Not the New Year's I Expected

Last night, any New Year's Eve celebrations were interrupted when my dear friend, visiting from Sacramento, called me to tell me that 1.) she'd been admitted to the hospital due to tremendous pain in her side, and 2.) she couldn't get a hold of her husband and was really worried something happened to him. He had been gone a while and she wasn't able to call out or anything.

Now, my friend is six months pregnant, so I was immediately really scared for her. They thought it was either kidney stones or appendicitis. Neither option was really what I wanted to hear. And then to hear that for hours she hadn't seen her husband, my blood was definitely pumping.

I packed an overnight bag for myself and was heading out the door when my family stopped to pray. My parents were sick about me traveling late at night on New Year's Eve. (I had to remind them of how many crazy overseas experiences I've had where I came out alive. Arcadia's nothin.) I called her hospital room about 15 minutes after praying, and her hubby had returned safe and sound. Thank God.

Today, I packed up a bunch of stuff for her and went to visit to find out she positively had a kidney stone. I've never seen anyone in so much pain. Aside from the time my little brother got hit by a car. The worst part of the whole deal is they can't do anything for her but give her safe pain killers. They can't help break down the kidney stone because it would harm the baby.

If you've ever seen the overly dramatic labor scenes on tv or in film, then you've seen my friend today. Only, this pain never ceases. It doesn't come in waves like a contraction. It's always there. They'd knock her out with meds as often as they could, but in between was hell.

It's difficult to stand by and watch someone go through that. I felt totally helpless and useless. But we prayed and prayed for her. She and her husband were supposed to fly back home tonight. That won't be happening. She's away from family, but luckily rich in new friends, and isn't sure when this evil stone will pass. Please pray for my friend, for her baby, for the kidney stone to pass through her system quickly and for the airline to stop being ridiculous and let them transfer their tickets.

And, don't get kidney stones. Ever.

This isn't the welcome to L.A. I wanted her to have, nor the beginning to 2006. I told her, "At least the only place you can go now is up." We pitifully laughed. Humor and pain--strange companions.