SO WE DECIDED TO GO BACK TO A PLACE WE HAD BEEN THREE TIMES. WILLIAMS BURG VA. COLONIAL-STAY WHERE ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS WALK OUTSIDE AND WE WERE THERE!
We also wanted to spend more time exploring Yorktown and Jamestown. I am a history buff!
So, with all 3 events in one week- we went back to where we visited when we first got married.
IT WAS HOT-104 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY WHEN WE GOT THERE AT 9:30 AM!
WE TOUGHED IT OUT UNTIL 2 PM AND HEADED BACK TO THE ROOM TO COOL DOWN AND WATCHED THE NATIONALS BASEBALL GAME.
At 4:00 PM. we headed down to the lobby-they had rescheduled our dinner from outside to inside.
IT WAS SO DARN HOT-HEAT INDEX OF 110!
THAT'S WHEN THE PHONE CALL CAME! FROM OUR NIECE-TERRI KING-IN ELDRED PA. SHE WAS AT THE BRADFORD HOSPITAL. MY MOTHER WAS IN THE ER ROOM. SHE HAD SLUMPED WHILE EATING LUNCH-AND THEY RUSHED HER NEXT DOOR TO THE BRADFORD HOSPITAL AND CALLED TERRI WHO WAS IN ELDRED. SHE WAS NOW STABLE-BUT NOT DOING WELL. HER HEART BEAT WAS IN THE 30'S- BUT THEY HAD GIVEN HER SOMETHING AND IT HAD CLIMBED INTO THE MID 40'S.
She told us that it was scary but now she was resting- and that they had done a cat scan and there was no evidence of a stroke. She was pale- talking and feisty! BUT! They- the emergency room Doctor, said she would have to have a pacemaker! Almost 97 and going through that surgery? I didn't feel right about that- FIRST EMOTION-besides the panic that had set in. Terri was not going to make that choice, that Roger and I had to decide.
MY BROTHER ROGER WAS DEEP INTO CANADA FISHING WITH SOME FRIENDS-NO WAY TO CONTACT HIM!
I ASKED FOR THE NUMBER TO THE ER- I WAS GOING TO CALL AND START ASKING QUESTIONS IF I WAS GOING TO DECIDE THE FATE OF MY MOTHER. GUT FEELING- EMOTION # 2- SHE WOULD NOT SURVIVE THAT OPERATION.
WE PLACED THE CALL DIRECT TO ER ROOM. I EXPLAINED WHO I WAS AND COULD I TALK TO WHOEVER WAS IN CHARGE. A MOMENT AND THEN A MAN CAME ON. HIS FIRST WORDS. "THE FAMILY JUST LEFT-WHAT DO YOU WANT?" OKAY- LET THAT SLIP BY-AFTER ALL-I HAD JUST STATED TO THE FIRST PERSON I WAS THE SON.
SO ONE BY ONE I ASKED THE QUESTIONS- IS SHE STABLE- WHAT IS HEART BEAT-WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW-WAS IT A STROKE-THE NORMAL QUESTIONS ONE WOULD ASK WHEN ONE IS NOT SURE HIS MOTHER IS GOING TO LIVE. LAST QUESTION, WHO DECIDED ABOUT THE PACEMAKER, WOULD SHE SURVIVE AND DID YOU TALK TO HER ABOUT IT. ANSWER:"AFTER ALL, SHE IS 96, WHY WOULD I ASK HER, I CAN NOT GUARANTEE SHE WILL SURVIVE , SHE IS COMFORTABLE-THE DOCTOR WILL SEE HER TOMORROW MORNING, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS?"
OKAY, NOT GOING TO LET THAT ONE SLIP BY. NUMBER ONE, ARE YOU A DOCTOR- "YES" I AM THE ER DOCTOR. WELL YOUR BEDSIDE MANOR IS A JOKE, I AM HER SON AND I DO NOT APPRECIATE YOUR LESS THAN CARING ATTITUDE , SHE IS ALMOST 97 AND THE SURGERY WILL BE TOO MUCH, YOU NEED TO ASK HER, (NOTE: THE NEXT DAY BEFORE I COULD GET THERE-SHE TOLD THE HEART SPECIALIST, THAT NO WAY WAS SHE GOING INTO SURGERY-THAT SHE DID NOT WANT IT, AND THAT IF IT WAS TIME-THEN THAT WAS ALL SHE WROTE!) AND YOU NEED TO IMPROVE YOUR I WANT TO BE A JERK ATTITUDE! END OF CONVERSATION- EMOTION # 3- I WAS MAD-NOT SURE-WORRIED-HAVE TO CALM DOWN.
SHERRY ASKED ME WHAT WAS WRONG- EMOTION # 4- DO NOT TAKE OUT FRUSTRATION ON THE ONE YOU LOVE-WALK AWAY- COUNT TO TEN-TWENTY -THIRTY!
HAVE SHERRY PLACE CALL TO TERRI- POOR TERRI- MY ANGEL IN NORTHERN PA. SHE LISTENED TO MY COMPLAINT ON WHAT AN IDIOT THE ER DOCTOR WAS. EMOTION # 5. REMORSE- JUST FORGET IT- I LOVE YOU TERRI- IT WAS WRONG FOR ME TO SPOUT OFF. EMOTION # 6. CONTRITE-BOTH CLINGING TO EACH OTHER OVER THE PHONE. TEARS-CHOKING-REGROUPING-PLANNING-WAIT FOR MORNING-GET PHONE NUMBERS OF ALL HER DOCTORS-HOSPITAL NUMBER. BE PREPARED. EMOTION # 7, CALM-LEVEL HEADED-PLAN IN PLACE, NOW TO WAIT UNTIL MORNING.
