by Jill Rumbley-Beam
No one likes detours, roadblocks or closures! Boy, did I experience a detour in life on July 22, 2024! This was a Monday morning, and I was all excited because I was giving the morning devotional for the Zig Ziglar Corporation. I woke up at 4:00am with a huge back ache, which I never had. I got out of bed and stretched and bent and thought I will go back to bed, and it will go away, only to wake up at 6:00am with my left leg three times bigger than my right leg. I could hardly move, and my husband was out of town, at our lake house. I called him and he said call 911. So, I did and two very nice looking, Garland Firemen take me to Methodist Richardson. I wasn’t supposed to be in the hospital. I had a devotional to give, followed by an exercise class to teach in Rowlett and then go to my tap practice with Class Act. But no, God had another plan and direction. The emergency staff immediately did an ultrasound only to find out I had blood clots all up and down my left leg. What? I’m supposed to be healthy, after all I taught 43 years of Jazzercise. But I had numerous blood clots. I was admitted to the hospital, and I had surgery to remove most of the clots. They went in and roto rooted what they could get out, from the back of my leg. I’ve never had surgery where I had to be on my stomach. Not a very comfortable position. I was assigned a very nice vascular surgeon, at the hospital, Dr. Erica Devanian. She told me and my husband that she was a able to get most of them out but I would have to come back to the hospital for “outpatient” surgery to remove the rest. So, I was discharged on Thursday and came back the following week on Friday for the second surgery. This time, I got to be on my back. Once again, they roto rooted the remainder of the clots, so they thought?? I was just about to be discharged and I got up to go to the bathroom, became very short winded and there was a concern that some fragments of the clots had gone to my lungs. Guess what? They did. I was back in the hospital for another four-day stint.
Why did I get these clots with vengeance? Well, believe it or not, my mom had this same episode twenty-three years ago! Is this something you inherit? Or was I slowed down! Who knows but I know I hit a roadblock and took a detour. Here’s what I learned:
R: In life we must sometimes learn to be Resilient!
O: Sometimes we just must Overcome those roadblocks in life!
A: Acceptance, where sometimes we must deal with changes in life!
D: Determine to deal with what has happened and follow doctor’s orders!
B: Be happy despite what you’re having to go through!
L: Look on the bright side of life!
O: Be Observant so hopefully you learn something to prevent it from happening again
C: Be Calm. Stress is the number one killer so try to remain calm when dealing with detours
K: Be Kindhearted. I had to deal with a lot of hospital staff through nightly wake ups with blood draws and vital sign checkups.
I have so many people to thank throughout my detour. First and foremost, my sweet husband, Ken Beam, who was there by my side the whole time! He’s a keeper! My sweet mama, who was concerned the whole time and prayed daily! Marcie Baker, my best friend from junior high and high school, came at 6:30 am to be with me until my husband returned from our lake house. Marcie was the conduit to keep everyone posted of my condition. Mary Ann Rethke, my Class Act sister, came to the hospital and my house almost every day. My Class Act Tap Company Sisters, my Noteworthy Sisters, my Cameo Club Sisters, my MS Texas Senior America Sisters, my park department friends, my Follies Family, Cindy Baker and my Forney Jazzercise sisters and more! Thank you everyone for the support and concern during this roadblock. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful Debra Saxon and the Celebration Magazine Staff and another special staff member, Mary Frances Hansen, my Pageant Mother who were there for me.
I’ve learned from many detours in my life, and I’ve learned that they are going to happen. So, don’t let things that are thrown at you leave a mark, you can always take a swing to knock them out of the ballpark. Right from the beginning, right from the start, you can achieve what you want because you gave it all your heart. Sometimes it may seem you’re getting nowhere but add this to your smarts…A large fire begins with a spark!
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