There's Still More Story with Tracy Simpson

What is Chapter + Verse?

A faith-forward podcast for people who love Jesus but also love being honest about how weird and wonderful life can be. Hosts Kerrye and Jill tell stories about the Bible, talk about their faith, and dig into what it looks like to follow God through the ordinary chaos of everyday, imperfect life. Real conversations. Real stories. No pretending to have it all together. Pull up a chair, turn the page, and let's go.

Welcome to Chapter and Verse, where people
come on and tell their real stories,

faith, failure, redemption, and the
occasional, "Lord, what are you doing?"

moment.

Some inspiring, some messy, and some that
probably should have come with a warning

label, because through every chapter
of every story, God is still writing.

And He's not afraid of a little chaos.

This is Jill.

And Carrie.

Let's turn the page.

Hey, guys.

We're here with Tracy Simpson.

Been friends since the beginning of time.

Dawn of the age.

Yeah.

So we're, um, we're
excited to have you on.

We're just gonna jump right in.

We know you have tons of chapters in your
life where God has come through for you.

But what are you going
to share about today?

So 28 years ago, in 1998 I had
a ruptured brain aneurysm, so

I'd like to share that story.

Okay.

Mm-hmm.

And how God came through
for you during that story.

Oh, gosh.

I know this story so good
because- Like, I've only heard

it, like, maybe once or twice.

Oh, yay.

Like, just little snippets.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

It'll be like she can- I'm sure
there are details that I- She'll

be able to answer all the questions
that I- Mm-hmm ... won't think of.

Oh, that's perfect.

Yeah.

But okay, so tell us this was...

I know this was in February,
and as I'll just tell this part.

You were planning a surprise party for me.

Yeah.

And and it was a surprise.

It was a surprise.

Because- The party was not.

I mean, no, I mean it.

The party.

I don't, I was surprised because I
remember walking in your house, and

I think I was a little suspicious
of why Arlene was just sitting there

staring at me, 'cause she didn't hide.

And and then I was like, "Oh, hey."

And I just, I knew something was
going on, but I didn't know what,

but I did not expect a party, so.

Wow.

And then everybody jumped out
from everywhere and surprised me.

Oh.

Do you even remember that party?

I...

No.

No.

Honestly, I don't.

Yeah.

Well- I do remember I remember
cleaning for that party.

'Cause that's the important part.

And I think of that now, and I'm
like, I had all these random strangers

in my house with four little girls.

Mm-hmm.

And yeah.

Hold on.

Okay Random strangers- Mm-hmm.

No.

Okay ... that were part of a birthday
party for one of your besties.

Yeah.

Well, some of them weren't
very close to you, though.

No.

They were random strangers as
far as being- Being in your house

being in my home.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, first time- Oh, s- ... to my
house ... yeah, she wouldn't have

cared about me- Gotcha ... and Bobby
probably, her, "Yeah, come on in."

No, y'all just come on in.

Or family, like Arlene, you
wouldn't have cared, but it

was people who don't usually...

I don't even remember who all
was there because, well, first

of all, it was 28 years ago.

And I was pregnant with my
first, and so I was pretty fat.

I remember that- ... in
the party pictures.

You were, you were- ... heavily pregnant.

Yes, like you, he- 'Cause his,
he's- March 4th is when he came, so.

Yeah.

Okay, and that's a little, that's a
little story within the story, too,

because- Yeah ... 'cause you had
actually asked me if I would be in there.

Yeah, you were...

I, well, I wanted you to be there
at the birth and everything, like.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, because at that point,
I'd had four children.

Mm-hmm.

And this was your first-
Yeah ... your rainbow baby.

Yeah.

So after our party that
party, what happened?

'Cause it happened that evening.

Mm-hmm.

So now you take over and tell us
just the kind of events, you know.

Leading up to that.

Were you...

Did you have a headache that day?

I, actually, I was asked that
afterwards "Did you have a headache?

Were you..."

And I just remember, of course,
so I had four little girls.

Mm-hmm.

But and I was pregnant with our
fifth, and I was only about three

months pregnant with our fifth.

But I remember, it wasn't a bad enough
headache to make me note it- Mm-hmm

... somebody actually said, "I remember
you saying that you had a headache."

And I was like, "I did?"

And then, and I thought, well,
I'm scrambling around- Mm-hmm

trying to clean a less than clean
house very cluttered house, and anyway,

and trying to, you know, be a mom- Do
all the things ... of all the things.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I'm thinking, of
course I had a headache.

But anyway, and I guess I men- I
mention it, but I don't remember.

So, no, I did not have a headache
that you would be suspicious of.

Well, a headache that you would be
like, "Oh, yeah, that explains it."

Oh, yeah, that headache.

Yeah.

No.

That was my aneurysm cooking.

That really doesn't...

No.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Anyway, so no, I didn't.

What, what led up to it, I don't know.

I mean, I had this party for you.

I had lots of people,
you know, in and out.

Lots of children in and out.

Mm-hmm.

But I mean, nothing- Nothing out of the
ordinary ... nothing out of ordinary.

Yeah.

No, not at all.

But so our best friend, David
Ballmer, shout out to David Ballmer.

So he was just hanging out at the
house afterwards, and we were talking.

It was after midnight,
which is not unusual.

Mm-hmm.

And we're talkers.

He's a talker, you know, so...

But I do remember going, "I am so
tired," and this was a Saturday,

February 22- Yeah, by the time- ... 1st.

Well- It was actually your birthday.

Yeah.

The 21st.

We might need to edit that out.

She just outed your birthday-
Oh, you did ... on the pod.

And I don't like people to know that.

Just kidding.

I mean, ish.

It's all right.

It's all right.

Anyway, so, so I just remember going...

And I have FOMO, like if there's
talk, if there's conversation-

You wanna be out there listening.

Yeah, but I just remember leaning
against the couch, and I'm just like...

I was so tired and David Ballmer actually
said, he goes, "Are you feeling okay?"

And I said, "I am exhausted,"
and I was like, "Peace out.

You know, I'm going.

I'm gonna take a shower.

I'm going to bed."

So anyway, I did.

Took a shower and went to bed.

And 'cause we got church the next morning.

Mm-hmm.

And then around midnight, David woke...

Or not midnight, this
was already midnight.

Sometime in the m- in the wee
hours of the night David said he

woke up to my, like a screech.

Mm-hmm.

Like a real high-pitched screech, and
so he flipped his light on, and he said

my eyes were rolled back in my head.

And he...

And anyway, and he, he saw
that I had wet the bed.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, so immediately he's
like, he did a tongue sweep.

He's like, you know, trying to jar me
awake or whatever, and I was unresponsive.

So he ran down the hall, this was in 1998.

Mm-hmm.

And he got the wall phone.

I love it.

I love it.

With the long, stretchy, the
long, stretchy coiled cord,

and he called he called 911.

He called his mom and dad first and
said- ... "Mom, you know, Tracey's

not responding," or whatever.

And then she said, "Call
911," so he called 911.

And mind you, we don't have insurance, so-
Mm-hmm ... calling them, you know- Yeah

... that's just not first thing we think of.

But anyway, so, at this point
he had 911 on the phone, and

they said, "Is she responding?"

He said, "I don't know," so he ran
down to the bedroom, and he carried

me and laid me in the hall so he
could talk to them on the phone.

So anyway so of course his mom
and dad are in the car on their

way, and the ambulance got there.

And of course I'm unresponsive, so
I don't remember any of this part.

But I guess they- Put oxygen on me.

I don't know any of that part.

But anyway, they took me to St.

Mary's and Todd Carter was the ER doctor,
and he and I actually graduated together.

We were friends in high school.

And anyway, David said that Todd was
just, like, in my face, 'cause, you

know, of course with an aneurysm,
there's no outward, you know, what...

Did she eat anything?

Is she bleed- you know, there's
nothing outward that's indicating

that there's any- anything going on.

Right, right.

And so, he's asking David all
the questions, and David's

like, "There's nothing."

And so he said, David said that Todd was
just, like, in my face, like, "Tracy,"

and he's, like, pounding on my sternum.

And y- and Todd was a friend,
acquaintance of yours.

Yeah.

So you knew him.

Yeah, he was.

Yeah.

Yeah, we graduated together.

We were friends from high school and
anyway, That's traumatic for him, too.

So were you- ... were you having
any kind of response to, like, the

sternal rub and, like- No ... painful
stimuli or- No ... anything at all?

And at this point, my
bowels had shut down.

Okay.

I was vomiting and
anyway, and so, it was...

It didn't, it wasn't looking good.

But anyway, so no, I was
not responding to that.

Well, you know, you say that.

I don't know.

I never- Right ... that's not a
question I've ever thought of.

Okay.

I just was curious.

But the medical- It is ... the medical
side of your- You had to turn it off.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so, anyway so at that point
and I just feel like it was the

Holy Spirit prompt, 'cause Todd's
a believer, and he was just like...

And he, I've talked to him since
then, and he said I was just

like, "Order a, a CT scan."

Mm-hmm.

And so they they wheel me into the CT.

There's a story with that, too, and
it's beautiful story of that, too.

But anyway, so they wheel me into
the CT, and they saw a bleeder right

there above my right eyebrow, I guess.

Anyway, they saw a bleeder and so called
called Baptist in Little Rock, and he

was talking to a neurologist there,
and they said, you know, what to do.

Slow my vitals down- Mm-hmm ... whatever.

I don't know.

But in the meantime, so, it's okay
to shout out people, like- Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

So, Yeah, the heroes- Yeah

of the time.

The heroes of the time.

Yeah.

So at that, like, you know, and
from what I understand, of course,

this was- Well, you even...

What time...

you got a phone call.

The next- Of course, this
was all before cell phones-

Yes ... all before social media.

Mm-hmm.

So evidently, like, the waiting room
was not filling up with people, but

there was, like, quite a few people
that had gotten the phone tree- even

in the wee hours of the morning.

But my best friend at the time,
Mark and Pam Settles- Mm-hmm ... pam

was at home with their, with
Brianne and Jared were little.

Mm-hmm.

And and the story that just kind of
brings me, makes me smile though is that

you know Leonard Crow, our county- Yeah

coroner, and, Oh, Leonard.

We love him.

Such a great dude.

He's loving life right now.

Yeah.

Yep.

Up in heaven.

But anyway, so, Mark Settles
was in the waiting room to...

so that he could report back to
Pam what was going on with me.

