a spell

I had a spell the other day.  I am not sure what else to call it.  We were leaving for vacation that day and I was feeling some digestive distress in the morning, which is not uncommon for me.  Usually, a nexium and some Rolaids and I am good.

When we got to the airport, I am feeling worse.  Something does not feel right.  My belly feels upset, kind of like how you feel when you eat something bad.  My wife wonders if we should get on the plane.  I tell her I am fine.

We board the plane.  One hour from Salt Lake City, at about 30,000 feet, I am feeling worse.  I can feel the discomfort climbing up from my stomach into my chest.  My hands get cold and start to sweat.  I am afraid.

I tell my wife that I need help.  I start to cry.  She calls the flight attendant.  They give me some aspirin and I take some Rolaids.  They put oxygen on me.  In five minutes, I feel better.

Now I am embarrassed.  I am the guy that everyone on the plane knows that I had to have oxygen.  By the time the plane lands, I feel great.  The spell has passed.  Delta makes me wait for paramedics who check me out.  My pulse is fine, my blood pressure is fine, my EKG is great. They release me.

This week I am going in to visit with my doctor and see if he can fix me.

Here is the interesting thing for me- I was afraid.  I was afraid of the pain.  I felt panic.  Now I know that I am not going to live forever, but I have not been thinking about how painful and frightening it can be when your body is not working correctly.  I got a good does of that the other day.

So what is the moral of this story.  We are not invincible.  Life is good.  Enjoy it, celebrate it, thank Our Father for it every day, because you just never know.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.