Simply Lou: Damn Near Died

article by Lou Davenport

I wish I could tell you that I have been on tour with the Rolling Stones for the past two months but, although I wish that were true, it ain’t. On August 10th, my whole life changed in a matter of seconds. I woke up, started to get out of bed and couldn’t walk. My knees gave out. I knew I was in some kind of trouble but wasn’t sure what kind. I crawled to my couch, found my phone, and called my daughter, Carolyn. I told her I needed her to bring me some ginger ale and cheese crackers. She thought I sounded weird, so she and my son-in-law, Ty, came on over (with the ginger ale). I figured I must have the stomach virus and I would be okay. When they saw how awful I looked, they called Paige, and she and Matt rushed over.

Of course, I argued with them about how I didn’t want to go to the hospital, and to just leave me alone. I could not win that argument, and Matt threw me over his shoulder, (yeah, like Fabio) and carried me to the backseat of Carolyn’s ride. By then, I was talking “all out my head,” and sure didn’t know how sick I truly was!

I don’t even remember getting to the hospital. Sometime later I finally came around in ICU on the second floor and was confused as to why I was there. I noticed I had a central line and all kinds of IV bags hanging from it. I told everyone I saw that I felt like I looked like Keith Richards! Well, I wasn’t just sick, I really had “damn near died.” They told me that I’d had a heart attack! I told them, “NO, I HAD NOT,” and they assured me I HAD! I was dehydrated, had colitis (NOT the stomach virus), was septic, all with a touch of pneumonia, and weak as a sick kitten. Then I got it…I was sick, real sick, and I was some kinda scared!

There were all kinds of doctors coming in and out, and like I said, I was “crazy!” I talked to them all, saying all kinds of crazy things. I think my kids wanted to put some duct tape over my mouth, but I do remember being very nice and gracious to everyone in the ICU. The big discussion seemed to be when and who was going to do a heart cath on me. It took days, and I couldn’t have any food or water, and I was getting pretty cranky. FINALLY, they wheeled me down and did the cath. Yep, they were right, I had definitely had a heart attack at some time or another. To this day, I can’t remember having one. And after that cath, I finally got that water I had been begging for. They brought me “the clear diet,” and it was just bad. I ate my Jell-O, though!

I had a cat scan and found out how hard of a head I have. I’d fallen down a few times, and they wanted to see if I’d done any damage to myself. Luckily, I come from a long line of “hard heads,” and I guess that comes in handy at times!

And, you do NOT want to mess around with colitis of any kind. It’s some bad stuff. All I am gonna say is IT IS BAD. Just believe me. It’s horribly bad, and I lost 20 pounds.

I guess on about day three or four, I got sent up to the fifth floor and stayed there a week to recuperate from my glorious long list of ailments. I don’t remember much about it either, except the view was beautiful from my room, and everybody was very nice. I was still, as John Prine sings, “Crazy as a Loon.” They did start letting me have real food! HALLELUJAH! They kept talking about sending me up to the 7th floor for rehab whenever a bed became available, and all I wanted was to see my dog, Walter.

The day came when I had recovered enough to be moved, and there was a room for me on the 7th floor. First of all, I have to say I met the sweetest group of nurses up there, and they took the very best possible care of me. I was there so long, I consider several of them dear friends, now. They also have some of the hardest working therapists, OT and PT, and they worked me over! There was no giving up with them! I’m not saying therapy was easy, but I just tried my best and some days I did better than others. They wouldn’t let me give up, and by the time I finally got released, I was walking with a walker! Every time I was out walking the halls, I told everyone I was a “stalker with a walker!”

The days did get long, but I had visits from so many people I just love and don’t get to see often. There were friends from my days living in Aberdeen, Mississippi, and some from Vicksburg. I got cards, flowers, and a basket full of goodies that two of my cousins put together. The other cousins all visited and called, and I couldn’t have asked for so much love and support. It was a situation where you could say “It was the worst of times, but it was the best of times.” I can never say thank you enough to them all. I learned to NEVER take anything for granted and always be thankful for your family and friends. How thankful I am to the good Lord for giving me another chance. There’s a great song by Rodney Crowell that says it better than I can:

“IT AIN’T OVER YET. I’LL SAY THIS ABOUT THAT.
YOU CAN GET UP OFF THE MAT, OR YOU CAN LAY THERE TIL YOU DIE.
IT AIN’T OVER YET, THAT’S THE TRUTH MY FRIEND.”

During my lengthy illness and stay in the hospital and after I was “set free” from rehab, my daughters took care of business! I am so proud of them and so thankful I have them. At the moment, I stay with Paige during the week and with Carolyn on the weekends. They say they have “joint custody” of me! They are tough on me though, in a good way. Mama hasn’t got to goof off and not do what she’s supposed to do on their watch.

I did get some strange “side effects” from my wild array of illnesses. I no longer have high blood pressure, and I don’t have to take medicine for that anymore. Can I get an amen? I’d rather have salads than fried chicken. Coffee doesn’t taste as good as it used to and I would just rather have water. I lost 20 pounds but I wouldn’t recommend the “diet” I found myself on. I watch football now, and have become a huge LSU and Saints fan!

Pretty soon, I’ll have to “fly solo.” The good Lord gave me a second chance and I sure want to appreciate every day of it. Carolyn, Ty, Paige, and Matt have cleaned out and packed all my stuff, and I will move before long. I just can’t climb the steep steps to the house I have loved living in for the past eight years. I’m also not the gardener I used to be. It’s okay, as most of my plants will live on at Carolyn and Paige’s. I’ll have a few of my favorites to take along with me. My cats are going to live with Paige, and I think they will be very happy there. Plus, I can see them whenever I want to. As for Walter, he’s going with me, I need my buddy!

To all my St. Francis 7th floor friends…Shelia, Tammy, Cowlena, Mr. James, Charity, Larry, Erika, Rhoda, and all my other sweet and wonderful friends, “GOLD STARS” FOR EVERYBODY! I love you all!

And to all of y’all, take care of yourselves! Never, ever take one good thing for granted!

See ya next month with part two of this ongoing adventure of mine!