And Mark told Pam, he said, "I knew
it was bad when Leonard came from

the back," and he was wiping tears.

Oh, man.

And I'm like, "I made Leonard Crow cry?"

Because when you're, like, a
county coroner and you see so much

death, like, you're not affected
the same way as, we are now.

Yeah.

And Leonard is always jovial and
laughing- Mm-hmm ... and all that.

And I was like...

So I've always thought, "Wow,
I made Leonard Crow cry."

But on the flip side of that is that's
how serious it was, that he was like,

"This doesn't look good," kind of thing.

Anyway so from there it was get me to
Baptist where the neurologists were.

So the plan was for a a med flight,
but there was a cloud cover, and

so Leonard ended up driving me
in the ambulance to Baptist.

And from what I understand, and I don't
know the layout of the cab of a, of

an ambulance, but David said somehow
Leonard adjusted something where he

was able to see through and back to me.

Mm-hmm.

So David let...

He let...

Leonard let David sit up front,
and they prayed the whole

way to- Mm-hmm little Rock.

And he said, "Just keep your eye
on that lifeline or something."

I don't know that part, 'cause I don't
know how the ambulance is laid out.

But in my mind, it's something like
he moved the mirror or something so

that David could see in the back.

But- Mm-hmm ... anyway,
it's just sweet to me.

, So again, I, when we got to Little
Rock, I was still out but there was...

David said as one of the nurses
in the ER- One of the very first

people was another student friend
of mine that I graduated high school

with, and she's also a believer.

And- Goodness gracious

yeah.

And so she, like, you
know, "What do we have?"

And so David talked to her and...

Anyway, so at this point I just
remember that my head felt really tight.

I don't remember, like, pain.

I guess I hurt, but I just
remember, it just felt like a vice.

And I couldn't open my eyes, and I just
remember thinking, I just wanted to put

, the palms of my hands in my eye sockets,
'cause I could see the lights going over

my head, and every noise and every light.

So yeah, my head hurt
Yeah ... 'cause it was throbbing.

So- Migraine on steroids.

Yeah, probably.

Yeah.

But- Probably a little worse than
that ... remember yeah But yeah,

you know, migraine, aneurysm, sure.

But I just remember everything
just being really sensitive

to sound and sight and, light.

And so the nurses were like,
"Do you know your name?

Do you know where you are?

Do you know what happened?"

And I just remember telling my name and
my birth date, and all I know is I'm in

the hospital and my head hurts really bad.

Yeah, my head hurt.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And so I was answering all the questions,
which now I realize they're, like, seeing

how, - Yeah ... you know, and trying
to figure out, like- If any damage.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And I knew that it was...

I knew what day it was.

I knew my kids.

You know, I just do remember
all of those detailed questions.

But I could not see faces,
because I could not open my eyes.

I remember there being, like, a
buzz around sh, she's pregnant,"

you know, and they're- 'cause
I was pregnant at that time.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway so I'm just hearing voices and
I don't know what the room looked like.

I don't know faces at all.,

I know, where the people, where they
were walking and talking and whatever,

so I could kind of see what, hear in
my, see in my brain what was going on.

But I do remember a doctor, I guess
the OB doctor or something, asked

how far along I was, and then they
wheeled in an ultrasound, ... So then

I remember the doctor starting to say
something about D&C, and I'm like, wait,

and I'm hearing the word hemorrhage.

And so I'm just trying to piece things
together, and nobody's talking to me.

Everybody's talking to each other.

And then I do remember David
saying, "Sir, can we please go

outside and talk about this?"

And so he and the doctor stepped outside,
this doctor was already planning a D&C,

and here I'm in, you know- Like, yeah

I've not even had brain surgery yet.

Yeah.

So anyway so I do remember David
being in the room- He's just

looking at it as an inevitability-
Yeah ... that this pregnancy is gonna

be lost in order to- Yeah ... in
the process of saving your life.

Yeah.

Like, this is not gonna be viable-
But he was, his bedside manner-

after surgery ... was not good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I just remember hearing,
like, annoyance in David's voice.

It wasn't fear.

It wasn't...

He was just, like, really
annoyed, and I was like, "Okay."

And so, but I still didn't know what was
going on, and I'm just praying, like,

"No, there's nothing gonna happen to this
baby," and I've got my hand on my stomach

So the plan, what I understood,
and again, I'm not seeing faces,

was , we're gonna wait this out.

I did wait it out- Mm-hmm ... and
kinda keep me monitored to,

check my vitals, whatever.

Mm-hmm.

'Cause I guess you can't just
go in and clamp the, the-

Yeah ... bleed or whatever.

- the doctor who was your brain surgeon,
he's not alive anymore either, is he?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, he is?

Oh, I mean, I think he is 'cause
he did- Oh, I didn't know.

So that's another story.

David, so David all of a sudden, I
mean, brain surgery was inevitable.

They were gonna have to go in
and put a clip on the aneurysm.

Mm-hmm.

And so they had slowed everything
down so that it wasn't, like, pumping,

continuing to pump blood out, 'cause
it had actually ruptured, of course.

David suddenly, you know, I'm 28.

He's barely 30, and he's got to he's
gotta decide what doctor is gonna be

cutting his- Yeah ... wife's brain open.

So anyway, or head open, and
so, so he's like he's got this

doctor, and he's got this doctor.

So he's asking nurses, like, "Here's
my two choices," like, what...

Yeah.

And everybody was saying,
"Oh, you can't go wrong."

So one of them was an older man.

He was very experienced.

But then Dr.

Schlesinger, he was younger,
you know, he didn't have the

experience, but he was very good.

And so he was like, "I'm
not getting anything.

Like, I don't...

I know everybody's like, 'Well, pray.'"

Like, someone tell me- Yeah,
tell me too ... which one to do.

Yeah.

Like, I get that they're both
great, but tell me which one.

Yes.

Yeah.

So David said, you know, and of
course I'm oblivious to all of this,

but David said, "I was standing in
there ," and his mom and dad were

there, Bud Avance and Terry Parker- Ah

who was a friend, and they were all
standing around, and they're like- Okay.

And he's like, "I don't
know, I don't know."

And then in walks Dr.

Schlesinger, and he extended
his hand, and he said, "Hi.

I'm Scott Schlesinger.

I'm your wife's ser,
surgeon," or whatever.

And Dave was like, "Okay,
there's my answer."

So he said immediately he's
explaining all the details.

He said, "We're gonna keep a
watch on her," , we expect to

have the surgery, I think this...

this was Sunday morning, so we're
expecting to have the surgery

Tuesday, possibly Wednesday,
was kinda what he was saying.

Just depending on my vitals or whatever.

So, he said, "Is there anything else?

Do you have any more questions?"

And David said, "Just one more.

Can we pray for you?"

And so Scott, Dr.

Schlesinger, stood in the middle, and they
all laid their hands on him and prayed.

Mm-hmm.

I thought that was pretty cool.

That is pretty cool.

Yeah, that is cool.

So anyway so my mom lived in
Florida at the time, so she

got an emergency flight in.

And I remember she came...

I was coherent at this time, and
she came in, and I remember her

holding my hand, ... and I just
remember thinking, "My mom's here."

Mm-hmm.

And, you know, I was asleep.

I mean, nobody would have known
if I- Yeah ... was awake or not.

But I just remember, I said,
"Oh, Mama, you made it."

. So my mom stayed with me that night,
and then the very next morning, Dr.

Schlesinger came in, and I guess he
had my charts, and he said, "Well,

your daughter is one strong girl."

And he said, "We're gonna go
ahead and prep her for the OR."

Yeah.

I was like, I feel like it
happened sooner than that.

Yeah, it did.

Like, it was- Wow ... a Saturday.

So it wasn't a situation where
your vitals deteriorated, and they

were like, "Oh no, we have to do
surgery sooner rather than later."

It was like, "Oh no, she's,
like, doing well enough- Yeah

she can tolerate this."

Yeah.

Okay.

So this was Sunday evening
or Monday at this point?

Monday.

This was, Monday, right?

Monday, yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

Wow.

Because yeah, and I remember somebody
saying, "Well, if you're gonna have an a-

a ruptured aneurysm, you need to do it on
a Saturday night, because Sunday morning,

everybody in the world's praying for you."

That's true.

Right?

Yeah.

And I remember being...

Bobby woke me up, you know, early.

I don't remember what
time, but it was early.

And he came in there, and he goes...

He knelt down by the bed,
and he was like, "Carrie."

And I was like, I was just out of it.

Like, he goes, "Tracy's had a..."

He probably said aneurysm.

I don't know, and I was like- Tracy who?

I mean, 'cause I was
like- Yeah ... not you.

Like, oh, because- I have a cousin named
Tracy, but I mean, she was, she's not...

I don't know why I thought- You
were like, aneurysm equals old.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And so I was like-
Newsflash ... Tracy who?

It does not.

And he goes, "Tracy Simpson."

Oh.

And I was like, "What's an aneurysm?"

I didn't know either.

Was my next question.

But I knew.

Wow.

I think I was just out of it because
my grandmother, you know, had an

aneurysm, like, my dad's mom, I think.

And so I was like, "What?"

And I hopped out of bed and called
Mom, you know, 'cause she's best

friends with Darlene, and she told me.

And then, you know, went to
church, and yes, everybody,

like, everybody was praying.

Like- I can't imagine that service.

Like- It was just prayer.

I mean, I want to imagine that service.

I want to see it.

So, yeah, and I didn't get to go until
Monday because, I don't even know why,

I- I guess 'cause I'm pregnant and-
Mm-hmm ... I was like, "You know, I'm

gonna get there Monday," 'cause I knew
you were having the surgery Monday.

Mm-hmm.

But how long was the surgery?

Do you remember?

I don't know.

Was your dad there?

Yes.

Okay.

I figured.

Mm-hmm.

I felt like I remember seeing him there.

Mm-hmm.

You know, and- My dad and my brother
and my dad's one of 13, and 1,

2, 3- There was a lot of people
there ... three of the siblings were...

Mm-hmm.

David Balmer, I remember him, and
after your surgery, you know, he

came out and said how great it was.

You know, it was all positive,
and they said, "She's gonna

be asleep for a long time."

They said, like, 24- Mm-hmm ... at
least 24 hours before I'd come to.

Yeah, and David had been in
there with you, and I don't...

