With this being a huge part of my SST, I am really wanting to experience as much discomfort as possible, learning about different cultures and things happening in the world. However, come 4:42 this morning, I experience something to the extreme. Something I never thought I would see, and something I think I would feel alright about if I never experienced again. This is it: this is my story of the morning of December 2, 2009. Hold on to your hats, we are going for a ride.
Like experiencing a normal night, I wake up with it still dark outside and grab my phone to see what time it is. Not that I want to know, but more to see how much longer I have to sleep. Through my sleepy eyes, I read a blurry "4:42" on the screen, put it together with the fact it is still dark outside, and realize I have plenty of time to fall asleep and get a bit more rest before the alarm will go off at 7:15. As my head gently lays on my pillow, I hear a faint whisper of words coming from the mouth of JJ, laying just 5 feet from me in his own bed. Not knowing if he heard me moving around, or if he was having a dream, I whispered, "JJ?" just to be responded to with silence. He was sleeping. Possibly having a bad dream. After I was laying back down, approximately 4:45, I hear another noise. This however, is the sound of someone choking, gagging, possibly throwing up. Of course it is JJ. Maybe he is sick? Maybe he is dreaming? Or maybe, just maybe, this guy has a very weird "snore," as I have never heard him snore before. I sit up to see what is going on, but what I see will continue to haunt me during the dark, lonely nights.
This past August, JJ had what they thought may have been a seizure, but there were no witnesses or reports giving them the "ok" to list it as a seizure. But during this episode, his right shoulder was dislocated, making surgery a necessary step in getting it back to normal. Surgery; one that happened only 2 short weeks ago. Since then, he has been in a sling, having very minimal to no movement of his joint. However, they were still uncertain, and a little cautious, about what caused this episode. Therefore, yesterday, JJ spent the day at the hospital doing a 24 hour EEG, monitoring the brain to see if there was any notable activity. However, he made it home and announced they found nothing worth telling him. We were once again lost, wondering, and anxious to know what was going on. We were unaware we would soon have the definite truth.
About 4:47, after the choking and gagging sounds, I cleared the fog out of my eyes, grabbed my cell-phone and lit the back-screen, holding it in the direction to light up JJ's bed. I see his body thrusting violently, up and down, bouncing like a ball off his mattress. Being the responsible EMT that I am, I thought about what I just saw, as JJ laid quietly in his bed, seeming to have good rest now. "Was that a seizure? What just happened?" These were just a couple of thoughts that flooded my brain. I didn't know if I should call 911 or even wake up my room mates, so I just laid there, not wanting to over react if he was only having a dream. I would hate to wake someone up, and them think that I am retarded, waking them up in the middle of the night thinking they were having a serious seizure. So, I just laid there. Possibly five good, long minutes. Then, more puking sounds. More gasping for air. At this moment, I sat up and sat on the edge of my bed, watching as if I were in the front row of a Broadway musical. Then, his body rolled over, his arm came ripping out of his sling, and his head turned towards me revealing his eyes half open, but showing nothing but white. Then, once again, like being triggered by electric shock, his body started jerking around, going from the wall to the edge of the bed, throwing his new shoulder around in ways I cant even move my own shoulder. This man was going crazy. I spring into action, run to Julie's room, and softly tap on her door. A nice, moaning, "What?" came out of the room. "Julie, come out here," I said as I didn't want to shout through the door and scare her. "No, what is going on?" "JJ! JJ is having a seizure!" At that moment, her door, as well as Erin's flew open as they came out and went straight to my room. We all stood in the door, witnessing the last seconds of his second (that we witnessed) seizure. His body was still shaking and moaning around the bed. Then, like powered by a switch, he stopped.
We wanted to turn on the lights, but didn't want to startle him, so we turned on the lamps, slowly getting them brighter until we could turn on the lights, revealing JJ laying unconscious on his bed. After the lights were on for a bit, his eyes opened, but it was the most blank, scared look I have ever received from a person. It was obvious this guy didn't know what was going on. He could not answer any questions. He didn't know who anyone was. He was very alone and very scared.
He sat up, watching us, but didn't know what to do. We had called the ambulance and was just waiting for them to show up. As we talked with JJ, asking simple questions that he had no response to, the red and blue lights came around the corner and I went out to meet the ambulance. Three men came rushing, although that that fast, into our house and I showed them the room. JJ sat there with the blank look, wondering who the strange men were. "Hey," he said, with a very childish tone and grin on his face. He obviously didn't know what was going on, or who they were, but wanted to be kind, and welcome them to his room. The whole time that they were asking questions, he gave (brain damaged) answer, making us laugh, yet, feel bad for laughing.
JJ tried to stand and walk away, but when the EMT asked where he was going he had no answer. "Sit down sir," the EMT demanded. JJ looked very confused, then, gave a very funny look to us all, threw his hand up straight into the air, gave a careless moan, and fell straight backwards into his bed like a little kid throwing a fit. This man was making a scene. One I wish I had on camera. Words can not explain the humor this guy was unknowingly causing us. While we were scared and no one laughed, I think down inside we were all snickering a bit.
The walked him, stumbling, to the front door where they met him with the stretcher, loaded him up and took him to the ER. We sat at the front table as the sun was coming up, pondering about what we had all just experienced. Should we go to the hospital? We all have work in an hour, but at what point does a room mates health over power the responsibilities of a volunteer job? Is it bad to tell a boss you cant make work because your room mate just had a few grand mal seizures while you helplessly watched in awe? I decide this seems very reasonable, so I get ahold of work, tell them I will be late, and take off to the ER.
Julie and I arrived to find JJ being his normal self. As we walked in, he had a smile on his face, happy to see us. It was good to hear him call us by name. The neurologist was at his side, questioning him until we came and found out I was an eyewitness. Therefore, he chose the more reliable source, and asked me to replay the events of the night out loud for him. After my short speech, including hand gestures, pelvic thrusting, and throwing of my arms, he turned to JJ and said, "There is no longer any question. You are having seizures."
Why we have to go through this to find out he is indeed having seizures is more than I can know, but leaves us wondering what God has planned for our house, and specifically JJ, as he lays in the hospital wondering, "Why him?" Is there some sort of lesson we are learning, or something we are all being prepared for? I wish it would just all make sense, and be done with. And, for the sake of JJ, I wish it would all just get figured out quickly, so the right measures could be made and get him back to his healthy self.
The last I heard, he was doing fine, as he was watching the History channel in his hospital room. They are keeping him to watch for 24 hours, making sure everything is a little more normal before releasing him back to our care. Now, with hopefully a little more answers, I hope life can get back to normal for JJ, especially with his arm. Hopefully, the little bout of physical therapy that he gave it today was not too much, causing him to have more surgery. But, from all of this, I now understand how someone can dislocate an arm while sleeping and have no recollection of how it happened. Our bodies are miraculous machines!
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