I’m sitting here in Gate C8 at Jacksonville International Airport, waiting for Flight Number 5503, boarding at 3:50 PM EST and departing at 4:20.
I should be home in a few hours. Yikes! This is really interesting! What a whirlwind.
It’s amazing how life can change in the blink of an eye. On Friday, we had such a scare when Grandpa suffered an apparent minor stroke. Several hours after that, I was on the road, driving to Jacksonville to meet up with Aunt Jane and Mom.
I’m happy to report that Grandpa seems to be doing really well. He’s still in the hospital, and it looks like he may stay until Thursday, but he has been feeling great, in great spirits, and I think things are looking really hopeful.
Yesterday morning, we did learn that he had atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat, and evidently that may have been what caused the stroke. So while that is not a good thing, it sounds like they have that under control, and the doctors think he should be good to go within a few days, assuming all goes well. We are, of course, continuing to pray for him, that God would continue to restore his body, and that he would be healthy enough to return home soon.
The more I think about this, the more thankful I am. 24 hours before the stroke, Paul, John, James, and I were at Magic Kingdom. Grandma and Grandpa were in the RV, by themselves. Even 30 or 40 minutes before the stroke, we were driving on the highway. God has amazing timing. There are so many things that have fallen in place, and I am just so thankful that God has allowed things to work out as well as they have. Obviously, an emergency like this isn’t a good thing, but it’s such a blessing that it happened when it did, with the circumstances being what they were.
In another strange surprise, I learned yesterday that I’m going to be flying back home on Wednesday afternoon. There is a video deposition on Friday that I need to cover, and since it looks like we won’t be back by then, I’m going to fly from Jacksonville to St. Louis on Wednesday.
I have never flown, so I’m not exactly sure what to expect. I have a lot of luggage, though, and since I need to bring home a lot of video equipment, I’ll be having to check baggage and also have a couple of carry-on bags. But I’ve been trying to strategically pack these bags, so hopefully I won’t have any problems once I reach the airport. But if all goes as planned, I should be back in St. Louis by Wednesday evening.
God is good.
Yesterday, we left our campground near Orlando and traveled roughly 120 miles northeast, until we arrived in St. Augustine, which is very close to the Atlantic Coast.
About 30 minutes after we pulled in to the campground, Paul and I were getting ready to leave with Grandma and Grandpa in order to take them to visit some friends of theirs. As Grandpa was stepping down out of the RV, he all of a sudden stopped, almost as if he had gotten the wind knocked out of him or if he was short of breath. He seemed to be okay, so we loaded up into the minivan and started to drive towards their friends’ house.
Minutes into our drive, Paul and I noticed that Grandpa was having problems talking. More specifically, he was attempting to talk, but it almost seemed like his mouth had gone numb, because he just wasn’t able to form any words, even though he was trying and you could tell that he knew what he wanted to say.
Paul and I were really worried, and so we started to try to find out what was going on — if it was something he ate, a medicine he took, something he forgot to take — so we started asking him if we need to go back to get something, or if we need to run to a pharmacy, or even go to the emergency room. At one point, I handed Grandpa a notebook and a pen so he could try to write down what he was trying to say, but he just couldn’t write either at the moment.
We started to head straight for a hospital. I happened to have my laptop out, and I was able to find a hospital that was less than a mile away, that we actually had passed less than an hour earlier, as we were driving in to the campground.
As we approached the hospital, Grandpa’s speech was starting to clear up, and he was able to force out words and phrases enough to the point where we could communicate with him. Paul and I were talking to him, telling him that we really need to get him checked out. He insisted that we first return back to the RV, so we hurried back there, dropped Grandma off, and a few minutes later the three of us were rushing over to the emergency room.
As grandpa got situated in one of the exam rooms and the doctors and nurses had a chance to examine him, Grandpa’s speech had cleared up a bit to where he was able to talk fluently, although still with what I would describe as a “thick tongue.” Think of it as if your tongue was numb or something like that. The speech wasn’t at all halted or forced; it was just a bit difficult to make out.
I stayed with Grandpa in the ER for about four hours. Throughout the whole time, Grandpa was as alert as can be, was very light-hearted, and seemed to be in really good spirits throughout the entire time, even though his speech was still affected by this, and it still sounded like his mouth was numb or something.
Around 7:00 in the evening, Paul returned to the hospital, and I left in order to eat supper, meet up with John, James, and Grandma back at the RV and help them get Grandma ready for bed, and then I hopped in the car to drive north on I-95 towards Jacksonville International Airport to meet up with Mom and Aunt Jane.
As soon as Mom and Aunt Jane had gotten word of what happened with Grandpa, they were looking at flight options, and they hopped on a 7:45 PM (CST) flight out of St. Louis that was to land in Jacksonville at 10:55 PM (EST).
