Another beautiful Saturday

June 6, 1944, known to most as D-Day. The invasion of Normandy and the turning point of World War II. June 6, 2009, Julie and Alison were preparing to go to Sugarloaf Vineyard for a festival. Chuck was running errands and Turner and I were going to start watching WWII movies. Mrs. Miniver, a wonderful movie with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon, which is not exactly a typical WWII movie but one that still takes place in London during WWII, is what was on for the early afternoon.


What I love about Turner is that even though he loves battles from Ancient Greece, Sparta, Rome to WWII he also loves the history and human factors that are vital to all wars. War to Turner has a much more mature meaning to him than to most eleven year old boys. The plain destruction of people or towns or civilizations is not what turns him on. He understands politics, current situations and all else that goes into starting a war. Sometimes it is a very simple act that starts a war. But in almost all cases the cause is deeply rooted in society and politics of the time. So to ask any other 11 year old to watch Mrs. Miniver would probably be futile. Turner, however, remembered some of the movie from a few years before and was eager to watch even though there were no Panzers involved. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the movie it takes place in a small town outside of London, close enough to see the skyline and to hear the bombing. It is a perfectly idyllic town with a grand dame to oversee the township society. An old widowed matriarch who lives in the towns largest country castle. Mrs. Belham's 18 year old socially conscious granddaughter lives with her. Mrs. Miniver is married to a well respected architect in town and is the nicest person ever to every one. The two families, old Mrs. Belham and the Minivers become intertwined in life. The movie shows how war can bring communities and families together. It, also, illustrates how life's tragedies, even those brought on by war, show no prejudice towards anyone.


Turner had just made a brunch for us of cheesy scrambled eggs. We had just reached the part in the movie where Mr. Miniver had just returned after six days on his river boat rescuing British and French troops from Dunkirk. The British navy did not have enough vessels so they asked regular men with boats, many civilian river patrol, to cross the English Channel, stave off German bombardment, and fill their boats to capacity and return to England. No picnic in the park. After Mr. Miniver awoke from eight or so hours of sleeping all day he asked his wife what she had done while he was gone. She replied not much just capture a downed German pilot who held her captive for a short time with his gun in their kitchen. It was then that both Turner and I heard what sounded like Julie but muffled and very odd. It took Turner and me no time to realize something was not right. Turner flue into the hall and Julie's room and I was not far behind. What we found was our Julie sideways on the bed kicking the laptop off onto the floor with her violent shaking. I leaned over her to ask what was happening only then fully realizing her eyes were up in her head, she was drooling and shaking more violently than before. I knew she was having a seizure but all I could summon from my brain was a picture of Patty Duke thrusting a spoon down someones mouth to keep thier tongue from being swallowed. I could not thankfully pry her teeth apart. They were clinched so tightly I thought that it was causing her to turn blue around her mouth and then to my horror her entire face was going blue. Somewhere seconds before I had yelled call 911. I was not entirely sure what happened after that with Turner.



Julie was standing now with the help of the EMT in her room. The ambulance had arrived in remarkable time. They had been literally across the street involved in a drill. I stood in front of Julie as the EMT assessed her situation. She asked Julie if she knew who I was and she responded "Mommy". then she was asked who Chuck was. He was standing a little behind me in the hall. Her response was clever ,"you're you". Julie seemed transported somewhere else.



As I entered the ER at nearby Shady Grove Adventist Hospital I took a much more aggressive stance with the nursing staff. There was not a bed available so they parked her in the hall. Between Chuck and me we were all over the staff asking for a doctor to look at Julie regardless of whether there was a room. We had been through waiting at GW while Julie was having her stroke. I feel if we had been attack dogs then maybe Julie's stroke would not have been so severe. Hindsight is better anyway.



A room was found and Julie was rushed into it and the nurses were unbelievably nice and on the ball. They understood what Julie had been through. She was taken quickly to get a cat scan. I have learned an abridged form of Julie's medical history highlighting only important information. However, Julie's abridged version always gets expounded on because as so many nurses have said to me she has a very complicated medical history. I had been taking a smaller notebook with meds lists and tests etc... with me while Julie was going through the arsenic. Then when she was having her heart issues I added ekg's to the notebook. After April I felt it was not necessary to tote the notebook Julie was cancer free and I was having shoulder and wrist problems from carrying all the stuff I had to carry. Oh well, I guessed I would be back to being more cautious for awhile.



Julie returned. Her grandparents had come and Alison and Turner were now in with us. Someone came by and asked who the celebrity was. The doctors determined Julie's seizure was one that fell into the parameters of a typical seizure after a massive head trauma. I knew there was a possibility she could have a seizure but I never told her. I figured she just might never have one and why scare her.



Julie received an infusion of dilantin, an anti-seizure drug. We would be going home with a prescription of the drug. Julie would most likely have to be on an anti-seizure drug the rest of her life.