NEXT MORNING-6:45 AM - CALLED HOSPITAL-GOT PUT THROUGH TO MELINDA- AT NURSES STATION- SHE WAS PROFESSIONAL-CARING-ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS-GAVE ME UP TO DATE INFO.
THEY HAD LOST HER TWICE DURING THE NIGHT-NO HEART BEAT- BUT SHE WAS AWAKE-TALKING- AND WAS STABLE. SHE TOLD ME HER DOCTOR WOULD BE IN MID MORNING- I COULD CALL BACK AND SHE WOULD GIVE ME THE LATEST UPDATE. EMOTION # 8. GRATITUDE-SHE CARED-WORRY- NO HEARTBEAT TWICE-PANIC- HAVE TO TALK TO SHERRY- CALMING CONVERSATION-PACK UP RIGHT NOW-SEE IF WE CAN GET REFUND-CALL FRONT DESK- THEY WERE GREAT AND UNDERSTOOD( NOTE: ANYONE GOING-HIGHLY RECOMMEND WILLIAMS BURG LODGE- THEY ADJUSTED BILL WITH NO PROBLEM-AND EVEN GAVE US EXTRA BACK!!!) HEADED BACK TO NOVA TO HOUSE TO PICK UP EXTRAS. 3 1/2 HOUR DRIVE. COPS EVERYWHERE! GET HOME- REPACK-TALK TO NEIGHBOR-MAKE ARRANGEMENTS ON WATERING AND TOWER GARDENS. BACK INTO CAR-WILL ARRIVE BRADFORD HOSPITAL AT 7:10 PM.
EMOTION # 9. DO NOT SPEED- CALM DOWN- RELAX- CONTROL THE CAR- GET THERE IN ONE PIECE! ARRIVED AT 7:05 PM. GUESS I DID SPEED A LITTLE BIT!
FIND ELEVATOR-WRONG ONE- GO BACK AND WALK IN CIRCLE TO FIND RIGHT ONE!
EMOTION # 10. WHAT WILL I FIND- HOW WILL SHE BE-WHAT IS NEXT STEP?
WALK INTO ROOM-TERRI-WAYNE AND KELLY THERE-ALL BUNDLED UP WITH ONLY HER HEAD SHOWING-SHE LOOKS- TAKES A MOMENT- BUT SHE RECOGNIZES SHERRY- NOT SURE ON ME. THEN SHE SAYS TOM- YOU ARE THIN- HAVE YOU LOST WEIGHT?
MY MOM IS BACK- I ANSWER I AM TRYING-SHE SAID SOMETHING I CAN NOT REMEMBER- AND I ANSWERED I AM TRYING- I COULDN'T TALK WITHOUT CRYING. EMOTION # 11. HAPPINESS-TEARS-TIGHT THROAT-CHOKING-SWALLOWING-THEN BEND OVER AND KISS HER.
TERRI-WAYNE AND KELLY- THANK YOU-I CAN NEVER REPAY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. YOU HAVE BEEN THERE- TO BRANDI- WHO TEXT ED US ALL THE WAY UP-THANK YOU- NEVER DID GET TO SEE YOU- BUT YOU ARE AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN IN MY PRAYERS. FAMILY- ALMOST ALL THAT IS LEFT- DEAREST TO MY HEART.
NEXT DAY : RETURN- HAVE ALREADY CHECKED WITH NURSES-COMPLETE TURNAROUND- THEY ARE GETTING READY TO SEND HER BACK OVER TO HER HOME. HEART BEAT BACK IN TO THE 60'S, BLOOD PRESSURE IS FINE, SHE IS ALERT- IS HAPPY-FEISTY IN A GOOD WAY. EMOTION # 12. CALM-WORRY GONE FOR NOW-SHE IS OKAY. BACK DOWN THE HALL- EVERYONE KNOWS HER, A DOZEN PEOPLE STOP US, HOLD HER HAND, CALL HER BY NAME, NURSES, MA INT. MEN, ADMIN. PEOPLE, AND THIS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THE NURSING HOME SIDE.
EMOTION # 12. PRIDE-COMFORT-SHE IS SO WELL LIKED AND IT WAS GENUINE. NOW THE SAME IS REPEATED ON HER FLOOR, EVERYONE STOPS HER AND TALKS TO HER, WELCOMING HER BACK.EMOTION # 13. MY MOTHER IS BACK. FOR HOW LONG, I DO NOT KNOW. BUT , AS LIFE GOES ON, THE EMOTIONS ARE LIKE A ROLLER COASTER OF LIFE. I WILL SEE HER AGAIN IN 3 1/2 WEEKS. MY BROTHER IS ON HIS WAY TO SEE HER. HE WILL SPEND TIME, AND THEN COME HERE. FAMILY GOES ON, SO I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH ONE MORE EMOTION. EMOTION # 14. MOTHER AND SON TOGETHER AGAIN. NOW THE TEARS COME! HGD
RIGHT AFTER WE ARRIVED BACK INTO HER ROOM- 7-6-12
THE REAL BOSS!!!!
MARY AIKEN FITZSIMMONS SOULES- WILL BE 97 YRS. OLD JULY 25TH 2012-THE BOSS!
AND BELIEVE ME SHE IS! LOL LOL LOL
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