I am sure most of you have heard that phrase before, but this time, I'm afraid it's actually a fitting one given the recent events.
This is sort of a long story, so sit back, relax, and imagine.
I received a call from the hospital while at work. A nurse informed me my mom was there and had injured her right eye.
In haste, I wrapped everything up at work, grabbed some items, and fled to the hospital to get more details on just what happened.
As it turned out, mom was in the backyard doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing, AND with a pitchfork.
Well, the pitchfork wound up winning the fight when it hit her in the eye.
You got it, the pointy end. Ouch, right? You betchya and then some. Let's just say it didn't tickle one bit.
My mind wandering in a crazed drive to the hospital, I was trying to get a grasp for what could have possibly happened and what sort of shape she's in.
I knew that:
- It couldn't be life-threatening (I had to keep things in perspective)
- She drove herself to the hospital
- I would take care of whatever she needed and see her through recovery
I arrived quite quickly despite not remembering the drive there (again, my brain was in a flurry) and found her in a room on a bed with a styrofoam cup over her eye. I don't know what I would have done if I actually saw the eye at the time.
They had her on pain meds, but it was understood that they don't specialize in this sort of thing.
(Maybe the cup gave this away, I don't know.)They told us she was going to be transported by ambulance to Harborview in Seattle.
While they proceeded to transport her, I had some running around of my own to do. Go home and feed the "fuzzy family" she has; drop off jewelry; find her wallet; drive out to get Brett from work, and then drive back to the hospital to change cars and then off to Seattle I went.
Enroute to Seattle, I made calls to family members to notify them what occurred. I don't like talking on the phone when I drive, but didn't have much choice. I had great directions to follow, and was grateful to have them. I entered through the emergency room entrance and saw a variety of people from different walks of life. Some injured and waiting, some sick, some bored and most of them tired of waiting. I had about a 5-minute wait when they called me back.
She was on the hospital bed in a shared room. On the other side of us we heard a story about a guy who was assaulted with a hot
Cup O' Noodles.
You know you're in a big city with a real "gangsta" who's been assaulted with soup!
Who would have thought that the "cup of salt" you occasionally enjoy doubles as a dangerous weapon? Not me, that's for sure!
All joking aside, it was a really frustrating night. I had to do a lot of nagging to make sure they'd give her an IV to receive liquids. She hadn't eaten since the day before. If you are ever at a hospital alone, that's it, you are alone. When you're not feeling well, you can't necessarily fend for yourself. That turns into neglect. The squeaky wheel always gets the oil, and I did my fair share of squeaking.
It was an eternal wait.
No, I am not whining.
Really.
It was eternal... you had to be there to believe it!
A young Ophthalmologist arrived to evaluate her and had her sit up at a machine to look at what was in store.
He poked and prodded and then prodded and poked at her eye. His doing this set a condition I'm sure he didn't realize. That his presence meant pain every time he entered the room. Mom did not like him.
All of this evaluating he was doing was just causing her to feel sick to her stomach -- a common symptom of eye injuries. He did not want her to get sick because it puts pressure on the eyes. She wouldn't have felt sick if he wasn't poking at her eye... and so on.
Hours ticked by and all I wanted to know was if I had his blessing to go home. It was so late by that time and I was worried about the long drive ahead of me. I knew she was not going to be released that night but they kept me hanging.
At around 12:30am the next day, we were told she would go in for surgery (ah, finally - a decision!). But wait... I knew this hours ago (sigh)...
There's something about health care that frustrates the hell out of me. We are at their mercy, and we have to accept the lousy service they are so good at giving.
That's it. Just take it.
There were times I needed to interrupt their casual conversations among nurses to let them know we had something that needed tending to.
I work at a place that demands service, so it's hard for me to grasp when it isn't reciprocated. I wonder what their experience is when they are in this situation and have to go to the hospital? Ah, the mind boggles oneself.
This isn't to say that I am not grateful. I am! I am grateful of the first hospital's judgment to transport her to Harborview and have her seen by the top experts in the field.
Mom's surgery was scheduled early that morning. Dr. Chen repaired the laceration from the pitchfork caused. Dr. Chen is a different doctor than the one that was poking at her eye. He was an expert in his field with over 25 years of experience under his belt, despite his youthful appearance — he looked like he was 25!
We had an exciting drive home, as our first snow storm started and we were in rush-hour traffic by that time. Thankfully, we were safe.
So she has been recovering and has lots of eyedrops to take frequently.
We learned that her retina is detached and once she is healed from this, will need to have another surgery to repair the detachment. She will be seen by a doctor who specializes in the retina specifically, so I know she'll be in good hands there.
I have been working remotely ever since, and now we are socked in with snow as evidenced by the photos you're seeing. Gorgeous as it might be, I didn't necessarily bring with me, snow-friendly apparel. It's okay, I guess. What am I going to do outside but fall on my butt, right?
Brett and Connor visited to us yesterday, and it was so good to see them. Grandma showed Connor a Yahtzee! game on her computer, so he had that to entertain him for a while. Their stay wasn't long as we had another snowfall hit, which meant they had to head home before it froze outside and got worse. A trip that normally takes 25 minutes took them 90, but they were safe!
We hope your holidays are going more smoothly for you and that you are safe and sound!
