Wednesday, March 10, 2010

ER......It's not like T.V.

What a weird couple of weeks!  

As a family, we have been very blessed!  But there are times when you just have to laugh or cry, or maybe both!  

On Sunday night, February 28, I got a call that my mama had fallen and was being sent to the hospital by ambulance.  So I rushed up to the ER and we spent a few hours there.  She had a big bump on her head so they got a CT of her brain.  All was well there, so we were sent home even though she was complaining of back pain.  At home, things went downhill fast!  She stopped getting up at all and ended up in a hospital bed and some other stuff!  Things just continued to go south with more and more pain and complications.

Sunday, March 7th, after a wonderful church service, I had messages from my brother looking for me and asking me to get right over to mama's!  She was worse and the retirement center nurse was considering sending her back to the ER.  We discussed it at length and decided that she wouldn't get much done on Sunday night (especially since we had been that route before), and that we would look at things Monday morning.  

Monday, we decided she needed to go to the ER.  We waited for one sister to arrive from Pensacola, then met the ambulance for another trip......

As for the ER, can anybody say Spring Break???  What a zoo!  There were kids everywhere with everything from alcohol poisoning to claims of rape.  We saw two little girls, scantily clad looking miserable and I was tempted to say having fun yet??

We got right back and began our nine (9) hour stay in the torture chamber ER.  



Ever been on one of these luxury beds for 9 hours?  We really needed Dr. H*ouse!  Where's a good T.V. doctor when you need him???

Finally, they came to take her to get a CT of her spine.......for 8 days, mama had been suffering with a broken back!  She left the ER the first time without anyone looking at her back.  Suffering a compression fraction at L1 and T12 with fragments.....she was fitted with a brace.  

Please realize that by this time we were slap happy from worry and weariness!  So when a cute, bright blue eyed prosthetics and orthodics guy came in, my sister says you have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen.  Hold back sister!  He very gallantly said ladies, I'm too old for you (young enough to be our son).  I'm quite sure he sees weary older women all the time and perfectly understood that she would normally never say a thing like that!  Of course, then when he asked me to sign some paperwork, I said Sure blue eyes!  Grin here.......I was kidding!!   He probably went home to his 20 something year old, beautiful, blonde wife and had a good laugh!

But back to poor mama (who actually is a big flirt too).  The ER docs wanted to brace her and send her back home.  We were so confused, we didn't know how that would work out.  But as the providence of our sweet Lord would be, right at that moment, my phone rang and it was the nurse from her primary care doctor's office.......who also just happens to be my next door neighbor.  She said very emphatically......UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES LET THEM SEND HER HOME....SHE NEEDS TO GO TO REHAB!  That gave us the backbone to have them admit her until she could go to rehab. 

Now my 86 year old mother had been laying on that table for 9 hours without a drop of water or any food and her oxygen levels hovering around 87!  I got really concerned about her dehydrating or worse and went into the hall and called out to the doctor.....I can't of course say his name, but it rhymes with who and starts with a V.  He finally got some fluids started, admitted her to the hospital and Tuesday she got moved to rehab!

So, now here she is in the rehab.....



Much more comfortable bed! 

Still a bunch of tired goofy children!


I now need rehab after my brother sat on my lap!


Of course, we were so thankful that she was finally getting some treatment!



I just can't resist a little photography.  This is just one half of my mother's children! 

I'm pretty sure by this time, she was ready for us to leave! 

She did a little rehab this morning.  We're praying they can get her back home!  Her good sense of humor is intact!

13 comments:

Needled Mom said...

Those ERs can be such an awful place to spend any time. I am so glad that you were able to get to the root of the problem AND to get the proper treatment.

Prayers for a speedy recovery for your mom.

Dawn said...

I absolutely detest ERs - emergency schmergency. If you're not bleeding to death, you lay there undetected for hours on end. Way too many hours in the ER for me - not in the bed, but with others! My one experience there with the broken arm when I fell on the ice was not pleasant either.

Your poor mama! I can't believe they didn't check her back - wait a minute, I can believe it. Kristen spent 24 hours in ER and ICU checking for everything which turned out to be as simple as bronchitis.

Well, enough of my rant. Thank the Lord she's on the mend! Hope you are too!

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Glad she is in rehab. Can't believe they wanted to send her home! Hope she gets well soon.
Praying for her to heal quickly.

Gigi said...

Probably shouldn't admit that I'm an old ER nurse...but I am.

I'm so sorry your poor Mom had to endure all of that suffering, bless her heart. I pray she does well in rehab! I'm sure having all of you around her lifts her spirits immeasurably!!

Sharon said...

So sorry to hear your Mom is suffering a broken back. And a trip to the ER can often be as bad as the problem that brought you there. Now about flirting with that young man in the ER; I doubt he put much stock in what you said. As I've grown old I have found that I can say just about anything to anyone I want. No one pays any attention anyway.
It's one of the perks of getting old. About the only one really.
Sharon

Wise Grandma said...

Please tell my Aunt Margaret, that not that I have won the Academy Award, her dear Sandra Bullock has great influence. You just let me know if they don't treat her like royalty. My word, what does it take to get decent health care in this country!

Love ya all! Next time that big bruiser sits on your lap, do him like Aunt Rosa did to get to the front of the line - pull out your hat pin!

Sandra aka Eularee

Unknown said...

I'm sorry for your awful ER experience. 9 hrs. is way too long of an ER stay. Next time if you're in my ER ask to see if Dr. V is on.

Donnetta said...

So sorry to hear of this experience you all had to go through!

Hope your mom is doing better.

Katie and Beau said...

I hope things turn around and try not get too stressed. Remember that sometimes a glass of wine helps :)

Mimi said...

HI Nancy!!!
Oh my goodness, that dear lady layed around and suffered with a broken back for 1 week??? SHe must be a SAINT!!!! I would have been whiny, crying, screaming yelling all of the above!!! I am NOT good with Pain!!!!Oh Dear Lord, thank goodness she is alright now!!! I will be Praying God touch her and heal her quickly, is everything going ok now????
Isn't life a fun little roller coaster ride!!! Spring Break in Panama City beach!!! WOW is all I can say!!!!
hugs,
jamie

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Thanks for stopping over at my blog today. I appreciate your support. They don't have a time table yet. I want a deadline but that's not available as yet. He may be changing jobs or may go to school.

The Hatcher's said...

Wow! I cannot believe her back was broken that whole time. She is a real trooper. We will pray for her.

grammy said...

I came by from Grandma Dawns (o:
What a time to visit
I can imagine how hard that must have been
they don't seem overly excited about treating old people....so annoying.
We went through a hard time with my 82 year old mom in the hospital a few years back. It didn't end well.
Nice to visit your place...come see me some time (o: