I’m a Truth Teller - episode 210
What if you were called to a hard life? What if your closest loved ones needed your passion and purpose to survive and to thrive? Amber Jeann Parker didn’t realize her interest in evidenced-based science would marry so well with her faith; that her life would revolve around literally helping her family stay alive. Her husband has faced mental health challenges after serving our country in combat resulting in PTSD. And two of their kids have life-threatening disorders that need a mom to be vigilant on their behalf. All of this and Amber’s focus is still to choose joy, even in the midst. She’s a truth teller.
Authentic. Tenacious. Compassionate.
— Amber Jeann Parker
Love and Laughs in the Hospital
Thoughts from I’m a Truth Teller
I couldn’t help but admire Amber’s complete dedication to keeping her family healthy. We have no idea what we are capable of until we are in the thick of it. There are so many things we would never sign up for and yet we are tasked with making it through to the best of our ability. And of course how well we do is full of all kinds of variables. Partly we have to want to. Even then it’s likely the outcome will be mixed because we’re not perfect. Nothing is. But we put our best foot forward.
That’s what I did. Or rather that’s what Taylor did. Last Wednesday night I took her to the ER as she was having another recurrence of a gallbladder attack. It had been determined she had gallstones and was waiting to be assigned a surgical day and time to have her gallbladder removed. She had been to her primary care physician earlier in the day. He told her if she had another episode to go to the ER and put a note in her chart to admit her.
Would it surprise you to hear there were 60 people in the waiting room? Or that a charge nurse came out and announced there were 60 more being triaged behind the scenes? That equals a long wait. We spent the time watching Seinfeld on my phone in-between attacks. There is excitement when they finally call your name, but then it’s to give them some pee in a cup and you’re sent back. To go out and wait. Lots more time passes. The next time your name is called, you're excited again, this time it’s to give blood. You’re sent back out to wait. (I recognize we live in a place where we have better access to medical care than most but this blog is not about that.)
Long story short (is it too late?), Taylor had gallbladder surgery Friday night. Yes, you read that right. Wednesday night in the ER. Surgery on Friday. Lots of painkillers while we were in the waiting place. I slept in a chair on night one. We got to change rooms and have one with a sofa where I slept(?) on nights two and three. We watched a ton of Superstore mixed in with more Seinfeld and West Wing for me while Taylor slept. They wanted to observe her for the day on Saturday so at 5:00 pm we were finally released to return home. Hallelujah!
So what’s the point? Well lucky for you it’s threefold. One, I would do it again, no problem. When Taylor would tell me how much she appreciated that I was staying with her I simply replied, love does. And I believe that. Love is in the doing, not just in the words. There is typically sacrifice involved when you love someone and that is what Amber so beautifully shows in own story. Two, we can do hard things. Taylor made it through and she’s all the stronger for it. She endured well and more character was built. It seems we grow our capacity through the harder things life has to offer. Third, one of the funniest scenes in all of Seinfeld is the one where they are waiting for a table in a Chinese restaurant. The host calls out Cartwright? Cartwright? Turns out he was announcing a phone call and mispronounced Costanza. George realizes he’s Cartwright. I’ve seen the scene more times than I can count. And maybe it was because I was feeling extra punchy because it was late at night but I could not stop laughing right there in the waiting room amongst 60 other people. So get your laughs when you can, and even where you can.
There is humor to be found in unlikely places.
— RCN
