Plane crash – strengthdefined

EIGHT Second Chances

How many second chances

Do we get at this life?

Don’t you feel destined

To do amazing things

In your life? Urgency pounding

I’ve been handed

EIGHT second chances

1st Second Chance

In Utero my Mom

Kept falling while 8 months

Pregnant, hospitalized

To prevent her from falling

Alcohol poisoning

A projectile vomiter

Rough beginnings

2nd Second Chance

Early twenties

An ovarian tumor

Led to emergency surgery

That led to a second surgery

That led to 10 months

Of hell

On Lupron

A plan prepared

Ready to execute

But the phone rang, my Dad:

“Don’t know where your head is at now, but don’t do it!”

3rd Second Chance

Late 20’s, pre-eclampsia

32.6 weeks pregnant

14 days in the hospital

5 pounds of fluid filled my lungs

Over night

Pulmonary edema

Kidneys failing

Liver not far behind

Emergency C-section

3#, 9 oz baby girl arrived

While I fought for my life

For over 36 hours

To live

To meet my daughter

4th Second Chance

Business trip

Left engine on plane blew up

Stewardess screaming:

“We’re on fire, we’re on fire- we are all going to die!”

5th Second Chance

A devastating hysterectomy

With the gift of my doctor spotting

Something wrong with my appendix

A carcinoid tumor

If ruptured- a death sentence

I mourned inability to not have more children …but

Blessed to be alive

6th Second Chance

After a toe joint replaced

Got super sick

Hospitalized for 14 days

Diagnosis, “we think you have leukemia”

Do I have enough life insurance?

Bone marrow test- BEYOND unpleasant

Ruled leukemia out… but

7th Second Chance

“We think you contracted

West Valley Fever when you went to

Nevada”

Mom was dying

Worse mortality rate

Than leukemia

Over 6 months

Scans

Sinus scrapes

7 doctors on deck

Final diagnosis:

“You just have really bad luck”

8th Second Chance

Insane bladder infection

With a deadly antibiotic resistant bug

I was sent home on intravenous

Line in my arm

Self administered heavy duty

Antibiotics into my body

3 times a day, 3 weeks

Another Doc said:

“You just have really bad luck”

I know I’m meant to do amazing things in this life

Never take your life for granted

Focus on your now

Spend quality time with

Your family & friends

Dream

Set goals

Achieve those goals

Have courage

And love

With all you’ve got

No regrets

Casualties of War

Father screams for his son

Lying limp in his arms

Needing help, desperate for it

As bombs explode overhead

Casualties of War

Chaos

Burned flesh

Their scent blowing in the air

Little boy with eyes missing

Can you hear him weeping?

For his children?

Both sides, all his

Casualties of War

Tears, wailing, all wanting quiet

A little peace

A little joy

A chance to be free

Faces silent, mourning

Still living

Eyes staring darkly into photo lenses

Hostility growing

Mothers wailing the loss of their children

Food delivered

Running for safety

Casualties of War

Sirens blaring

Civilians trying to get food

Suddenly are on the ground

Praying they are not next

Casualties of War

Death

Alone

Dying, both sides

Bloody babies cradled

In weeping mothers’ arms

Casualties of War

Can you hear him weeping?

Angels…send, send, send

Left engine of the airplane blew

In under seven minutes of assent

A boom, ears ringing, fire ball out the left side of the window

I was sitting in seat 18C

The plane dipped to the left

A hasty decent

Tummy now in throat

Cabin filled with hazy smoke like flecks of pepper

Eyes, nose and throat burning

Stewardess ran down the isle screaming,

“We’re on fire, we’re on fire, we are ALL going to die”

Die? Right here, right now?

The hum of one engine struggled to keep the plane erect

Vibrating

Shaking

Sputtering

Die, in an airplane…

My throat constricts

I can not speak

Inside my head I scream,

“She’s three, God- she’s three. Three.”

Visions of her sweet eyes

Hair that smells like watermelon shampoo

Little hand holding mine

Sweet kisses

Cuddling hugs

I want to see her grow up

I want to be there for her graduation

Her wedding

I want to hold her babies in my lap.

Sobbing passengers are heard through out the plane

Tears pour down my cheeks

I am frozen

Dream of clawing my way out of a plane 20,000 feet in the air

Sputtering

Shaking

A stranger holds my hands and whispers,

“We are going to make it, we are not going to die”

In my head I can not form sentences

I keep thinking, “Angels, angels, send, send, send.”

The plane lands

Everyone let’s out a whoop of glee and relief

The pilot gets on the intercom and says,

“We’ve just had catastrophic engine failure of our left engine. We’re on the ground now, have a nice day.”

Angels deployed

I’m watching my little girl grow up

Jeni McCreary

Date of event: 10/11/2005

(attached is a picture of my boarding pass that I clutched in my hand. You can barely make it out from the sweat of the not letting it go during this event. I keep it as a reminder that life is too short and too precious. Embrace every day… every day)