Tag Archives: Hospital

Continuing Story Part 42

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Each of them took turns going in to see Drew, and telling them to hurry and get well so he

Dahlia "Dahlstar Sunset Pink"

could come back home. No one knew if Drew was actually hearing what they said, as there was no movement from the bed, but the monitor showed that he was still alive.

After everyone had finished visiting, they all gathered together and went back home, making sure to tell the nurse to call them if any changes occurred. It was a quiet ride back to the  house and even as they walked into the front door of their home, the house felt empty.

There was no big dinner plans made in advance, so each of them fixed their own meal this evening, and after finishing their meal, and cleaning up, they all went their separate ways.  Drake and Dahlia followed Rachel and Ralph out to the front porch. It was very peaceful here, and peace is what everyone in this house needed.

Drake and Dahlia sat on the porch rockers and Ralph and Rachel sat on the porch swing. It seemed like each was lost in his own thoughts, as the conversation was dead. Looking out over the property, Rachel finally spoke saying, Drake, I know this has been an unexpected event in all of our own lives with Drew in the hospital, and I also realize that you and Dahlia are to get married this Saturday. I think the wedding should continue as planned.

Dahlia spoke up and interrupted saying that no, they could not do this. This was not a happy time, they would post pone the wedding until Drew got better. Rachel said, no, we must go on. We do not know the outcome of this and sadly, we don’t know when Drew will come home. You two have made all of these arrangements, invitations were out, food was and has been started for preparations and the flowers have been ordered. She continued on with, Drew would not want you to stop just on his account, and maybe he can possible be there at the wedding.

Ralph spoke up agreeing with his wife. Dahlia had a job that she was going to be starting after the wedding. Graduation was Thursday night, and it would be much easier to just continue with all plans.

Drake and Dahlia looked at each other and Drake opened his mouth to say something, but his dad stopped him, saying it is alright Drake, it is alright. Dahlia reached out for Drake’s hand and placed it in hers, and the two of them with sad faces said alright, we will continue on, and with that, they got up, with his parents following their lead and all went to their rooms.

School was the next day and it was a buzz everywhere with exams being taken and finished up. Some were loading up their lockers preparing to take their personal items home. Drake stayed busy, grading papers and when Dahlia was not busy, she would stop by his classroom and help him.

So far Dahlia had passed all of her exams and she was on her way to graduation day. She stopped into the office the next day at school and picked up her rented cap and gown, and took it home to show the others how she looked. They all clapped and cheered as they said she looked so beautiful in her gown.

All of them went to see Drew, and by now his eyes were opened but he was too weak to get out of bed. He was still hooked up to several tubes, making life easier for him, but he would be here for several more days, but things looked like he may be improving.

The atmosphere relaxed at home as the news drifted from one to the other that Drew was going to be alright soon. Wednesday after school, the day had been completed. Exams, lockers being emptied  and all small details were finished. Drake and Dahlia stopped by the dry cleaners and picked up the suit for her dad and stopped and got the socks and they ran them over to his house and to see how he was doing.

He was smiling when he opened the door. Spring had surely changed the attitude and he seemed pretty content. He had even made a pot of coffee and the three of them sat down and shared some coffee and conversation. They could not stay long they told him as they had to hurry home to help make more foods for the wedding Saturday. Her father smiled at the two of them and told them to go on, get their work done, that he would see Ralph Saturday, when he picked him up.

With this they got up and she kissed her father good-bye on the forehead and the two of them left to go home and get busy. When they arrived home the kitchen was full of activities. Everyone had their part and knew their job. Rachel had made two big home-made pizzas earlier and all that had to be done for supper was to pop them in the oven.

Sandwiches were made and placed in the cooler on the back porch. Salads were also made. Two of the ladies had made some pretty mints, and others were cutting up a vegetable tray. Everything was coming along nicely.  Ralph walked into the room and rubbing his stomach, he said where is the food, I am hungry! They all laughed for the first time in a couple of days, and with that Rachel popped the pizzas in the oven, and the table was set and drinks poured.

As they all seated for supper, they reached for each others hands and said thanks to God for the meal and a speedy healing for Drew. Supper was filled with anticipation of the next few days ahead, and the laughter was so nice to be heard again.

