My Adventure(s)

Two days ago
November 6, 2013

I'd only been to the emergency room once before, and that was during a simulation: nobody had gotten hurt; we'd all walked out of there fine that night, glad to have helped the hospital practice and thinking it was kind of fine to ride in an ambulance. But this time was real.

My mom pulled up to the curb and we all got out, heading for the door with the red sign "Emergency" over it. We went through the sliding doors and quickly told the people what was going on. My dad had been supposed to keep a certain medicine down, but he'd thrown it up. He had to come and get it through an IV now.

We were told to sit and wait. Some kind of crime show was on the TV, but I didn't recognize it. I glanced around the room, wondering what other people were here for. Had somebody almost died? Had a heart attack? I wasn't exactly afraid for my dad's health, but I was scared--what would have happened if we hadn't gotten here? I wasn't sure. The thought scared me.

I heard the people around us. Some of the people were coming together in a group, asking over and over, "How is he? How is he?" A little child clung to what I supposed was their mother crying while the mother told them, "He's going to be alright!" I felt scared for them. Who was "he"? What had happened? Was he going to be alright? From what I could catch, it sounded like he'd broken his leg. I hoped he'd be OK. I sent up a prayer for those people.

We finally went back, where my dad's blood pressure got tested. At least, that's what I think it was. I wasn't quite sure. The woman was entering Dad's information in, Mom helping her. I stood off to the side, feeling in the way and not helpful. I held my dad's coats and got him another one of the puke bags hanging in a dispenser on the wall.

"There's a flu going around back there," the woman told us something of the kind. She glanced at Dad. "You might want to put that back on." She pointed to his surgical mask that he's been wearing to keep from getting sick. Dad quickly slipped it up.

They put Dad in a wheel chair and took him down the hallways. They'd said they wanted him in a room with a door, but that the one that they wanted was being cleaned by the house cleaning people. Instead, we were put in a good-sized room with a curtain instead of a door. Dad was put on the bed and put on a hospital gown.

There was some confusion about the medicine he was supposed to take. It was only for cancer patients, and my dad has a pretty rare type of cancer. The people down there hadn't worked with it--ever. If it hadn't been for a pharmacists, he might've never gotten what he needed.

This all started around nine o'clock. I was tired as it was. But when my mom told me that we might have to go to the hospital that night, while we were still in the hotel watching TV, I'd told her I wanted to come--I didn't want to be left by myself there. And I wanted to know what would happen. So I'd slipped on a sweatshirt and sweatpants over my pajamas and put on my Bearpaw boots and braided my hair.

Now I was sitting in not the most comfortable of chairs in Dad's room, feeling more and more exhausted by the moment. I tried sleeping, but it just wasn't working. (I just couldn't get comfortable. It was awful.) Not to mention I was dying of thirst. I felt like my throat was shrieking at me. Dad started sleeping with the IV in his arm while Mom did some stuff on the kindle. There was a TV, but we hadn't turned it on--I supposed that was because we didn't want to wake up Dad. I understood. I was just and bored. Really tired and bored.

You know that feeling when you're really tired but you can't get to sleep, and your head's hurting like crazy, and you're starting to feel a tad bit moody, because you're just so tired and suddenly wish you could even just sleep on the floor? Add that in with a horrible thirst and fear and you'd have about what I was feeling like. =P

The nurses came in and out, doing different stuff--first putting in the IV, then I think giving him a shot of some kind, then talking to Mom, etc. It was rather confusing. I finally ended up getting the kindle. Guess what I did? I went back through old posts on here, reading things and smiling at your lovely words you left me and showing my mom funny things. I also went and played this like matching game on the kindle. At least it kept me awake.

Mom asked if we could have some water (because we found out that both of us were dying of thirst) and this really nice nurse went and got us some ice water. I just about hugged somebody.

We stayed for what seemed like just about forever. Finally, at like 1:30 in the morning of November 7th, we finally got to leave. I started falling asleep on the way over. We got to the hotel and I literally like fell on the bed and went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning and found out that my mom wasn't there--she was in the hospital. She'd driven to the emergency room about 3:00 that morning because she'd thought she was having a heart attack. I was scared--really scared. What was going to happen? Why did this have to happen now? We had some friends living in the same town as the hospital and they drove us over so that Dad could have his last round of chemo. We didn't know anything for what seemed like forever.

And then guess what?

My mom walked through the door.

She hadn't had a heart attack, just like extreme stress. She now has to take this special medicine whenever she feels like that again. I was filled with relief. She was alright. We could do this. We were all going to be alright.

We spent the rest of the day at chemo and then went back to the hotel. I had another great night's sleep, thanks to my exhaustion.

And then this morning, November 8th. Dad just had one more shot, and then we could go home. I was so excited. We'd planned originally on going home on Thursday (yesterday) night, but had had to stay because of Dad's emergency room visit. (And I believe some other stuff.) And guess what else?

We hadn't been able to go and see about the cello because we were so busy with everything else. Finally, today, we got to go and see the cellos. I was so excited. We pulled into the parking lot and went through the door. The music shop that we went to? We've been there before. But this time, unlike the other times, I was looking around for cellos. I spotted some, but I was pretty sure they weren't the ones that we were looking for--Mom had gone to their website and saw this thing about renting cellos. These ones were for sale.

The lady came out with a cello for rent and we went into another room. She talked to us about it and how to hold it. It was so beautiful. She showed me how to hold the cello--I felt like I was hugging somebody or something, except different. I've only ever played the piano before (and killed myself briefly on guitar strings), so it was so strange and beautiful and wonderful all at the same time when she handed me the cello's bow. She showed me how to hold it--I'm pretty sure I didn't get it quite right--and then showed me how to play it on the cello.

I was kind of expecting the slightly shrill voice of the violin when you first play, and how that doesn't sound the greatest. But no. I pushed the bow over the strings, and this beautiful sound came out. I couldn't believe that I was making it. It was so amazing! Mom and the woman talked while I just pushed it back and forth, just getting used to it, not playing any notes. Then Mom tried. She told me later it was like her heart beat slowed and she could finally relax.

We didn't buy the cell or start renting it today--that was never our plan. (Though my mom told me she was sorely tempted. So was I. It was an amazing instrument, and I almost started thinking, "This is mine.") But we're planning on going back in January to rent one. I'm so excited. This is what I want. I love the piano, but not like this. I love the cello--the sound, the look, the way you play it. I don't know everything, obviously, and it's going to be hard, and I'm going to have to learn a lot and be patient and everything. But I want to. I want to. I love the cello.

This is has been rather crazy, but it's been my last few days. Thank you so much to everybody who's been praying for us. <3 It's so amazing. <3 God bless you guys. <3

Be a hero,
Anna

P.S. At the hotel I was at, they had the cutest little hot chocolate cups. I'm hoping to show you a picture soon. :)