What a Week!

It all started the day I woke with a pressure in my upper left arm.  What do I know about heart attacks?  Nothing.  But, I do watch television, and the left arm always seems to be involved.  So, after three hours of having my arm feel as though a blood pressure cuff was on it, pumped to an extreme degree that wouldn’t let go, I decided I’d ask my daughter to take me to the ER.  Daughter #3 took me; not knowing how long I’d be there, and the fact that night driving is out, I would need a ride home, when I was released.  If … I was released.

One thing is for sure.  If you indicate that you may be in heart attack mode, things happen!  The triage people make short shrift of their process and get you into a room, ASAP.  Aspirin was given.  Tests were performed.  X-ray taken.  IV set – just in case.  Lots of blood work – and, because I’m not an easy draw, it took several punctures.  Anyway, about eight hours after entering, the decision was made that there was no heart involvement – no enzymes showed in the blood work that would have been there, had I had a heart attack.  And, I was released

So, as we were to learn, that was one down, two more to go.

Daughter #3 is visiting from her Wisconsin home.  Sunday, she was admitted to the same ER.  She first went to an urgent care facility; staff there sent her to the ER.  Her hip was a serious problem.  This time, I was the driver, but with the I-can’t-drive-at dusk or-dark prohibition, it meant that Daughter #1 would need to pick her up after work.  Again, nothing definitive was discovered.  Diverticulosis, they said.  And, she went home.  We did, however, make an appointment for her with my orthopedic surgeon’s office with the doc who specializes hips, etc.  And, a post-hospital visit with our PCP, which she cancelled.  Canceling was not such a terrific idea, we have learned.

Later in the week, she went to the “hip man” at my orthopedic doc’s office.  I drove her (the appointment was in the middle of the day).  She received help and relief and, today, is on her way to the Four Corners with her family.

So, we’re at two down, one to go!

No sooner than she was home, she talked with Daughter #1 about the pain in her leg, encouraging her to also go to the urgent care facility; again, staff there sent my daughter to the ER.  A blood clot was discovered at the back of her left knee.  Again, tests were conducted; she was also sent home.  She drove herself.  She had been driving herself around for a week with this pain in her leg.

The count had reached three for three!

She was in the ER on Sunday, and Monday, she had a post-hospital appointment with one of the docs at our primary care office (we go to the same PCP office).  Dr. Cooper, new to her, was most helpful and provided a great deal of important information.

Daughter #1 was very, very nervous about the blood clot – we all know what blood clots can do – and, the doctor “talked her down” from the fear, provided information, supplied medication to help, and established a great relationship.  And, then, that evening, her PCP called to talk.  To my way of thinking, this is the way health care should be.

On the Sunday, the rest of the #3 family arrived from Wisconsin; it was the day we would celebrate her husband’s sixtieth birthday.  Because the celebration was in the evening, someone came to pick me up and, then, drove me home, later.

Along came Friday.  Another birthday.  Grand #2 turned seventeen, that day.  So, another party.  And, after food and cake, we played “Apples to Apples.”  Lots of fun, especially, when you win.  I did!  But, it was probably beginners luck.

Not so much fun when water was discovered on the floor of the small bathroom.  We determined that the water was coming from the area of the commode.  Keith (HM) was called; he was in the mountains, but said he would come on Monday.  In the meanwhile, Dad used pliers and turned off the water supply for the bathroom stool to keep more water from escaping.  (Keith did take care of the problem on Monday.  Thanks be to God – AND KEITH.)

A neighborhood gathering was scheduled for Sunday.  Show up, bring a side dish, have fun.  I planned to go. And, then, I remembered that my #3 daughter’s family was coming to help with the children’s books.  Remember that I’d said I have too many books and some have to go.  Well, this is that day we planned to work on some of the children’s books.  The books in the TV room closet shelves are primarily children’s books.  The Grands planned to look at them to see if they wanted to take any home.  Although the books are picture books, everyone enjoys pictures books, even teen-age granddaughters.  And, if their future involves children of their own, the chosen books may act to provide the basis of a library for them.

They arrived at about 3 o’clock.  I had been working on getting the books into the front room where they could be sorted and boxed to go somewhere.  My eldest Grand took charge of the book selection; the younger took charge of Lady to keep her from barking; and the sorting began and boxing.

My son-in-law is a professor in Wisconsin; one of his colleagues is planning to establish a library for education students to use for reference for literacy projects.  She will be able to use these books for that library; and, if a book doesn’t fit, she can donate it to one of our preferred charities, Harmony House, a shelter for battered women and their families.

Ten boxes later, containing forty or so books per box, we had examined and sorted and boxes about four hundred books.  I’ve kept my Jan Brett books, those by and about Tasha Tudor, by Mem Fox, as well as a few other authors.  Loren Long is an incredible illustrator, and I’ve kept his book, too.

So, that takes care of the children’s books on the first floor.  Now, I need to tackle the children’s books in the basement.  And, we haven’t even talked about the adult books on both levels!

The shelves look so empty.  The hardest part of this entire process is seeing my treasured books be boxed for leaving my library.  I do know that it must happen.  I do know that they are going to places where someone cares for them.  However, that knowledge did not keep some tears from falling.

And, by the way.  I never did get to the community gathering.  After handling the four hundred books, twice (once to get them off of the shelves, and once to get them packed into boxes), it was about 6:00 pm.  I could have gone for the remainder of the gathering – but, I forgot and sat down and took a nap.

Epilogue:  It is Monday, and it seems the week is not over.  Daughter #3 is on vacation, in the southwestern part of our State.  She called in medical distress.  It seems the diverticulosis may have progressed to the next stage.  She and her family will not return to the area until Friday.  I attempted to arrange for an appointment for her at the PCP’s office; simply no appointment is available.  She should have kept that original appointment.  However, she will now need to return to the ER, when she returns on Friday.

Life gets Teejus, don’t it?

Be Safe and Be Well

The Cranky Crone

Thoughtful comments are welcome.