Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Tsunami

First thing - stop trying to make me feel better.  It won't work.  And honestly, you'll just piss me off and alienate me in the meantime.

This grief things sucks ass.  Yesterday and today are really bad.  My eyes are so swollen from crying so much that it looks like I fought Mike Tyson and lost.  Everybody wants to fix it.  But there's nothing anyone can do.  I just found out that we got the autopsy report back.  No, I haven't looked.  I've had a few people look at it for me and give me a little bit of info.  SUDEP.  Sudden, unexplained death from epilepsy.  And of course they don't know exactly how this happens.  So I'll never really know if I had gotten up one more time if I could have saved him.  Of course family and friends are saying that it wouldn't have changed anything, but they don't know that.  I understand they are trying to make me feel better, but it feels like it's undermining me.  Placating me.  Wishful thinking.  The proverbial rose-colored glasses when no one knows what color they should be. 

I need someone to hug me and sit there in silence.  Don't try to fix it because you can't.  Hold my hand and just let me lean on you.  Like literally.  I may not be a touchy-feely person in general, but I need the human contact now.  And I can't deal with anyone else crying and being super upset either.  That makes me feel like I have to try and comfort someone else.  And I don't have that in me right now.  Call me selfish; I don't care.  It's taking all that I have to keep myself together (which is working about as well as a pair of rusty scissors).  And stop trying to make me talk about it.  I can't process this shit, so trying to make me express what's going through my mind confuses me, frustrates me, and makes me question everything.

I'm sure this wave will ebb and flow.  For the rest of my life.  Right now it's at a pretty high peak.  And he knows it.  He's still sending me signs.  And I need it right now more than ever.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Easter approaches

So this is supposed to be the biggest holiday in the Catholic faith.  But I tell you what, I sure as hell don't feel like celebrating.  Call me selfish or whatever, I don't care.  Spring and Easter are supposed to represent new life.  Yet my son is gone.  Holidays are a time for families to gather together.  A huge piece of mine is missing.  Longer days mean more light.  Yet my world is permanently in the shadows.

I can't get any Easter basket stuff together, because it's not a holiday without him.  Hunting for Easter baskets for just his sister and not him is just not right, not okay.  I won't even be able to eat.  Ham and potatoes were some of his favorite things to eat.  I can't eat or even buy his favorite foods.

So while I'm forever thankful that God promises a life together beyond this realm, I think I'll just spend the day asleep, trying to avoid life in general.  And if you want to help, distract me with anything NOT Easter.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Signs

I've been craving to get a sign from my son that he is ok.  I've been waiting to see cardinals or butterflies.  I've been looking for random change on the floor.  Nothing.  It's been so hard not knowing.  Well, I think J realized that now.  But the signs aren't for me, they are for his sister.  J is taking care of his baby sister from the other side.  I have no doubt now.

The first two instances you might write off as a coincidence.  Two months to the day that J passed, I get a phone call from M's ENT.  He's no longer suggesting the massive, 2-3 weeks in the hospital, reconstruction surgery to get her trach out.  He wants to do a simple scope then pull the trach the same day.  We will spend 2-3 days there instead, if all goes well.  Now of course I'm terrified since we will be dealing with her airway (I'm convinced J stopped breathing during or just after a seizure).  But I trust this doc.  And I made him aware of my concerns and the situation.  I believe he wouldn't recommend this if he didn't honestly think it was the best for M.  Did he pick that day?

Stemming from that, once her trach comes out, M won't need a nurse at school.  She'll just need a para.  This is huge.  She's always had a nurse working with her with the educational stuff.  That's what I'm used to.  How's a para going to deal with all of her disabilities?  Well if the rumors are true, I have nothing to worry about.  I've heard that J's para will be M's starting next year.  I adore this woman.  The love she's shown J, the hard work she's done with him, the results she's gotten with him are all beyond my wildest expectations.  I have NO doubt Ms F will do amazing things with M.  Did J intervene?

Honestly, those two I wrote off.  But last night was a no-brainer.  J is watching out for M.

I noticed the same thing a few nights ago but thought nothing of it.  I went to put M to bed last night.  I asked her if she wanted her "necklace" on (PSI collar).  She said no and assumed her sleeping position.  I took that as a "leave me alone and let me go to sleep" hint.  So I did.  I'd take care of the rest later when she needed her meds.

8:30 rolls around.  I get her meds and her water ready and go into her room.  Her blanket is on her.  That happened early this week, but this time it jumped out at me.  I gave her her meds and put her necklace on.  I called to my mom and asked if she had put M's blanket on.  No.  I then went into see my dad.  I asked him the same question, even though I didn't remember him hobbling with his walker to her room.  No. 

At that point, I knew.  J covered M.  Always the big brother.  Always taking care of her.

Thursday, April 6, 2017

April 6

Today is just a super sucky day in general.  Of course there are the "normal" things going on that stress any adult out.  But today is worse.  Not only am I trying to deal with the loss of my son, today is also the 11th angelversary of my first.  11 years ago today I lost my first to miscarriage.  I was roughly 8 weeks along.  We didn't know if the baby was a boy or a girl, so we named her Taylor (my heart says girl).  I didn't know how I was going to survive that ordeal.

Now let's compound that with the grief I feel today.  And let me tell you, while both are devastating situations, there is also a HUGE difference.  Which makes me feel worse.  I sound like an awful person when I say that my miscarriage was "easier" than losing J.  Like losing one child is worse than losing another.  It sounds like I love one more than the other.  But that's so far from the truth.

With my miscarriage, I was grieving the loss of all of the hopes and dreams.  I will always wonder what she would have looked like, what she would have liked to do, etc.  But I also had no frame of reference.  With J, I miss everything.  I know what he looks like.  I miss that.  I know he likes to bounce.  I miss that.  I never got to hold Taylor's hand, but I did with J.  I miss that.  I miss feeling the prickliness of his hair.  I miss the drool spots on my shirt.  With J, I had actual experiences, so I have actual things/events/memories that I'm missing instead of just all of the "what ifs." 

So here I am today grieving my one and only son.  And grieving my first angel.  And feeling like the most awful mom for saying there IS a difference.

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Fuck you Aetna

So yesterday I get a bill from the Med Center.  $300.  From September.  For J.  Because the damn insurance company was throwing a hissy fit.  They didn't know they were primary insurance.  WTF?  How can you not know that?  Yes, J had Medicaid, but that hasn't changed in over 7 years.  So because you can't get your damn act together, I had to call about my dead son's medical claims.  I will never forgive you for this.  I'd say fuck you and the horse you rode in on, but the horse is innocent.  And have fun paying more claims for me now that you put me through this shit.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

You didn't just say that.

"I understand" - no you don't
"I can imagine" - no you can't
"How are you?" - you don't really want to know
"Are you ok?" - what do you think?
"I lost my grandfather/uncle/etc." - doesn't fucking compare
"At least you had him for..." - how long is enough with YOUR kid?
"He's not hurting anymore" - should never have been in the first place
"You're so strong" - I have no choice
"I couldn't do it" - I want to die every single day
"But you still have M" - and that makes it better you fuckhead?

And so help YOU, if you come at me with "God has a plan" or anything like it, I will go off on you.  And quite possibly hurt you.  And not feel a damn bit sorry about it.


So what should you say?  I'm sorry followed by a hug.  Because no words can make it better.