The Uninvited Lesson of Preeclampsia
I found this essay yesterday while searching for something else. Since today is the fourth anniversary of Rachael’s stroke, it seemed apropos to share it here this morning.
grief
Let’s Get Physical
Was I getting sick?
My throat hurt. Earlier, I coughed and was overwhelmed by vertigo. My body ached.
“Maybe my blood pressure is high. Did I feel like this when I had preeclampsia? Great. I’m probably dying.”
The Crying Tub
Wednesday afternoon I was sitting at the stoplight near Lorelei’s school when my phone rang.
My mother’s number came up on the caller ID. My family is, as a collective, not phone people. Once you get us on the phone we can get sucked into a conversation and spend an evening chatting. But in general, we will always choose text or email. It’s completely normal for me to go weeks, even months, without talking on the phone to my sister or parents.
Saying Goodbye to Squirt
Zach and I made the decision on Monday that it was time to let Squirt go. Everyone kept saying that I would just know, as though Squirt look at me with his big blue eyes and silently communicate his desire to leave whatever pain he was in behind.
My Cat is Dying
My SEO monitor is going to bitch at me for such a short title. But really, what more is there to say?