabbed my hand in hers and cuddled with me.  She had been through so much yet I felt like she was comforting me.  I felt so thankful for her.

She had to stay over night for observation.  If something changed with her eye she would have to have emergency surgery. If she made it through the night she probably would not need the surgery, which was very extreme and high risk.  Don and I prayed over her. Don thanked the Lord for sparing our baby girl. She's 27, but thats how we felt.  Then we left her at the hospital, which was hard for us but her loving boyfriend was staying with her through the night.

Today a week later, Andrea went back to Sunnybrook for a follow-up.  She still has alot of pain but sees through both eyes and the doctor confirmed that she would not need surgery.  Thank you Lord!

Looking at the pictures of her car we realize its a miracle she is OK.  A metal, heavy gate had blown into her car's path and smashed the top of her car practically off.  We are so thankful her brain is fine, she can see and has minimal scaring on her beautiful face. 

Soon I will write about my marathon experience and all the glorious details of that day.  But right now I just want to run .....and pray.  Life is so fragile...I cant wrap my children in bubble wrap... but I can wrap them in prayer.  Thank you Lord for Mary and Andrea's beautiful faces.