A Special Holiday

Every single day is a holiday! Working as an Activity Director, I've learned this. Hallmark probably loves this! Heck, Hallmark probably created them all!

You can check out each month's special & crazy days by going to the following website: http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/index.htm. There are others I log onto also, but they require a membership fee. This one is completely free. I recommend it if you enjoy having something to celebrate every day.

The reason I bring this up now is because wednesday, the 4th is "Thank a Mailman Day." The following story will help you to understand why this day is special to me.

After I gave birth to Logan in 2006, I woke up one morning, planning to enjoy a day out with my mom. I felt a little 'off' when I woke up, but I hadn't felt quite right since I had given birth (who does?), and I was really anxious to enjoy some time with my mother, so we hopped on the freeway, and wound up at Cracker Barrel, one of our favorite places to splurge.

Once we sat down, we ordered our iced tea, and I began to notice that I was having more and more difficulty talking. When our drinks arrived, I couldn't drink through the straw. Something wasn't right, but I didn't want Mom to worry, so I kept up with my chipper facade, and made it through brunch.

After our meal, Mom and I shopped a bit at the restaurant, and then went elsewhere to find some bargains. I was feeling worse and worse, and by this time, Mom knew it. I felt bad. I didn't want to ruin the day. I was still pretty much in denial at this point. I thought maybe I was just pushing my luck by attempting too much, too soon. Many men would not agree, but shopping can be very strenuous, especially for a Mom of 2-year old twins and a newborn!

By early evening I was ready to call it quits. Mom dropped me off at home, encouraging me to call her if I needed anything at all. She and Dad were going out for their anniversary.

Needless to say, I ruined their anniversary. I called her about two hours after she had dropped me off. I don't know if I had time to dwell on it at home, or my paranoia had set it, but in a single instant I knew something was terribly wrong with me. I just knew I had suffered a stroke. I looked in the mirror, and one side of my face was completely droopy. I couldn't smile on one side, and my eye wouldn't blink. I looked terrible. I sobbed... and sobbed... and sobbed. Mom and Dad were about half an hour away. They said they would be right over.

They were there within 20 minutes. Mom and Dad bothed rushed into the house. Joel and I were ready to go to the hospital. Mom could tell my face looked worse than it had when she dropped me off just a while ago. She mentioned Bell's Palsy, and gave me a brief description of it. I was clueless. Dad was worried, and just as in the dark as I was.

To make a long ER story short, I found out I did, indeed, have Bell's Palsy and it could last anywhere from a few days to months to years to forever, and if it did go away, it could recur. How informative! I left the hospital that night devastated. There is an undeniable body image setback that goes along with having a child, but when your face is possibly forever changed, as well, that is a completely different story.

My dad starting making phone calls right away. Somehow he wound up speaking with Jay McCamos, a family friend, and a local mail deliverer. Jay had a friend who has also suffered with Bell's Palsy and had been treated by a local doctor, the late Dr. John Lawson. I called Dr. Lawson's office first thing monday morning and was able to see him that day.

Dr. Lawson fixed me. I have said that since the day I first saw him. He started fixing me that day, and it didn't take long before I was completely 'fixed up'. I thank Jay, Jay's friend Jim and of course the doctor for that.

Without Jay's connections, I would never have known that there were treatments that could be administered locally. The local hospital told me the Bell's Palsy would have to run it's course.

I have no doubt that Jay would have done this for anyone, not just someone he knows. He's just a great guy.

Thank you Jay, and YOU get my award for Thank a Mailman Day!