Just as they were finishing supper, the phone rang, and it was the minister making sure the wedding was still on for Saturday, and with the answer of yes, the phone call ended. Everyone chipped in and helped clean up and soon the floors, counters and table were sparkling once again.

The next day was graduation and there was no school. Dahlia and the other ladies slept in a little late and  then had a late breakfast. They decided to celebrate this day with pancakes and sausages for breakfast with milk and fresh orange juice. It was going to be a grand day!

All that could be done for the wedding had been done. Tomorrow the flowers would be delivered the church, and the rehearsal dinner and practice of going down the aisle were going to be done, and then the next day was the big day!

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Continuing Story Part 41

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Ralph and Rachel walked back with the doctor slowly, as the anticipation of what the

English: Accent Dahlias, small dahlia farm (or...

doctor was going to say. They felt an uneasiness as they followed the nurse to the doctor’s office and were shown where to sit. The nurse said the doctor would be in a few moments, and left quietly shutting the door behind her.

Ralph took hold of Rachel’s hands and with a shaky voice told her everything was going to be alright. What ever the doctor said, they could handle it with the strength of each other. The two then sat in silence waiting, and then the door opened, and the doctor came in. Ralph stood up to shake the doctor’s hand and then they both sat.

The doctor looked at them from over the top of his wire rimmed glasses and said, it doesn’t look good. I have here the test results of what we have run, and as you can see here, the cancer has taken over his entire brain hemispheres.

Rachel at once began to cry and the doctor offered her the box of kleenex. She dabbed at her eyes as the doctor continued on. He said, there is nothing more we can do, and we do not want to release him at this point. I believe he would be more comfortable here in the hospital.

Ralph asked the doctor, are you sure there isn’t something you haven’t tried yet? Maybe a new drug, or a surgery? The doctor shook his head back and forth, and said, son, I am afraid we are going to have to leave the healing in God’s hands. No one has ever been able to perform the type of brain surgery that it would require to remove the cancer. The chances of death or total vegetarian state would be very risky.

The doctor let Rachel and Ralph weep in each others arms, and then he asked if there was any questions they had, and being ignored by the two, the doctor stood up and walked softly out the door, closing the door behind him.

Ralph and Rachel remained in the room for some time. After no more tears could be cried at the moment, they released each other, and dried eyes, and blew noses, and sat taking deep breaths, and each wondering how they were ever going to tell the others this terrible news. Their son was dying, he was going to die right here in the hospital.

Before another crying episode broke out, they dried their eyes once more, and the two then stood up and walked out the door to the nurses station. The nurse asked if she could be of assistance, and Ralph asked if they could see their son, and the nurse said of course, and pointed them in the direction of Drew’s room.

Upon entering the room, and seeing the monitors, and all the tubing running out of Drew’s body, Rachel started to cry again. Ralph told her to please save it for later, or leave the room and come back. He was sure that Drew could hear her. She understood, and sucked in her tears.

The two of them walked up to his bed, and looking down at the lifeless body, Rachel spoke to him in a loving mother’s voice. Drew, I am here, it is your mom, can you hear me? She searched his face for some acknowledgement that he had heard, but found nothing.

She rubbed his arm and touched each of his fingers, as if this was the very first time she had ever laid eyes on him, remembering back to when he was just born, and she was counting fingers and toes. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. All the while, Ralph standing behind his wife, not wanting to move a muscle, in fear that he would break down right here in the room. All he could think of was, my son, my son, I don’t want to lose you, I don’t like seeing you this way. A tear slipped down his face, and he turned away wiping it quickly, so that his wife would not see it.

The two stood on the side of the bed, until the nurse came in to check his vitals and to give  him some more medication for pain through his IV. Ralph took Rachel’s arm, and said let’s go. We need to let the others know what is happening. I am sure they are worried now as they have not heard from us.

The nurse glanced at them and told them they could come back in a little while, and the two nodded and hand in hand they left the room of their dying son. They walked down the corridor , down another hallway, and then out the double doors into the lobby where all of the others were waiting restlessly.

