2000
| August 5, 2000 His blood pressure had gone so low Thursday that he sounded awful on the phone (weak) - so I called my older son at Cisco where he works and gasped "come over" and I grabbed my NT from the office and drove to the hospital. Not a pleasant journey. I wanted a cannon on the nose of the truck - blast the dawdlers off the road. Of course, they are repaving El Camino at the moment. (My older son claims to have hit 85 on the 280. That's the speed that freeway should be run at - it's normal morning speed is 5.) My older son came prepared to spend some time with us and during this he helped his brother go to the bathroom (important stuff) because there are no male nurses. Low blood pressure gives my baby a light head and he's already fallen once and last night had to be helped out of the shower. Turns out, the older one was not as alarmed about his brother as I was, but they were both alarmed about me. Probably because I was loosing it. I was a wreck for hours. In the midst of all that, I was trying to finish my seminar for the 14th . Believe it or not, I did. Needs must. Insurance pays 90%. I get to pay the rest. (Although I am being told to locate the biological father and let him share. Not a pleasant thought. Locating him that is.) My older son had dial-in using the 3400C laptop I have in the hospital for the younger one and I had the NT laptop from work (I could also dial-in but didn't - the e-mail I get at work is mostly dc-forum stuff and it has no urgent need. I am not expert enough yet to respond). We looked like a space ship console, computers side by side and three IV poles and their computer units. Later on, I had to have the bathroom escort privilege. What a humiliation for a teenager - to have his mother take him into the bathroom and support him while he showers off (toilet paper to too rough at this point - because of the cell breakdown due to low cell counts. Another side effect.) So I told him about my experience giving birth to his brother. There I was, feet in the air (stirrups) a bit zonked because the back injury from my first marriage had gone into full mode and because my baby's monitor had said there was a problem. They would have three nurses jump on my stomach and push him out fast on the next contraction. (He had a 12" cord - it was detaching as he was coming down the birth canal.) As I said, there I was, laying around with my nether regions in the breeze as it were - and they bring in ----- a class of student nurses! To watch! I could look past my upraised legs and see them standing there watching me! There is no modesty left after that! No! No! No! What on earth have you got to hide after that! I try to tell him - "When you are sick, the rules are different. And if you need help, remember that I have changed your diapers before. This is no different. You are just bigger," I say. "And you don't have anything that I haven't seen before - must have seen something like it sometime or other or you wouldn't be here!" Of course, I remind my boys all the time that what goes around comes around. I'll do for you now - you can do for me later. No! They say. They are unanimous in this. I will be put in a home. They will hire people to take care of me. I complain. They assure me I will be on interactive Mommy-cam and they will monitor my care. Scary thought! Anyway, we had 48 hours of PICU watching us - his blood pressure went way way down - 20, 34, etc. That was horrific. I was contemplating drugs (Zanax - my own supply). Four transfusions later, his blood pressure came up and held. They added nutrients and other stuff. Bottles and bottles. I had asked about those days ago - he can't eat. We are hanging in there so far. No pun intended. |
For information about this file or to report problems in its use email dewhite@best.com