Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I'm having a Crap Day


I have decided that today life sucks. Sure, it's sunny and beautiful outside. The temperature is about 75. A perfect day. But I feel like my head is a balloon and someone keeps blowing it up. It all started yesterday. I woke up feeling terrible, but I dragged myself out of bed and into work anyway. At about 10am I got a call from the school telling me that Nathan had thrown up in class and that I needed to go pick him up. So I left, and went to pick up a rather peppy child. He told me that he had been coughing and that is what caused him to gag. He basically threw up phlegm. He had not eaten all day and he was hungry, so we went and ate fajitas at our favorite Mexican place. Then we came home and took a nap and then we played Lego Indiana Jones on the Playstation 2 together. I got a phone call at 315pm from one of my neighbors to tell me that she was stuck in traffic and asked me if her boys could walk to my house after school. So I had four boys at my house. Then three more neighbor kids showed up. So from about 3:30 until 6 I had 6 boys and 1 girl at my house. I felt like I was living in a Children of the Corn movie or something. After a while, I noticed that all the kids were playing outside in the front yard, except Nathan. I went inside to check on him and found him asleep in our recliner. Ok, perhaps he isn't as well as I thought he was. He slept most of the evening, then he woke up terribly congested and complaining of sharp pain on the left side of his chest when he breathed. I felt his forehead and he was warm, and the thermometer confirmed that the had a 101 degree fever. So off to the E.R. we went in hopes that he did not have pneumonia. As soon as we got into the truck, he vomited all over the floorboard. SWEET! We get to the E.R. at around 11:00. They aren't too terribly busy, so we get placed into an extremely cold room rather quickly. Two hours later, someone comes in to take his vital signs, and I ask them if a Dr. is going to seem him tonight. They give me a very funny look and then ask, "No one has been in here?" I reply, "Not since the nurse brought us back, two hours ago." By this time Nathan was is major distress and discomfort. He was freezing, and frankly, so was I. They gave him a blanket, and then they went and got a Dr. Of course he came back apologizing for our long wait and told me that it has been a crazy night. Considering I only saw three other patients in the E.R., I was a bit dubious of this statement. But they did the chest x-ray, and it came back normal. Thank heavens. But he does have an upper respiratory infection. It is 3 am at this time. The give him a dose of antibiotic and give us our discharge papers and we get up to leave. Nathan is very unsteady on his feet. He makes it to then next bed beyond our curtain and collapses on it, and then proceeds to vomit all over the bed and the floor. Then he sits down in a chair beside one of their computer and dry heaves on it. Have he has collected himself, we proceed down the hall toward the exit. Apparently, the nurse spoke to the Dr., and we were flagged down just shy of the exit. He informed me that he could not send the boy home in the condition that he was in. So we were brought back in to a different room. This time were were both given a heated blanket. Nathan was give some more meds and we stayed another two hours. We finally escaped that frozen Hell at 5am this morning. I was so tired, I could hardly keep my eyes open. We got home and we both fell into bed and we didn't move until 1030 this morning. That's when I got a dreaded phone call. My dad. They have now put him on a morphine drip and they expect him to pass in 2-3 days. They want to know how soon I can be there. Unfortunately, I cannot get up there until Saturday. If he passes before I get there, that will be ok. I got to say my goodbyes to him a few months ago, and those are the memories that I prefer to keep. I have tried to avoid seeing him in this weakened and frail state. I just don't think my heart could withstand seeing him die. I really hope he goes before I get there. Anyway, I feel like crap, and it just hasn't been my week. And it's only Wednesday. But I'll get through it. I always does.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Cecile...sounds like you ARE having a CRAP day!!! I wish I could say something to make it better, you poor thing.

Is Nathan doing better? Please make sure you take care of yourself too, you don't need to get sick on top of everything else. I'll pray for you and your Dad.

