Picture: Olympic Mountains Upon Return
From our wonderful time on Skype with the Victoria Group onward my energy and health took a downturn. Mornings had lately been the lowest energy ebb, but now I was not picking up at all through the day. Also the burning pain in my stomach persisted and after two weeks it seemed a good idea to at least get the blood level checked again.
Sure enough my hemoglobin count had dropped again to a six. Boulder City hospital transferred me to Valley Hospital in Las Vegas; Carla followed the ambulance in a rented car. Entering into the emergency entrance strapped to a gurney was like entering a movie set. Lined up with another six new patients also on gurneys, there was noise and controlled chaos as I lay just inside the sliding doors.
Ram was present in the alcoholic-dementia man who was talking to no one in particular about events in the 1970s, an elderly woman calling out, “Help, help me,” about every ten seconds, and nurses and doctors all busy going to and fro. Finally I was taken to an adjoining room that felt to be kept at 60 degrees. I was attended by a nurse who was a double for my nephew Chad. An East Indian doctor came in and said he would be my primary doctor, taking very fast and laughing repeatedly, he came in and went out in about a minute. After many hours during which there was a loud fire alarm and strobe lights flashing for over five minutes and shifting in an uncomfortable gurney without knowing what would be done with me next, I was eventually taken to Medical ICU room at about midnight. There I was hooked up to five or six electrical monitors, I was poked repeatedly for blood and places to begin the infusion of fluids.
Many have commented on how spectacular the lights are at night in Las Vegas, however my only experience of lights while in Las Vegas were the many bouncing lights on monitors! That, and three walls and a ceiling of an ICU room. One nurse came in, an event that occurred about every half-hour throughout the night, and told me with a laugh that I had not checked into the Comfort Inn; I heartily agreed. That was also apparent from the lack of room service, as I was given nothing to eat or drink for 28 hours due to the anticipated endoscopy. With all seriousness though, I received excellent and friendly care while there.
God also had gave me an opportunity to talk to the night nurse about the challenges of parenting, offering some thoughts she found helpful, and giving sympathy to another nurse who was dealing with a son who had diabetes that softened her mood extremely. Truly, caregivers are often in need of care themselves.
With further treatment needed for a mass found in the duodenum it seemed the prudent thing was to return to home ground; so we have now arrived at Camano Island. These are some of the many twists and turns that have occurred in this pilgrimage.
God being the all-powerful controller has continued to plan for everything perfectly; however it may look on a human level. The prayer that comes back to me again and again is Mother’s saying, “Lord, let this be fulfilled for the highest good of everyone concerned.” Be it so.