August 21, 2024
Aaaaaand We're Back.
CAUTION: Banality lies in wait below the fold.
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Additionally, about two weeks ago I received word that Mom had been a bit under the weather and an emergency room visit had resulted that showed nothing particularly wrong. I decided to head down and visit, cancelling a Monday stream and figuring on a 3 day visit.
As compensation here is a temerarious Draph duelist wearing a set of coveral...er coversomethings.
Granblue Fantasy's Narmaya, rockin' some denim is by -Yoin.
I'm on vacation this month and have spent it visiting out of state friends and doing some much needed house maintenance, My arthritis in my knees prevents my from getting on the roof or walking much for a few hours after work.
Everything went well, except that it rained. It rained rather a lot actually and we hunkered in the house while my Dad cooked steaks on the screened porch. After dinner mom, who seemed completely recovered excused herself and I went about the dishes whereupon I herd Mom cry out upstairs. Dad investigated and she was doubled over in pain. She then began screaming and saying her goodbyes and violently vomiting. In between my holding her head and Dad grabbing a bucket we determined that we had to get her to the hospital, but we couldn't move her without causing her to scream.
So an ambulance was called.
I followed her to the hospital and filled out the paperwork while Dad secured the house. Moments after I arrived a bunch of very injured 20 somethings staggered into the E.R., one carrying a girl with a compound fracture, so triage was not in our favor.
We waited for five hours while Mom screamed and vomited and I held her head and the bag and she kept saying her goodbyes and begged for painkillers, which the nurse could not give without the prescription of the doctor who was having a VERY busy Monday night.
Some idea of what kind of night the Hospital staff was having can be gleaned from an incident that happened about 3 hours into our ordeal. There was screaming from the hall and banging on the exam room door followed by a sickening crunch against the door. That crunch was the head of a nurse and her attacker was screaming to high heaven that the hospital had poisoned him...and also using the "F" word as a noun, a verb, an adverb, a conjunction, a participle and, somehow, a preposition. The on duty deputy in the ER could not subdue the animal and had to call for backup. In the end it took 5 officers subdue and to drag the fiend out of the hospital. I do not know the disposition of the nurse but we did not see her again. A few hours later (after about 5 hours total) the doctor arrived, sporting a black eye, examined my mother and prescribed her all the painkillers. My Mom is allergic to iodine so an alternate dye had to be used for the scan, which took an hour or more to propagate through her system. Then, FINALLY after nearly 7 hours of triage we learned that she had an intestinal blockage.
This is a serious, potentially life threatening condition but is at least treatable and probably would not involve surgery.
My dad and I (along with my sister once she arrived) alternated at my Mom's side for a few days without incident.....well almost. After they had put a tube down my Mom's throat to gently suck out the blockage there was an issue with the pump and the nurse had to fix it. Nonplussed by the device, she went to her computer and started playing a training video on the particular bit of kit. This aggroed my sister to no end. (That poor nurse).
Anyway it turned out that the reason the pump could not be made to work was that it was actually broken, so replacement was obtained and everything proceeded apace from there.
After a few days of Mom talking coherently and assurances that she was in no danger, I drove the 4 and a half hours home so I could cut the grass and take care of a few other things. At that time she was expected to be out of the hospital Saturday or Sunday evening, so I planned to come down Saturday morning. As it turned out I received a phone call during Thursday's stream to the effect that surgery would be necessary but that it would not take place until Sunday. Saturday morning I drove back to the Hospital, unsure of when I'd get home.
As it turned out everything broke loose Just before I arrived and the surgeon determined that his services were not warranted. A few more days passed before my Mother was released. Entrance to their house involves many stairs, so my Brother-in-law and I carried her in a wheel-chair into the room. She feels MUCH better. She is on a special diet but is otherwise fine. We put her in the first floor room with an adjoining bath where I usually stay and with other family members coming to visit I went ahead and took my leave.
Anyway, that's what's been going on.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:36 AM
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1
Wow. Glad everything eventually worked out ok. Until the bills arrive, anyway....
Posted by: ubu at Fri Aug 23 16:39:43 2024 (jH+gB)
2
I echo Ubu's sentiments. Also, depending on finances, insurance, etc., there are, or at least used to be, private hospitals with ERs that don't have to honor EMTALA. As a result, they're not flooded with illegals, druggies, etc., and thus you can get in and out of them much faster, and there's generally a lot less of the craziness you experienced. Found this out by accident many years ago when I took my wife to the ER for something or other.
I'm glad your Mom's on the mend.
I'm glad your Mom's on the mend.
Posted by: Rick C at Fri Aug 23 22:48:00 2024 (MItL9)
3
A bit late here - my dad had a blockage. Independent farmer that he was, he drove himself into town to get to the hospital. Can't imagine being able to drive while in that kind of pain. Hope things are working out for your mom.
Posted by: Frank at Sun Sep 1 11:24:10 2024 (+i6Xr)
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