In May 2005, following being downsized in mid afternoon, Mr Sageofages suffered a heart attack during the night and as a result experienced something "the drs had never seen before" both high pressure and low pressure acute respiratory failure. Bottom line his lungs filled completely with fluid and he spent 10 days on COMPLETE life support. Ventilator, heart pump assistance everything. The drs told me he was going to die..not *might die*..."going to die, it was between God and Mr Sageofages". I never left his side for all those days (to say he is my world would be not enough). I was terrified to leave. (My parents were with the children)
During those darkest hours, my Phi Mu sisters (on an email list I run) organized a 24hour around the clock prayer vigil where 2 sisters were praying each hour for his well being and recovery, it ended up that they were able to cover 48 hours with the number of sisters who volunteered. (He turned the corner during those 48 hours...still gravely ill but the "will die" became "I think he might make it")
He received more cards and letters and a record number of egreetings through the hospital website (the volunteers brought them up with great curiosity who this person would be).
I was sitting in the lobby on the phone with a dear dear friend (who was also an attorney asking for advice about how to handle things if the worst happened ...we had a severance agreement that had not been signed..
) when a local chapter president got off the elevator with a care package for me. (I hadn't told any local sisters, who could think?). Apparently another sister on the list living in Columbus OH had called her and alerted my local chapter of what we were living through. I was so surprised to see her, I just burst into tears. She just hugged me while I cried.
Mr Sageofages has pulled through (he remembers nothing OF COURSE..and I suffer some PTSD from the ordeal..dealing with ok). During his recovery, we received gifts of gas cards (remember he was freshly unemployed and I was freelancing which equals little income) to take him to his cardiac rehab, and gifts of delicious home bistro meals so I could not stress and the cards poured in.
To this day, I believe he would not be here without the prayers of those sisters (and greekchat friends..and family) who cared for us. I know I would have not made it through still reasonably sane without them.
