The Hidey Hole

I'll bet you thought I was going to talk about a place my kids have created, where they squirrel themselves away to be by themselves and at peace. However, I am talking about myself, and my bedroom. Lately it's been just a wee bit stressful around here. If I didn't know better (and I don't, by the way), I'd say it's been a spiritual attack zone level one around here. (And that doesn't refer to some secret code, it's just my way of saying that we've had enough dark forces at work in our lives for quite a while, thanks.)

Today we got knocked with more zingers. First, Hubby's employer wanted him to travel again next week. Uh, no. Chiefly because Hubby is presenting the master's thesis that his company paid for a week from today, and it's sort of important that he be at home to finish it up, yes? Yes, they agreed, that is important...what about the week after that. Hubby said, "Well, that is Thanksgiving, and frankly I have family commitments that I wouldn't be able to easily move...plus I'd spend a day flying there and a day flying back, for a total of two days working...it doesn't make much sense." Yes, they agreed, that would be silly. As yet unmentioned is the prospect of the week following, so I am waiting for that little shoe to drop.

And, I was urgently messaged on Google by my mother-in-law to tell me that she couldn't get in touch with DH, and to please let him know right away that his sister (my SIL) was in the hospital with a suspected blood clot in her LUNG. OH boy. This is my SIL who had a miscarriage this summer while we were there visiting, so the poor woman has had her plentiful share of doctors and hospitals already this year. And, she is severely anemic, something that she also had when she was pregnant. Er, shouldn't that ring some alarm bells with some M.D. over there? Hmmm, we have a patient who has been severely anemic for nine months, perhaps something serious is going on??? Pardon me while I thank God for our sue-happy society which at least makes doctors afraid for their heinies if they miss something, thus ensuring they will run every test known to man (and believe me I know the downside of becoming a lab pincushion, having been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt myself several times). Over in Ireland it's apparently a shrug and wait-and-see kind of approach. Yeah. CT scan confirmed a blood clot and now she is in the hospital overnight, shot up in the tummy with fun meds to help the clot dissolve, and can anticipate being on blood thinners for the next six months. She is THIRTY NINE, people! And HEALTHY! This should not be happening to a healthy 39 year old woman and mother of two and lovely person, I might add. So now we wait to find out what the heck is going on that she is so anemic and her body is throwing out clots.

And, on top of all that joy, a very good friend of ours from church has also been hospitalized today for head pain. She has battled migraines and tension headaches for years, but apparently they can't control the pain with meds and she has some inflammation in her neck or something. She and her husband are waiting for the doctors to explain exactly what the heck they are doing to her, what tests they are running and why, etc. And she was dehydrated and had 2 bags of IV fluids. So a total mystery going on there, and who knows how long they are going to keep her in the hospital or what they think might be going on. So not bueno.

So I have been spending a lot of time lately in my hidey hole, namely, our bedroom. I am glad we made a semi-high priority of decorating it as a peaceful, serene room when we moved in, because I am really using it as a sanctuary nowadays. I have spent more time in our bedroom in the past three weeks than I usually spend in there in three months. My favorite version of "Pride and Prejudice" has been playing almost non-stop, and I have re-read the book and Pamela Aidan's Darcy series a few times too. It is just soothing to my nerves right now, something which I sorely need.

And now, if you will excuse me, I think there is a soulful Colin Firth calling my name, along with a big mug of tea and some sudoku puzzles, beckoning from the comfort of my bed. I don't know if I will come out again, so if you don't hear from me, assume I am enshrouded in bed and loudly singing "La la la!" to myself.