Theresa Rose Clyde's Web Site

October 23, 2002 - July 20, 2003

(T-cell, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia)

Late in the afternoon of July 16, 2003, mom was holding Theresa and noticed her eyes not blinking. Non-stop seizures began almost immediately and we rushed her to the ER where a CT scan told us Theresa had experienced a massive brain hemorrage and the cause was t-cell, A.L.L. We rode a roller coaster of hope for 3 days, but Our Lord called Theresa home at 1:16 a.m. on July 20, 2003. She came into this world being held by her daddy and went to heaven cradled in her mommy's loving arms. The doctors figure that she had her A.L.L. for 1 - 2 weeks maximum and likened it to a wild fire that was completely out of control. You can read of her last 3 days by going to "past journal entries" and scrolling to the very bottom. Thank you for reading Theresa's story and our journey through grieving her earthly loss. We appreciate your prayers!

Journal

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 8:24 PM CST

"Lord I do believe, help my unbelief!" Mark 9:24

One week ago, we brought Sam to urgent care because he was having trouble breathing. I was concerned, but knew he had also been fighting a pretty bad cold. It was hard seeing him fight for breath, gasping and seeing his chest indent the way Theresa's did when she was a newborn with PRS. Following a chest x-ray that ruled out pneumonia (Sam was not at all amused with that procedure), a cbc (not bad on the numbers), but low readings on his oxygen saturations the doctor decided we should go down to the ER and get him checked further. I was a bit white knuckled on the drive, trying to imagine how Nate even got us down to the ER when Theresa was seizing and doing much worse than Sam was. Once down at the ER, I actually parked close to where we had parked with Theresa and tried to remember running in with her. Although I remember taking her out of the car and having her fall back (brain bleed had really taken its toll), I didn't remember the run into the ER. Once inside, everything looked relatively familiar and that was actually comforting. The nurse who checked Sam in was great and caring, doing her best to keep him comfortable. While waiting to go in, another mother and I chatted. She said "she'd been through it all" with her 3 children with stitches, strep, broken arm, etc. I didn't offer Theresa's story, but could have genuinely told her that indeed she had not been "through it all". But, its all relative isn't it? I'm sure there are plenty of other parents out there who've been through much worse than us as well. Soon a nurse called Sam's name and she brought us to our room in the back. On our way, we passed the two rooms that Theresa had initially visited. One room was where they tried to stabilize her and stop her seizures. I remembered it well, but it seemed so much bigger now. When we were there I just remember kneeling at gurney level and talking to her, wanting her not to be scared. The room seemed very small at that time. Directly adjacent to that room was one where she had been intubated, while beginning to fail and start arresting. That room gave me pause, as it was the start of many serious interventions that we hoped would save her life. I paused by these rooms and the nurse kinda looked at me, I shared that Theresa had been here and eventually died. She offered condolences, but no doubt mine was not the first story she had heard of its kind. I also saw the small "family room" where Nate and I had called a few people requesting prayers for Theresa. That was not a fun room and it was a time of great worry not knowing what the heck was going on with her. It has been 5 1/2 years since I've been back there and I can't say I've missed it. Thanks be to God that once we were settled (of course) in the ER room, Sam began to do much better. His temp (104, aided by a big dose of ibuprofen) dropped, his breathing gradually became better and he actually perked up a bit. No doubt, his saintly big sister in heaven was joining her prayers with ours in interceding for him.

Sam is fully recovered at this point and we hope its a long, long, long time until we ever (hopefully never) have to visit an ER again!

God bless you and thanks for checking in with Theresa and us.

Hospital Information:

Patient Room:

Heaven, safe in the arms of Jesus

Links:

E-mail Author: WeLoveTeesa@Earthlink.Net

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