It is now well after 9:00pm on Monday, April 27th, 2009. The nurse comes in to talk with me a bit. She is very sweet and encourages me. We shared a bit about our faith, and how sufficient His grace is. What an awesome God we serve!
Around 10:00pm the medical transport unit arrives to take me to the main hospital in our town. It is about a 20 mile ride, and will take us 45 minutes or so to get there. I am anxious and nervous to ride in the back of the ambulance with this c-collar on. There are two medics that come to speak with me. We discuss my surgery and determine it is best for me to ride in a slightly reclined position. One of them will be in the back with me monitoring my heart the entire time. I am moved to the gurney. With a couple of extra pillows I am able to have enough cushion and support to keep the discomfort to a minimum. They strap me securely to the gurney. They finish up all the paperwork and we are headed for the 'bus'.
This trip also has a different meaning and dynamic to me for several reasons. One is that twelve years ago when my father was so ill with mesothelioma, he was transported to another hospital, then home and back to the hospital. With each ride, the doctors and nurses prayed with us that he would make the trip! He did, yet after many weeks of severe suffering, he went home to be with the Lord. God bless you Daddy! The other reason is that my husband was a firefighter/medic for over 30 years! He is now retired. I have a deeper understanding and knowledge of the lives of these people. It is definitely 'unique'! Never in a million years did I think I would ride in the back of a medical transport unit with a c-collar, clenching my left side and chest, nonetheless in my jammies! WOW! God does have a sense of humor sometimes!
Once we are situated in the bus, we take off. The first half of the ride went fairly smooth. The pain in my chest was tolerable. The medic kept conversation with me, answering the many questions I had. He assured me that the clot would NOT move! Apparently, once a clot travels and lodges in its chosen location, it does not move. Thus the blood thinning medications to help it dissolve. The blood in our bodies will build on the clot if it is not thinned to a therapeutic level. Once that level is reached and maintained, the enzymes in our body allow the clot to dissolve naturally on its own.
As we are about half way to the hospital, the pains begin again. It is very difficult to breathe without moving my chest, and I am taking very shallow breaths. The medic encourages me that we are almost there, and is empathetic for my pain. We finally arrive at the hospital. The medics unload me from the bus and take me inside. After I am checked in, I am taken to my room. I will be on the oncology/hematology special care floor. I am reconnected to the EKG monitor again.
The nurses and doctor greet me with such kindness and caring hearts. It is overwhelming and I begin to cry. I am thankful and still frightened. The staff is amazing! They spent at least two hours with me, asking questions, taking medical history and discussing my surgery, the embolism and what care I will need. They did everything possible to assure and comfort me. It is approximately 2:30am. The pain is excrutiating, and they give me dilaudid through my IV. Within 5 minutes the pain calms tremendously and I drift off to sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day.
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