Whoa! Didja get the numbers off that truck?!?
September 11, 2004 - 12:58 p.m.
Time Travel, again
From the Herald News, September 16, 2004:There was a lot of excitement here recently about the possibility of a new hospital. It made a lot of sense to me, living where the growth rate here could be consideration for the Guinness Book.
There was a lot of ink about that topic in this paper. Both sides presented strong arguments but the incumbent hospital prevailed, in the opinion of this newspaper. The issue went away but it's not over yet.
My younger son had a brain seizure last Tuesday September 7, at 3:30 PM. His friend Andre had the presence of mind to dial 911. Thank you for being there, Andre. Son2is grateful too.
Imagine waking up in an ambulance. You don't know why you're there, someone is talking to you and the words don't make sense. You find that you can't speak. That's a small part of what Son2 explained to me. For a few minutes, the electrical storm erased everything.
We were in the ER from roughly 4:00 to 11:30 PM. That place is controlled mayhem. I admire people who work under those circumstances. The outer waiting room was nearly full; they were doing triage in the hallway. There was nearly constant movement in that place the entire time we were there.
We were waiting for a bed. For nearly seven hours. Son2 was off in his narcotic world, experiencing the aftershock of the lightning strike his brain created. The pain was intense, and the morphine was supposed to just give him something else to think about for awhile. I watched as the second dose took hold. I wondered what was going on in that head of his, on several levels.
I also wondered what was going on in that hospital. This was a weeknight; I wondered what a weekend on a full moon must look like. I realize that my experience was a snapshot of what could be a typical day in any hospital. I'd been in that ER more than once though; I'd never seen it like this.
The Conestoga wagons are headed west, far beyond the intersection of Glenview and Madison. Both of my son's days are over at Plainfield South. But I still wonder how long an ambulance ride from there would take. The incumbent hospital's location serves me well, although someone living west of Route 59 would not have that same benefit. They would be better served by a western hospital built by some far sighted corporation. This hospital here cannot support the rate of growth alone. Based on my experience, I think we need a few more beds around here.
I'm pleased to report that Son2 is doing just fine. His brain shows no epileptic patterns. He's a normal healthy person who is baffled about what just happened. The series of events that led up to his event may be inexplicable. But he's here now, having gone through an experience few could recognize.
Son2 received excellent care at the hospital. The people I met there were very good. He was looked after by caring individuals with quite a workload. My impression is those hard working people need another hospital here to offset the load.
Current Terr Alert Level
OMG, She's agonna blow!
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