Where's the Silver Lining?

Robert's back in the hospital again

My mind, spirit, and body are tired beyond measure. As I posted in Crunchy, when it rains, it pours. I certainly pray this last down pour allows me to see the rainbow afterwards.

Yesterday afternoon, Robert fell and couldn't get up. His power chair can't go through the door of the bathroom, so he has to park it in the hall and shuffle inside holding onto the counter. As he was leaving, he fell. He's fallen before, but he's always been able to use his arms to move himself onto his knees and then has pulled himself up. Not this time.

I called Randy, and our 6'4" moose of a baby came, picked up his dad, and placed him in the power chair. Well, the job entailed a bit more than an easy pick up, but he did it. Then a little before 4 AM, I awoke to Robert calling for me. He had fallen in the living room. Again, he could not get up. Another call to Randy, another pick up. Thankfully Randy is very strong.

I called the doctor about 6:30. He said take Robert to the ER. Okay, I don't have a usable vehicle. I am stranded. My friend Jacque Graham was coming down for our writing group meeting from a town about an hour's drive away. I called her. She told me when she would be here, that she was already on her way. However, I knew as low as her car is, we couldn't get Robert in it. I waited until 8, knowing she would be here about 8:30, and called Randy again.

He lifted Robert from the power chair into the seat of the pickup and drove Robert to the ER. Jacque and I followed in her car.

After a four hour wait in the ER, while all kinds of lab work and xrays were taken, the doctor admitted Robert to the hospital.

Robert has a serious infection, with open oozing sores on his legs. His sodium count was almost nil (explaining the lack of strength). His heart is messing up. His oxygen levels were too low. His kidney functions are nearly critical. According to the doctor, those are some of the problems. He will be running other tests AFTER the infection is under control. Right now, Robert receives 2 different IV antibiotics every 2 hours, I believe.

I had to come home not long after Robert was settled in his room. Jacque had to be somewhere at 5 PM. She will pick me up again in the morning and take me back to hospital. She will have to have me home about noon so that she can leave for Dallas to visit her daughter.

Hopefully, I can get Janelle or Randy to take me to the hospital Monday, and then one will come get me and take me home later. Having to depend on other people is not easy.

Dear Lord, please show me a silver lining to this storm.