One look at their faces, told everyone that this was not good news. They all stood up and gathered in a group, then a receptionist came over to them and offered to show them where the hospital chapel was, and they followed her with no hesitation.

Once, they were all seated in the privacy of the room, Ralph stood up and went to the pulpit and looked over at each person.This was his family, and he loved each one of them. How God had been good to him and Rachel, and now he had to speak, as everyone sitting was waiting for the news.

He coughed from nerves and began to open his mouth, and at first nothing would come out, only tears began to flood his cheeks, and his wife came up to him and wrapped her arm around him and looked at everyone and said, it is not good news. The cancer has spread over Drew’s entire brain, and the doctor says there is nothing more to be done, but pray and wait.

You could hear a pin drop, the room became so silent, as everyone was trying to digest the information just given to them. Dahlia asked, are you saying he is dying? and Rachel shook her head in affirmation. Drake laid his head against Dahlia’s shoulders and wept. She wrapped her arms around him, giving him comfort. In between the sobs she could hear Drake crying out, my brother, my brother.

Each of them found themselves clinging to each other, and tears were being let loose, and God was reaching out drawing them all into his arms, bringing an understanding to each of them that they were going to lose their son, brother and good friend.

All of them sat back down and held hands in a circle, and Ralph began to pray to the heavenly father, asking him to watch over his son, and then one by one added their own request. More weeping was done and then silence fell over the room, as the touch of God’s arms wrapped around them was bringing them a peace they needed so badly at this moment.

As minutes ticked by, crying stopped and you could hear small gasping breaths from some, and others were trying to pull themselves back together. Sue spoke then, asking if they were allowed to see Drew, and Ralph said yes.

Each of the members of this group, stood up and said that they also would like to see Drew. They all walked out of the chapel door and back to the lobby, where others were sitting and now wondering what these people had been told that their faces were so forlorn.

Ralph walked up to the receptionist and said that they would all like to see Drew, and she reminded him of the room number and said that only two could go in at a time, and with this two by two they each went to see Drew.

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Continuing Story Part 40

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Dahlia and Drake arrived at her father’s house, to see the drapes pulled and the only light shining through was the television. Her father had been expecting her, so he had made a point to tidy up a bit and shave and put clean clothes on.

Without asking permission, Dahlia walked over and opened one window draperies. She made a laughing comment that he was not a bat, and he needed some sun light in his life. He murmured something under his breath, but did not try to have her close it.

They all sat down and chatted for a while, asking him how he had been, and was he eating enough, did he have groceries. He said that he was doing just fine, and no complaints in any area.

Drake continued to talk while Dahlia made her way to the kitchen and rummaging through the cupboards and the refrigerator. She heard her dad calling out to her, that he was fine, that the neighbor lady had been stopping by also to check on him, and she had been picking up some groceries for him, when she went to the grocery store.

Dahlia thought that was very nice of the neighbor, and she made a mental note to run over next door and thank her. She went into the bathroom, and saw that it was a tad dirty, so she quickly got the cleaner out from under the sink and cleaned the shower and the sink, then scrubbed the toilet. She had moved so quietly, dad never even knew what she had been up to, or she knew that he would be having something to say about it.

She went into his bedroom and saw the bed was made, and being content, she went back to the living room to chat some more. She asked him if he needed anything and he said that he was pretty well set.

He grinned at Dahlia and Drake and asked them if they were still planning on hitching up, and Drake said of course, nothing was stopping this wedding. They all had a good laugh over this, and then dad said his suit was all ready but it might need a little cleaning and he didn’t have any dark socks to wear with his shoes.

Dahlia went into his bedroom closet and got the suit out and took it back with her to the living room, and told him that she or Drake would drop it off at the dry cleaners and then have it brought back, and while dropping it off, they would stop at the clothing store and purchase him a pair of socks.

With all seeming very good here at his home, they said their goodbyes, and gave each other hugs, and with the suit in one hand, they took off for back home. Once back at the house, they left the suit in the car. With only a week and a half before the wedding, the suit needed to be dropped off at the cleaners tomorrow.

