So, if you’ve read the blog about my child having the allergic reaction, you’ll know why I’m writing this. As everyone knows, my husband is currently deployed. Military wives and husbands, it wasn’t until now that I realized the importance of having a support system. A good core of friends is one of the most valuable and cherished things in my life.
At the emergency room, Sarah called (or maybe I happened to call her, everything’s kinda hazy). She came and picked up Vannah. She kept Vannah until about midnight. Brenda also called and volunteered to pick up Vannah and was always there for me as well. Two days into the ordeal, Carla was ready and willing to drive to Chapel Hill’s ER with me. She let me cry, let me worry, and shared my anger, and helped focus my rage. I think she was just as peeved as I was. K.U. fought like a caged pitbull to help me get a referral and was ready to advocate for me at a second’s notice. Barb researched and researched into the late hours of the night. My mom volunteered to come up to help as did K.U. My sister-in-law came with me to the appointment and my mother-in-law showed up on Thursday so I could get some much needed sleep. My neighbors, Shaun and Stephanie, came over and got Mallory dressed so that I could wash my greasy hair.
Then when I got the referral to Chapel Hill, Sarah again opened her doors. She let Vannah sleep over the night before and then kept her all day. She bought her ice cream, made her smoothies, and was there to bounce ideas off of. She researched, prodded and called every medical person she knew. Brenda made sure we were on prayer lists all over creation. Carla directed me to the best doctor on the east coast.
So many things had to fall together perfectly and my friends and family made it happen. It’s really important to reach out when you need help and your spouse is deployed. It’s important that you develop a core of people who will be there when the poop hits the fan. I don’t know what I would have done without my support system.
Have your friends and family helped you in times of trouble? Have they kept you going when you thought you would lose it? How so? Please share your comments and stories below!