You know, we weren't- I think people- I-
They said people were coming in and out

I think people were in and out, but it
finally, it, you know, it was me and David

Balmer, and we were like, "We'll go in."

And we went in.

This is maybe 30 minutes
after your surgery.

I mean, people were just going
in to see you, not saying because

you're s- you're out of it.

So, we go in, and we're just standing
there- And you wake up and look at us.

And we were like, "." Oh my God.

Like, 'cause we were like- Really
... David sh- David should be in here.

David should be in here, not us.

She's coming to in here.

And then- Yeah, like, this
isn't supposed to happen.

You started talking to us.

And we were like you know, like, guilt.

Like, I don't know what David
felt, but I felt completely guilty-

'cause I was like you know.

And so we, David said something
about, you asked about your kids, you

know, and we're like, "Don't worry.

Don't worry about your house."

And then I said- ... I said, "Could
you please just- Take a blowtorch

to, or a match to it or something.

To your house.

Yeah, 'cause all I kept thinking
is all those closed doors-

that are closed- Are hiding
something ... for a reason.

Because I just had a party.

Yeah.

You're like, "I- So the surface clean.

... I cleaned, but I cleaned like a mom
of four children, so- Yes, I think we

said, "Don't worry about- ... I put
some roses ... we're gonna take care

of your house," blah, blah, blah.

And there's a story to that too.

And our smell.

But, like, I felt you went...

You know, you kind of drifted back off
to sleep, and we looked at each other-

... and we both agreed, "Nobody knows this."

Don't tell anybody this.

She talked- Nothing happened here.

You know, it was years later.

I mean- Really?

Yes.

We didn't tell anybody
that she talked to us.

How did- I didn't wake up for
anybody else to How did David take

it when he finally found out, like-
Oh ... you two were the first?

He didn't care.

Wow.

No, but it was probably- He got drunk.

I would say 15 years later at least.

Oh, seriously?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

I didn't know that.

'Cause I was like you know."

Care.

Well, we both felt the same way.

I know he was like...

We just...

And we walked out of there just kinda
like we had done something awful.

'Cause we just kept looking at each other.

Do you remember waking up for that?

Oh, I do.

Yeah.

I do remember.

So you just quietly kept
this secret for that long?

Oh, no.

Oh.

Oh, the secret.

No.

Okay.

I don't remember that.

I guess we just didn't- Okay.

I mean, we always talked about it.

We just felt guilty because we,
you, we know you went back to

sleep, and we were like, "She's
not gonna wake up for anybody else.

She's supposed to be asleep for 24 hours."

I don't know that you've ever slept
longer than three hours at a time.

No.

No.

But anyway, so yeah, we both
were like, "Shh," you know?

Don't tell.

Like, y'all are the most
important people in my life.

I'm gonna wake up to y'all.

I think we were just talking about, "Oh,
you know, that-" And I guess, like, my,

my ears my heart heard y'all's voices.

She had FOMO.

She knew her two fun
friends came in the room-

and she was not gonna not be.

That's what it is.

Really.

It is.

Well, wait, hold on.

I forgot that.

Were you guys, like, telling her in
her, like, coma state- I- ... that

you were gonna take care of the house-
No ... and not to worry about things?

I think we were probably being funny.

Was it the fear of, "Don't.

Take care of the house," that woke you up?

Y'all were probably being funny.

You were probably in there going-
'Cause we were always cutting up.

Yeah.

Yeah.

He probably came in with a song.

I'm sure he made a song out of everything.

It's like anything you say, he's
gonna- Tracy- What'd you feel?

... had an aneurysm.

Well, he was just- I mean, he was just
like, he'd just make it up out of nowhere.

Yeah.

It's just- Yeah, you just had
to know- ... funny ... know the

dynamics of the three of us.

Yeah.

And so they probably wanted to- He
made up one about me called Carrie Bob.

Carrie Bob.

I remember that phrase.

This Carrie Bob.

There's a- Just, he always had a guitar.

There's a canoe song in there somewhere.

Oh, Lord.

I don't...

that's another chapter.

That's another.

Oh, my God.

But anyway, okay.

So you- Okay.

There was something about other aneurysms.

Yeah.

So tell us about that.

So, well, so yeah, they said that...

So when I went back, like, six
weeks after my surgery- Mm-hmm.

Well, so let me fast-forward.

Yeah.

Just so they were monitoring me,
and they're, of course- You know,

I was slowly but surely able to...

I mean, they kept the lights off in
my class- in my classroom Mm-hmm.

In my room and everything.

But people were coming in and
out, like, gosh, and the cards.

I mean, 'cause this was before social
media and before cell phones and text and-

Yeah ... so when people actually- How long
were you in the hospital that first visit?

Only nine days.

Nine days, okay.

Nine days, yeah.

Wow.

And so, but I mean, I got flowers,
I got, you know, my wall was just

covered with cards and stuff,
and from across the country.

Yeah.

Like, cousin of sisters of
their church was praying for me.

Yeah.

Wow.

Like, seriously they bombarded
the heavens on my behalf.

Yeah.

Like, it was pretty, pretty humbling.

Not just this- yeah ... on
a comment, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Are you really?

Praying for you.

But anyway, so, so yeah, I was
discharged nine days later on...

Whatever date that is.

On- Was it before?

Yes.

Was it be- Was it before Tal?

Was it the day he was born?

It was the day before.

The day before he was born.

Remember?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, 'cause I kept thinking, "I
gotta get out of this hospital.

I'm supposed to be at Carrie's birth."

She still thought she's gonna be- And
that is strong enough- I'm supposed to

walk her through this, like ... yes,
and that is exactly, that is the truth.

And anyway- Wow

and so I got out of, out...

was discharged, what day
of the week was Tal born?

Wednesday.

Okay, yep.

I was discharged on Tuesday, and I
kept thinking, "I gotta get home.

I gotta get home.

Carrie's due any day."

Like, I don't even know, you
were- March 7th was his due date.

Yeah.

Came three days early.

And anyway, and I kept thinking
that, and like, "I gotta get home.

I got a birth to attend."

Mm-hmm.

Anyway so I was home, and I was gosh,
David had to do everything for me.

Like, I could barely walk
and I'm gonna be a drummer.

But anyway, he had to
take me to the bathroom.

He had to bathe me.

He had to feed me, because
where they cut- Mm-hmm

it, it messed up the hinge in my
jaw- Mm-hmm ... and I could only

open my mouth just a little bit.

Oh, no.

Mm-hmm.

Wow.

And so, anyway, so he had to feed me,
and he had to wake up every two hours

to give me anti-hemorrhaging medicine.

And anyway, he was a true
hero during this time.

And then, I mean, just gosh, belonging
to a community of believers, to a church

who, like- We've talked about this.

Mm-hmm ... oh, my goodness.

Okay.

It changes stuff.

I had four little girls- Yeah.

... At home.

I was homeschooling and it
was, I mean, they were just...

I did not have to worry about a thing.

It was like aunts going to work.

Somebody came in and stocked my
cabinets and my refrigerator with food.

I got on a meal train
long before meal trains.

Mm-hmm.

They were just people.

The homeschool community got
on a rotation bringing meals.

Somebody went door to door
in my little neighborhood

And collected money.

David, and here's the thing too, is we
learned to receive through this time.

Joyce Johnson, I'm not sure when her
first husband James had passed away,

but she wasn't a widow too long, and
she came to the hospital to see Da-

to see us, and, you know, she was
like a second mom to, to David Lewis.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, and he stepped out in
the hall and and she hugged him and

she's like, "David Lewis," and when
she did she passed off some money

to him and he was like, "Joyce, no."

You know, "She's a widow."

Mm-hmm.

"No, Joyce, you don't..."

And she said, "David Lewis," in the
way that she could, you know- Mm-hmm

as a mama, "David Lewis, don't
you dare rob me of a blessing."

And she said, "You just need to get
ready because people are gonna pour

the, pour blessings into your life, and
you just need to know how to receive."

And he was like, "Okay," and
he's never forgotten that.

And I'm telling y'all I'm blown away.

They did a benefit concert for us.

They opened up a, an
account at one of the banks.

Just we were mind-blown.

David was working for Wayne
Smith Trucking at the time.

He owned his own truck, so he was
ta- he had taken off work, he had

taken off work to take care of
me, and the bills were rolling in.

We were a single fam- we were a
single income family of six, you know?

And and drivers would come and
knock on the door and just like,

"I just got my safety bonus check,
David, and I don't need this."

And so they were, like, signing over
safety bonus checks to us and, Wow.

And there was a, there, there
was a homeschool mom who...

Now, when I say I homeschooled,
like, Logan was the only one

I was homeschooling, because
everybody else was four and under.

Yeah.

You know?

So Logan was, like-
Yeah ... second grade or something.

Gosh, they're t- so tiny.

And and and so this precious woman,
and she probably would not want me

to say her name, but anyway she came
to deliver a meal, and she's like,

she said, "So," she said, "Tracy,"
she said, "If you paid your..."

She said, "We're," she said, "I
wanna pay your electric bill."

Mm-hmm.

And I was like, "Oh," I said
Jane," I said, "Jane," I said,

"It's already been paid."

I said, "Thank you."

And she said, "Well," she said,
"Do you have the statement?"

And I said, "Yeah," and
so I went and got it.

Oh, also, I couldn't hardly see.

Like- Mm-hmm

everything was really blurry because
I couldn't- You put a, like, a note

on the door, too, like- Like, do
not- Oh yeah ... ring this doorbell.

Yeah, David did.

He put- 'Cause it hurt,
like sounds and stuff.

Yeah.

And I had FOMO and he wanted me to stay.

Yeah.

You couldn't miss out.

But anyway, so she said,
"Well, can you bring...

Can you...

Do you know where the statement is?"

And so I found the statement, and I gave
it to her, and she goes, "Oh, good."

She said, "We have to pay our bills
on the 17th too," or whatever they...

And she said, "Listen."

She said she wrote a check out for
whatever that bill, that present

bill was, and she said, "We're gonna
cover your next two electric bills."

Aw.

She said, "So now when- That's
sweet ... Rick goes to pay," and she

took my statement with her, and she
said, "When he goes to make his, the

next two payments bill the next two
months, we're gonna pay yours, too."

And I was like...

I mean, it was things like that.

Like, I could truly write
a book on the blessings.

Mm-hmm.

You know, we had a huge storm, a huge
ice storm in the first part of February.

Yeah, the first part of February,
had a huge ice ice storm, and

I had that massive backyard.

