Two Babies in Diapers and Two Months to Live

I made the trip through the hectic early morning Houston traffic and to the Houston Medical Center on Monday morning alone, and was fine with that until I walked into the examination room. Richard had always been with me through every trip to any doctor since we were married almost six years ago, including my pregnancy, and now I was wishing he were with me to keep me calm and hear what the doctor would say so we could talk about it together afterwards.

A few moments later, Dr. Bart entered the room and greeted me. He was a distinguished man in his late thirties or early forties with dark hair and a confident, reassuring smile. I liked him immediately. We talked casually for a brief moment before he asked to see the bruises on my arms and shoulders. As he examined my arms, I could read the concern in his eyes. He asked me whether I minded if he brought in another doctor to look at my arms. I immediately knew this was serious. He also told me he needed to run several tests to see exactly what was going on. Of course, I agreed.

After the other doctor examined me as well, a nurse escorted me to the room for ex-rays, and then walked me over to another building for lab work. Everywhere I went, because my arms were exposed, I could once again hear people whispering, “leukemia, leukemia, leukemia.” After a short period of time, they sent me back to Dr. Bart in the same examination room. When he entered again, he was very subdued and asked if my husband were with me. I said no. He asked if I could call Richard, and said, “I’d really like for him to be here with you.” I assured him there was no way Richard could be reached since he was traveling to Lake Charles. I told Dr. Bart, “It’s okay. I know it is very serious, but you can tell me anything. I will be alright.”

He sat down in front of me and spoke softly. “Marilyn, these are not just bruises in your arms; these are hemorrhages. I need to hospitalize you and get you on a bed of ice immediately to get these hemorrhages stopped as soon as possible. Hemorrhages always move up. They are moving into your shoulders already and will keep moving up to your brain and cause a brain hemorrhage if we don’t get them stopped right away! I want you to walk over to the hospital with me. We must get you on a bed of ice immediately!”

I leaned back against the wall for a moment, trying to take in fully all he was saying, and fear hit me. I was alone without Richard in a strange hospital with a new doctor, and I have just received the most negative medical report of my life! Richard had flown to Louisiana the day before for the next crusade. He was surely in no position to walk away from his responsibilities there and leave all those churches hanging while he came home to be with me. I promised him I would call the minute I talked with the doctor, but I wanted to know more before I called. Thinking about him calmed me a little, but then my thoughts turned to my baby boys.