By then I felt like a horse that has been rode hard and put up wet. I actually don't remember except vaguely how I even got into the room. Rolling down the hall and into an elevator on the gurney from the emergency room, and I was scooted off that into bed. My clothes went along in a plastic bag that was labeled 'Patient Belongings" with my name written on it in marker pen. I missed my jacket that I'd last seen on the floor in the emergency room. I had on a hospital gown about size XXXXXXL, but it never got tied in the back. No matter at the moment - I just wrapped it around a few times. Turned on the TV. I had thought many times by now about how much I was missing the dogs. Sleep was somewhat restless, and a nurse came in a few times to take the vitals. Its all done on a computer they wheel around now. I haven't been a patient in a hospital in about 25 years and of course things have changed since then with all this new technology. I was very thirsty and drank a lot of water through the night. My late shift nurse was very beautiful, named Tayo and she was from Nigeria. I asked her because of her accent. She flushed out my IV line, but needed to call for help because it was different than any she had seen before.
By early morning I was sleeping pretty soundly. It was after 8 when I finally decided I'd better "get up", which certainly didn't involve much. I washed up and was more than ready for breakfast as I hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. Had to ask Joe later what we did have and that apparently was only a small tortilla with melted cheese on it (quesadilla). I was sure hungry in the middle of the night. Soon found out I was on a "cardiac diet". About 8:30 they brought me a piece of raisin toast with no butter and some of those fake scrambled eggs with orange juice. I chowed down on that and there was nothing more forthcoming until lunch. I wanted a shower, but from other times I was in the hospital you needed to have permission to get up and do things like that. No more nurses came in and I still didn't really know if I should, although I felt able. So I didn't. I sure didn't want to pass out in there. And I was fine, knowing there were many people worse off than me needing care and attention.
Then Joe and James got there after having breakfast, "somewhere near the hotel". Kathy was sleeping in and came over later. I don't know what we would have done without James and Kathy bringing Joe over to the hospital, since he isn't supposed to drive that far, or at night, or in a city. I was interested in what they could tell me about my missing hours. Today, Saturday, I was supposed to have an EKG, EEG, and a sonogram on the carotid arteries. I expected them to do that early in the morning, but no one showed up. When I asked they said it was the weekend and there were fewer people working. We all were still wondering and worrying what had happened to me.
Not sure of the order all this happened in - I revise as I find out more. Soon a friend of Betty's named Jerry who lived in Idaho Falls stopped in to check on me. Betty had asked him to let her know how I was doing. He said he had had something similar as my blackout happen to him some years ago, but his actually was a TIA, and he was taking plavix now and had no more trouble. He was a very nice man, but Betty had already told me that sometime back. They were on the picket line together for two years when the citizens of Mesquite were trying to get a porn store out of town. That is another spell- binding story.
My sister Gloria called from Green Valley AZ and I was glad to hear her voice. James brought Kathy in and we had a pretty nice visit. They told me I was on the 6th floor. Through the day I got several phone calls from wonderful and caring friends which sure boosted my morale. Lots of people getting in touch. Its a wonderful example of how our friendship network works wherever you go. If I tried to name them I would forget someone.
In the afternoon Mary Ann, an artist friend who lives in Idaho Falls, came by and brought me the most beautiful tooled leather journal and pen, and small notebooks for writing. She knows how I enjoy writing. Also, (most importantly) CHOCOLATE! I intend to do them all justice......well .......the chocolate is already gone. It is so characteristic of her to always be doing for someone else.
Dr. Margaret Wagner came in and introduced herself to all of us. She sat on the foot of the bed and asked me "Now what is this Hollywood episode you've had?" I was quite take aback for a moment and chose to decide she was joking. I'm sure they see a whole lot of fakers wanting attention from their families or for some other reason - drinking, drugs, or suicide. If she was serious I would want to be quite distressed, so didn't go there. I did like her. She told me what she thought so far. I asked about a bruise on my leg I'd had since October, worrying about whether it could have sent out a clot. She said clots like that go to your lungs, and clots from your heart go to your brain - I have to get this straight because I'm not sure I'm remembering it right. It made sense when she told me. I mentioned raking up the mess of bird droppings under the bird feeders to see if she though some kind of allergy or virus came from that and she said no to that too. She was assuming the tests she ordered had been taken, and was surprised when I said no one had been there yet. So after talking a bit she left to stir things up.
Lunch must have happened next, with the family going out to have lunch. I know we talked about it but I can't remember where they went. I can remember tomato soup and milk. Not much else about that which seems to bother me. Too bad I couldn't enjoy breakfast in bed etc. much better.
"Later" a man named Hector came to give me the tests I was supposed to have had earlier. He asked Joe, James and Kathy to wait outside. He was magnificent looking, and I found later he was an Indian from Peru as I had suspected. I would have loved to paint him and could imagine him in a native costume. I wondered how he had ended up in Idaho Falls giving medical tests. I was surprised that these tests were also "portable" with the machines wheeled right into the room instead of taking me to some other part of the hospital. He closed the blinds to make the room dark. Both tests on my heart and arteries were like sonograms. Sometimes I could see the screen. I thought he did a very good and thorough job, it took more than an hour. The tests made my muscles quite sore, like I had exercised too much when I wasn't in shape.
My daughters arrived about 3 p.m. It was 9 hours from St. George to Idaho Falls on I-15. They had been in contact on the cell phones and Joe, James & Kathy were all sitting in the lobby waiting for them while I was were having my heart tests. They all got acquainted and they told the girls then about the "Hollywood Episode" and that I was really upset about it, like perhaps I thought I was talking and saying strange things while I was out, or she thought I was faking the whole thing.
I'm vague on how and when it all exactly happened, or what else went on, but James and Kathy then headed home in the afternoon after doing some big city shopping since we knew the girls would take us home when we could go. We visited for a while as best as possible in a hospital and got caught up. I love my girls. By evening they and Joe went to eat and to the hotel. I know they had to be exhausted. It was a very long day for everyone.
Soon they brought dinner and I had a "pork chop" sitting in something watery and corn with a baked potato, that's about what I remember of it, and was still hungry. Watched TV for a while, and then a young woman appeared with another computer to give me the EEG. She glued 21 or so electric wires into my hair (actually onto my scalp) and hooked me up to her machine. I had to lay perfectly still for another hour, and eventually it got quite tiresome laying on my back. My foot and leg kept being restless and I don't know if it was the test or the way I was laying. This is the one I still don't have the results for. When she left I laid there for a while and decided I absolutely had to have a shower and wash the goop out of my hair. Had to ask for soap because there was none in the bathroom, only a dispenser at the sink. I didn't ask permission but just did it, and did fine. Kathy had packed my hair dryer so I was all set. I had found my own pjs in the bag Kathy packed for me and was glad to get into them.
(I'm finding out now after the fact how confused I was throughout these days so keep revising as I find out more facts.)
Evening Walk With the Dogs