You remember how big that was?

Yeah, that was big.

And there was...

We had a pear tree, and a plum
tree, and a pecan tree, and one

other one, and they were like...

But anyway, they dropped limbs all over.

And you know, I mowed, 'cause David was,
you know, truck driver, gone all the time.

So when the kids were down for
naps, I was the one mowing.

Well, in the back, of course this
was February, but in the back it

had, like grown up really big.

But anyway, so while I'm in the hospital
in that nine-day period, Cathy Bradford,

and Pam, and a couple other homeschool
li- from our church, came out and

cleaned up the whole backyard and mowed.

And like, I'm telling
you, there was not...

There was nothing unturned.

Everything was handled.

Yes.

There wasn't a single thing.

Yes.

And- And they, you needed a attic- No.

Okay, so- ... ladder ... so my
bedroom, 'cause we had to close in

our garage- Mm-hmm ... to make it
a playroom- Yeah ... slash bedroom.

So we were a small little house
with our big family, growing family.

And so we closed in our...

And we didn't have storage.

We didn't have an attic.

So, so- Everything, like, ended up in my
bedroom, especially before a big party.

It's like, "Oh my gosh,
we gotta clean this up.

Just throw it in my
bedroom and shut the door."

Well, then you end up in the hospital and
everybody ... has gotta see your bedroom.

So- That's why you ... I'm always like,
"If anything happens to me, Jill, this

is where you need to go clean up."

Exactly.

I know.

Like, this is the drawer you don't
use- That's why- ... but I've got

stuff in I don't want anybody to see.

Yeah.

Yep.

You know?

That's why I told Steve and
David Ballmer to please just

throw them into my house- yeah

'cause I didn't want...

I knew I was gonna be coming home.

We probably would've
gotten in trouble for that.

I yeah.

Y'all be bad boys.

And you would've gotten in
trouble, too, for in, you know-

Yeah ... instructing them to do it.

Yeah, I was in- That's
entrapment ... I was under the- Yeah.

She was under the influence
of some heavy meds.

But but seriously, I remember on my
way home from the hospital thinking, "I

don't want to come home to this mess."

Mm-hmm.

I just remember that drive.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

That dreaded drive going, 'cause in my
mind I'm like, "I've gotta somehow manage

to gain enough, get enough strength to
clean this 'cause people are gonna be

coming in and out- Well, and not just that

to see me" ... to clean
this, to handle four babies.

Yeah.

Yeah.

To- Yep ... to handle all of the things.

Like, 'cause you aren't thinking that-
... this community of people are gonna

rally- No ... and handle all the things.

You're still thinking- And all of
this- ... "I'm a mom, I have to do

this" ... was happening behind the scenes.

Like- Right ... all of this, without,
let me stress, without cell phones and

without social media, it was just people.

Listen, it was better then.

Yeah.

Let's just be real.

It was so much better then.

It was better.

It was more intentional then, but
anyway, so I remember coming home and,

of course, David's giddy 'cause he knows.

He knows how your house looks.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

'Cause our- This is like the
best present he can give you.

It was.

Is for you.

He, and he didn't even do it.

Is somebody handing the
house key to somebody.

Yeah, like, he didn't even do it.

Mm-hmm.

He's just like, "I get to be the
one that opens the door- Yeah

and sees her face on-
Yes ... all of this stuff.

That's great."

So and my mother-in-law is, and
she is an incredible housekeeper,

and she and her sisters cleaned the
baseboards, God love them, the drawers,

the cab- like, everything was clean.

But I remember just being like, which now
when I, when it happened, it was still

pretty clean because I'd just had a party.

Oh, yeah.

Right, right.

So, so I didn't recognize a lot
of that, but when we rounded the

corner into my bedroom and he opened
the door and he's just grinning,

and all, I was full of flowers.

Now, Christmas had just happened, and
I probably had just gotten my tree

down- ... if you wanna be honest.

Yeah.

Listen, no shame in that.

I'm in the same boat, like.

But we don't have an attic.

Mm-hmm.

So everything- Well, you have an attic.

No.

I thought you had an attic,
you just didn't have access.

Well, we had attic space.

Yes, but you didn't have access.

Above, above the garage.

Yes.

Right.

Yeah.

So, Pam and Cathy Bradford went in
my bedroom- And now, hand-me-down

clothes, you don't get rid of
hand-me-down clothes- That's right

'cause you have little girls.

Yeah.

You've got four girls,
and you are pregnant.

Yeah.

But then when you struggle with
organizing those hand-me-down clothes.

Anyway, everything is in boxes and
da, crawling the walls in my bedroom.

Anyway, Pam got a little organizing
card box and index cards, and she

organized everything in my bedroom.

That sounds like Pam.

She- Mm-hmm ... indexed box
number one, and in this card box

it was girls' jeans size seven.

Like, it was itemized.

That sounds exactly like Pam.

Yep.

And I love it.

It's- I love every second of it.

I love it, too.

It's not my gift.

It's just not me.

You know what I would've put, like- Stuff

dead...

Dead body parts.

That's what I...

Helped you move once, and
I was like, "I'm just so...

I can't."

They got tired of labeling boxes.

They were just going in the trailer.

Like, years later, unloading
this trailer, and it's got,

"Dead body parts" written on it.

Dead body parts two.

More dead body parts.

I don't care what's in this,
I'm just shoving stuff in it.

I'm just shoving it.

But yeah, that's her, that was her gift.

Anyway, but so while they're
organizing, they are a- they are

organizing all the stuff in my bedroom,
another crew of men were installing

an attic, a pull-down attic stair.

Oh.

And then...

And then you were able
to clear out all that.

Yeah.

So what did you think when you
turned the corner and saw it?

Did you think- I don't
know ... they got rid of it?

I, no.

No.

Were you like, "Where
did all my stuff go?"

No.

Oh.

I knew better.

Oh.

But I'm just like...

I was just, I was- Blown
away ... flo- flown.

I was flown.

You were floored at all the things.

I was floored.

Blown away.

Yeah.

But anyway, and so then little by
little, I'm hearing all the little

stories and the little stories.

And I'm an overwhelmed,
emotional mess, like.

Yeah.

Anyway, so yeah, they installed
the attic staircase and then

put decking all up there.

Oh, my goodness.

And then all of these boxes
were put up there, and I'm

presented this little card box.

"If you need to find
anything, here it is."

Wow.

I still have that card...

Well, it's in a box.

Of course you still have that card box.

Of course.

But I do, and it's just a reminder.

But anyway, so, so yeah,
that, so that was that.

Oh, and also I remember Bud and
Betty came by, came over to see me.

They'd been in Dallas, which
is her thing, you know.

Mm-hmm.

And and Bud said, "When I found out that
you'd had an aneurysm and you, or you

were in the hospital and you were gonna
be coming home, I told Betty, 'There's

no way that princess is gonna come home
to her old sheets, her old bedding.'"

And they bought me new bedding.

Aw.

From my bed.

Sheet, a sheet set.

So they went and bought a sheet set.

I bet you still have that sheet set, too.

I probably do.

She's like somewhere.

Probably.

They're on the, they're
on the bed right now.

Yeah.

But anyway, so I mean, it's
just like nothing was, nothing

was- Left unca- undone.

Nope.

Because that's how much- Yep ... that
community cared and- Yeah

you know, we were- It was, I was
blown away ... a tight community.

So then- I catch...

No.

So I'm like, "How's Carrie?

How's Carrie?"

And anyway, and you had gone into
labor that night- Mm-hmm ... if

I remember right, Tuesday night.

Was like 3:30 in the morning, yeah.

Yeah, Tuesday night.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Wednesday morning.

Wednesday morning.

Or no, whatever, yeah.

You...

He was born on a Wednesday, right?

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah, so...

And of course, I didn't know.

Mm-hmm.

But what I hear later is Carrie goes
into labor and says, "Do not let

Tracy know- "... that I'm here."

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

So, then I don't think that I knew.

I don't think that I ever, that I found
out, and then Wednesday afternoon or

evening, Vicki shows up at the house,
and she's got a package of pictures.

She said, "I've gotta show you something."

Oh, man.

And she sat down on the couch,
and she showed me all the

pictures, excuse me, of Tao.

And I was just like...

And she goes, "She told everybody
not to tell you, because she knew

you'd try to make it up here."

And I was like...

And I just remember going, thinking,
"My gosh, Tao is the most beautiful

little boy I've ever seen in my life."

Y'all, his, y'all, his eyes were
this big, and he had this little

blue blanket over his little face
and his little peepers, and I'm like-

Yeah, he came out looking around.

And I just...

He did.

And I cried.

He was the most beautiful baby.

And I'm like...

Of course, you know, part of me was like,
"I missed it," but of course I missed it.

And then I brought him over maybe
that Saturday, I think, or something.

It was really-
Mm-hmm ... soon, and I want...

I've gotta find that picture.

Okay, for sure.

You probably have it, too.

Yeah.

Of you laying there with him and your- I'd
forgot that ... your scar and everything.

Oh, mm-hmm.

Get us some pictures, and
we'll put it on our- Yeah

Instagram.

I will do.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

So you can s- Okay.

So people can see.

I wonder...

What?

Maybe we can cut this out, but I was
literally just sitting here thinking

maybe I can get a picture of the scar
and have it turned into a cartoon.

Ooh.

Yeah, let's try it.

Oh.

That'd be funny.

We've got pictures of that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

So tell us about going back
and getting the checkup.

Okay.

Yeah.

So, okay, yeah, where are we?

We got time.

We're good.

We got time.

Anyway, so yeah, six weeks later I
go back for the checkup, and and I...

Of course, a major thing was, like-
Your jaw ... my jaw blown open.

Yeah.

You know?

Mm-hmm.

And he was a little bit...

He was a little taken by that.

He didn't know that part.

Oh.

And I was like, "Yeah, so when,
when- "Can you loosen this

screw so I can, I can- Yeah.

Un- "So I can talk again."

... unhinge me a little.

But he, So I do remember asking, like,
"So at what point will my, will I be

able to open my mouth completely?"

It's so funny.

This is so David, but he measured-
the space between my teeth, he

took a dime and turned it sideways.

And so, like, every other day or
something, he'd measure it, and we were

able finally to set the dime up straight.

And then it was like a nickel.

That's such an Arkansas thing to do.

Hey, get the dime.

We're gonna see if she can...

She's made it up to a quarter now.