Everyone was sitting down eating in the kitchen, and they told them to grab a plate and fill it up and have a seat. Conversation was about the food preparations, and how it was progressing. Rachel asked Dahlia how her dad was and she commented back he was doing fine. She said that a neighbor lady was picking up some groceries for him sometimes, and then their were jokes about the lady and dad getting together. They all laughed.

Supper over, and the kitchen cleaned back in order, the ladies all went to their rooms to finish studying, as exams started tomorrow. The men went to the porch and talked about nothing, watching the sun drop over the trees. It was a lazy evening, just the kind that was appreciated in this house.

Soon they all got up and went back in the house, and were heading to their rooms, when Ralph heard a crash. He turned around and saw Drake leaning over Drew. Drew had fallen and this time he had passed out.

Rachel and the ladies came rushing out of their bedrooms, and all gathered around to see what was happening. Drake was lightly smacking Drew’s face to try and get him to come around, but it was not working. Ralph leaned in saying to his son, do you hear me, can you hear me Drew, answer me son, but no response came.

Ralph looked up at Rachel and told her to go call the ambulance, and have them get here as soon as possible. She took off for the phone, and others went and got a pillow and a blanket. Dahlia raised Drew’s head and rested the pillow under him, and then covered him with the blanket.

Drake and Ralph were asking each other, did you see what happened. No, neither one had actually seen. Drake had been a head of Drew and heard the crash about just moments before  Ralph. Drake looked over Drew’s head, and was relieved that he saw no blood. He tried talking to Drew again, but still was receiving no feedback.

The ambulance could be heard coming and people backed away, giving the technicians plenty of room. The ladies sat over on the couch and chairs, whispering to each other, giving each other their ideas about what might have happened.

The driver and helper came in, and checked his vitals. The one helper radioed the hospital and said that the patients blood pressure was pretty low, and they were going to be transporting him to the hospital. They would arrive within fifteen minutes.

They got him on the portable bed with wheels, and covered him good, and then took off for the hospital with sirens racing. Everyone back at the house got themselves together and piled in the two cars and took off also.

When they reached the hospital, the ambulance had Drew already inside, and he was being seen in the ER. Ralph tried to go back, but the nurse’s told him to please wait in the lobby, that they were trying to get his blood pressure back up, and get him settled.

Ralph paced back and forth in the lobby, while waiting for news. The others sat quietly, just watching him pace. Time seemed to be standing still, and then the call came, for Ralph and Rachel to come back, the doctor wanted to speak to them first.

Dahlia

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A Helping Hand Is What I Need

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Hospital

 

Today, flew by and now I am dead tired. I can barely keep my eyes open, and it is not even 9pm yet, and Al will be up until 2 or 3am. It did not even start off good today, in fact, I was awakened by the crash of thunder.

 

It was not the usual thunder you would think of, it was the thunder that came beyond where I was, in another room, at the back of the house, but it rattled the floors, and I heard the scream of help me!

 

I jumped out of bed and ran back to Al’s room, there he lay on the floor, and his neck was hung up on the commode. He had gotten up and tried to go to the bathroom, but did not make it.

 

I got him up and checked him out. He had a red gash on his neck and a gash on his leg, but other than that, I didn’t see much else, except the fear in his eyes, and the tears streaming from his fall.

 

He and I put a clean brief on him, and then put some warm, fuzzy sleeper pants on him  and he was talking by then, so with help from me, we got to the kitchen chair, and I helped him to sit, and then I put his breakfast together and set it in front of him.

 

He began to eat, so I started the coffee pot, and then went to his bedroom and changed his bedding sheets and emptied his commode, and I heard this unfamiliar sound. I stopped and became very quiet, trying to guess what it was, and I then realized it was Al.

 

I raced back to the kitchen and he was drinking his orange juice, but he was gurgling and gagging and then started to choke. My nursing took over my body and I got him back to normal, and he tried to pick up his new two-handled cup to take another drink, but he could not get it to his lips, so he bent his head to the cup and then struggled to get anything up in the straw.

 

I thought, blood pressure, Terry, check his blood pressure. I always have it at arms reach so I took his BP, and it was too dang high, 180/108. I freaked inside, not wanting to scare him, so I asked him if he would let me try it again on the other arm, and the reading was the same.

