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Posted by Dan Shockley on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 16:07:52 :
In Reply to: Re: swivel frame pics posted by Randy Baker on Saturday, August 23, 2008 at 13:56:45 :
I am in Galena, Missouri....
It has been a weird week. We came to the US for home leave on August 1st. We had rented a cabin on Tablerock Lake, and were going to check out the house that we just bought...
Well, we spent the first three days in the hospital. Amber started having contractions on the flight over. At 24 weeks, this was a huge concern. After 3 days, they got everything under control with medicine.
Fast forward two weeks...
With the end of the vacation closing, it was time for me to go back to work on Tuesday. With Amber's condition, the doctors wouldn't let her travel back to Shanghai - not that we wanted to with the complications developing in her pregnancy. So, I talked with my boss and figured out a plan for me to visit her here in Missouri about once per month. And, I left for China. It was really hard to leave.
I arrived in China late on Tuesday evening, settled in and came to the realization that it was going to be a long few months (she is due in mid-November). Wendesday went pretty well. Thursday morning I spoke to Amber on the phone - she had been having a stressful day because of our local phone company. They got the bright idea to change her phone number. Well, living in Rural MO by herself, and having a husband overseas, and doctors constantly checking in on her, this was stress she didn't need...
She started having contractions regularly. After four hours of regular contractions with no relief, she called the doctor's nurse. The nurse, fearing for the worse, called an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, she called me at work to fill me in on the action. Needless to say, the next couple hours, sitting in my office, feeling completely helpless were very difficult for me. Somewhere along the way, I decided that I was in the wrong country.
Amber is now doing better. She was discharged with some new medicine and some reassurance that things were going better. And, I got on a plane 3 hours later and came back to her side.
I am very fortunately to work for a company that gives me this flexibility and support in a time like this. And, to have a team that can allow me to be effective, remotely. I am not sure how long I will be able to stay here, but I won't be leaving until Amber is stable and the baby is old enough to be out of the danger zone.
By the way, the picture of Jonas' truck on the website is from the 2005 rally. The picture that I posted is from 2006.
Have a great day,
Dan
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