I'm glad you wrote about it and got it all out. God that whole thing in the hospital sounds awful...you were really there for 2 HOURS and NO ONE SAID ANYTHING!? They should have given you the royal treatment after that hell!

Take care, okay?
XOXOXO
RC

Mr. Shife said...

Well I hope the day got better. Hang in there. Sending good thoughts your way from Idaho.

Cece said...

Yes, I was really there for 2 hours in a room that I think they substitute as a meat locker when it is not being used by patients. I don't usually get cold, but I was freezing, and I had on jeans. Nathan only had on shorts and a t-shirt, plus he was feverish, so I know he had to feel cold. They did apologize for the wait, but that was about it. I do know that one of the other patients had a broken limb, perhaps that was what the hold up was, but they took us back, asked me if they could get me anything, and shut the curtain. Then not a word for two hours. They were coming in to take Nathan's Vital signs. He is doing better. I think the antibiotic is kicking in. He actually felt like going to Karate Practice today. They have belt graduation tomorrow. They will be Orange belts if they can pass the test. I'm pretty certain that they will since they did a walk through of the form today and they did a great job! The only prayers my Dad needs is for a speedy and painfree death. He is so ready to go home. He is tired of fighting. I am dealing with it fairly well today, but certain things set me off, of course. I am a Daddy's Girl. My siblings always called me Dad's Golden Child. They tell me that he was more proud of me and the accomplishments I made in life, then all of the rest of them put together. I'm not sure how accurate that is. I have always felt that my accomplishments were average at best. I called and talked to my mom today. She seems to be handling it fairly well. My sister, Yoyo, went back up there today. She is going to stay until he has passed. She is a nurse, and she was able to get signed up for FMLA. I am going to go up on Saturday, and stay as long as I can, or as long as I am needed. Things are tough right now. With Na being so sick, I have missed a lot of work, and I don't have much vacation/sick time left. Plus, HB is just starting a new job, so he has zero vacation time. I can only hope that he passes conviently. I feel so terrible thinking that way, but I can't help it. I guess I'll stop rambling now. Thanks for listening, and thanks for being here.

Leah said...

Sending all my love and a huge hug to you, Cecile.

Gig said...

Hey there Baby,
I am sending you a big hug!! It is too late here (and there) for me to call you, but I will call tomorrow night.
I hope Nathan is doing better,sorry about the crappy treatment at the ER!!

I am sorry to hear about your Dad, but understand about wanting his suffering to end soon. Take care of yourself too. HB and the boys need you to. The time you spent with your Dad several months ago was the best...he understands.

Love you,
Gig

kylie said...

hey cece,
sorry to hear everything is so crappy.
i'll be thinking of you and i hope your Dad goes in the best possible way
xox

Anonymous said...

Hey Cecile...just wanted to say, "Hi." Hope all is well...

XOXOXO
RC

Cece said...

Just a quick note to tell everyone thank you. I am doing ok today. There has been no change with dad as of yet. I will talk to all of you soon.

Kookaburra said...

Hey Cecile,
Oh, how awful! Sending you a BIG HUG and good thoughts from Down Under.
The hospital seems dysfunctional to say the least.
Is Nathan over the worst of his illness and getting better?
You said that you were doing okay and I hope that is the case.

I will be thinking of you all and I hope that your dad passes peacefully.

Hang in there.

M. XOX

Cece said...

I'm hanging, but I think I'm starting to slip.

Kookaburra said...

I will be here to catch you.

Take care.

Suzanne said...

And so will I. We all love you so much.

Thank you for the phone call the other night. Sorry it's taken so long to get here. You know me honey. You're going to be okay. Just inhale, exhale. On the inhale close your eyes and say "I am," and on the exhale say "relaxed." (Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.) Do that about a hundred times. You'll be fine.

I didn't hear from you yesterday so assume you're with your father today. You're going to be okay honey. Just relax and know that our family adores you and you're in our thoughts.

Much love,
Me XO

P.S. Also remember you have amazing Blogger friends who love and support you.