Well, now it seems our home internet is not working. That wouldn’t be so terrible except on this particular day my plans were to be enmeshed in the digital world.
Oh, well. I guess I can find a workaround. Maybe drive a half hour into town to a coffee shop. Normally, by this time I would have had a start on my project, but last week life, as they say, got in the way.
Two days ago The Retro Brothers were playing music outdoors for the Bargersville Farmers Market. It was late afternoon, hot with air smelling of the smoke from the Great Canadian Forest Fire. We took a short break, and I slowly dragged myself over to the temporary toilet. I had been feeling weak and listless coming into the gig. It had been an effort to set up our equipment. I was third in line at the port-o-potty, but what could I do about that? I was chatting with the guy in front of me. Then, the next thing I knew, I was being helped into a camp chair. I had fainted.
Coming to, It felt a little like I had been awakened from sleep. I was groggy. People were all around me. In all the hubbub the guy who had been in front of me, Richard, told me he had caught me as I slumped down and had made sure to keep my head from hitting anything. A guardian angel.
Someone put an ice pack on the back of my neck. Someone called an ambulance. In no time emergency vehicles were on the scene. A small crowd of people including Retro Dan and friends from the Market were there to assist or at least give concerned moral support. I was put on a cot and loaded in. An IV was inserted and we headed to Franciscan Hospital.
Sticky patches for the EKG were stuck at various places on my chest. When asked, the EMT told me, yes, it is very loud when the sirens are on, but not as loud as when in a helicopter. Seemed like we got to the hospital in no time. I wonder if the red lights were on.
Check-in was quick. I was hoping that was a good sign. I was taken to a small room and hooked up to another IV as well as more sticky patches. All these wires radiating from me were either sending my information somewhere or filling me up with necessary fluids and nutrients. Imagine that. A chest x-ray was taken and more questions were asked. By this time, Becky had arrived. Soon we were in the small room alone.
A doctor came in to ask doctor questions. A nurse or aide would come in occasionally to check this or that and to see how I was doing. Dehydration and heat exhaustion was the diagnosis.
I was tethered to the room, and although it was a blessing to have Beautiful Becky at my side, boredom began to set in. I mean, how many times can one check one’s emails? We turned to the TV, but after four episodes of Modern Family, funny as it is, we moved on to the news. Finally, about midnight we were told we could go home. Yay.
The next morning I still was not feeling well, almost like the flu. The paper said if symptoms worsened or changed I should contact my doctor or return to the ER. Called the doctor’s office who told us to return to the ER. We drove back. No sirens or red lights.
Another small room and a big waiting time. More tests including some repeats from before. After the CAT scan the doctor joked, “You have a big brain.” A different test revealed I had a urinary tract infection. Pills were prescribed. Finally, once again, we were told we could go home. Yay.
This morning I woke up feeling good and happy to be home. It’s true. Our internet is not working. Our plans for the last two days were put on hold or abandoned. Work around the house and yard will have to wait. But, hey, that’s what happens when life gets in the way.
Norman Knight, a retired Clark-Pleasant Middle School teacher, writes this weekly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
