Brush with Death - Part 2

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Next, the LOML called my family from the university hospital. He called my twin, Evie. Here is what she later wrote to me about his call:

I was sitting in my office at work, meeting with my favorite engineers, Jason and Lillian. I think it was about early afternoon when I got a phone call from my brother-in-law. “Why would you be calling me at work?” And then he told me that you’d had a brain bleed, and were unconscious and unresponsive, at a university hospital.

I was incredulous. “Please tell me you’re joking” I begged. He said tersely that he would not joke about such a thing. I asked for more details, but beyond telling me he’d found you that morning and asking me to come, I didn’t get more details.

I had started crying at some point, and Lillian and Jason had crept from my office and closed the door. I got off the phone with my head spinning and tears dripping. My head was in some nightmare headache place it had never been before. I thought to call Adam, but knew that he had just left for the airport for some trip or other. I called home and told Erin, our au pair, what happened and that I was going to stop at home and get some things and then go on to the hospital.

I packed up and left the office, steeling myself to make it past the curious, worried faces with a short explanation and saying no to offers to drive me home. In my car, I tried to focus on driving and not the spinning worries about you, whether you’d live or die or be a vegetable. I sure hoped that your husband had blown this all out of proportion.

In my car, I got a call from Adam, my husband, who told me that Erin had had the presence of mind to call him on his cell phone, and that he’d turned right around and was heading home to meet me. I was relieved at least not to have to drive up to the hospital by myself as I’d been planning. I don’t know how I got home.

Once at home, I saw that Adam had already packed an overnight bag for me, something that wasn’t in my head at that time. My head was still in the nightmare headache place. I found the few items he’d not included (wrong inhalers) we got in the car and left. I think we told my daughter we were going up to see you and that you were ill. Sensing the exigency of our departure, she wrinkled her forehead, “just how sick is Aunt Susie?” We mumbled something that she probably didn’t believe anyway.

I don’t remember the drive, just being so grateful that Adam was there and that I remembered how to get to the university hospital from working in that area before. I don’t remember what time it was, but I think it was early evening when I got to the hospital. Your husband was there and I think Mom was there already too. Hugs all around. You were in the neural intervention lab, with a woman doctor trying to fix the bleed.

The LOML called my brother. My brother told me that he cried the whole way up to see me since he just wasn’t ready to lose his little sister.

Then, the LOML called my Mom. My Mom asked if she really needed to come right away. The LOML thought about it and that’s when the seriousness of the situation really hit him. I COULD DIE AT ANY TIME. He replied that yes, she should come right away.