I just got home from spending the day with the Sheltons at the hospital. There is nothing new to report. That wasn't already covered in a previous note or post. Surgery is tentatively set for 10:00AM Friday morning, they are giving the steroids plenty of time to do their job and started working on getting sarah to eat some today.
This post is more to address the "How is everyone...really?" questions.
1st of all let me say that I do not speak on behalf of the Sheltons or any friends or family, this is just what I observed from spending the day with them.
Really... everyone's world has been shaken up. And really... no one is excited, happy or joyful in the fact that poor sweet Sarah has a brain tumor. I want that to be clear before you read on, but the day I just had can be described as nothing less than joyful, hopeful and even, at moments, fun.
Jan told me that this morning a nurse came in and asked Sarah who she was, where she was and why she was there. One question at a time Sarah responded, "Sarah Shelton, Stillwater, because my head hurts." A little later after Sarah had been alert for a bit Jan took the opportunity to tell her again everything that had happened. Explaining that she was in St. Fransis in Tulsa because she had a brain tumor and describing some of the events that had gotten her there. Jan told me she also explained to Sarah that they knew this was just a start in what would be a difficult section of her life. "But," Jan told me, "I also told her that from what I knew, attitude was really important in her getting better and that I needed her start fighting now so she could start getting better soon." Jan then asked her if she understood what she was hearing. "She was very tired and couldn't form words at that point so I just asked her to blink twice if she understood me. She blinked once and then kinda squinted like she was trying to blink a second time so I took that to mean that she did."
Shortly after having that conversation Jana told me to go ahead and let her know that I was here, so I woke her up and told her good morning. She rolled her head toward me and stared blankly. I asked her if she knew who I was and she didn't respond at all. She just scratched at tubes in her head and rolled the other direction as Jan pulled her hands away. Needless to say that was disheartening. I went back out to the waiting room to sit and talk with the rest of the family and friends who had come to stay.
Just about an hour after that I think it was Jared (brother) had gone back to check on her. He came out and excitedly said, "She's awake and she knows where she is. Jarrod (boyfriend), she's asking for you and she is talking better than she has yet!" The nurse had come in and asked her the three questions again and this time she answered. "Sarah Shelton, St. Fransis and I have a tumor.” So for the next couple of hours we all took our turns going back a few at a time to talk with her and really... just to see what she'd say. ;-)
When each person would return they'd share the funniest comment she'd made while they had been back there. Now some of the comments were funny just because she is still pretty tired and out of it. Like when she asked Laura to bring Cali back to see her. Laura explained that they didn't allow babies back where Sarah was staying. Jana said she got a really confused look on her face and half stated and half asked, "I won't hurt her?" But, not all of her humor was because she was out of it.
When I took my turn, she recognized me immediately and began talking with me. Her speech is slurred some and it takes lots of thought for her to form her words but she definitely wanted to talk with people. We talked about what movies she'd want to watch if she could and she said a Disney movie, specifically The Little Mermaid. When I asked her why she said, "Because Prince Eric is so hot!" Then she grinned at herself, opened her eyes and looked around the room for Jarrod, her boyfriend.
Before I left during that time I told her she had a room full of brothers and sisters out there that would probably bring her anything she wanted, and that if they didn't she could just tell me and I'd thump them for her. Again she grinned and said, "You should just thump them anyway." Then opened her eyes and look at me and laughed a tiny tiny bit.
Sarah has every right to be crabby, unresponsive, serious or just plain cranky, but she's not. Of course she tires easily and like I said a "conversation" with her is very simple right now, but she was trying to make people laugh. Besides that first time I went to see her in the morning, I never went back there when she didn't smile really big when she recognized me and thank me for coming to see her. I think if nothing else, her attitude set the tone for everyone else who was there today.
The whole family functioned together today drawing strength from one another and reminding each other that, "God's got this under control." Board games were broken out to help pass the time, homework was worked on, cell phone games we downloaded and shared, a few friends came by and brought all kinda of food, snacks and drinks, and generally the tone of the day was hopeful, even joyful at moments.
It seems like everyone was just settling in for the long wait until Friday. That girl has so much love and support in the waiting room and all over the state. I told her that she and her penguin were now an internet sensation and that she was an online rock star. She just smiled and said something about "her public" (We didn't catch all of that one and she moved on asking me about my parents before we could ask her to say it again.)
At one point, this evening while Mark was on the phone he said, "We know we've got a long road ahead of us, but today was just pretty much an all around good day." And I couldn't agree more. I was blessed by getting to spend time with the Sheltons today. Catching up with old friends while loving on and lifting each other up was such a blessing! Keep praying for them and especially for Sarah. She is already fighting... and laughing as much as she can. :-)
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