So I found my way to the airport, parked, and waited for their flight to touch down. Once I met up with them, we went straight to the hospital, where they joined Paul and Grandpa. After spending a little bit of time there, Mom, Paul, and I left Aunt Jane and Grandpa there for the night.
Medically speaking, it sounds like this may have been a miniature stroke or a transient ischemic attack (or TIA). I’ve heard these terms tossed around a lot the past two days, but I’m not sure if there is an official diagnosis yet, or if the doctors have been able to put a specific label on what has happened.
Humanly speaking, Grandpa seems to be doing awesome. From very late last night through today, his speech has improved greatly, and personally I think he is back to his normal self. Evidently, the tests they have done up to this point have resulted in positive findings, and with just talking with Grandpa or hanging around with him, he seems to be feeling great.
So right now, I am cautiously optimistic. I know very little about strokes or TIAs, but I just know that the word “stroke” has always been very scary to me. I guess we don’t know for sure what exactly happened or if this is the end of it all, but I can just say that so far, things are going so well.
So many people have been kind enough to let me know that they’re praying for Grandpa, and I would just like to really thank everybody who has been praying with us for him and the whole situation. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Thanks so much!
Anyway, Grandpa is also staying tonight at the hospital, and Aunt Jane is again spending the night with him. Sometime tomorrow we ought to find out what the plan is from there, as to what the test results have shown or how long he’ll have to stay at the hospital, and if he’ll possibly be able to be released sometime tomorrow.
The past 33 hours have really been a whirlwind. But God is so good, and He has been carrying everybody as we’ve kind of been scrambling the past little bit. Things are settling down, it seems, and now I guess we just wait for updates from the doctors. It’s so encouraging that things seem to be headed in such a positive direction, and if anything I think that has got to be a very good sign.
Once again, thank you so much to everybody who has been lifting Grandpa up in prayer. It means so much!
Wow, Magic Kingdom is really fun!! So is Sea World! 
We have had a couple of fun-filled days in beautiful Orlando. Weather has been gorgeous, and we’ve had a great time. Tomorrow morning, we plan to leave for St. Augustine, Florida, right near the Atlantic coast. Fun stuff.
A few days ago, we arrived down here in Davenport, Florida, which is just outside of Orlando. On Saturday, Paul, James, and I went over to Epcot Center. We had a good time there, and we stayed until closing to see the fireworks display over the water. It was very impressive!
Right now, I’m in the laundry room at the campground, listening to three dryers tumble our clothes around. We’re having a good time here in Florida. The weather hasn’t been exceptionally warm, but it is definitely much nicer than it was back in Illinois.
Well, I’d better run. I have some other things I want to take care of while I’m at my computer, so I’d better hurry up and get to those before the dryers buzz.
We made it down to Florida, and here we are at a campground just outside of Orlando. I haven’t had much time on the computer, and that’s been a welcome chance of pace. Tomorrow, Paul, James, and I plan to visit Walt Disney World. The weather is supposed to be in the 60s, so it should be a terrific day to be walking around!
We made it down to Valdosta, Georgia, and we’re just a few miles north of the Florida border. We are very close to a YMCA, and Paul, James, and I managed to get a workout in today.
Things are getting warmer.
In Calhoun, Georgia, on Day One of our trip to Florida. And I’m learning a lot along the way. Not about vacationing, but about trust, about faith.
I have the luxury of a printed itinerary that details what we’re going to do and where we’re going to be for two weeks. It explains why we have to sit in a bumpy and loud RV for nine or 10 hours as we ride down the interstate. That’s the reason I can’t sleep in my warm, soft bed for now. I’m cool with the fact that this is uncomfortable because I know where I’m going. I know the destination is worth it.
So many times in my life, I find myself just longing for God to show me the itinerary that He has for my life. It would be so much easier if God showed me the reason I have to give this up, or the reason I can’t have this comfort. Then, it would be so much easier to be at peace and to be excited about the journey.
That’s the way I tend to think. But I’m realizing, that’s not faith. Faith is not demanding an explanation. Faith isn’t asking, “Wait a second. You’re asking me to get rid of this, this, and this. For what reason?” Faith is dropping everything just because He said so. Faith is taking the step even when it seems illogical or, at the very least, uncomfortable.
If somebody told me, “Luke, you may not sleep in your comfy room for two weeks, and you also must be away from your family for that time,” I would think that’s bad news. I wouldn’t be excited, but I would probably contest that. On the other hand, if somebody told me, “Luke, you can’t have this stuff because you’re going on a two-week trip to Florida,” then my outlook would change quite a bit!
What’s interesting to me is the circumstances don’t change. I still have no bed. I still can’t hug Wizzy or chub Chub. But, I know it’s going to be worth it because I can see the destination!
