Sunday was Halloween. Lauren was sure we would have a few trick or treaters that night. She asked if we had any candy to give out on the way to the hospital to get John. He had already sent me a text saying, "Come get me out of here." We were on our way.
He was checked out and home by early afternoon and before long, we were all napping. In retrospect, that afternoon nap turned out to be very important. Don't know how I would have made it through the next few days if I hadn't been able to get some rest that day.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were on Sunday Night Football. We have been Steelers fans since Lauren lived in Pittsburgh during graduate school at Carnegie Mellon. Pittsburgh is a great city and you can't embrace it properly without falling into the Steelers culture..... and they had those wonderful Super Bowl wins! Pittsburgh was playing the New Orleans Saints and it was Halloween. What a great game to watch with all the folks dressed up, I mean it is New Orleans and it doesn't take much to start a party in that city.
About half way through the game, John said he didn't feel right. I got the thermometer, he wasn't running a fever, wasn't even up to normal. I put the pressure cuff on on him....his blood pressure was a little low but not out of range. "Something is wrong, I don't know what it is but I just don't feel right," he said, "I think I need to go to the hospital." I was confused. We had just gotten home from the hospital. Everything was fine. The doctors all told him he was doing good. "Are you in pain?" I asked. "No, I just don't feel right, when I breathe, I don't seem to be able to get enough oxygen in," he said. "Well, I don't think we should go to the hospital without more symptoms," I said. Lauren and I scurried around trying to do things to make him feel better, but nothing worked. Finally, it occurred to me, John never complained and if his body was telling him something was wrong, then something must be really wrong. He wanted me to call the doctor, but I told him, we didn't have to call the doctor, if he thought he needed to go to the hospital, then all we had to do was get in the truck and go. During all of this, he seemed to be getting weaker and his blood pressure was dropping. Lauren and I rushed about, getting things in place before leaving.
We were ready to leave, but John couldn't stand up. His legs and feet had swollen even more and made the neuropathy worse. We tried to get him up but it wasn't working, his legs were just too weak to hold him. I was really concerned now. We pulled out the computer chair again, somehow managed to get him in it, and rolled him out to the back deck. I had pulled the Tahoe around to the steps by the back porch. We had him at the steps, but his legs just weren't strong enough to hold him. What were we going to do? Lauren and I could try to get him down, but I'm not supposed to strain my back because of the location of the tumor on my spine. And we didn't want to let him fall and cause more problems than we already were facing. We were in a pickle and we just stopped and looked at one another.
It was 11:30 and too late to call neighbors to help. Our only option now was to call 911. So I did. Thankfully, they arrived in about 10 minutes. While we were waiting, I was getting the dogs locked up in the laundry room so they wouldn't be a problem. Lauren was looking after John, making sure he was warm and in as little distress as possible. When our helpers, Shannon and Michael arrived, they assessed the situation and said they had a "stair chair" that would be perfect. Basically, they got John into the thin chair, which has wheels in all the right places, and strapped him in. Down the steps he went with ease.
I told them we could ferry him to the hospital and save them some gas and time. All we needed was help getting him in the Tahoe. So, that was our next challenge. But this was not their first rodeo and they got John right up beside the vehicle, worked out their plan and next thing we knew, he was sitting in the front seat ready to go. John teased them and said, "Bet I'm the biggest thing you have lifted today." Michael replied quickly, "You are the lightest patient I have picked up today, believe it or not. Most everyone has been way too heavy."
We thanked them for being so courteous and caring and sent them on their way. Next stop for us....after freeing the puppies from the laundry room, PCMH.
PCQ
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Life on and around the farm and anything else I find interesting or funny.
4 comments:
Pat, I know that writing this blog is part of your process...of remembering and healing. Please know that you are also giving at the same time... by sharing those loving, private moments, you are teaching so many of us who love you, not only about the bond your family has grown, but about how to cherish everything we have and hold dear. THANK YOU!!! xoxo
I have been checking each day. Thanks for continuing to share your story with all of us who love you and your family!!
Thank you so much for sharing~ I too am grateful. I met John on the "forum".....at that same time he came to it....he was always an inspiration to me. I left for awhile and came back just before the unexpected death of my brother. John always had the "right words"....funny I just was thinking about him as I was planning my return to the forum....wondering how he was...only to learn that he had passed a few days before...my heart aches.. although I only met him in "cyberspace" he was truly "one in a million"....I could tell and he loved you and his girls so very much....so again~ thank you for sharing John with us again....I am sending big hugs your way~ Christina
Thank you Christina. John worked hard and truly enjoyed helping others to stop smoking. I teased him about his computer "girlfriends" all the time, but he took his words very seriously and helped so many. And in the meantime, made lots of dear friends like you. Though you never met, you were linked by a common goal to rid yourself of the NICODEMON! Hope you have done that. It would make John proud.
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