Yesterday Northern California was hit with one of the biggest storms we've had in over a decade. While other people were running around gathering flashlights, candles and batteries. . . I was checking Scarlett's emergency bag and going over all the different scenarios that could happen, if I sent my daughter to school, on the brinks of a natural disaster.
It didn't take me long to decided that she wouldn't be going to school and I couldn't risk flash floods or down power lines being a reason I couldn't get to her, in case of an emergency. Days like this I'm reminded of Scarlett's bleeding disorder more than usual. My daughter and I have the rare bleeding disorder-Platelet Storage Pool Disorder, which leaves us constantly trying to get out of harms way and questioning the "what if's" all the time.
I'm ALWAYS worried, being a working Mom, that I'm not going to be able to get to Scarlett if she's having a bad bleed. Being a California girl, natural disasters like earthquakes are always in the back of my mind . . .What if roads are blocked? What if I can't get her medicine to her? What if a tree lands on the school? . . .but
Yesterday, during our super storm, I was flooded with new fears. . .While getting ready for work, I literally began to get anxiety with the thought of taking Scarlett out in the storm. There was flooding everywhere, endless street closures and I had a 20 minute drive ahead of me. . . .What if we get in a car accident? What if it floods and I can't get to her once I've gone to work and she's at school or back at home? What if she get's stuck at school? What if nobody can get to her? What if I get in a car accident? What if floods and road closures make it so it takes too long to get to the hospital?
All these thoughts racing through my head and I was on my way to go play with cooped up preschoolers all day. Fortunately, God had a bigger plan and when I left to go to work, I got to the end of my street and couldn't turn right or left. My neighborhood rests up to a creek which was now flooding . . . and had us surrounded. The water eventually traveled down our street and we literally couldn't get out of our driveway all day.
Which of course led to other fears. . . What if something happens at home and we are flooded in, with no way for an ambulance to get to us? How am I going to keep her and her brother from killing each other? Do I have all the medical supplies where I can find them and still help her if we were to be without power and something DID happen? Are the phones all charged? Is her emergency bag all packed and ready to go?
Yes, yesterday was a definite reminder of all the "what if's" of life with a bleeding disorder when faced with a natural disaster. All in all, we weathered through the storm with no injuries and traumatic experiences. But it was definitely a reminder to be prepared and plan for the worst. As we cuddled in tight yesterday and prayed our house didn't flood I thought of a thousand things that could go wrong and thank God none of them did.
There's no time like the present to make sure there are emergency plans in place for all different kinds of scenarios. Us bleeders have to keep our emergency bags updated, evacuation plans and routes should be discussed and we should ALWAYS have a working phone. Because Scarlett's and my disorder is so rare, we don't have life saving meds with us at home. We are at the mercy of the hospitals if something goes terribly wrong. The fear of not being able to get to a hospital fast enough . . .OR at all. . . is a fear I hadn't faced yet and one I'm hoping I don't have to go through again.
It didn't take me long to decided that she wouldn't be going to school and I couldn't risk flash floods or down power lines being a reason I couldn't get to her, in case of an emergency. Days like this I'm reminded of Scarlett's bleeding disorder more than usual. My daughter and I have the rare bleeding disorder-Platelet Storage Pool Disorder, which leaves us constantly trying to get out of harms way and questioning the "what if's" all the time.
I'm ALWAYS worried, being a working Mom, that I'm not going to be able to get to Scarlett if she's having a bad bleed. Being a California girl, natural disasters like earthquakes are always in the back of my mind . . .What if roads are blocked? What if I can't get her medicine to her? What if a tree lands on the school? . . .but
Yesterday, during our super storm, I was flooded with new fears. . .While getting ready for work, I literally began to get anxiety with the thought of taking Scarlett out in the storm. There was flooding everywhere, endless street closures and I had a 20 minute drive ahead of me. . . .What if we get in a car accident? What if it floods and I can't get to her once I've gone to work and she's at school or back at home? What if she get's stuck at school? What if nobody can get to her? What if I get in a car accident? What if floods and road closures make it so it takes too long to get to the hospital?
All these thoughts racing through my head and I was on my way to go play with cooped up preschoolers all day. Fortunately, God had a bigger plan and when I left to go to work, I got to the end of my street and couldn't turn right or left. My neighborhood rests up to a creek which was now flooding . . . and had us surrounded. The water eventually traveled down our street and we literally couldn't get out of our driveway all day.
Yes, yesterday was a definite reminder of all the "what if's" of life with a bleeding disorder when faced with a natural disaster. All in all, we weathered through the storm with no injuries and traumatic experiences. But it was definitely a reminder to be prepared and plan for the worst. As we cuddled in tight yesterday and prayed our house didn't flood I thought of a thousand things that could go wrong and thank God none of them did.
There's no time like the present to make sure there are emergency plans in place for all different kinds of scenarios. Us bleeders have to keep our emergency bags updated, evacuation plans and routes should be discussed and we should ALWAYS have a working phone. Because Scarlett's and my disorder is so rare, we don't have life saving meds with us at home. We are at the mercy of the hospitals if something goes terribly wrong. The fear of not being able to get to a hospital fast enough . . .OR at all. . . is a fear I hadn't faced yet and one I'm hoping I don't have to go through again.
Written by,
Kari Peepe
©KariPeepe/atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com
Written by,
Kari Peepe
©KariPeepe/atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com
For more stories on raising children, when one of them has a bleeding disorder please check out:
- Raising Siblings, when one of them has a special disorder: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/11/raising-siblings-when-one-of-them-has.html
- A Mother's Guilt: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-mother-guilt.html
- It Takes a Village: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/12/it-takes-village.html
- My little prince, (the non bleeder): http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-little-prince.html
- Family Fun Days-keeping the kids entertained safely: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/family-fun-days.html
- My son bites Scarlett: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/no-no-bite.html
- Another Day of Being Riddled w/Guilt: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/another-day-of-being-riddled-with-guilt.html
- The What if's: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-what-ifs-of-life-with-bleeding.html
- Call me paranoid, but this is the parent I've become: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/12/call-me-paranoid-but.html
- Scarlett learns to give back: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-gift-of-giving.html
- Scarlett learns to advocate: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/10/proudest-momma-on-blockmy-little.html
- Becoming her own protector: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/10/infusing-loveher-own-protector.html
For more stories on raising children, when one of them has a bleeding disorder please check out:
- Raising Siblings, when one of them has a special disorder: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/11/raising-siblings-when-one-of-them-has.html
- A Mother's Guilt: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-mother-guilt.html
- It Takes a Village: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2013/12/it-takes-village.html
- My little prince, (the non bleeder): http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/01/my-little-prince.html
- Family Fun Days-keeping the kids entertained safely: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/family-fun-days.html
- My son bites Scarlett: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/02/no-no-bite.html
- Another Day of Being Riddled w/Guilt: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/04/another-day-of-being-riddled-with-guilt.html
- The What if's: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-what-ifs-of-life-with-bleeding.html
- Call me paranoid, but this is the parent I've become: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2014/12/call-me-paranoid-but.html
- Scarlett learns to give back: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-gift-of-giving.html
- Scarlett learns to advocate: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/10/proudest-momma-on-blockmy-little.html
- Becoming her own protector: http://atouchofscarlett.blogspot.com/2015/10/infusing-loveher-own-protector.html
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