Oh, my gosh.

Anyway, but that was our way...

I was like, I mean- Yeah ... it was, but
it was barely, you know, bar- And I just

remember him going, 'cause the whole...

My, my closet doors were right here, and
they were just full of get-well cards.

Mm-hmm.

And then I had flowers around and stuff.

I remember, 'cause David
had to do everything for me.

Mm-hmm.

And I remember him bringing in ser-
I don't know, whatever, breakfast,

whatever meal it was, and he sat
down and he goes, "I'm about ready

to send you a get-well card."

Like, "I'm out.

I'm tapping out."

That's what I've been waiting on.

Taping something else.

Y'all can do this.

If you send me that get-well card.

But anyway.

Yeah.

So okay, my s- my six-week checkup.

So I went in, and, you know, Dr.

Schlesinger was like,
"Oh," about my mouth.

And he's like, "I think..."

You know, I guess it was, like,
scar tissue or something, like

I just have to work it out.

Anyway so that was that.

And then he did tell me,
so everything looked good.

I think he took the staples out then.

And I, gosh, I look- I felt like a
Frankenstein's bride, you know, 36 staples

across my- Yeah ... across my head.

And anyway but my hair was growing out.

I really thought that I was gonna
be able to, like, really be obvious,

but you can see just- Yeah, no

a tiny bit of a scar.

But it goes with that.

Mm-hmm.

But anyway, so he said, "Well,"
he said, "I was gonna let you

know," he said, "There is a second
aneurysm right next to the one..."

And I was like, "Oh.

Okay."

Why didn't you fix it- Yeah.

... while you were in there?

And he said, "It's just small enough."

He said, "I don't foresee that it would
ever, it will ever cause a problem.

But if you ever get to where you
have, you know, headaches that

won't go away, that Ty-" That...

This is what he said.

There were two, two things.

He said, "If you have a headache that
Tylenol won't touch, or if you have a

sudden headache, like, a debilitating
headache, then I don't foresee that

it's gonna cause any problems."

And I was like, "Okay."

And I said, "So no need for rechecks?"

And he said, "No, I don't feel
like, I don't feel like it is."

Anyway, I said, "Okay."

So.

That is not what I would wanna hear
from a neurologist- Yeah ... telling me-

I've got another head- ... that I just
had an aneurysm rupture- Yeah ... and

I have another one right there.

And I have another.

Like, I don't wanna hear it.

I remember when I was on the phone...

I don't think he was DC.

You called me.

I was at I was...

It was a couple weeks.

You'd been home a couple weeks, and
we, you, we finally got to talk.

Mm-hmm.

No, it had been more than that.

No.

It'd been several months- Because I went-

because we're still laughing
about it at this point.

Yeah, because I was at Life Center
working- For some reason, I don't know

Oh, it could've even been a year if
you're talking about- I don't know.

But I was talking to you, we're
s- and, you know, we were...

I had a headache- Yeah ... at that point.

And I was like, "Ugh, do you ever just
get a sharp pain in your forehead?"

And I said, "Just-" Only the once.

She...

That's what I said.

Only one.

Only one.

Oh, man.

And I was like, "Oh my gosh,
I didn't even mean that."

And we burst out laughing.

Oh, geez.

Like, it was so funny.

I mean, like, that's true
friendship right there.

But yeah.

When you can just crack
jokes- Yeah, I almost died.

Thanks

about that time you almost died, you know?

Your birthday card.

Oh my gosh.

I just gave you a birthday
card, and this is probably not

gonna come out for a few weeks.

Yeah.

Probably not.

So because we're behind
on getting people out.

We're ahead.

We're ahead.

We're ahead.

We're ahead, not behind.

Yeah.

But it...

What did it say?

Gosh, see, this is why I don't remember
anything I write in a birthday card.

It was like, "You aren't dead yet."

That's the reason to celebrate something.

You aren't dead yet?

I can't remember.

It's like this...

It had a headstone on the front-
Yeah ... of the birthday card.

I'm like, "What is this?"

"You aren't dead yet."

And then I wrote something about, "I
thought God tried to call you home."

"God tried to take you out once already."

Yeah, that was it.

That was pretty funny.

Yeah.

Anyway, so, so yeah.

He told me that.

Carrie's got the jokes.

And yeah.

Anyway, so that was a
little bit, like, oh, okay.

Like, this aneurysm's fixed, but then
there's one there that's still...

So anyway, so for 20 years, you
know, if you ever get a headache,

you're like take Tylenol, okay.

Mm-hmm.

It goes away or whatever.

So, several years ago I'm like-
Maybe 14 years ago, like it's been.

No.

Like less?

Mm-hmm.

It was pre-COVID, so that's been six.

But yeah, I'd probably
say about seven, maybe.

No.

Seven or eight years ago.

Is my dad dead yet?

Is that a gauge?

I do that with everything by like- I know.

Was Daddy- It's funny ... I've
done everything by pregnancies.

Okay, well, that's okay.

But you went back and got some testing.

Yeah.

No.

I was I was I've been having headaches.

Oh, yeah.

That's it.

That's it.

Like, yeah.

So I was having headaches, and
I've had headaches, like, for the

last 10 years- Mm-hmm ... or so.

I would have a headache or, you know,
sever- well, if it's seven years,

so maybe five years prior to that.

Yeah.

I would have a headache, and I'm just
like, oh my gosh, and I just would mash

my heel, the heel of my hand right there.

It would always- Mm-hmm ... hurt
right there, which that's

where your sinuses are too.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And so I would just like- And
tension and- Yeah ... all that good

stuff ... and so I would just like...

But it was never over here.

It was always right there on
my right side, right next to,

right above my right eyebrow.

And anyway, and Tylenol...

And it, it never occurred to me,
but Tylenol wouldn't touch it.

Mm-hmm.

So I've always had to use sinus
headache- Sinus pressure medicine.

Okay.

'Cause I'm like, "It's sinuses," whatever.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And when I would take
that and it would go away.

And so...

But that's the only thing.

Yeah.

Like, goodies wouldn't, nothing would
take it, would take it- No goodies.

And so- She came from your goodies.

So one day...

You know what?

This was post-COVID, Carrie, 'cause...

It was post-COVID, because I
had to do a Zoom- Oh, okay.

Yeah ... call.

Yeah.

So, so I, One of, one of my girls
was like, "Mom, do you think maybe

you need to get that checked out?"

And I was like- Why?

... "No."

And then I'm like...

And then I started thinking,
like, "Wait, I remember him

saying, you know, if you..."

And so I was like, "Okay.

Okay."

So, anyway.

So yeah.

So I made an appointment-
Mm-hmm ... for another CT scan or

whatever just to to c- you know- Yeah.

Let's check it ... yeah, check things out.

Yeah.

So anyway, I went in and I was fine.

I'm just like, Avery took me to the
clinic or wherever and I was okay.

And anyway, and I'm not one to worry.

I've never been a worrier.

I've never fretted.

I've never had a problem trusting God.

And anyway, so we were there,
you know, it was in Little Rock.

And and I just remember they, you know,
I went in and laid down, and they put

your head in the cradle and all that
and kinda tell you what and whatever.

And then all of a sudden, everything
got really quiet, and I...

It wasn't an- anxiety, it wasn't.

It was just all of a sudden like-
Dread ... this is a serious thing.

Yeah.

And I just started crying.

I just remember you hear of people, like,
filling their ears- Mm-hmm ... with tears.

Mm-hmm.

I was like, "Whoa, where
did this come from?"

'Cause I'm not a worrier.

And I just remember going,
"Man, this is kinda scary."

Anyway, and I'm like, "But
no, God, you've got this."

Like...

And I used to...

I remember say, thinking, and I
remember saying out loud, like most

people go, "Does that worry you?"

Like, for 20-something years.

Yeah.

This was 28 years ago,
if you wanna do the math.

Anyway I was...

Anyway, so for 20-something
years, "Does it worry you?

You know, you got an aneurysm."

I'm like, "No."

I'm like, "God's not gonna spare my life
and then take me out with another..."

you know.

It's just like, no, of course not.

So I just lay in there being real
still, just the reality of like,

whoa, there's another aneurysm
there, and what if these headaches...

And I'm just, like- Yeah
... disguising it and whatever.

And so anyway so I went through, you know,
I calmed myself and went through whatever.

And I...

Okay, and it was over, and I came
out, and I remember Avery was sitting

out there, and I was like, "Oh my
gosh," and I said, "Avery," and I

just kinda started crying again.

I said, "That was-" That was a
little- It was more intense- ... heavy

... than you were ready for, yeah.

And so anyway, we went out and probably
got ice cream or something and came home.

Mm-hmm.

And then it was Dr.

Hanby in Van Buren called me and
so I went there, and he goes...

And I have it on audio.

I audio recorded it, and he said,
"Well, I just wanna let you read this."

And he said something, I wish
I'd read it before I came here.

Prior, 'cause they had the
before pictures of the aneurysm.

Mm-hmm, yeah.

And he said, "No indication of aneurysm
det- of second aneurysm detected."

Mm-hmm.

Wow.

And he was like, "You do
realize this is a miracle?"

He goes, "Aneurysms just don't go away."

They don't vanish, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And I was like, and I just remember, wow.

Like, I just started crying.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, and so there was that,
like, confirmation, like, I don't

have a second aneurysm there.

He took care of it.

Yeah.

Well, and so there was that.

So why do you have the headaches?

No, I'm just kidding.

Yeah, no, I don't anymore.

Well, there you go.

Yeah, no, that was why- Well, maybe
that- ... I went ... because- Oh, I

see I meant like- I think maybe, oh,
it was- ... if it wasn't the aneurysm-

Yeah ... what's causing the headaches?

I think so that- Well, I think-
So you would go get it checked.

Exactly.

'Cause- Yeah ... I was just
about to say the same thing.

Yeah.

So why would you- So you've got your
confirmation ... ever check that again?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm, yep.

But now you have it in black and white.

It's done.

But you know what?

So I had an issue that I needed to
have surgery on couple years later,

and this was before, this was COVID.

This was post-COVID.

This was where I had my Zoom.

And and it was, you know, a
Middle Eastern doctor was going

to have to okay the surgery.

Well, she said, "In order to have the
surgery, I need your, I need clearance

from any other doctors that you have.

Have you ever had any issues?"

And I was just like, "I mean, I had,
you know, I had a second aneurysm."

