Today Emma went to the store with her daddy, just a normal outing. They left like usual, and came back like usual, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until they told me that Emma choked very severely on a piece of candy and just about passed out. Thankfully, MrH had the knowledge and presence of spirit to administer the Heimlich maneuver, but I cannot stop thinking that if this happened with the nanny, maybe things would not have been the same. Perhaps it was not a piece of candy, perhaps it was just saliva causing her throat to close up (laryngospasm), in which case she might have recovered. Regardless, Emma could have just as easily died in the store today.
And that is how disaster strikes, swiftly, unexpectedly. One moment your kid goes to the store to get fruit with her daddy, the next moment she can choke on candy and drop dead. Gone from your life forever, just like that. One moment you are pregnant and loving your round belly that is growing, the baby that is kicking, and the husband that thinks you are a miracle in transformation, and the next moment you start leaking amniotic fluid and in less than a few hours, or days, all is over and you are alone, no baby, no belly, and no miracle.
How is it that knowing this in the depth of my bones, I can still go through each day completely oblivious to this universal truth? Is this mercy or blindness?
Oh no! I'm so sorry this happened. I have had a similar experience of feeling the rug ripped right out from under me. Our situation had a positive outcome, too, but it shook me. All the fear and desperation from the loss of our daughter came flooding right back. I actually wrote a very similar blog post at the time. I am so glad that Emma is OK. I hope that you are recovering, too. XO
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