I’m learning that God likes us to just trust Him. No questions. No explanations demanded. By now, we really should be able to trust His character. We should know that if He is calling us to do (or not do) something, that it is the absolute best thing for us to pay attention to do.
So basically, I’m thinking, we shouldn’t demand to see a sign. We should put our complete trust in God simply because He is God. That truth alone is reason enough, because He loves us tremendously. And so many times, He wants us to just trust Him without asking questions. Just take the next step and trust that there’s a reason for it.
Think about it in human terms. If you had to make an important decision but couldn’t explain your reasoning to everyone else, wouldn’t you just love it if people would say, “Well, I don’t know exactly why you’re doing what you do, but I do know your character, and so I trust what you decided”? Honestly, that feels so good when someone might not know exactly why you’re doing what you’re doing — or they may even adamantly disagree with it, but they know you and they trust you. They have faith that, though they may not be able to know exactly why you made that choice, that you must have prayed about it, sifted it through, and have tried to make the wisest choice possible.
Since we know how much we appreciate that kind of trust and respect given by others, let’s show that same trust and respect towards God! If we’ll take that approach to fallible humans — which, by the way, I think we should do, to show people that we really do trust them — then shouldn’t we all the more do that with God?
It’s a great way to show we truly respect and trust someone, to drop everything and jump in the car without asking questions. And, I’m telling you, God loves His kids! Seriously — if God us telling you something, let’s obey it! He wants what is best for us, if only we would hop aboard.
We do not need to see the road map. We ought to trust that God has that taken care of. It’s not for us to worry about. Our job is to obey Him, knowing that the destination is great.
Okay, enough of that. I need to get some rest so I’ll be ready for this journey.
I went to the YMCA today for possibly the last time this month. Tomorrow evening, Paul, James, and I meet up with Grandma and Grandpa in order to get settled in the RV. Wednesday morning, we plan to hit the interstate and head south until we wind up in northern Georgia.
In my last entry, I mentioned how I’ve been focusing more on running at the YMCA. The past few days, my shins have really been hurting. I’ve never had them hurt like that before, so I couldn’t understand what was going on. After doing some research online, I think I might have done a little too much too soon in the way of running.
That makes sense, as I haven’t been doing the treadmill much at all recently, and then three times in the past several days I’ve really hit it hard, running the fastest I’ve ever run on the treadmill. It’s not a huge deal or a terrible pain or anything; I just had never had that muscle in the front of the leg hurt like that, and I thought it was interesting that it hurts equally on both legs, in pretty much the same area.
Speaking of my record speeds — I’ve managed to hit 12.1 miles per hour on the treadmill, but that was for a very short period of time. I might be able to do that for a minute, but that’s about it. As far as what speed I can do for several minutes, right now I’d say it’s about nine or 10 miles per hour.
Doing the math on what I ran today, it was a mile in just over eight minutes. (60 / 8 = 7.5). I guess that makes sense, because usually when I run at top speed I’ll have to briefly slow down to four or five miles per hour in order to catch my breath. So an average of seven-and-a-half miles per hour sounds about right.
Well, I mentioned that I went to the Y yesterday. I also went this morning and ended up having a really good workout. I’ve been trying to focus a little bit more on cardiovascular work, and today I managed to end the workout with about 20 minutes on an elliptical machine and another 10 of running on the treadmill.
Today’s workout seemed to be pretty significant for me. For one, I really did not want to go, but I just hurried and decided that I was going to go before I even had much of a chance to think about it or to try to come up with some good reason not to go.
Quite honestly, if I did let myself think about it, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone. I had already had done my three workouts for the week, so I certainly didn’t feel like I had to go. I pretty rarely go on weekends, as it is. But I just decided that I might as well go as a bonus, try to lift a few more weights and burn off a few more calories, especially considering I’ll be away from the Y for two weeks during the upcoming Florida trip.
I’m not exactly sure why it seemed so significant to me, but it’s almost like something clicked in my mind. It’s as if I finally got a taste for this, and I almost didn’t want to stop. In fact, I even briefly thought about the idea of going tomorrow. I don’t plan on it, but that’s proof to me that my thinking has changed a little bit.
When workouts can be eagerly anticipated, that’s a great position to be in. I sure hope I can keep this mindset, because it can be a lot harder to get motivated to go if I let myself get intimidated or discouraged.
By the way, speaking of the trip — this evening, I pulled out the suitcase and started some preliminary packing. I’m pretty excited! It was so much fun last February when we went with Grandma and Grandpa, and this trip is looking to be a blast. We’re hitting the road on Wednesday morning, but we plan to spend Tuesday night in the RV at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. That way, we wake up bright and early, and we’re ready to take off. I’m so blessed. God is so good!
In other news, I’ve been doing a lot of learning the past few weeks. From studying court reporting to learning this new video-editing/graphics software, I have made some big leaps. It’s exciting!