I call myself The Healing Mama. I am an advocate for natural healing and clean eating. I love to utilize the tools God has given us to maintain a healthy lifestyle and heal sickness. I love my essential oils and eat a paleo diet. I love to learn more about natural living and have made many changes throughout the last few years. I have been known to say things like, "The medical system can't help me." And, it's true. I have an illness not recognized by most health care professionals and even if they recognize it as a real illness, they can't treat it. So, it has left me with a sour taste in my mouth when it comes to doctors and the entire medical profession. And then, something changed. Now, don't get me wrong; I still love my oils, supplements, clean foods, and natural alternatives to pretty much everything. But, something happened that changed how I view the medical profession and I just have to share.
On Friday, May 3rd my husband was involved in a horrible car accident that left him unable to walk. He spent 3 days in ICU before being transferred to the Orthopaedic Unit. He broke multiple bones in multiple places and received hours of orthopaedic surgeries to repair the extensive damage to his body. He was given blood many times throughout his stay in the ICU. He has now been on the Orthopaedic Unit for almost 2 weeks, and will remain in a hospital for the next 3-6 months and will require extensive rehabilitation. It has been so hard. He is my best friend. I have not been without him for the entire 14 years we have been married. In fact, I have spent pretty much my entire adult life aside this man. Watching him go through what he has had to endure this last 2 and a half weeks has been excruciating to say the least. He has been hooked up to machines and IV's and tubes. After his first set of 8 hour surgeries he was even put on a breathing tube. It has been very difficult to watch him suffer, but also amazing to see his strength, endurance, and positive attitude. But, what I have experienced in the hospital during this so far has been remarkable.
Friday, May 3rd at 8:40 am I received the call that nobody wants to get. "Your husband was in a motor vehicle accident. I do not know the extent of his injuries, but he's talking and is aware I'm calling you." Those were the nurse's exact words, I will never forget. I froze and kept saying over and over, "What? What?" And then, the tears came. The nurse was so concerned about me that she tried desperately to calm me down before letting me off of the phone to drive to the hospital. Once I arrived in the ER, I saw that the damage was in fact worse than I had imagined. At one point, I left the room to use the bathroom and on my way across the hall I started to have a panic attack. A nurse came out of nowhere, picked me up off of the floor, and held me in her arms while I sobbed uncontrollably.
Over the next few days I experienced this over and over; the nursing staff being attentive to our needs and doing everything they could do to help in whatever way they could. During our stay in the ICU, my husband had a nurse that would always check on me and make sure I was ok to drive home at night. She was my angel. Once we were transferred out, the nursing staff on the Trauma Unit were amazing. We were only there briefly but the care they gave was wonderful. The short amount of time we spent on that unit is kind of a blur to me now, but they did everything they could for us while we were there. The Orthopaedic surgeon who performed the surgeries on my husband is amazing. He always explains everything to us and answers all of my questions. He is kind and compassionate, and he does not treat us like just another case. He sees us as real people, and it shows. The Orthopaedic Unit (where we still are currently) has become like my second home. I go up there everyday and spend hours with my husband. The staff has been so incredible and make sure we are taken care of. They are just so amazing with my husband. If a nurse has my husband to care for a couple of days and then he is given to new nurses, the previous nurses love to come check to see how he is doing. They want to see his progress and always encourage him. I have seen the nursing staff go above and beyond for us, and I have even told a few that they don't get paid enough for the job they are doing.
The Occupational Therapist that is working with my husband is really awesome too. She modified a wheelchair for him and specifically designed some special stint for his legs. Everyone is always checking on him and giving him such excellent care. The parking attendant that sees me every day always greets me with a smile and says, "Hey, boss" as he lets me through the gate. He doesn't know it, but that little bit of consistency in my day and the "have a great night" like he really means it actually means a lot.
My husband has had to take a lot of pain killers to help manage the terrible pain he is experiencing. This stuff is nasty. But, I know he needs it. I hate having to use pharmaceuticals, but there are cases where they are necessary. I still advocate for natural healing, but essential oils can't heal a broken bone. Essential oils, supplements, clean eating; these things are amazing. They heal bodies. They prevent disease. But, there are some things like broken bones and genetic illnesses that these things cannot heal. They can help aid and quicken the progress.They can manage symptoms. But, other interventions are needed. What I have learned through all of this is that there is a place for the medical field, and I am so appreciative of it. I am so thankful that there are people out there who care enough to be in this field of work. It truly takes someone special to do this job well. I am grateful to the medical staff at the Regina General Hospital for their outstanding service and for making this experience just a little less horrible for our family.
On Friday, May 3rd our life changed drastically. I struggle daily to find my new normal and assure our kids that everything will be ok. I could have lost my husband, but I thank God every single day that he will return home when he's ready. Things could have turned out very differently. The hospital staff has made it much more bearable to go through this. We continue to stay positive and are grateful for every single person who has helped in any way. We are truly blessed.
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