When Liz was in high school, sitting in a classroom, listening to her teacher lecture, she fainted. Right there, while resting her chin on a clinched fist. Unexpectedly, she lost consciousness. And no one even realized it, except for her friend who was sitting nearby. Before that, when she was in junior high, she took the annual pay for it yourself Washington D.C. trip, and fainted as she was either exiting or entering the bathroom she shared with her friends. That was the first time. Not only did her young friends freak out, but so did she, even more so, when she came to, wondering what had happened.
Of course, as any parent would, I took her to the doctor's for a full examination. Head to toe. Which didn't help much because nothing showed up as a problem; therefore, there was nothing they could do. Which surely didn't help her psyche.
As odd as it sounds, but what this mother needed to see, I witnessed her fainting once, only once, when she was having blood drawn. The red liquid was being sucked out of her arm when suddenly she fell forward. Lost consciousness. But only for 5, 8, maybe 10 seconds, and then she came to, crying, knowing she had fainted again. And not knowing why. Which makes it all the more fearful.
Liz doesn't faint often, and it is a random act. She understands herself, her body's rhythm. She can sense something, and is able to go with it, usually alerting the person she's with so they can steady her. Hold her. Not let her fall. Flat. Onto. The. Floor.
Well, one of the big determining factors of Liz going on this 6 week long vacation, traveling in Europe, from place to place, was not only leaving the comfort of home, not only wanting to prove to herself that she could do it, that it was time for her to grow up a little - break some apron strings (her thinking, not mine), but mostly, she was worried about her fainting spells. Would they occur, and would she be okay?
As I did, as her boyfriend did, as her dad did, as her grandma, aunt and uncle did, as her brothers did, Liz's friends encouraged her to take the leap. That they would be there for her. No matter what. That she couldn't, shouldn't, mustn't step back from such a grand opportunity.
Liz gathered all her strength, and committed herself to the journey of traveling abroad with her friends the day she bought her plane ticket. And she never looked back. Well, not really, but mostly she was letting her strengths guide her rather than her weakness. And thank goodness, because she's been having a delightful time!
Of course, as any parent would, I took her to the doctor's for a full examination. Head to toe. Which didn't help much because nothing showed up as a problem; therefore, there was nothing they could do. Which surely didn't help her psyche.
As odd as it sounds, but what this mother needed to see, I witnessed her fainting once, only once, when she was having blood drawn. The red liquid was being sucked out of her arm when suddenly she fell forward. Lost consciousness. But only for 5, 8, maybe 10 seconds, and then she came to, crying, knowing she had fainted again. And not knowing why. Which makes it all the more fearful.
Liz doesn't faint often, and it is a random act. She understands herself, her body's rhythm. She can sense something, and is able to go with it, usually alerting the person she's with so they can steady her. Hold her. Not let her fall. Flat. Onto. The. Floor.
Well, one of the big determining factors of Liz going on this 6 week long vacation, traveling in Europe, from place to place, was not only leaving the comfort of home, not only wanting to prove to herself that she could do it, that it was time for her to grow up a little - break some apron strings (her thinking, not mine), but mostly, she was worried about her fainting spells. Would they occur, and would she be okay?
As I did, as her boyfriend did, as her dad did, as her grandma, aunt and uncle did, as her brothers did, Liz's friends encouraged her to take the leap. That they would be there for her. No matter what. That she couldn't, shouldn't, mustn't step back from such a grand opportunity.
Liz gathered all her strength, and committed herself to the journey of traveling abroad with her friends the day she bought her plane ticket. And she never looked back. Well, not really, but mostly she was letting her strengths guide her rather than her weakness. And thank goodness, because she's been having a delightful time!
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