It was about 5 am on Monday, March 4th, and all members of our family were bundled in their sleeping bags as we wintered the below freezing temperatures of the cold Texas morning. Our motor home was parked at the Grapevine, TX Walmart and our gas furnace heater had stayed busy all night long. As I lay in bed, warm and comfortable despite the outdoor weather, I was awakened by the gentle nudging of my arm by my wife. Mel was sitting up in bed and had been now for a short period of time. Groggily I listened to her explain that she could feel her heart suddenly beating at an unexpectedly rapid rate. I sat up beside her and felt her pulse. It seemed like it might be beating fast, though it was difficult to feel because the beating was also very shallow. After praying together I asked her if she needed to go to the doctor. After she gave me an uncertain answer as to what she thought best, I knew it was time to go.
To our great fortune, our RV was parked in a Western suburb of Dallas, only four minutes away from an emergency hospital. At a later time we reflected on the fact that many times on this trip we had been camped in the heart of national parks, hours away from civilization or any type of clinic. If we had been at Yellowstone or the Everglades, our hope of medical assistance would have been much delayed.
Trying not to wake the children, we took the window covers down, brought in the RV slides and began our hospital commute in the darkness of the early morning. In what seemed like only a moment, we had arrived at a glowing red sign that read “EMERGENCY”. We parked the motor home in the two lane driveway and I helped Mel out, her body weak and shaky. We walked together to the hospital entrance and the automated door opened as we got close. I assisted Mel into a chair and checked her in with the lady at the front desk. Minutes later, I watched my wife being separated from me as a hospital assistant wheeled her away to be admitted to the clinic.
As I walked back to the RV I was surprisingly calm and peaceful. Though inconvenient to be woken at such an early hour, I had, the day before, been in an emotional and spiritual place of prayer and fasting. In fact, I had only one meal the day before and the incident was more curious than alarming. The timing seemed surprising as I was in a state of soul searching that such a thing as this would happen at this time.
Entering the motor home, three of the kids were now fully awake (Asher was still in a deep sleep). I comforted them and assured them that Mommy was alright and we prayed for her together and I ask them all to lay back down and rest, even if they couldn’t sleep again. I relocated the RV to the back side of the large parking lot, and before long, all the children were asleep again. I, too, laid back down, and falling in and out of a sleep, I periodically texted with Mel while she was in the hospital.
About two hours passed and she told me she was being discharged. I walked back to the entrance of the hospital and, by her request, I pushed my wife in a wheel chair back to our RV. She was healthy and safe, though the doctors prescribed a heart medication and asked her to see a cardiologist in 7 – 10 days. Though slightly shaken up and exhausted from the early morning rush, she looked healthy and happy and I was glad that she was back together with us again. She went back to bed and slept for some time.
She was awakened by Asher’s voice who yelled, “She isn’t in the hospital, she is right here!” The children had awoken and, after trying to convince Asher that Mommy was in the hospital, he had to see for himself if it was true. He had missed out on all the action and the only proof he had that Mel left and came back again was the fact that our motor home was in the hospital parking lot. All things considered it was the best place and best timing that an unexpected emergency like this could have happen. Thank you all for your prayers and concerns.
(Mel has seen a cardiologist now and is scheduled for a heart ultra-sound next week. If there is anything more to update you on, we will share that with you at that time. Thank you, again, for your prayers!)
Miller's Motor Home Adventure 