TheMommyBlog

Wednesday, December 26, 2007 Our Holiday Curse, Familybits

Or person. I just loved spending quality time with the kids tonight at the emergency room. We were on our way out the door to see Water Horse when my doctor returned my message from the 23rd saying that I’d injured my neck. He wanted me to be seen right away, so we printed out alternate movie times just in case (oh how the hopeful shall flounder) and headed on down to Los Gatos Community Hospital. Just like old times.

After about thirty seconds of poking my neck and testing neurological reflexes, the doctor said that he didn’t think I’d broken any bones in my neck and so didn’t need a CAT scan. Therefore, it was all muscular and needed rest and pain meds. Which was nice. Have you ever tried to entertain slash keep quiet a nine, seven and five year old in an ER examination room? Neither had I. I kid you not when I say that my blood pressure was the highest I’ve ever seen it in my life. I’m usually 118 over 80, spot on. Tonight I was 144 over ninety-something.

Oh, and ohmygod, there was an elderly lady on the other side of the curtain who was obviously confused, upset, and in pain. She called and called for help, but I knew the nurses were hearing her and had reason to let her get it out of her system. She began talking to a lot of people I’m sure weren’t there; in fact, we heard her say later that she wanted to go back to New Hampshire to see everyone. I think they sent her back to the assisted living place. They sure seemed like they knew here, calling her Love and being so sweet and gentle with her.

Especially when Dylan spotted a spattering pool of blood next to her gurney and flipped out. I called the nurse to check it out and he wasn’t surprised in the least. I then spent the next fifteen minutes explaining in whispers that if you pull an IV out of your arm it will bleed and drip like that. I didn’t, however, let them stand near the curtain, where I could see her hand trailing along the curtain, trying to get our attention so we could get her out of there. “I’ll pay you money...” Yikes!

Okeydokey, time for pain meds and bed. I suppose I ought to carry the boys to their beds but they look so cozy on the new couch… which they better not pee on. Crap. Just what my neck needs. Seventy and fifty pounds of limp children.