Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Testing, over.

For the first time in over a week, I'm able to breathe. A huge sigh of relief, rest, peace, its here. Suffice to say a whole lotta crazniess happened on Monday, and now that I know the results, I am okay putting it out there. So let me get to it, and then I'll resume my check in tonight or tomorrow at the latest. I've missed this release, but did not feel comfortable writing until now (if only because that makes everything feel more real)..

Last Monday was supposed to be a fun filled day, complete with seeing friends at a bounce house since it was a school holiday. However, we were delayed in going out because of the dense fog in the area, so we stayed put most the morning. R went out to clean out his work car, while the boys and I lounged around the house. Quickly and before I had time to register what had happened, R came in saying he got stabbed by a rig, and we needed to go to the dr. A rig? Haven't heard that term since my days at the homeless shelter. Turns out a parolee disposed of a used syringe underneath R's car seat, and when he went to empty out the space, the needle broke the skin. I did my best to not panic, but the main thing was "HIV, AIDS, HEP C" over and over, like a broken record. We quickly determined a trip to the ER was best, and loaded up the car w/ the kids so I could take him there. He didn't want to drive, partly out of panic, so off we went. We were there for three long hours, R did blood work and received a tetanus shot. The kids and I sat outside, played on the grass, went for walks. and I kept saying a silent prayer. We were told the results would take a few days, but the days dragged on. No matter where we went, or what we did with the kids, it was something that was trailing us. We kept quiet, not wanting to alarm family or friends, knowing that if something was going to happen, the world around us would change. Robert started an antiviral medication, which he has to take for the next month, which would work to prevent him getting HIV and the strains of hepatitis. We were able to find the results this week, praising G-d that the results to everything were negative. I felt a huge weight come off my shoulders, and now I can breathe-I feel like I've been holiding my breath in way too long. Going through an experience like this really drives home of not sweating the small stuff, and knowing what's really important. While we tried to stay away from the "what-if" conversation, we did talk about how dangerous his profession is, and how mine has the potential to be once I go back in the field. Our views has changed so much since having the boys, and for years we've walked this fine line between serving our community and taking care of our family, most of our beliefs going hand in hand. After this experience though. there's no question about it, our family is a priority, and raising these children to be respected, honest, and caring adults. It is just made tougher knowing there's low lifes out there, like the one who carelessly tossed his rig under R's car seat.

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