Mothers Day News, Near Death and Anticipation.

**Kanati** · 15th April 15, 07:43 PM

It is amazing how a series of disjointed events can align to give meaning and provide comfort.

I have not been following Xmarks as closely as usual due to a heavy work schedule.

I was anticipating spring and some down time since a back injury last year.

This story really starts on Mothers Day (UK). My wife went to the mail box as we were heading out on an errand and began to squeal as she read a mothers day card from our daughter in Edinburgh. She handed it to me and it had a little note in the bottom that read "Dear Grandma and Grandpa, I can't wait to meet you when I am born in October". I have to admit I squealed too.

This will be my second grandchild. My grandson lives near me and I am excited about getting those two together for visits.

My wife has embarked on shipping everything at Babies-R-Us to Scotland.

My work settled down and I was planning a four day Turkey hunting and camping trip in the middle of 3000 acres all by myself. No one else was to show up for 3 days. As I was rushing along on the two hour drive down I blew the EGR cooler in my truck and was stranded on the side of the road. I had to have it towed back to the dealership for about $5000 in repairs. It was a little odd that It really did not bother me that much, I had my wife take me back home and I a enjoyable weekend with my family.

During that weekend, I started to notice bruises on my arms. At first I just wrote it off to maybe bumping my arm as I was packing or loading the truck or looking into the engine compartment. by Sunday there were getting worse. On Monday I was working at home arranging a rental truck thinking I could get a few days in at camp. I decided to call the doctor about the bruises and he suggested I stop by to let him look at it. When I got there he did a blood test and had me wait (He knew were I was going and that it was remote). He came back and told me the trip was off and I was being admitted to the hospital. Apparently I had a blood platelet count less then 3000 and It was life threatening. The next thing I know I am on the "Bubble Wrap Express" to the hospital. I have just spent the last 8 days in the hospital trying to get my count back up so that I do not bleed to death. My arms are blue from massive bruising and I can safely say I am over any fear of needles I may have ever had.

It has been a surreal week of needles, examinations, bone marrow biopsy and being locked in a room.

If it wasn't for family, my grandson and the baby on the way I would have been a mental wreck.

The waiting on bone marrow tests, the truck, camping, gardening and Turkey hunting doesn't even factor into the worry list at this point.

It turns out, had I rushed on to camp, and made it there, I would have been trapped in behind a three that fell in the storm that night. I would have just hunted and waited a few days for my friend to arrive and bring a chain saw. All the while not knowing I could bleed out from a simple head bump or cut on my hand. I would have been in the middle of 3000 acres behind a locked gate and a downed tree.

I still have nightmares about that entirely possible outcome.

Looking back I can see how simple, normally stressing occurrences have conspired to set the stage for me to weather/survive this little bump.

It looks like I will not be able to make Grandfather Mountain or Stone Mountain this year. No Worries. I am planning on Glasgow, Ky games next month.

I and my wife have postponed our trip to Edinburgh this summer so that we can be there for the arrival of our new grand baby.

In speaking with my daughter, I am told that if it is a boy they are going to name him Hamish. How perfect!

I can't wait for what happens next.