Story 9Nov2021: ER and Back

This story is best done backward.

I finally slept at 9ish. It was an exhausting day, and I could barely think straight by then. Susie was safe in bed with some Tylenol for the pain.

Dinner was from Dasher. I ordered from BJ’s Brewhouse. I got a full rack of ribs for Susie to share with someone. I ordered noodles and chips with Hatch chili cheese sauce. You can only get fresh Hatch chilis in the fall, and I have learned to love them as they add just a slight burn.

Mariah stopped by to use the cloth washer. She watched a bit of Doctor Who, the new season, and finished off the ribs.

Before this, we drove home from the ER from Saint Vincent Hospital in the rain. The Emergency Room (ER) is called Emergency Department (ED) at St.V, but this has other possible meanings to men. I did smirk a few times when there was ED on some signs and equipment. When you are facing a crisis, often you find strange things funny.

Our drive was 4ish, and the rain filled all the tracks on the roads cut by studded snow tires in the winter and spring. The usual Pacific North West rain for us even coming down with the sun out. The light seems to brighten in the rain and feels so happy, especially to someone who lives in the PNW. We love rain.

We left ER after Susie had passed the last blood test, and the scans showed no issues. We had spent the day in ER. We and all the folks in the ER were happy to get Susie home.

Earlier in the morning, Susie was having chest pain and started to have trouble breathing. We called the EMT, and soon the house was full of young, strong men (allowing for many jokes later once the threat was resolved). Quickly, an EKG ran right in the living room showed no problem, but it was agreed to send Susie to St. Vincent ER. Because of the state of Oregon’s pandemic issues, they had to check if St. Vincent ER was still open, it was.

I had to wait a bit once I got there until they had Susie checked into a room in ER. Then, a National Guard soldier and a nurse checked me for Covid (just a temperature check). Oregon has the Guard activated to help run the stressed medical system.

The initial tests showed no immediate issues. An IV was put in for contrasts for various scans.

They brought the cutest little X-ray machine to Susie’s room for a chest X-ray. Self-propelled and unfolds a bit like a transformer. The film is digital too! The tech told me it goes really fast too. So many bad ideas went through my head when I heard that.

Before this visit to the hospital, I was up and working at Nike and wrote the blog between reading emails and getting ready. As I used to do, I was all dressed and clean and shiny for the first Zoom meeting at the shoe company. I had to break out of a meeting to call the EMTs.

I was up at 5:45ish, still enjoying the jetlag. I woke at 3:45 too.