Breaking the News

When we found out about Emma's Macular Dystrophy we ended up in doctors appoints for 3 hours.  People knew something was going on.  I got a call from my mom at the office and after I hung up, Emma wanted me to call Wendell.  The phone call went something like this.

"Hi sweetie!  It's me.  We are at the doctor's office, still.  Emma has been diagnosed with Macular Degeneration!  She's going to get a shot in her eye now!  Isn't that great that they can do something!  Alrighty.  The doctor's here so I better go.  I'll call you later!"

See how perky I was.  I didn't want to be, but Emma was right there.  He and I talked later for real.  But that was how I broke the news.

When I found out about Nathan and Annika, I knew this was not news I could break over the phone.  I wanted to get to Wendell--to be with him.  I wanted him to hold me.  I wanted a safe place to fall apart.

So I wracked my brain with what to come up with to make sure he was in his office, and not running some errand or other, without worrying him or have him press me for news on the phone.

All the way home from the doctors office, I fought the tears.  Hold it together, I said to myself, hold it together. As we approached home, I had a thought.

"Kids," I said, "I'm going to drop you off at home with Emma and go to Dad's work to fax something that Dr. Lloyd gave me."

When I got home, I said hey to Emma and got my fax number and took off.  Wendell got the same story and he was, thankfully, at the store.

When I walked into Honda, Wendell was waiting for me up front.

"Come with me," I said as I walked to his office.

"Why?  What?...  Where are you going?  My office is locked," Wendell sputtered.

"Go get your keys," I said and kept my back to the sales office.  I felt eyes on me.  But I was just barely holding it together.  Wendell came around the corner with his keys and unlocked the office.  I bolted in and shut the door behind us, sat down and fell apart as planned.

"Emma's not the only one with Macular Dystrophy," I explained.  "Nathan AND Annika have it too."

Wendell was in shock.  He asked questions starting with things like, "Are you sure?" and ending with questions about what to do next.

We made plans.  He hugged me.  I cried a bunch. Wendell got me tissues.  I pulled myself together and we went to the other office and sent the fax. Wendell told me to go to Wendy's and buy the kids dinner.  He would run an errand for work and pick us salads for us at Zuppas.  As I pulled out, I picked up my cell phone and began making calls.