I am not sure how I feel about posting something that is both unedited and unfinished. Elise – do not read this until I tell you it is ready!
This new role that was thrust on her unexpectedly was not one she had anticipated playing so early in her life. Lisa had played many roles in her 40 years but this new one was not one she had anticipated. It took her back to high school in one way. You know how teenagers never think they or their friend are mortal. Youth makes you think immortality.
In some ways, parenthood makes you think immortality also. You will live on in your children. As you run, bike or hike with and after them, you are in good shape. Your health is important because you are setting an example for those you love. You may think of wills, and are sure to have one, but it is for “just in case.”
Then, “just in case” comes to visit.
Lisa didn’t realize when she woke up that morning that “just in case” was on its way to her doorstep. She had lived through a lot but was not thinking death was coming. Yes, her parents were getting older. It would be a shock if the call came from one of them but it would not be unexpected. The problem was that the call came from one of the kids.
No, the kids were not hurt. There was no big bomb at the university. The apartment complex where another lived had not burnt down. No one’s car had been hit. Did you know that Dad was in the hospital? This would have been a bigger issue but Lisa nad her ex-husband did not speak frequently. She knew that he had had an accident about amonth before. The accident had been small. It had required a trip to the doctor’s and a few stitches . Nothing drastic. The kids were annoyed when she did not tell them about the Accident. She didn’t really know about it. One of the boys went over to visit and came home and told her about it. It was not something that she or her ex thought was all that important.
What had happened now? Was there another accident? Was he drinking and driving? Who else was involved? More importantly, why was one of the kids calling or why did they know about it and not her? She was pretty certain that he would have called if he was in the hospital. Let’s think about it. Do you really call a college student – your child or not – over a responsible adult? Well, evidently Lisa’s answer to that question and her ex’s answer are two different things.
It was about midnight. He was in the emergency room with his significant other. At fifty, do you really call them girlfriend and boyfriend? The problem was odd. He had dropped a glass and was trying to clean it up. The problem was he couldn’t. Nor could he get up off the floor. What were they to do? She insisted, thankfully, that they go immediately to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
Both Lisa nad her ex live in a community where there are two hospitals – a Catholic one that is small but has some specialties and a larger one that has even more specialties. The Catholic hospital – St Mary’s – was closer to Susan’s house so that is where Randy and Susan headed when he was having problems functioning that night. St Mary’s is the hospital where all four of Lisa and Randy’s kids were born and was Lisa’s hospital of preference. Lisa is still trying to piece together the sequence of events but Randy and Susan ended up at St Mary’s ER. After a CT scan, it was discovered that Randy, from the previous accident, had a blood clot on his brain. Why, when stitches on the face were required, the doctor who did them did not think further tests were necessary no one knows. The problem was that St Mary’s wanted to transfer Randy to the bigger hospital. They have a neurology unit. They are the better place to be for this injury.
So, into an ambulance. There was no getting into Susan’s car. Once Randy had been admitted and was about to be transferred, it was ambulance travel or nothing. In the back of the ambulance, with Susan following in her car, Randy decided he should notify someone. At least he had the common sense to not call one of the kids away at school. He called the one living in town. Didn’t say much to her but that he was in the hospital and something about internal bleeding. Well, he evidently wasn’t listening to what the doctor at St Mary’s ER said as a blood clot is not bleeding.
The next morning, in almost the same non-chalant manner, Debbie called her mom. Did Lisa know that Randy was in the hospital? Something about internal bleeding. Debbie didn’t know much except that he had been moved from St Mary’s to Kaiser by ambulance. Lisa asked if there was an accident. Debbie was sure it was from the earlier one he had been in. Now, Lisa was worried. Internal bleeding and an accident that had been a month or more before. Tht did not sound good at all. Bleeding for that amount of time could kill a person. Lisa contacted the hospital. Nothing could be given to her. She was not listed as a person on the file and did not have the “number” that could be given to those who can get information on patients. The hospital could only confirm that Randy was indeed a patient in the neurology unit.
Neurology? Internal bleeding? The pieces were not fitting together. Since Randy and Susan do not live together, Lisa called Susan. They knew each other in passing but were not great friends. Susan was so happy for the call. She couldn’t find Lisa’s number. Randy had his phone at the hospital. Susan had wanted to call Lisa last night.
“Slow down, “ Lisa said. “What exactly happened?”
“The problem all goes back to the accident,” started Susan.
“He has had internal bleeding for over a month?,” Lisa yelled.
“Not exactly. There is no internal bleeding. Debbie must have gotten some misinformation from her father. He has a clot, a sizeable clot pressing on his brain. I am heading in to the hospital shortly so I am there when the doctor explains what needs to be done.”
Lisa was concerned but was on her way out the door to work. “Is there any reason for me to come over for this consult or are you okay?” Lisa was not sure just how far this relationship had progressed or exactly how assertive Susan could be. There were a ton of questions that needed to be asked if a doctor was going to try to either remove or drain something near the brain. Was Susan up for this?
Susan assured Lisa she was fine. Lisa left Susan with her cell number and then called off work. Lisa decided that a little time on the internet would be best for her and her children. Best find out what exactly was going on and how it was normally treated and what the treatment would entail. There was a ten year old to explain it all to after school.
Crap! After school. There was a tennis match that, in a course of good luck, Randy had already told Sam he wasn’t going to be able to come to. This, at least, would postpone the information telling for a bit. Lisa had always known that putting a ten year old in tennis lessons and a league was a strange thing to do but Randy, who never really had an interest in tennis, had insisted. It was the sport that Sam liked. He needed to be encouraged.
