By Staff
The old adage "things happen in threes" came true once again.
In a 20-day span from Christmas, I watched three men being taken to the emergency room by paramedics.
The first was a holiday visit by Roger's brother who lives in Arkansas, or somewhere south.
He hadn't been in the area but a few hours when he had some sort of seizure or spell. He zoned out and couldn't respond.
At first, we thought he had low blood sugar and his being a diabetic, so we tried to get him to drink some juice or suck on a hard candy.
Finally, I just propped him up so he wouldn't fall off his chair and waited after calling 911.
When the paramedics came, they asked a bunch of questions I couldn't answer.
His blood sugar was actually very high – in the 400s.
Looking in his luggage, we found his medicine, so at least they would know what he was on.
It turned out his electrolytes or something was out of whack and he was stabilized quickly and released after a few hours in the waiting room.
Other than the worry he would have another attack, the visit proceeded without a hitch.
A week later, I drove into Chicago to surprise my ex-father-in-law at his 90th birthday party.
Unfortunately, he partied too hardy, mixing a drink with his low blood pressure, which just didn't work.
He collapsed into his dinner before the cake. Like Larry, he was unresponsive, giving his seven children, 13 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and their many, many spouses and significant others a scare.
Fortunately, another daughter-in-law had been keeping an excellent book of his past health history and medicines. This made it easy for the paramedics and the emergency room doctors.
He too ended up having body chemistry problems, which a stay in the hospital seems to have regulated. He was sent home and told not to drink alcohol anymore.
Last week, when my own significant other couldn't walk because of extreme leg pain, the process was again repeated.
Not quite as organized, I grabbed all the pill bottles so I could give the doctors a list.
You would think after filling the Sunday through Saturday pill containers each week I would remember exactly what he takes, but it isn't that easy, especially when you are under pressure.
Watching someone you love fade in and out of lucid behavior is scary.
Our bodies can change so quickly when certain chemicals are out of balance or our bodies are fighting an infection, which is what his leg was doing.
From these experiences, I have learned to better appreciate the men and women who come in these times of crisis. They keep a level head and treat the patient as if he were their own brother, father or loved one.
We sometimes think we are invincible and nothing will ever happen to us. No one is guaranteed to skip that ride to the emergency room.
I also learned how important it is to have a list of your medicines with you when you travel.
Let your family know where the list is, or give them a copy, so if you can't talk, as least they have your records.
Also, follow the doctor's advice.