 

I immediately called the Home Health Care, but they refused to come out, saying he needed an ambulance and a hospital worse than them. I hung up and called 911, then and within 15 minutes, I heard the sirens. Just as they showed up, so did the shower girl.

 

The EMS did not hesitate, they took his BP and it was as mine was, so with the help of all four of us, we got him on the stretcher, and they zoomed off to the hospital. I got all Al’s medications around and got myself presentable for public viewing, told the shower girl I am sorry, I will have to give Al his shower today, and off I went.

 

I arrived at the hospital just as the EMS was transporting him from the back of the vehicle into the hospital. I had to wait a few minutes for them to get him settled, but then did go back, and answered plenty of questions.

 

They ran all sorts of tests, to see if he had another heart attack, but his heart had not changed from the last view they had, check. They ran a test to see if he had another seizure, and this turned out the same damage view as prior records, check. They saw that his tummy was puffy and a little swelling on the ankles, but the lung x-ray came back alright, check.

 

We were there almost six hours and Al had everything ran that a local hospital can do. They tried to put a catheter in him and it would not go, so they tried a different type and it would not go. They said his prostate gland is too big for any catheter, so although, the family doctor runs a cancer check on his enlarged prostate four times a year, I think he now needs to run a test on the size of this gland. I will be discussing this on Al’s appointment this coming Monday.

 

I watched the monitor a lot of the time while we sat and I stressed, and Al dozed off and on or he watched or listened to the television. I was amazed at how the heart reacts to Al’s tremors. It causes the monitor to do funny things, which worried me, but the hospital staff was not too concerned. I guess when I think about it, the heart is a muscle also, so the tremors are having a hay day with his whole body. In the end, the BP was 117/61, which is where they like it for a heart patient, and all tests showed no further damage than the last testings.

 

They told me that I either needed to get more help, or consider placement. I thanked them for all they did and I drove Al home. I called the home health care, and the nurse is back on the schedule again starting tomorrow morning.

 

All this happened for no other reason that tests showed, but for Parkinson’s Disease. The doctor said Al is just too weak and unstable. I am not sure what the doctor meant, and I didn’t ask, because sometimes my mouth will not open, as I am afraid to hear the truth, but he said that he talked for quite a while to our family doctor, and told him, that the hospital wanted to admit Al, but the family doctor said we are in prolonged care. I don’t know what that means, but here we are, home.

 

Al knew that he was to get a shower this morning, and did not. What did I get to do as soon as I walked into the front door? Yep, you got it, a shower, and a shave, and a trim of his mustache. After that, I started a load of his laundry, and then came out here to sit just for a moment, and bam!, he was out here. I looked at the clock and it was 6pm.

 

Darn it! I am so tired and worn out from the day, and I sat at the hospital all day and had to give a shower as soon as my feet  hit our own floors, and now he is ready for his supper. I can try to explain how pooped I am and watch him cry because he doesn’t understand why he can’t eat, because it is six, or I can get off of my rear end and go fix supper, and keep him content, so this is what I did.

 

Now, I sit here with bunches of emails and notifications waiting for me to chat, but instead, I am sitting here getting rid of my stress by writing to you instead. I promise I will look at everyone’s tomorrow, if I don’t get to it tonight.

 

I need a caregiver for the first two hours of each day, wish me luck.

 

 

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Continuing Story Part 36

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മലയാളം: ഡാലിയ പൂവിന്റെ ചിത്രം.

The doctor came in and before he sat down, he shook Drake’s hand, and then sat in his chair. He told them that the surgery had been a success. He had been able to relieve the pressure from Dahlia’s brain, and she was doing fine. He expected the pressure to keep releasing throughout the next several hours, and that she was still a little groggy, but in about an hour they could go in to see her, but only one at a time, since this was a brain procedure. He didn’t want her to get overly exhausted, so keep the visits short.

Everyone got up and started hugging each other and patting each other. They each took turns shaking the doctor’s hand and telling him what a good job he had done, and that he was the best in the world. The doctor said that he had to get back to work, and that each of them could now return to the lobby, or go get something to eat and come back in a bit.

