Sooooo, hello from Ontario, where my posse and I are holed up until the sheriff gets wind of where we are.
Okay, not really.
So, we left town at (not) dawn on Saturday, the something teenth and drove west.
Some would say we followed the sun, but actually, it was thunderstorms.
We had to take cover in Casselman , Ontario, because it was raining That Hard.
We made to to our destination of Deep River the next day, and let's just say I was GLAD.
But, just before we got to our friend Shelagh's, we stopped at Tim Horton's.
Because we are Canadian, and we was hangry. Not too hangry, but >thisclose<.
The drive-thru was taking an age, so I suggested that I'd walk the dog while my husband navigated the line. No worries. it seemed a lot of travellers had the same idea.
So, once Tippy had watered the grass, I walked up to our new-ish van (a 2008, and only 6 days in our possession), had Tippy jump in the sliding passenger door, and then I did the "hop and jump at the same time whilst twisting just so in order to land sideways and butt first in the seat" leap.
Only, instead? I NAILED the top of my skull into the frame of the door.
N-A-I-L-E-D it.
Everything went black, and I saw actual constellations.
Ohhhhhhhhh, it HURT.
My husband and son both turned to see if I was all right, and then my husband said "You moved the van!"
Apparently, the door height on the 2008 was lower than our 2007. By a few inches.
Holy moly, I was in PAIN. and I was crying. Whoaaaaaa, OUCH!
Longer story short, I stayed a few days in Deep River and had a lovely visit with Shelagh, and then John picked me up and took me to the Ontario Camp of the Deaf. That was on Tuesday. By Saturday, I knew I needed to get checked by a doctor. As staying awake until 2pm was an ongoing problem, and I was dizzy. And the headaches were non-stop for 6 days straight.
So, off we go to the ER and tah-dah, I had a CT scan.
Ohhhh, ahhhh....
www.reverehealth.com
Result?
No brain bleed, or scalp bleed for that matter, but definitely a concussion, and would you believe it? Neck compression.
I coulda told ya THAT!!!
So...rest, rest, Advil and more rest.
And then rest.
Which I did. Until I sort of bent the wrong way and put my back out for 2 days.
Then I was fine.
Well, fine-ish...until I ate a peach and my eyes turned BLOOD RED and wow, my eyes have NEVER EVER been that itchy!!!!
I did a saline flush and used 2 kinds of eye drops and took some Claritin.
THEN I was fine.
So, what exactly was the lesson in all this?
Well, the BIG Christian writer's conference, known as "ACFW", was held in Nashville from August 25th to the 28th.
I prayed and prayed and PRAYED over the winter and spring for the opportunity to attend that conference. So many dear friends, so many amazing moments, so much to learn!!
But no matter what, the money did not appear.
I trusted God to get me there, and He didn't.
Ohhhh, how it hurt to know that among the crowd of special people, there were 2 dear, wonderful friends from Australia roaming loose without my supervision, and I was here, all looped and wimpy.
But?????
If I had been fortunate enough to acquire the approximately 1800$ Canadian to attend, (airfare, conference fees, and hotel fees)? All of that would have gone to waste because I hurt my head on the 14th, and although I seemed to be able to soldier on (read: push myself like a stupid person who ignored her body's attempts at recovery) up until the 21st, when I gave up and went to the ER, I was basically toast for doing more than napping and taking handfuls of Advil.
The cancellation cut-off for the conference? July 19th. Almost a full month before I smacked loose what few brain cells are left in my head.
I don't know why I wasn't napping at my friend Shelagh's, right after I dented my skull. But I think maybe I was in shock, and a whole tonne of denial. And when one has only a few days with a friend? We do the Dory. You know..."must keep swimming..."
But by the 17th, the Wednesday after the deed? I was napping 2-3 hours a day, and eating Advil like candy. (calm down, not like candy, okay?)
I was loopy and dizzy and could NOT concentrate AT ALL. I was tired. I needed a blankie and a pillow, all day, for about 4 days.
Which 4 days?
Riiiiiiiiiight about when I'd need to fly to Nashville for a conference that required concentration, stamina, social skills, and let's not forget?? Brains!!!
I could NOT have gotten on a plane and dragged myself to Nashville.
I'd compressed my neck. Imagine trying to wrangle suitcases???
Ohhhh, wow.
So, let's review.
God knew.
He knew that I'd hurt myself so well that I'd need serious rest.
He knew we didn't have 1800$ to blow.
He knew that I'd have felt AWFUL wasting that kind of money.
He knew I'd have gotten almost nothing out of that conference.
And He knew that here is where I needed to be.
Sometimes, when God closes a door?
There is no window.
No window. No crack in the attic. No trap door in the floor. No Tarzan rope off the roof.
Just a room full of family and friends who understand when you need to rest. And understand just how skilled you are at hurting yourself, and love you anyway.
And who grab the peaches before you can take a bite.