We have been here since 3 or 4 I think. Her condition really declined over the last two days but especially this morning. She was unable to stand, even with the walker. She’s been non-communicative and physically weak, but some days are good, some bad: how can we be certain if the situation is dire or merely exhaustion?
The speech therapist had come for her appointment and after a little while told me that she needed to call the doctor. She did, then put me on.
He said, “I am concerned that she may have had a stroke, or a seizure or possible bleeding on the brain. You have to bring her in.”
Today marked my third ride on the back of an ambulance in New York.
It is now after 3 a.m. we have been waiting and waiting. Ebony has had a CT scan and chest X-ray, but has been been waiting for an MRI for quite a while. This is partly because she has done so much bloodletting in the past year, coupled with her recent radiation treatment, her veins are difficult to find. This has been ongoing, but tonight the nurse had no luck so he got a resident. The resident tried, failed and returned with a portable Sonogram machine. That yielded nothing so they got a doctor. It took her FOUR tries with the Sonogram on both arms before Ebony was fixed for an IV. They told me to keep her arm with the IV steady, and I asked if they could put a splint on, Because I know Ebony.
The Doctor said, “That’s not a bad idea.” So they did. I wanted to say, “I’ll send you a bill.” but I thought that would make me sound like a dorky-trying-to-be-funny-Dad, so I didn’t. But I thought it.
But, I mean: shouldn’t THEY have thought of it? Yeesh. Ebbs now has a splint on her arm to prevent her from bending and disrupting the IV lock and I stood there for an hour holding her arm steady while she slept.
So now we are waiting at her bedside. They took her BP (low) and want to give her a couple hours rest before bringing her to Imaging. After that, they are going to admit her to Neurology. We still do not know if Ebony has suffered any damage because of a stroke or a seizure or what.
It seems we are in for another all-nighter and back to Square One. Only two days ago I was talking with her about trying to go up to Newport for Thanksgiving and have our Moms meet at last. She smiled and said she wants to go.
Hope springs eternal.