You know, any- anyway, I dropped
that, which I should have just not.

Anyway, she go, "Oh, well, I need
confirmation that that-" Mm-hmm.

And I said, "Oh, well, I've
got confirmation that it's..."

Well, she said, "Oh no," she said, "That,
that can't be if you had an aneurysm."

She didn't believe it.

And I was like, "No, and she said,
"It could have been a glare on the

film or on the camera or something."

And you're like...

And I'm like, okay, well- Or it
was Jesus ... they were not gonna-

Yeah ... do the surgery un- unless
I got clearance from this doctor.

And so anyway, I had to have a
second CT scan just to prove that.

Mm-hmm.

And so I did, so it's
been confirmed twice.

Good, good.

That aneurysm is not there.

So anyway but a little-
Well, it's not, sure.

So, okay, so, So I got...

So I was in the hos- so I was
in the hospital 2:22, and I was

discharged 3:30, from what I remember.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, and s- at this time, so
before I was discharged, the doctor, the

OB doctor came in, and he would come in
and out even when I wasn't able to even

open my eyes, and he would go- Mm-hmm

"So have you started bleeding yet?"

And I was like, "No," and in my mind
I'm like- Drop this dude's name.

I need it.

I don't know.

Okay.

I should find- You- I need to
do my homework ... stinker.

But anyway.

Ugh.

So this is the same one that
really had set David a little bit,

you know- Mm-hmm ... perturbed.

And so he would come in, and I still
don't even know what he looks like,

'cause at this point anybody that I ever
saw, I only saw their f- their shoes.

That was all- Mm-hmm ... 'cause
I couldn't look up.

And so he would come in-
Were they ugly, the shoes?

In my mind- I'm sure they
are ... I have a vision.

You know the shoes.

I know the shoes.

But he would come in, and he
goes, "So are you bleeding yet?"

And I had told...

My mom was there, like,
she never left my side.

And I'm like, "Mama, I just, I'm believing
that this baby is gonna be fine."

Of course I'm- Mm-hmm ... not thinking,
you know, all these medications I'm on.

But in my mind I'm like, "No,
I'm believing this baby is fine."

And so for him to heartlessly
come in and just be like,

"Have you started bleeding yet?

Have you started bleeding yet?"

And anyway, and I finally, I told
him, one time I said, "Sir," I

said, "I feel like I felt it move."

And he was like, "Pfft,
that's not possible."

And I was like, "Okay, whatever."

So when they were gonna discharge me, he
would not, he would not- He would not sign

the discharge papers ... he would not sign
the discharge papers until I had a D&C.

And I told him, I was like,
"I'm not comfortable with that."

And he said, "Well..."

And see, I had a midwife, you know,
I was- Mm-hmm ... I I was seeing

a midwife with, for a home birth.

And and so he said, "Well, the only
way that I will sign off on these

discharge papers is if you see your your
healthcare f- professional as soon as

you're discharged or something," and
I'm like, or your OB doctor or whatever.

And I was like- Like, okay ... "Oh, I'll
see my medical professional," or whatever.

I'm like, "Just get me out of here."

Also- So he signed- ... how about
this, buster, I'll sign out AMA.

Yeah, we'll see.

And a big old- Yeah.

... octagon.

That was a kind gesture- ... for our
400- It was the kindest- ... viewers

in the audience ... it was the
kindest that I could come up

with- The kindest he could do

at this moment.

But anyway, so he did sign- And
I love my medical professionals.

Mm-hmm.

But they can overstep, I guess.

Just kind.

Mm-hmm.

But anyway, so he did.

He was not happy about it, but
he did sign off on the papers.

And so anyway, I went home
thinking, you know, okay.

But oh, actually the day that I, the day
that I discharged, I did, there was, there

w- I had started spotting a little bit.

But anyway, I was...

I'm still like, "Okay, God,
whatever's, you know- whatever is

your plan, not thinking about...

I mean, seriously, there could have been
major medical issues with that baby.

But anyway, so I went home and so I was
home on the 3rd, and then two days later,

the day after Tal was born, I miscarried.

Oh.

And anyway, but I was actually
fine, and I miscarried at home.

And, you know- Mm-hmm ... everything was
fine and I didn't have any issues at all.

And that, so that was that.

And I had closure, I had peace,
and that was totally fine.

So, back up a little, like, the doctors
are also saying, like, "You're not

gonna have any more children," right,
because of that second aneurysm.

So Dr.

Schlesinger had discouraged me from,
you know, having any more children

because of the aneurysm and stuff, and
I kept thinking I'm not gonna end my

motherhood journey on a miscarriage."

Like- Mm-hmm ... like, I
was born to have babies.

And so anyway, well, three months
later- Mm-hmm ... I get pregnant

with Hayden, and she was born- Oh

on the day.

Really?

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

March 5th.

So she was born March 5th.

Mm-hmm.

Wow.

And do you know that I did not
put that, put those dates together

until probably about five years ago.

Wow.

I was like- Wow ... that was, yeah.

God's little details.

Yeah, yep.

He works it out for us.

And they're just there immediately,
and we just don't pay attention.

Mm-hmm.

But- And then we catch them late- when
we catch them, if we catch them- Yeah,

and it- ... they're just like a little
bonus of like- Yeah ... "Oh, I see you.

All right."

Yeah.

But that was just a little...

I mean, it could have been, you know,
it could have been sweet, like, around

this time, but no, on the very day that I
miscarried that baby, I had another one.

Yeah, and you had one after Hayden too.

And then I had Isaac.

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

Take that, Devil.

Yep.

That's such a great, that's a great story.

And, you know, I know it didn't end there,
like, the, you know, people coming around

you, the whole- Oh, my goodness ... just
take, took care of you because that's

God's hand of h- extended to you.

Mm-hmm.

But that's such an awesome story, and
you've been through so many more chapters.

Mm-hmm.

You know, even recently.

And I, we will...

Like, the next one, we're gonna
have to have David and you.

Oh, gosh.

Because, you know, the most recent was
just amazing too, and I know we'll just

have to do it sooner rather than later.

So- Yeah.

Yeah ... like a part two to the Simpson.

But, you know, when you...

I mean, like, we've been a, like, like
our most recent, you know, situation,

it's just we've not ever not trusted God.

Mm-hmm.

It comes as natural to us as breathing.

in air.

Mm-hmm.

And so almost to like I can't...

It's hard for me to talk
to people who don't.

I mean, and I understand people who,
might have their reservations or

might, - Just struggle with the- Just
struggle with- Yeah ... yeah, the

releasing -... or trusting that God's
gonna bring good out of this, you know?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Like we can be you know,
I just, I don't know.

I've never- Well, the Bible says
when we're in our, "I can be at the

depths, and you're still there."

Mm-hmm.

Like, you will be- Mm-hmm ... at the
bottom, and you will have the hard times

and the, "I can't do this anymore."

Mm-hmm.

But he's there.

Yeah.

Yep.

You know?

And- I've never not, I've never
not felt that he's there and

he's gonna take care of me.

And you know, when I...

My salvation journey, when I first got
like truly saved and I started memorizing

scripture and stuff and Romans 8:28 was
my, like, that was the first time that

I realized, like, "Okay, this is what it
means by the living word," or whatever.

And so, I was taught, you know,
read it and then put the emphasis

on each word one at a time.

- "All things work together for good
to those who love the Lord and are

called according to his purpose."

And so I'm like, "All things work together
to g- for good to those who love the Lord.

All things," ? And now I'm like,
"So- You were Baptist, right?

I was.

I could tell.

Yep.

And I'm like- They know the word.

You can see it.

Oh my gosh.

They do.

They hammer the word into you.

And that scripture right there came
alive to me to where I've never

questioned, like, even the bad things
that happen, I'm like, "Okay, God.

I'm here."

How you gonna turn this around?

We're gonna see.

Yep.

And and I've...

That's been my, that's been my
life, my journey, my even, you know,

the disappointments in life and,
you know, even as a mom, you know,

we see, you know, we see things
not panning the way that we wish.

And I'm like, "Okay, I'm just
waiting to see the good-" Mm-hmm

"gonna come out of this," 'cause I know
it is- Yeah ... 'cause your word said.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And it, it's just a simple thing for me.

And anyway, and so I can't help...

Like, that is one way that I'm able
to speak life into other people,

is because I can see the situation
they're in and I can feel for them,

but I can also speak the hope.

That's- The shirt ... the
shirt you're wearing.

Hope.

That's so funny.

But there's such hope.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, in every single verse
and every single chapter of the l-

of the book of my life has been hope.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Like, anyway, so.

That's good.

Well, we're gonna end with a
question that we ask everyone.

Mm-hmm.

Oh.

Go ahead.

Okay.

If you could go back in time to any
event, any story in the Bible, aside from

like crucifixion, resurrection- Can't
do that, marrying the mother Which one

would you want to be a spectator at?

Like, not necessarily- ... a
participant in, like a fly on the wall

kind of observer of all the things.

Which story?

Oh my gosh.

Y'all, I wanna see the Red Sea part.

That's a good one.

That is a good one.

No one has said that yet.

No one has said that one yet.

Yeah.

It's a really good one.

I wanna see that, man.

Mm-hmm.

Like, really.

You know, the Prince of Egypt
really made that come alive.

It really did.

Us kids loved that movie so much.

I was like- Cherished it ... I mean, and
you see the- Yes ... you know- Mm-hmm

... the fish on either side or whatever- Yeah.

Yeah ... like, creatures and then
dry ground, and you're like...

And then it's just like, it's like,
okay, boom, and it's like whoosh.

Mm-hmm.

You know, and I was just...

Oh, man.

I'm sorry.

Yeah, that's a good one.

Chills.

That's a really good one.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

So anyway.

Yeah.

That would be one.

Well, thank you for joining us today,
and you're definitely- Yeah ... gonna

come back and- We're gonna have
to ... we have to have David.

I cannot wait to have David.

Well, we need to have David, and then
we also need to have you back for other-

I almost did an im- impression of David

characters.

Knucklehead.

Just for you, David.

Here now, you crazy thing.

Oh.

Oh my gosh.

I can't wait to have him on.

He's gonna be funny.

I can't either.

I have a really funny
David and Chloe story.

Oh.

So- We'll share it next time.

When we have it.

We'll share it after we turn
this off and then- Yeah, I'll

tell you after we're done here.

I can't wait.

But we'll save it for the people
of the pod- ... with David.

