I've known for a few days that I sort of over scheduled myself for today. But it is just one day and most of it is DOGGIE stuff, so I could cope, right?
- Sugar and Lacey to the groomer for 8 AM
- Marlin gets a bath here at home
- Dad and I go to vote
- Lacey has her last Beyond the Basics class this evening (a sort of a graduation, hence the trip to the groomer)
- Following that, she has her Agility class.
Had a few errands planned for yesterday to make today easier.
Just as long as nothing went "wrong." I needed to be in bed reasonably early to get up on time and keep on track.
HA!
Yesterday, at 5 PM, I find Dad collapsed on the floor in the kitchen; he is breathing but unresponsive. So I call the ambulance and EMTs. (For those of you who may not know, calling the ambulance is unfortunately a common occurrence. In a 'good' year, we have them here 8 times per year. One year I felt like they had to go on my Christmas card list I saw them so much!) I suspected that his blood glucose went too low (he is diabetic) but I couldn't get a reading to be certain.
The EMTs arrive, it was his blood glucose and once they gave him the glucagon shot he was OK. They are required to take him in to the ER when this happens.
Now for the 'interesting' bits.
BOTH hospitals we use are diverting, their ERs are overflowing. So we have to go to Rhode Island Hospital (this one is not allowed to divert ambulances only walkins.) We spend the next 6 hours in a hallway with loads of other non critical folks. In a hospital we have not been to before (I have lived here long enough to know what it is like.) Dad says there were more guards than nurses in the ER! He is right. Between the hospital guards, the police, state troopers and prison guards, the place was full of security. They have cameras in ALL the hallways, and no one is permitted to walk around freely. Each time Dad or I needed to use a restroom, we had to wait for an escort. (By comparison, the 2 hospitals we use are more like luxury spas, and we walk about like we are at home!)
We watch prisoners come in from the prison with handcuffs, or ankles cuffs, 2 where in shackles and security guards. If the prisoner is in cuffs, there are 2 guards, if in shackles, there are 3 guards. We learn that they 'routinely FAKE' illness to get a trip outside! Of the 6 we saw only ONE was actually ill. The guy who 'allegedly' swallowed a screw? The x rays showed he made it up. The rpisoners always get high priority, to get them through and out of there.
We see 2 suicide attempts come through. One was a woman who overdosed on sleeping pills; the other a man who tried to knife himself.
A three car accident, first 2 cars hit head on and the third car slammed into the rear of one car, flew up and rolled over. All teenagers and miraculously, NO serious injuries, no broken bones! (Even the ambulance crews bringing them all in were amazed, they had SEEN what the cars looked like.)
Drunks and druggies galore. One woman said "I remember I was drinking, then I fell down in the driveway." She broke her nose and her whole face as a mess. One man said "I want rehab," and promptly passed out. Several of them were unruly and required wrestling to a bed and restraints.
All these had priority under triage as they were in more serious condition than Dad. Once his blood glucose level was stabilized, he was basically fine. There was a woman next to us who had been to her doctor that afternoon. The doctor called the ambulance to pick her up at the doctor office and bring her in due to heart issues. She had been waiting in the hallway since 2:30!!!! She kept phoning her children, telling them she was OK. I finally hollered into the phone, "LISTEN! One of you get over here and help your mom!" A son showed up shortly after. She refused to talk to me after that, he he. I DON"T CARE! She was in her 80's and needed SOMEONE. Shortly after that, she went in for her heart procedure. Surprise, surprise! Her son did thank me.
I finally went up to the reception station and talked with them, went over all his readings (everything was normal the entire time we were there) and said I would check him out without a doctor. A critical care doctor flew by in the hallways, reviewed the chart, nodded and signed so we could get out of there. (I bet that is going to cost us $200! We get a bill from the ambulance, the hospital, the lab and the doctor. Sometimes we get bills from others as well. I have to keep tracked of who we talk to as the billing does occasionally get messed up.)
It was after midnight by the time I got to bed. Two of yesterday errands never got done so they MUST be done today.
Sugar and Lacey were "ONLY" 15 minutes late this morning. However, that puts them almost last on the service list, so they will be there a while. Sigh. Sorry, girls!
Doesn't your day suddenly seem peachy? he he he.
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- I know TMI!!) Well, finally hubby called an ambulance because I was getting weak and spacey and was obviously dehydrated. I was lucky enough to be seen almost immediately (slow day in the ER) and put on IV and up and out within about an hour. The worst part for me was getting the bill for the ambulance!! It was $400 for a 5-6 mile ride. If we had known that hubby would have taken me in one of our cars even though it might have needed a good scrubbing afterwards! 
Originally Posted by Pam
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