With saying this, the doctor walked out of the door, leaving the door open for them and they followed him and all went to the lobby, but no one wanted to sit down. Excitement filled the air, and suddenly everybody was famished. They made arrangements to meet at a local restaurant and so the ones that were driving,  piled everyone in and off they went to celebrate.

Drake did not go directly to the restaurant, but went back to the house, to get Drew, who needed to know how the surgery went and to be a part of the celebration. When he entered the house, it was quiet, but he found Drew in the living room, sitting in one of the chairs watching out the window.

Drake went to him and told him the success of the operation and Drew grabbed a hold of his brother and wept and muttering congratulations. He started to say that ever since he messed up, causing so much grief and pain for Dahlia and the others, that this would have been a fair punishment, if something had gone wrong with her, but Drake told him to be quiet, to not talk like that. He in no way blamed Drew for anything, it was the illness, not Drew. Now let’s not talk like this and instead celebrate. I have come to get you and you are going with me to meet the others for lunch. Drew didn’t fight it, and dropped his pity party, and the conversation  was left alone for good.

They met up with the others, and they each ordered. This was a place no one came to often, so the ones seated next to the blind ladies, helped them to decide what they wanted to eat. In no time at all the food was delivered and everyone dug into their plates. They had all pretty much ordered the same things, hamburgers, fries, and shakes.

Each were exclaiming how good the food tasted, that they had not had this good of food in a long time from a restaurant, but deep down inside, they all knew it was such a relief of the stress from the operation, that even a bowl of soup would have tasted fantastic.

As they ate, they talked about Dahlia and then they moved on to the topic of the wedding, and then the discussion was brought up about food. No one had the time to even think about the menu, because they all wanted to get back to the hospital, but they promised as soon as Dahlia was home once again, the menu was going to be the first on the to do list. After all, the wedding was coming up in a month and a half, and there was a lot of preparations that needed to be done yet.

Ralph and Rachel decided for this celebration of good news, they would pay for everyone’s bill, and so the others left the tip for the waitress. They stood up and walked out the door, and it was such a wonderful thing to see if you were a passer-by on the outside looking in, plenty of smiles and happy faces.

They drove back to the hospital and they all went into the main lobby. No one was in there now, and even the television was off. The receptionist saw  them coming in and told them what room number Dahlia had been moved to and that they could each go in and see her, but to keep it short, doctors orders.

They wasted no time and went to the elevator, and pushed the number three button that would take them to the medical floor. Drake and Rachel were the first ones to enter the room, and the others remained in the small sitting area for their turns.

When Drake looked at Dahlia, his eyes got very big. He was not prepared for the bandages and gauze that was wrapped around her head. Her face was swollen and pale. Her eyes were closed and she was lying very still. Rachel walked over to her and laid her hand over Dahlia’s arm, and she felt warmth, and she turned to Drake and said it is alright Drake. She has been through a big ordeal, and she is just resting.

Drake walked over to her and stood next to Rachel and just watched Dahlia sleeping. Although her face was swollen, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Dahlia never stirred and so the two of them turned around and walked back out of her room, giving a chance for the others to visit.

With the looks that were on Drake and Rachel’s faces, the others became concerned that not everything was alright. They stood up and went over and began to ask questions, but Rachel assured them all was alright, that they were not expecting to see her in the condition that they saw.

One by one, each went to pay a visit to Dahlia, and the last visitor to pay a visit was Ralph. He had heard so much through the chatter of all that had seen her, that he wasn’t sure what he was in for, but he walked into the hospital room and saw Dahlia lying there. She just looked like she was asleep.

He slowly walked over to the bed and looked down at her. He was relieved that she did not look as bad as the others had said. He walked then over to the chair and pulled it up to the bed and sat down. Then a nurse came in and took Dahlia’s vitals and checked the IV to make sure the drip was going at the rate it was supposed to be, and she smiled at Ralph as she started to turn around and leave, and said Dahlia is doing fine, don’t worry, she should be waking up anytime from the anesthetics.

He was watching out her bedside window and then would glance back at Dahlia, thinking how fond he had become of her over the months, and Drake had made an excellent choice in his wife. He would be happy to have her in the family.

