August 2011

Lindsay: Take a look at this, what do you think it is?

Gabe: I don’t know, is it a bite?

Lindsay: No, I plucked an ingrown hair and now it looks like this.

Gabe: It looks infected. Have you tried popping it?

Lindsay: No, it hurts.

Gabe: Here, let me try!

Lindsay: NO!

Such an innocent conversation about something so simple and so “every day.”

A week or so later…

Gabe: Look at that… you need to go get that checked.

Lindsay: I know, it really hurts!

Gabe: I wonder if it is staph… if it is, they may have to cut off your arm. (with a friendly smile and teasing tone)

Lindsay: Whatever!

Gabe: Seriously, that does not look good. Let me try popping it.

Lindsay: It hurts!

Gabe: Come on, let me try.

Lindsay: Ok, but be gentle.

We walked to the bathroom, put it under the light and I touched it for the first time. It did not feel like anything I had ever felt. It was hard as a rock… to the point that when I tried to pop it with fingers, there was nothing to squeeze, even though it had a white head.

Gabe: Go to the doctor, that is really infected.

Lindsay: Ok, I will tomorrow.

Over the next couple of weeks Lindsay complained about headaches, neck pain, back aches, and fever. She was on antibiotics for MRSA, but she still did not feel well.

September 9th – 11th

Lindsay went back to the doctor with all of the symptoms of something more serious. She text me that it was “Mono.” We went to lunch that day and she told me that the doctor said she had mono and she would get worse before she got better. At this point, she had a consistent fever of over 100.

That weekend, I was tasked with moving my mother to only about 20 minutes from us. Lindsay played with the boys and would rest when she could. Overall, she did not feel terrible. She was just always cold from the fever, which anyone who knows Lindsay, knows she was no stranger to a blanket! She was cold year round, I think it was that warm heart, pumping that warm blood through her body!

I remember getting home from moving my mom and we went outside to let the boys play with the neighbors. Lindsay stood outside in the 85 degree weather with a red blanket wrapped around her. That would be the last time Lindsay stepped outside of this house beyond me carrying her to the car.

September 12th – 13th

Monday came around, Lindsay was too sick to work and I went on my way to work. I kissed her goodbye and left her in bed. Her mom came over to take care of her. She would not leave that bed until she was carried out of this house.

Tuesday morning, again too sick to go to work, but she was suppose to get worse before she got better right?

I decided just before lunch that day to go home and check on Lindsay. Her mom was on her way over too. I show up and Lindsay is still in bed. She was not eating, not drinking, just sleeping.

I suggestively asked her if she thought it was time to go to the hospital. We called her doctor and the office staff agreed we should go to the hospital to get her checked out.

I pick her up, walk to the car, place her in the car, rub her leg until we got the hospital. We got her to her room and the x-ray came back with full blown double pneumonia.

We would find out from the hospital that she was transferred too that she was also pregnant (read here).

September 13th – 23rd

So there we were…

In the hospital, Lindsay in and out of a medically induced coma and all we had were prayers.

Prayers meant faith.

Prayers from others meant love.

For 10 days… for the last 10 days of her life, Lindsay was loved.

On the 10th day, she would meet our creator.

What would he tell her?