The people of...

I'm gonna have a dream now about
the- We're gonna have to call

the listeners- ... people of the
pod ... the people of the pod.

People of the pod.

They're like the Body Snatchers.

Oh, no, the people of the
pod, they're gonna be great.

It's gonna be great.

They're gonna love it.

People of the pod.

I love it.

Okay.

All right.

Well, thanks.

This was actually fairly fun.

Yeah.

It's not as bad as I imagined.

Well, thanks so much for coming.

All right.

Yeah.

Loved it.

All right, bye y'all.

Bye.

Bye.

We are back with Tracey Simpson.

Hey.

We, talked about it after we recorded
this episode, and she wanted to add

a couple things that she thought of.

So Tracey, I'm just gonna
turn it over to you.

Okay.

So what was it?

When we were out here, when we
were here last, and on the way

home I was like, "Carrie- ... I
can't believe I forgot" You forgot.

And Jill is not here right now.

She may pop in later, I don't know,
but she had something else to do, so...

Okay.

So we just wanted to squeeze this in as
the end, because there is some really

sweet details that I left out of my story.

There's so many beautiful
facets to, to this.

And just f- first of all, of course
it's just a miracle, you know,

to even survive, , an aneurysm.

And I actually looked up some statistics
today that got me choked up, , because

I, I remember back in, this was in 1998
when it happened, and the statistics

then were that 85% of the people
that have a ruptured brain aneurysm

never even make it to the hospital.

Mm.

And of the 15% that do, generally
have- You know, adverse effects,

either long term , or significant,
Memory loss or something

yeah, memory loss.

And anyway, so at the time, of
course, I didn't even- Do you remember

that you owe me a million dollars?

I've been waiting on that, Tracy.

You know- ... that's, it comes and goes.

Just kidding.

Oh, what did I promise?

Um, anyway, , you know, prior to
this, I'd never even heard the term

aneurysm,, but, you know, you learn a
lot when you're in the middle of things.

So you know, David is a truck
driver, he took off work for a while

to help nurse me back to health.

And, and shortly after he had gone back
out on the road, he had to put his truck

in the shop, and, He was wherever he was
out of state, and he was talking to the

shop owner, and the guy took a little
steno pad out of his pocket and was, I

mean, , hyper fixated on David's every
word, and he was writing everything down.

And David said he noticed the
scar on his head, and, the scar

that I have, of course, you'll
see, the pictures on social media.

But, , you know, it's a, it's a pretty
prominent, I mean, I had 36 staples, and

it's a big kind of a horseshoe or a, a
U shape on the right side of my head.

And he said he was looking at this
gentleman, and he had short hair, and

he had that very same scar that I did.

And, you know, you don't see that
very often, and so he asked the guy.

He said, "What, if you don't mind me
asking, what happened to your head?"

And, , he said that he had
a ruptured brain aneurysm.

And so at this time, we're still kind of
feeling like, okay, . And we already knew,

'cause other people are like, "You know,
you're really lucky that she's alive."

And we're kind of like,
"Well, that's what we hear."

And anyway, so this man said, "Oh yeah,"
and he was like, "Yeah, I'm a miracle.

You know, and, I struggle
with my short-term memory."

And David's like, "Oh,"
and he said, "Yeah."

And then he kind of was like,
"I can't remember anything."

He said, if I go to the, to the grocery
store for one thing, I have to write

it down," he said, "because I will
forget it , from her t- mentioning it

to, to me, to my walking to the door.

I will forget unless I
write everything down."

So it's little things like that
that we're like, "Oh, wow."

Yeah.

You know, it's not just a matter of
surviving the aneurysm, it's the,

Side effects were not even there.

No.

Nothing.

And- I mean, you really...

I don't ever notice you
forgetting things at all.

No.

In fact, you memor- I may- ... remember
stuff better than I do, I think

I really do have keen memory.

, But then it's also, you know,
motor skills, and, it all

depends on where the aneurysm is.

But, I did struggle with my eyesight,
, in the very beginning, and that was the

first time I was introduced to readers.

I'm trying to write thank you notes to
people and, and my hands are shaking.

I was really...

I was very trembly and, , and I
had a lot of blood behind my eyes.

Mm-hmm.

And so I'd gone in
for , a field vision test.

Mm-hmm.

Anyway, that's the first time I'd
done that, and so I went in for a test

shortly after, probably a couple weeks
after, I'd been discharged, and just, I

guess, maybe to see if I need glasses or
something, and I had a lot of loss in my

peripheral vision.

And, , so I went back, I don't
know, a couple months after that.

How much of that blood behind
my eyeballs would absorb.

Mm-hmm.

And, um, anyway, and I
checked out 20/20 vision.

He went- Oh, that's good ... and Dr.

Scott was like, "Um, I
was not expecting this."

He said, "This is a miracle."

And- What was his first name, Dr.

Scott?

LeBlanc Scott, Eye Clinic.

Okay.

I don't know.

I'd never been to him, but- Okay

You know, I was 28 years old, and I'm
just like as, it was a little mind

boggle- Mm-hmm ... mind-boggling.

Mind-boggling.

But, anyway, so but the little things
here and there was just like, "Oh,

wow," but, , so that was one of the
things, you know, that , it just takes

you back when you realize, like, just
how, how fortunate, how blessed you are.

Okay, and so, um, you know, so we, we
knew that survival was one thing, but

then surviving without side effects
was- Mm-hmm ... , so I was looking up

statistics today, you know, and, and I
was like, 'cause that was in 1998, and

back then it was like 85% of the people
never even make it to the hospital- Mm

was the statistics that I remember
reading and hearing about.

And of the 15% who do, a lot of them,
you know, never get past a six-year-old

mentality and things like that, and
I was like, "Wow," like that's a

really, that's a really big thing.

Anyway, so I was kinda looking up today.

I was like, "Okay, what are, are
the statistics a lot bigger now?"

And it said , that , 35% of
the people die immediately.

And then, like 60%, probably including
that, die within the next three months.

Wow.

And then it said, The rest of those
have a lot of adverse effects that

could be, you know, lifelong, and
they said that between , 6 to 13%

are actually able to go back to work.

Mm.

And I was like, "Oh, okay."

Wow.

Like, I, I just...

Anyway, it just...

Putting it like that, it just kind
of makes you go- Yeah ... . 'cause I

hear of people that have, you know,
survived aneurysms and stuff, but

you don't necessarily like, "Oh,
hey, you survived, so how are you?"

You know?

Yeah.

But- What's your side effects now?

But, I always tell people,
I was like, you know, I...

We got cards.

This was before social media and
before cell phones and before, you

know, it was like prayer chain.

Mm-hmm.

You know, you got a
phone call, or Bobby did.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that makes more sense.

And that's what somebody said, "If
you're ever gonna have something

detrimental happen, make it on a Sunday."

Yeah.

'Cause that's when everybody- Everybody
will know at once, yeah ... but I got...

I think I told you, I got
cards from everywhere.

And,, and you know, Mark and Tina
Evans are some of our closest friends.

You know, they were pastoring up
in Batesville at Jubilee Church.

And,, and Pastor Mark was doing a
series on healing, and he asked me,

this was in April, and you know, my
aneurysm happened in February, and he

asked me if I would come and share on a
Wednesday night, and I was like, "Sure."

And so , I got to meet all these people-
I mean, we'd gone to visit with them,

- Yeah ... 'cause we weren't living in
Batesville at that time, but we would go

and visit every so often, so some of the
people knew, you know- Mm-hmm ... David

and Tracy with the four little girls.

Yeah.

I was, I was the friend
with the four little girls.

And, I'll never forget after I
finished sharing my testimony, you

know, like, I survived this, and
I have zero, zero side effects.

Like, like, truly zero side effects.

, when Pastor Mark introduced me, he
said, ".. i wanna show you guys the face

of , my friend, that you all prayed for.".

Like, this is the face of the
prayers- Mm-hmm ... , that

you guys were sending up.

And , Debbie Holloway an incredible
woman of God,, she came up to me

and she said "I, I don't know how
you'll, , you know, how you, how

you'll h- take this," whatever.

And she said, "But I will never
forget, , praying that day."

She said, "We prayed the walls down."

And she said, "I looked up when I
was praying, and I could see in the

Spirit," she said, "Tracy, the entire
ceiling was covered with angels."

Wow ... they were like, she
said they were, like, locked,

like, stacked, stacked.

Like, wings and, and just bodies and
wings- Mm ..., just completely covering

the ceiling of Jubilee, , Church.

And she said, "I knew that
this is a spiritual battle."

Mm.

And she said, "I knew that our
prayers were reaching heaven," and,

they were blocking the enemy from
intercepting those prayers But, she

said, "I saw two, like, huge angels
with, swords standing at the doorway

and I just remember, like, wow.

That is amazing.

But, I mean- I guess that name
sounds familiar, but I can't

picture a face to it with that name.

Um, I'll tell you.

Yeah.

You'll, you'll be like, "Oh, yeah."

Yeah.

Make the connections.

But anyway, an older lady.

Uh, we would go to Mazio's every
Wednesday with them, her and Dan.

You know Mazio's.

Yeah.

I mean.

And we- I miss that place.

Oh, gosh.

Lots of memories at Mazio's.

Yeah.

But Dan and Debbie Holloway, , but
they owned the clinic that David

went up there to work with.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, yeah.

That's where.

Yeah.

That's where I know that.

That's where he...

Yeah.

But anyway, so I have all these
sweet little stories and stuff, , but

. you know, I love to fill in the, gaps.

. Anyway, well, there's one little
gap in there that I never knew.

So I knew going , to St.

Mary's, and then I knew from St.

Mary's to Baptist in Little
Rock, but I never knew a whole

lot that happened in the ER.

Well, so I went back through my Facebook
messaging, , this weekend, 'cause I

wanted to make sure I got it right.

But in, , 2012, I got a Facebook
message , from somebody who we were

Facebook friends because we have,
you know, a lot of mutual friends.

Mm-hmm.

And anyway, and it was, , Carrie
Boeseld, and she's Carrie, Lafoon now.

But anyway, she- And she was Carrie Ellis.

I think everybody knows-
Yeah, Carrie Ellis

her parents, who own, and the
grandparents, who own Whataburger.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

, So we'd never spoken before, but you know,
we were Facebook friends or something.

