Saturday night at the Emerg
Recovery can often be charted more as zig-zag, rather than in a straight line. Such was the case, late on Saturday evening.
The Leafs had just lost their hockey game in a shootout. It's time. I'm soon ready for a bucket of pills prior to bedtime.
But something's not right with my left foot. It's swelling up like an overcooked sausage. I've no movement nor feeling in my foot at all. Visually, there's no ankle left -- one big toe, and four little toes, now all as one.
Fortunately (I think), an Ontario Government health agency has a 24/7 phone-in emergency service, for such occasions. The friendly counsellor suggests to Patty, that this new event might be a scenario of potential blood clotting. Get to the Emergency Ward of your hospital. Now. These are not comforting words to hear around 11pm on a Saturday night.
You quickly find the Emergency Room on any night, takes on all the appearance of a controlled war-zone. With simple cloth partitions between admitted patients, there are no life-secrets once inside. Trust me. Doctors and key staff speak clearly and loudly here. All parties know their functions, and as a result, quickly dispense burst-decisions with the speed and efficiency of an F1 or NASCAR pit stop. Overall, it's an invasive place with intense purpose, holding little of the noise and drama you can view nightly on mainstream TV. That said, alien monitors, noises and buzzers constantly invade your space inside this 20 some odd bed facility. It can be an extremely lonely place without the company of a loved one at your side. Somehow tonight, I could relate more to the sobbing elderly gentleman behind my curtain, than to the wailing drug induced teenager, all the way down the end of the corridor.
Three hours later, the swelling seems to have subsided a little. It was a simple case of fluid settling in my foot. Nothing more, thank goodness.
Just heartedly acknowledge the professionalism and dedicated staff inside these cloth partitioned walls. I recommend you whistle a little tune on the way out. And then move your life along. Anywhere but there.
We're home at 3am. No sleeping pill was necessary tonight.
The Leafs had just lost their hockey game in a shootout. It's time. I'm soon ready for a bucket of pills prior to bedtime.
But something's not right with my left foot. It's swelling up like an overcooked sausage. I've no movement nor feeling in my foot at all. Visually, there's no ankle left -- one big toe, and four little toes, now all as one.
Fortunately (I think), an Ontario Government health agency has a 24/7 phone-in emergency service, for such occasions. The friendly counsellor suggests to Patty, that this new event might be a scenario of potential blood clotting. Get to the Emergency Ward of your hospital. Now. These are not comforting words to hear around 11pm on a Saturday night.
You quickly find the Emergency Room on any night, takes on all the appearance of a controlled war-zone. With simple cloth partitions between admitted patients, there are no life-secrets once inside. Trust me. Doctors and key staff speak clearly and loudly here. All parties know their functions, and as a result, quickly dispense burst-decisions with the speed and efficiency of an F1 or NASCAR pit stop. Overall, it's an invasive place with intense purpose, holding little of the noise and drama you can view nightly on mainstream TV. That said, alien monitors, noises and buzzers constantly invade your space inside this 20 some odd bed facility. It can be an extremely lonely place without the company of a loved one at your side. Somehow tonight, I could relate more to the sobbing elderly gentleman behind my curtain, than to the wailing drug induced teenager, all the way down the end of the corridor.
Three hours later, the swelling seems to have subsided a little. It was a simple case of fluid settling in my foot. Nothing more, thank goodness.
Just heartedly acknowledge the professionalism and dedicated staff inside these cloth partitioned walls. I recommend you whistle a little tune on the way out. And then move your life along. Anywhere but there.
We're home at 3am. No sleeping pill was necessary tonight.
posted by leisurelan at 2:49 PM
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