The doctor poked his head in then , and was just checking the reports of what the nurse had written, and then nodded to Ralph and turned back around to walk out the door. A stirring came from the bed and for the first time there was movement coming from this life.

She was coming around, and he sat up straighter in his chair. He knew that she could not see him, but he wanted her to know that she was not waking up alone, so he reached out and touched her arm, to let her know someone was there with her.

The nurse was walking by and peeked in and saw that she was stirring and so she was going to go catch the doctor and let him know she was waking up. Ralph coughed and a few tears were coming down his face, as he was so glad this part of her life was over, and from here on out, it was only going to get better.

Ralph spoke to her, hoping that she could hear him, and the tears continued to fall. He was telling her that she had come through the surgery just fine, and that she was going to be alright. She was a real trooper and had been such a great patient. She stirred some more, and then a few noises came from her mouth. Yes, she was definitely waking up.

He began to remove his hand from her arm, and her eyes opened up and she was blinking them rapidly. She stirred some more and then took her hand and laid it over his arm, and she spoke.

She told him with a groggy and soft voice, it hurts, it hurts. Ralph sat closer to her and tried to understand what it was that she was saying, and so he leaned in close and said I am sorry, I could not hear you, can you tell me again what you said? Dahlia repeated herself again, it hurts, the light hurts my eyes, cover my face.

Ralph’s mouth dropped open, and his heart began to race. She said the light hurts her eyes, the light hurts her eyes! Oh my gosh, the light hurts her eyes. He jumped up and patted her hand, and told her to stay right there, that he was going to go get the doctor.

He went out her door quickly, looking both ways for the nurse, and then found her and told her what Dahlia had said. The nurse in reply went to get the doctor and Ralph almost ran to the waiting room where all were seated. He poked his head in the doorway, and with a big grin on his face, he said, she said the light hurts her eyes!

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Continuing Story Part 35

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After a few minutes of silence, Drake got up and together they left the small room and

Dahlia "Dahlstar Sunset Pink"

went back to the waiting room. The group talked among themselves as Drake shared what the doctor had told him. Rachel and Sue went to the cafeteria and brought coffee back for everyone and they watched the television and continued chatting.

Soon Drake heard his name being called by the receptionist and he got up from his seat and walked over to hear what she had to say to him. She told him that the patient he was interested in was getting ready to be wheeled into surgery, and the doctor thought that he may want to see her before being taken back.

Without acknowledging, he headed for the double doors and he was let in and went back to the doctors lounge and waited for someone to come get him. The doctor came in and motioned for him to come with him. They walked back through a narrow hall way and turned left and there was Dahlia lying on a portable bed being ready to taken into surgery.

He quickly went to her and laid his hands over hers. He bent down to her ear and told her that everything was going to be fine, that this doctor was going to make her good as new. As he was bending close, his tears were dripping on her hospital gown, and although he saw no motion of her body, nor did her eye lids move, he prayed with everything he had that she could hear him. He knelt into her lips and kissed her softly, telling her how much he loved her, and that he would be right here waiting for her return. With that, the doctor gave the orders to the technicians to take her on back. He turned to Drake and patted him on the back and said that he would do the best that he could do. Just go back to the waiting room and wait for someone to call him.

He walked around the corner and back down the narrow hall, but at this moment the hall seemed to stretch on for miles and it made him feel like it was sucking him in, never letting him out of his nightmare. He saw the double doors once again, and walked through them to where everyone was seated.

They all asked what had happened back there and he simply said that he had told her everything was going to be alright and that he would wait for her right here.They asked if she responded in any way, and he shook his head with a no response. With this everyone sat back down and the talk became less as minds were wandering from the day’s events.

About an hour later, after everyone was still or resting their heads against the back of the chairs, Ralph looked at his watch and said hey, let’s go get something to eat. Drake said immediately that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he had promised Dahlia that he would be right here waiting.

Even though leaving the hospital for a spell would have been nice, they knew that they could not change Drake’s mind, so they headed for the cafeteria and each ordered a meal. They found two empty tables and pushed them together, and there they all sat, eating in silence, watching people come and go, while all ears were waiting for the signal.