And so late one evening in,, in 2012,
I got this message on Facebook, and she

said, "Hey, Tracy," and,, she said that
she was looking at my profile picture,

and I guess I'd had a funny picture
of me and the girls or something.

Mm-hmm.

And she said she swiped through,
'cause she was trying to put things

together, and she said, "I saw
the picture of your aneurysm."

And, you know, February 22nd- Yeah

every year, I always change
my profile picture to that

picture of me with my scar.

. And, um, she said, "I'm just
curious, if you don't mind me

asking, were you a patient at St.

Mary's here in Roseville?"

She said, "I think I was your nurse."

And Carrie, when I read that,
like my heart stopped, 'cause

I love, I love the details.

Mm-hmm.

And, so I was just
like, "Oh, my goodness."

She said, "Did you come to-
SMRMC ER initially, I had a

patient, and I think it was you.

And then I said, "Hi, Carrie," and
I told her, yes, and, you know,

that Todd Carter was my doctor

. And she said, "I was there, yes.

Todd was the doctor and I was your nurse.

I stayed with you every second,"
anyway, so the sweetness of all of

that is she s- and she goes on, I
love having this, , because she just

went into all of the detail about...

She said, "You were so strong," and she
said- Mm-hmm ... "I was doing everything

I could to keep you on the bed."

And she said I was thrashing
and fighting and, and just

moaning, and then I was vomiting.

And, she said she told Dr.

Carter that night, "I don't care who
else comes in tonight, I promised

this one I wouldn't leave her side."

Aw, that's sweet.

And she said, "I was
with you every minute."

And she said, "I held your hand," and
she said, "As long as I held your hand,

and I got down in your ear, and I was
praying or singing," and she said,

"and I don't sing" She said as long as
she was right there, then I was calm.

Mm-hmm.

And, she said then when they sent me in
for the CT, she aproned up- Mm-hmm ... and

she said she went in there with me.

She said she was not gonna
let me lose her hand.

Do you remember that at all?

No.

No, no, no.

Not at all.

Mm-hmm I'm not surprised about
that, but I do remember, being

on the gurney at,, Baptist.

Mm-hmm.

So which that would've just been a
couple hours- Yeah ... you know, apart.

But anyway, but the beauty of this, and
I asked her this weekend, I sent her the

screenshots of all of our texts, and I
said, "Is there anything in here that you

know, you would rather I not tell you?"

Because I wanted, you know,
your part of the story.

And she said, "No," she said, "share away.

I love being part of it."

, She said that- She tells her patients
about me, and she said, "Sometimes

there's that one patient that just
changes the trajectory of your future."

And she said, "I was to the point,"
she said, "I'd been an ER nurse

for a couple of years, and I had
experienced so much loss," and she was

praying, you know, "God, is this...

I'm tired, you know."

Mm-hmm.

"Do I need to...

Is it time for me to move on?"

And she said, "And then I got
to take care of you," and she

said, "You were the patient that
changed, that changed all that."

Oh.

And, she said, "You
were all over the place.

They keep you in the bed.

You couldn't communicate me with me, but
I just kept talking to you and telling

you that I promised I would not leave
you, and that you were going to make it.

Yes, you had angels watching over you that
night, because in all, in all my years

of working in that ER, I did not see very
many who survived what you went through."

Wow.

"I was your nurse."

Anyway, and then she said, , I tell
my students that nursing can really

be an emotional rollercoaster, but
it is one I never wanna stop riding,

because it only takes one patient that
you feel like you made a difference,

and it will change your life forever."

I think it's just amazing, and
yeah, I know, I think she was my

daughter-in-law's teacher at one
point, because she's a nurse now.

That's right.

That's right.

So I knew she was still teaching.

Mm-hmm.

But...

she said that this was all before HIPAA,
and, and that was the beauty of it because

Todd would call and check on me, or Dr.

Carter- Oh, uh-huh ... would
call and check on me, and

he would report back to her.

So And she said...

Yeah, and she said, "I don't know
if you remember," um, and I don't.

She said, "You came to the hospital
one night," and she said, um,

and she said, uh, Todd, um, Dr.

Carter introduced us.

Oh.

And yeah.

Did you, did you remember that?

I, when she said that, I
was like, "That's right.

I couldn't..."

Yeah.

Yeah, I do remember when she said that,
but anyway, she said, "I don't know

why you came there," and I'm still
thinking, I don't know why I did either.

'Cause- I mean, did you just
go to thank everybody or?

I have no idea.

Oh.

That's what I'm saying.

I- That aneurysm showed
up and shook that memory.

Just kidding.

I do remember some of the girls
were in, um, in a Mother's

Day Out at First Baptist.

Mm-hmm.

And so there was, like,
and that's where Dr.

Carter goes to church, and there's,
like, a whole lot of them, and,

um- Oh, I thought you meant you
went back to the hospital I did.

Oh, okay.

No, but there was like everywhere
I went, it was like- There

was- ... celebrity sighting.

Yeah.

Because everybody knew, like- Oh,
yeah, yeah ... it was small world,

small world, and so I couldn't get...

I couldn't go anywhere.

Mm-hmm.

I remember somebody's like, "I just
wanna touch a miracle," and I'm like...

Anyway, go to Walmart.

Yeah.

It's just, it's just, it's just
really neat, but- That is cool ... you

know, it's kind of a community.

That is really cool.

But, um, anyways, so yeah.

And crazy as, um, a couple years, well,
Kylie, their daughter, so they had two

boys that they adopted, and then they
adopted Kylie from, uh, from China, and

she's graduating from Hopsille this year.

Aw.

And, um, anyway, so we
were talking about that.

She's graduating Thursday, but she, um,
they ended up moving in right next door.

Oh.

And so, yeah.

That's cool.

So, mm-hmm, I was like, "My
angel just moved in next door."

So Kylie would come over and
play with Opie and stuff.

But anyway, um, so at this time she, um,
was telling me about Kylie, that they

had adopted this little girl from China,
and she's about to start kindergarten.

Mm.

And I'm like, "And now here she is."

And now she's graduating.

Now she's graduating, yeah.

Wow.

But anyway, so- That's cool ... yeah,
God's just, God's just really good.

Um, you know, there were
some scriptures I know.

Um, people, like several different
people said two different ones.

There's one in Ezekiel, and
there's another one that, um, "I

will live and not die and declare
the-" Yeah, that's in Psalms.

That's in Psalms, like 118 or something.

Yeah.

And then this one in
Ezekiel, I remember this one.

Um- Pastor Mark said- Yeah, "When I
passed by you and saw you kicking about

in your blood, I said to you, 'Live.'"

I think that's a pretty good one.

Like, I'm not...

Like we were talking, we don't know
what that's in reference to, but- Mm-hmm

um, I mean, that's good.

"Yea, I said unto thee, when
thou wast in thy blood, Live."

Yeah.

So aneurysm is definitely all about blood.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

So, and then you had, you
know, the miscarriage.

I remember it specifically
when we were praying that you

wouldn't miscarry that baby.

Mm-hmm.

Um, but you know, that also
applies to the aneurysm too.

Yep.

Yeah, oh, talk about
kicking around in the blood.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I was like...

But yes.

Yeah.

Yeah, because I was...

because they said the baby
was hemorrhaging or something.

Yeah.

Or, or I was- I was hemorrhaging and
the baby wouldn't make it or whatever.

We're like- Yeah ... "No, we're
standing in our pro- on our promises."

But- Wow ... man, I was on so
much, I was on so much medicine.

You were on a lot of medicine.

Yeah.

David...

And my, my mouth, I don't know if they
cut, and when I went back to see Dr.

Schlesinger, he's like, "Oh,
you can't open your mouth?"

Like, he was really surprised.

So where they had cut, I think
they cut into some scar tissue or

something- Can you open your mouth?

at the hinge of...

Oh, yeah.

Ah.

Oh, okay.

But I couldn't then.

Um- Just let it be known, she
opened her mouth up really big.

I think we all know now that- We all know
... she has no problem opening her mouth.

I'm hinged.

I'm hinged.

And hinged now.

But yeah, so the, right there
in the hinge of my jaw, like, I

couldn't, I couldn't open my mouth.

And I think I told you that.

David put a- Yeah ... a dime, yeah,
and he'd have to feed me and stuff.

But anyway, and he's like, "I'm about
ready to get you a get well card."

Like...

You had to do it, buddy.

Yeah.

But anyway, so yeah, God is good.

And I mean, we can't take our
prayers, I mean, we can't, we

can't take our prayers for granted.

Like, when, when I say I'm gonna
pray for somebody, like, I stop

right then and pray because I don't
trust myself to remember later.

Mm-hmm.

But then I'm like, man, when we
go to war for people, there's tr-

there's spiritual battle out there.

Mm-hmm.

There's spiritual warfare.

Prayer is powerful.

Yes.

I think there are a lot of times when
we're kind of cavalier about it, you know?

Mm-hmm.

Like, we're, we're just kind of
nonchalant about going before the

throne of- Mm-hmm ... the Lord Almighty.

The Almighty, yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And we're just like, "Yeah, okay,
I'll pray about it," and then we

very casually have our little prayer.

But in reality, prayer is so powerful-
Mm-hmm ... and we really should

have more of a, I don't know- If we-

reverent stance on it, I guess ... if we
could see in the spiritual- Yeah ... what

those prayers are actually doing.

They're like- Yeah ... you know,
like, those prayers, like, hovered

above the, that church building.

Mm-hmm.

That s- little, small church.

She said, "Everywhere I could see, there
was just, like, wings and angels- Yeah

just, like, locked- That's a, that's
a- Like a grid ... great picture,

and that was in Batesville- Mm-hmm.

That was in Batesville
... like, at that time.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Man.

Yep.

I wanna see- ... the
spiritual realm so bad.

I've prayed for it recently
especially, but I wanna see it.

I don't wanna see the bad.

I just wanna see the good angels.

I just wanna see the bad getting beat.

Yes.

The, yeah.

Yeah.

Like- Under my feet.

I don't wanna- Let's just start
with the angels, and that might,

that might be intimidating enough-
Yeah ... just seeing those, those

things, those creatures, but we'll see.

Anyway.

Was that the- All right.

Yeah, I think that's it.

Things.

Okay.

I mean, I'll, I'll go
home and go, "Carrie."

We forgot other...

God.

We'll just have to add
it into the description.

Okay.

Well, thanks for- Um- ... joining
us again, and we will,

we'll talk to you next time.

Okay.

Yeah, peace out.