By the time you read this I’ll be on the ground in Dallas/Fort Worth Texas. It is around 11:40 p.m. (CST) on September 22, 2007 and I am literally in a car and driving east toward Longview, Texas and Good Shepherd Hospital while uploading this file to the blog, thanks to my Sprint air card. You see, my mother was rushed to the hospital Friday night by ambulance. She is 76 years old and lives on her own in Gladewater, Texas.
I have been trying for years to get her to move in with Stephanie and me. Maybe she will consider it now. We would like nothing more than to have her living with us in southern California. Stephanie, the boys, and I love my mom who is known by the grand-kids as, “Granny”. Hint! Hint! Granny
Apparently she blacked out late Friday night in her home in Gladewater, Texas. When she regained consciousness she called Cathy (her boss) who immediately rushed to the house. THANK YOU Cathy! Cathy called 911 and my mother was rushed to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas 30 minutes from her home. Her blood pressure was somewhere around 220 over 180 with a heart rate over 175 as I have come to understand it. That says it all doesn’t it. Cardiologists have been running test ever since. She is stable and up walking around the hospital, but if I know her, it is worse than what she is telling me. I know, I’m just like her.
I don’t know much else…I am on a flight from Orange County, California to Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas at this time (41,000 feet over Palm Springs, CA 7:18 p.m.). I’ll let you know details later.
Here is how it came down for me.
4:00 p.m. – on the beach at Doheny State Park, Dana Point, CA preparing for beach baptisms.
4:10 p.m. – call from my mother…”Hey, Mom what’s up? I’ve left several messages for you yesterday and today…how are you?”
Mom says, “Do you have a minute?”
I Say, “Well of course I do”.
Mom says, “I’m in Good Shepherd Medical Center”
I say, “I’ll be on a plane in an hour.”
Mom says, “No..No…you don’t have to do that.”
I say, “What happened?”
Mom says, “I blacked out at my home Friday evening late…blood pressure 220/180 with a heart rate of 175+, but I feel fine now…I’m up walking around. Dr. White says I’ll be fine.”
I say, “Why didn’t someone call me last night?”
Mom says, “I didn’t want you to worry. Your sister is here and the Doctor may let me go tomorrow or Monday.”
I asked to talk with my sister. My sister gives me the low down and I tell her I’ll be there before mom wakes up Sunday morning.
4:15 p.m. – call my wife (Stephanie) and tell her the news
4:20 p.m. – tell my team to take over for me at the beach. (My team ROCKS!) They jumped right in and took charge. Thanks Denise and Gina. Thanks also to Cameron, Kathy, Greg, Sonya, Les, Eric and Pastor Sam. I’m sure there were others around that I am forgetting. Thank you too!
4:25 p.m. – Caleb (my 7 yr old) and I on the road to the house. By the way…Caleb, you are a real trooper. Thanks for being calm and helping daddy. Hope those 2 front teeth come out while I’m gone. I know how much they are hurting you and I know you’re ready for them to come out. They are only hanging on by a thread. Go ahead and pull’m. The tooth fairy has your skate board gear ready for delivery I’m just certain of it.
4:30 p.m. – called Steve (my boss) to tell him I was headed to the airport…he says, “well you had better be…take all the time you need…we are praying for your family.”
4:32 p.m. – called Gerald (Executive Pastor) (Steve’s boss) to tell him I was headed to the airport
4:34 p.m. – called Glen (Senior Executive Pastor) to update him.
4:36 p.m. – called Jim to see what was the last flight out of Orange County
4:40 p.m. – called Steph and asked her to book me a flight on the 7:00 p.m. AA out of Orange County to Dallas/Fort Worth
4:45 p.m. – called my sister back to tell her I would be in Longview, Texas by 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning and by mom’s side by the time she woke up.
4:47 p.m. – Gerald calls back to say he is praying.
4:50 p.m. – Glen calls from an island to say he is praying
4:52 p.m. – see David G. underground parking while changing cars– thanks David for your prayers.
5:00 p.m. – use toll road…arrived at my house…Steph had the boys ready to travel to the airport with me.
5:10 p.m. – loaded the family in the van for my trip to the airport.
5:35 p.m. – arrived at airport
5:45 p.m. – checked in
6:00 p.m. – eating McDonalds (20 piece chicken nugget, large fry, large Diet Coke) I wonder what my blood pressure and heart rate are?
6:08 p.m. – Pastor Rick Warren (Senior Pastor) calls between services to check on me and to tell me he is praying for my mom and for my safe travel.
6:10 p.m. – text message from Liz (Pastoral Care Team) saying she is praying and to update her when I can.
6:15 p.m. – text a message through twitter.com to the StS network
6:17 p.m. – text Clayton C. about mom
6:30 p.m. – Starbucks run (Vente, bold, with room) Once again thinking of my blood pressure and heart rate.
6:35 p.m. – board flight 1508 early
6:40 p.m. – text my sister that I was boarding the flight
6:45 p.m. – early departure
The rest is yet to be written. I’ll update you as soon as I know more.
PLEASE start the prayer chain through our social network for my mother.
Faye B. Mackey
Thank StS Family!
