As I was hanging out in bed with Ella this afternoon rubbing her leg, she reached over and grabbed my hand, as she often does during the time that we are together. These are some of my favorite moments with her. I truly believe she does it let me know how much she loves and appreciates me being there with her.

It got me thinking about how nice it would be during this quarantine to grab someone’s hand and thank them. Over the last thirty nine years I have met some incredible people and developed some amazing relationships. Strangers who I have shared joy and heartache with have become some of my greatest friends and supporters. Individuals, who without a second thought will rise to the occasion if needed.

People often ask me when we have mutual friends, how I know them? More times than not my answer comes with a story. I would say that most of the time, I am a social person. When I go out I talk to people. I listen to people and I truly care about people’s stories. Steve gets annoyed when we go to a store so I can “run in” and come out almost an hour later. Without even asking he knows I ran into someone I know, or made a new friend. He is constantly telling me that I don’t know how to end a conversation.

We see things very differently in that regard. I don’t mind catching up with old friends, and if I happen to meet new people who want to talk, I am ok with that too. Everyone has a story and you never know how yours might be tied to someone else’s. I have offered advice, I have received advice, and I have learned so much from complete strangers. If I have the time I am more than happy to give it.

Tonight I had the opportunity to catch up with some friends that I met while I was in the hospital. They are two of the sweetest and most genuine people I know. I love telling people the story of how we met and how our friendship has grown over the last five years. I think it deserves to be shared again.

Very shortly after I had Ella I started having the most horrendous abdominal pain. I swore something was left behind at birth and I was contracting again. I had been having chronic uti’s and had already seen a urologist who performed a CT scan to checked for kidney stones. I was all cleared and still searching for answers.

The pain became so intense that one night I made Steve bring me to the ER. I am sure I told him I was dying and needed immediate care. I can be somewhat dramatic when I am in pain. (I am sure those who know me aren’t too surprised by that.) We went to the ER where they ordered a repeat CT scan and wouldn’t you now it, I had a stone. They could not manage the pain in the ER and told me because of that I would need to be admitted to the hospital.

Now, before I even got to the hospital there are some fun facts I need to share. It just so happened that because of when I had Ella I didn’t start the school year in September and was out on maturnity leave. As my male nurse was caring for me he asked, do you work at said school? I said yes, why? He went on to tell me that his son was in my class that year and was looking forward to having me back. We chatted, as I was in my gown on morphine, about his son, and years later would laugh about our first encounter. What a small world. The entire time Steve was sitting there shaking his head saying, only you.

We then leave the hospital for transport and get in the ambulance. Steve got to ride in the front and I was in the back with a male paramedic. We got to talking and I was telling him how I just had Ella and was in the process of trying to sell my house. He tells me he just put an offer in on a house one town over, and we agreed that moving sucks. He was informed me he found a cute house in our town but it was too small. Come to find out, it was my house. After further conversation we realized we had a ton of mutual friends. The world got smaller.

We laugh about our connections exiting the ambulance as new friends, completely confusing Steve, but not surprising him at all. After we exchanged goodbyes I was brought to my empty room and made comfortable until the doctor could come in to see me. Not too long after that an older woman was wheeled into the room and she immediately becomes, my Roomie.

I was closer to the window and Roomie was near the door. The curtains has been closed when my parents were there visiting for privacy, as if that’s a thing in a double occupancy hospital room. I will never forget as we were talking, Roomies daughters walked in. They were LOUD. Like a tornado, they came in questioning nurses and giving demands about care Roomie was to receive. You could tell this was not their first rodeo. Come to find out, Roomie was in a nursing home, had a cardiac episode, and was there for testing and observation. They made it clear that wanted her up to use the potty during the night and that she wasn’t to have too many sweets. I later came to see that Roomie loved herself some sweets.

At some point, they kindly pulled the curtain and we all exchanged introductions. They were so funny and full of life. Such fire in one of their bellies. I could tell she was a force to be reckoned with. After I saw the doctor it was determined that I would need to spend a few nights in the hospital. I needed surgery to have, what ended up being, multiple stones removed. Roomie was going to be there a few nights too.

The first night the nurses didn’t get Roomie up to use the potty and she really struggled to get comfortable throughout the night. When the sisters came in the next morning I made sure they knew how the night went, and heads rolled. They thanked me for letting them know and later came through when I needed them.

The day of my surgery I came back to the room and wanted so badly to shower. The nurses told me no. Wellllll, my new sister friends were not accepting that. These two wonderful ladies made sure that I got a shower. The water pressure sucked and with the iv in I could barley wash my hair, but damn it, I felt clean. One of them even helped put up my hair up when I got back to the room.

Roomie ended up being ok and we were both sent home to recover. Before we left the sisters found me on social media and have kept in touch since. Roomie has since been moved to a home for dementia patients and over the years has gone down hill. There is not a day that goes by where I don’t check social media to see how she is doing and occasionally talk to my sister friends for an update. To this day I know these ladies still have my back.

I am a better person for having met these woman and I truly believe Roomie and I were placed in that room together for a reason. This story helps me show why I felt it was so important to tell Ella’s story. I don’t have a million friends on Facebook or Instagram, but with sharing and following my page, I am hoping to reach a decent amount. I ask you all to please keep sharing, follow by email at the bottom of my blog, and head over to Instagram to follow there too. The more exposure we get, the more likely we are to find that person/people who can change Ella’s life for the better. You never know who other people know.

Ella had an okay day today. No episodes, but a lot of strange movement, that I did get recorded. She had one meltdown in the middle of the day and it became obvious that she was happier hanging out in her room than downstairs. We all have days where we want to just relax, and today was one of those days for baby girl. We made sure someone was keeping her company, and it became clear early on that today was a daddy day!

Tomorrow we are one day closer to her EEG and hopefully some answers. Dani will be with us mid afternoon into the night, which is always a good thing. I am sure after three days Ella is ready to see a different familiar face. As always, keep the prayers coming. You guys are the BEST!

Follow our journey on IG @zurlnick_five

Or

Sign up with an email at the bottom the homepage

Or

https://www.facebook.com/groups/545639302765561/?ref=share