A Day in the Emergency Room

[Michele 1]

Mom comes in for Christmas and New Years each year. She spends usually about 14 days here from New Jersey. We try to spend some time together, but not this way.

So there I am this morning, catching up on work whilst sitting on my sofa, happily in my jammies, unbrushed hair, and 3rd cuppa coffee...thought I'd just pop a call to my sister-in-law, tell her I have Mom's camera and Kayla's hat has been enlarged (I crochetted her a beret for Christmas; it didn't fit...); when should I come over today yo drop them off? I ring her up, and she says:

"Oh, and BTW, your Mom is in the hospital. David dropped her off on the way to work..."

Call the hospital, tell them to tell her I'm on my way, leap outta jammies and into street clothes, brush hair and teeth, and hit the road. Speeding. Get pulled over, tell him I'm heading to the hospital. He questions me for about 30 seconds, and then realizes I am telling the truth, and lets me go, telling me to keep it under 85 please.

I get there, and find Mom. Her knee is swollen like a balloon. She has osteoarthritis, scoliosis, and several degenerated dics in her spine, and several bones with holes in them in her lower legs and feet. She's 73. They won't let me in to see her, because they are doing a procedure on her knee - draining it. No biggie for me, I've seen it and had knee draining done, I won't loose it, but no, they won't let me in. Stand in the hallway talking to her, letting her know I'm there, and they finally let me in to her. She's laying there, hurting badly.

"What happened, Mom?"

"Well, your brother has three flights of stairs, I'm old, I had to pee, I was rushing up the stairs, and it just started hurting".

"No injury to it? You didn't fall?"

"Nope. I'm old. Rushing doesn't go well with old."

So, she doesn't tell anyone, she just sits there, hurting, watching her knee swell up. Overnight. Lots of pain, but because of her ulcer, she can't take anything except tylenol. No relief. Nothing. Elevation and ice not working. Today, she can't move at all. So off to the hospital she went.

The folks on the right are quietly chatting. The folks on the left are quietly chatting. Me and my mom? Oh, well, did I mention she's hard of hearing, and they won't let her have her hearing aids? So we're not quietly chatting. We are talking loudly. In a room the size of my bedroom, there are three gurneys, three sets of patients, and three conversations going on.

4 hours later, we make it to Xray. I tag along, lifting my frail mother from the gurney to the table. Helping her into positions, and chatting with her, trying to keep her mind off of her body. Then back onto the gurney, and trundle her along. I tried to get the Xray guy to let me get some speed and ride the gurney around, but he declined a little holiday race. I coulda done it...

And then, 90 minutes later, we get the results...nothing broken, lots of significant degeneration. 14-21 days off her feet. As little movement as possible. And then the Dr. says, "wait a minute. We still need the results of the fluid test. It looked cloudy".

No lunch, no snack, no water. The other people in the room are treated and either released or admitted, and new ones come in. No potty, no break. It's cold. I take the blanket I am making and cover her with it. We talk more about when I was a little girl, when she was a little girl, when the world was young. She's hurting, she's cranky, and we're stuck in the hospital because they won't release us until she gets her results.

And then, at about 7ish, we get them. Her white blood count should be somewhat less than 200, and hers is 26,725. Infection, a bad one. But we are not sure where it's coming from. Now it's time to consult the osteosurgeon. He comes in, and they decide to give her a big ol' horseshot, and some pills for the next few days, with a promise that she will see another osteo dr. on Monday.

So that's what I did today. And we know what I'll be doing on Monday.

In the mean time, I have 6 days to figure out how to get her to the airport, because we are on Orange Alert and she can't walk. I can't drive her in, and she can't walk in. And what will she do in New Jersey?

Any ideas how to convince the TSA that I'm not a terrorist, should be allowed to drive her to the curb, and get her into a wheelchair and into the hands of those wonderful American Airline folks? And anyone have any idea how to get her from Newark to Nutley? She was going to take the bus, but I just don't see how that would work. She cannot walk.

Sigh.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone....

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[diverdriver 6]

If you call AA customer service number they may have some suggestions on where you can meet a wheelchair if you can't bring her to the curb like normal. During these times they are usually accomodating but definitely call ahead. I'm sure you thought of that already though. So, nothing new here.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[NZL60 0]

Ditto to what Chris said.. take a look at the airlines' web site under customer service.. quite a bit in there on passengers with special needs

Who said Kiwis can't fly?

[hooked 0]

I don't have any answers for you, except maybe start calling around to set up some sort of plan? Maybe calling someone she knows and arrange something? In the meantime, lots and lots of {{{{{{{ HUGS }}}}}}} and good [[[[[[[ VIBES ]]]]]] are coming your way
Jan

--------------------------------------
Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

[Shawndiver 0]

Michele,
Sorry to hear about your Holiday trials, my GF's mother is 90, stroke, broken hip, one leg amputation, we've had several hospital bouts that sound like yours.

As far as the flight, have you tried calling the airline? I know they used to be able to help arrange transportation for disabled/impaired folk, or at least they may be able to help you look in the right direction. There has to be some way of dealing with people flying who are lacking in mobility.

Hang in there girl and a hug and vibes to you for the New Year!!!
Shawn

_________________

[Nightingale 0]

If she's flying out of LAX, you can try this:

drive to lot C. Park there, and take the free shuttle over to the terminal. They are handicapped accessable and will help with wheelchairs and the like, if she has a chair. They drop you off right in front of the terminal, so there shouldn't be too much walking involved. If you take less than two or three hours, parking at lot C is free.

Best of luck, and I hope your mom feels better!!!!


(((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))
and
{{{{{{{{{{{{{VIBES}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[vonSanta 0]

I wish for strength for you and your mother Michele .

Growing old and frail is not for weaklings.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[flygirl03 0]

All I can says is GIANT (((((HUGS))))) for you and your mom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit