DEC 31, 21 .. THE ROAD WE ALL WALK CALLED .. THE ROAD OF LIFE ..

As I begin this 'mini saga', I have one small favor to ask of you who may be reading this. As the below story unfolds, please keep in mind that another Road Of Life Story is continuing along, at the same time, as this story.

That Road Of Life Story is the one about our GMC Suburban being stolen from in front of our Motel Room last Friday the 24th of December, aka Christmas Eve 2021 Day.

For those of you who are not familiar with this story, if you like, you can click onto the below link :

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2021/12/dec-29-21-our-stolen-truck-has-been.html

Let me title the two of them as : Life's Double Whammy

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THE ROAD WE ALL WALK CALLED .. 

THE ROAD OF LIFE ..

If there are truer words about The Road Of Life than these, I don't know what they are :

THE ROAD OF LIFE .. None of us, not one single living human being, knows for sure what is coming along The Road Of Life. Oh yes, to some degree, we think that we know, BUT truly, we do not.

The time line of the below 'mini saga' is .. It began on ..

Wednesday evening, December 29th, 2021, and is contining up until this instant, Friday, December 31st, 2021, aka New Year's Eve Day 2021, in the mid-afternoon.

Wednesday evening, December 29th, 2021

As I lay down to go to sleep, I experineced an odd, yes uncomfortable, sensation in my lower left abdomen. It felt like some severe cramping, and it hurt even to breathe. My only thought was, "I need to pass some abdominal gas and attempt a bowel movement." So, to the best of my ability, I got up out of bed and attempted (yes with some success) both and returned to bed.

Thursday, December 30th, 2021

Thursday, early morning (4 o'clock in the morning), December 30th I awoke with the answer : "I am having an attack of Appendicitis."

If one's appendix bursts (peritonitis) one is in imminent danger of serious side effects even death. It is nothing to take lightly.

Immediately I got on Google and searched for Appendicitis.

One fact was : The appendix is located on the lower right side of the abdomen. My challenge was on the lower left side of my abdomen. So I then Googled pain in the lower left abdomen.

Nothing too severe appeared. Certainly nothing of a life threatening nature.

I went back to sleep. Patti and I arose around 8:30am and made plans (keep in mind my lower left abdomen is bothering me) to drive (an hour and a half give or take) North to Laughlin, Nevada, to retrieve our stolen GMC Suburban. Along with Michael, our Lake Havasu friend of decades dating back to when he lived in Alaska, we three headed North around 11am. We got to Laughlin, got our truck (another mini-sage that I'll write about), visited with Detroit Tiger Tom, and drove back to Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

We got back to our motel here in Lake Havasu City in the early evening. We two just sat, and quietly visited about the challenge we had just completed : retrieving our stolen GMC Suburban.

8:45pm, Wednesday, December the 30th, I said to Patti..

"This pain in my lower left abdominal is NOT getting too much better. I think we need to go to the local, Lake Havasu City Hospital Emergency Room."

Thanking me (Patti had been aware all day of this abdominal issue as I kept charging ahead to retrieve our stolen truck) for being welling to go to the local E.R. out and off the two of us went.

9pm, Wednesday, December the 30th, Patti and I arrived at the Havasu Regional Medical Center .. 

In we went. Instantly we were greeted and signed in. I mean instantly. Within a few minutes (if that long) I was interviewed as to why I was visiting the E.R., my vitals were taken, blood was drawn, and an I.V. receiving apparatus was inserted into my right arm inner-elbow area, and back to the E.R. waiting area we returned.

9:15pm until 12:45am Friday December the 31st, three and one half hours give or take, we two waited in the E.R. We were surrounded with extremely polite and gentle patients, most of whom were elderly senior citizens like us. There were no drunks, no down and outers looking for a warm place to vegetate

We waited. Quite a few others, from time to time, went to the E.R. intake counter (we were sitting very close to it) and patiently and gently said words such as.. "I have been waiting nine hours. I can't breathe. What am I to do?"

All were told.. "We understand. We are so very sorry. We are overwhelmed with patients and a severe shortage of staff personnel. We are doing our very best to assist you."

Many, most, quietly and sorrowfully left the E.R. Some in wheel chairs had to have a taxi called to get them home.

At 12:30am I said to Patti, "My Dear One, I am not willing to sit here for nine hours or even for eight or seven hours. We've had an extremely challenging day getting our stolen truck back. What to do?"

I thank God for Patti's undying and faithful support.. "Cap, IF we leave, we will lose your tests and interview and we will have to just start over tomorrow. Let's stay a little longer."

12:45am Friday December 31st. A mere 15 minutes later I was called back. 

We were positioned in a room. We waited. We waited some more. And we waited still some more. We waited two hours give or take.

2:45am we saw a doctor that I greeted as follows .. "How on earth do you keep up this horrific pace Doctor? We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your service."

My Doctor, a lady, interviewed me, did a little hands on exploration, and then ordered a CT Scan. A Computed Tomography (CT) scan is a useful diagnostic tool for detecting diseases and injuries. It uses a series of X-rays and a computer to produce a 3D image of soft tissues and bones. A CT is a painless, noninvasive way for a healthcare provider to diagnose conditions of my lower abdomenal area.

We waited. We waited some more. Say an hour.

At 3:45am Rick, another very nice man, himself a mature man, came and rolled me into the room and I underwent a CT Scan.

Back to my little home-away-from-home I was wheeled.

And. We waited. And we waited.

"Captain, what do you DO while you are waiting?"

Patti and I visit. And I watch the clock for magic numbers.

Do any of you know (from experience) how tricky it is to get a photo such as the above photo. You have precisely one second to get it. It is there and it is gone in one instant. Centered and all.

5am my Doctor reappeared.

She said, looking directly at Patti, who by the way had already diagnosed my condition .. "You were absolutely correct."

One of her brothers has it, and has dealt with it for some years.

I have Acute Diverticulitis.

My Doctor said.. "I am going to prescribe some oral anti-biotics but also immediately begin an anti-biotic I.V. drip. It will take an hour. Then we will do a second anti-biotic I.V. drip that will take two hours."

I said, I ordered Patti to go home to our motel room, lie down, get some rest saying to Patti you can't just sit here while I get three hours of I.V. drips. Patti agreed.

Below are several photos of My Beloved Home Away From Home. Notice Patti's Chair beside my bed. What a comfort it is to have one's loved one by one's side.

Oh Captain Our Captain, will you please make the bed and make things look neater? Will you please remove the blankets from your bed Captain!

Much Better Captain! 

6am .. My nurse came in and told me I was finished because the second I.V. was not available.

I was given discharge papers and directions on what NOT to eat. NO nuts. NO popcorn, etc et al.

I went to the lobby and I tried and I tried and I tried a third time to get a taxi back to our motel so I would NOT have to awaken Patti to come and get me. I had absolutely positively NO LUCK. Taxi don't run at 6am in Lake Havasu City. (Patti told me later she was NOT sleeping, still concerned about me, and was just waiting, resting awhile, looking forward to picking me up.)

I then (reluctantly but I had to get home to lie down and rest) called Patti who came and picked me up.

Good Bye to you E.R.

7am home to our motel.

Patti was told "NO nuts. NO seeds. NO popcorn." Once back in our motel room, I wanted to eat a piece of our Walmart Pecan Pie and have a few bowls of popcorn!

I did. And I have survived.

It is now 4pm in the late afternoon of New Year's Eve Day and now you have the Rest Of The Story that I texted many of you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE TO ONE AND TO ALL !!

Love and Hugs from Patti and myself !