Medical School Part 2

Moving to Ohio for internship was a bit more challenging. I would like to say I was all on board with it, and excited to experience a new place. (That would be the pep talk I kept giving myself. -New place, exciting new experiences, right? I can do this. It will be fun, a new adventure.) Well, I was trying to will myself to believe it anyway.

No, I was having a gigantic pity party for myself that went something like this. Lord, can't you help us out here. Haven't we been through enough losing my daddy and Neal and Papa? We just want to be closer to home. Is that too much to ask. Why are we going to Ohio? I mean, could we get any farther away, Lord? -But, it was all a part of His plan. I just didn't know it yet.

I think I was just struggling with a little depression. I couldn't find a job teaching music or gifted education, I missed my daddy, my mom had sold our home and moved to Arizona near my aunt and uncle and started dating. -Yeah, I was struggling a bit. I was over whelmed and just wanted to stand still for a second. I needed something good to happen.

Eventually things settled down and we were able to start making our home in the community. I found a job at Hope Children's Academy, which offered both child care and preschool. I started teaching music, Spanish, and multi-cultural diversity. And I met my first friend, Datha. She was working in the infant room. We were instant friends. In fact, I brought her in as my assistant when I moved to Kidz by the Riverside to start the preschool program there. And she and her husband helped us find a little rental house right next door to them that happened to be 200 dollars cheaper than the duplex we were currently living in. Here is a picture of our little home.

Hugh really enjoyed the hospital and staff he was working with so we decided to stay put for residency. He also considered pediatrics for a short time, but ended up going back to emergency medicine. He spent several rotations in pediatric emergency medicine, but he said it was brutal and depressing and for someone who doesn't have kids.

He really has worked with some amazing physicians while we've been here. Dr. Shiley for instance was a surgeon who was able to diagnose my non functioning gallbladder and successfully remove it. She also saved our son's life. I was only two weeks along in my pregnancy, when I went in for my gallbladder surgery. I didn't even know I was pregnant. They were prepping me for surgery, when they came in to tell me some good news and some bad news. The bad news was they couldn't do my surgery, but the good news was I was pregnant. I was in total shock, and I even thought they were playing a trick on me for a few seconds. Then I looked at Hugh and saw how excited he was and I knew. Long story short, my gallbladder attack got so bad Dr. Shiley thought I might miscarry, so she brought in an OB/GYN and a special Anesthesiologist to assist her in the surgery. I stayed with that OB/GYN, Dr. Barber, through out both my pregnancies.

Dr. Barber was heaven sent. He saved both of my childrens' lives. He reminded me of my dad. He was a military man, a colonel, who served in Iraq. He was very no nonsense and by the book, but I trusted him completely. I can't tell you how important that was to me. He took time with us, and he made sure we understood everything. When I ended up in the hospital because I developed asthma in my pregnancy, he checked on me everyday, along with my family physician, and pulmonologist. And when it got worse with my second pregnancy, all three of them sat down with me in the hospital room and talked to me about the high risks involved with any subsequent pregnancies. My son went into distress while I was in labor and he was very calm when he told me, I was going to have to have an emergency C-section. Having him so calm kept me calm. He delivered Trey safe and sound, even though his umbilical cord was double wrapped around his neck. And as weird as it may sound, Anna Grace was the exact same way, double wrapped. It took them almost two minutes to get her breathing. -I am not meant to have a natural birth. It's just not in the cards for me. I remember joking with him that he couldn't go back to Iraq before delivering Anna Grace, because he was coming up on another tour of duty. But, I am so glad he was there to deliver her, as well. I truly believe God put him in our path.
Dr. Barber and Trey

Dr. Barber and Anna Grace 16 months later. :)

We also have wonderful pediatricians. They are a husband wife team. Here are Dr. Pete and Dr. Z with the babies.

The Lord is known as our Great Physician. I don't think it is by accident or coincidence that He placed these wonderful and talented physicians in our lives at just the right time. His timing is perfect, even when it is beyond our understanding. There have been a lot of things along this journey I haven't completely understood. It's hard to wrap my mind around how "things" mysteriously have fallen into place, but it is by the grace of God. I am sure of that much. Thankfully, He has let me in on pieces of the puzzle along the way like the moments I shared with my momma the morning of the day she passed away.

I'm going to continue with that part of our journey next time. Until then, Blessings my dear friends!