After they finished eating, they got up and walked over and threw their trash away, and Rachel suggested they step outside to get some fresh air. No one argued so they walked outside, and breathed in a big deep breath of fresh air. There is nothing like fresh air when you have been cooped up inside a hospital for some time. They all walked on the sidewalk, that led them around the entire building, trying to relax their minds and enjoy the outdoor scenery.

They had walked for about a half an hour and then headed back inside and went back to the main lobby. There were other new people sitting there now. The ER was a busy come and go room.

Another hour went by and most of them were dozing by now. The television had become boring and the ER was emptying out once again. Nurses had changed shifts, the receptionist had now left and a strange face had taken her seat.

Soon a loud racket could be heard on the PA system. Nurses were being called. A code blue was overheard, and staff were racing. Drake and Rachel and everyone else looked at each other and then the other, hoping it was not their loved one that the code blue was being screamed about. Silence fell over the room as if someone had just poured water over a fire. The hush was thick like fog, as everyone waited to see what was happening.

A staff came out and Ralph quickly walked up to him and asked him if this had anything to do with the patient who was having brain surgery, and the staff said no. It was a patient that had just been brought in. He said not to worry, there had been no word on the patient he was inquiring about.

Each of them breathed a sigh of relief as they took their positions back for waiting. They were speaking their  private thoughts out loud and each was consoling the other. Another staff came through the double doors and walked to the main part of the lobby and asked who was here for the Miss Dahlia party. All of them stood up at once, stating that they are the ones waiting for word. How is she, is she doing alright, how was the surgery, was it a success?

The staff member said that he was informed to come get them and to bring them back to another lounge that would hold all of them. Everyone got up and followed him through the double doors and turning to the right, were led into a large room that seated three couches and a few chairs. The staff said to take their seats and the doctor would be in, in a few moments. It was so quiet in the room, each could hear the clock ticking on the desk, and then the door opened, and the doctor walked in.

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Mellow

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And May You Stay Forever Young...

Al woke up today in a fairly good mood. I didn’t see any frowns or grins, no chatter and no tears. I call it the mellow stage. He ate his breakfast and then I washed him up and made his bed, and emptied the commode.

He then came out on the couch and sat down, and soon the first therapist arrived. She  makes Al work hard, I think, and although no words are spoken, I can tell he is not a happy camper.

When she is getting ready to go to her next patient, he takes her back to his bedroom and   they’re talking for several moments. I could not tell what was being said, but I could hear voices. When they came out, he sat back down, and I walked her to the door and followed her outside, asking her if he was alright, and she said he is just sad.

Just sad, do you know how much I hate those two little words? The last time I really saw him in an excellent mood was back in May at his big birthday party.  I told her good-bye, and said we would see her next week.

He stayed this way from then until now and is still the same. The second therapist came, and she works harder at trying to get Al to smile then any exercises. I think she was taking a mental break from his teary eyes, and asked me what I do, and I told her I write, and she asks what do you write. I just happened to have the poem here that I wrote last evening called, Dedicated To My Brother, and I offered it to her if she would care for a sample of my writings.

I heard her make a small moan from her throat and then I saw two tears run down her face. She handed it back to me, and said she loved it and that I should publish it. I blushed, as I always do when I get a compliment, and said thank you.

She then turned back to Al and I actually left then. I got in my car and ran to the bank real quick and then went and got gas. I had forgotten how quickly I can do things when you are not waiting on someone else to get out of the car etc.

When I returned, I asked Al what kind of exercises he had done and he said something I didn’t recognize and so I asked again, and he said he didn’t know. The therapist laughed and told me what they were called, and I asked Al if he enjoyed them and he didn’t say anything.

The rest of the time she was here, she tried kidding with him and doing her best to get a smile on his face. He just wasn’t budging, in fact he was going on to her about how he felt like he was worthless to everyone around him. She went on to try to pump him up and tell him all that he could still do, the same things that I try also day after day, but there was nothing. He stared at his lap with no tears and no expression.

I almost think I would rather have him yelling at me then to see this face. All I can do is to remember the neurologist said last week, that the part of the brain that connects with feelings is gone……………………