unconventional blessings

over the weekend I received a call from a supervisor at work, informing that one of our off duty partners came in to purchase a drink, but in the process of ordering he became non-responsive, his speech became slurred and he couldn't move anymore.

The partners on duty responded immediately to the situation by calling 911, picking the partner up and putting him in a chair (he didn't fall to the floor, but couldn't move from the counter he was leaning on) and called myself and his emergency contact. It turns out that there was an EMT in training and an RN in the store at the time, so they tended to the partner as best they could while they awaited the ambulance. They suspected a possible stroke, and was rushed to Torrance Memorial.

The next day, as I arrived at the hospital for a visit, I didn't know what to expect. My partner was still in the ICU, so I prepared myself for the worst case scenario. Thankfully, upon sight, we could see that he was doing well and there were no signs of a stroke. It turns out the partner had taken several muscle relaxers and was on anxiety meds, the two are not meant to mix. The doc told my partner that his heart actually stopped, and he stopped breathing at one point, and that if this event had happened while alone, it was quite possible that he could've died.

My partner is a believer, he has been reflecting on the event and is in awe of how perfectly planned it was.

1. He was scheduled to work on Sunday, but early in the week he got his shift covered, this wouldve been the day after his 'event'.

2. All day Saturday, the partner was moving out of his old house and triggered his old back injury. He was home by 6pm, showered, ate dinner, took the muscle relaxer, and sat down to watch the Lakers game. He was going to stay in for the night, but at halftime thought a caramel macchiatto sounded really yummy, so he went to sbux.

3. The partners working responded quickly,calmly and appropriately.

4. There was an EMT and RN in the lobby that were able to help.

5. His emergency contact wasn't answering the phone, but I know his sister and brother-in-law, so I called every number I had for them and called the BIL's work to get his wife's phone number...within an hour of the event, they knew what was going on and were on the way to see him.

I guess the whole purpose of this blog is to remind us all to take a moment and remember the unconventional blessings in our lives. My partner found himself asking 'why me?' at first, but now he knows it was all in God's hands. This event reminds me to remember the small, unconventional, unasked for blessings that we all receive on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.