Trauma

AV broke his leg Saturday riding his rode bike turning a corner. I went to visit him in Harbor View last night. It was so sad. He looked awful (I hope he doesn't read my blog) but most of all, you could feel a spirit crushed. One that has many races planned ahead and most importantly, running, biking, swimming, anything adventure or racing is his life. I usually have something to say but I had nothing. Nothing except, “glad you’re not dead." I am sure those were the most non comforting words one can hear because it means that is the only thing that is worse is death. Which isn’t true, its just the only thing that came out of my mouth.

And if to make his trauma any worse, they put him next to a guy who was either yelling on the phone, yelling at the nurse and doctor, or making awful noises. Why would they put two trauma patients together? Yes Aaron would be the ideal roommate so the other person could gather their thoughts but this guy was a maniac.

I finally just broke and said, "I know it's about your leg but that guy is killing me. I don't know how you can take him. I hate him." Aaron slowly reaches for an ear plug and lifts it. He then says, "It doesn't really help"

So when I left I felt ill. He was white. I was white. The place was lonely yet full of extremely hurt people -and the involuntary psych ward.

When I walked into the room, I didn’t even look at the first patient to give all the privacy I could. Then after hearing him yelling at the dr. I knew I had to check him out. He was screaming “I am not staying here. I am running out of here. I am giving you an ultimatum. I need to walk now. I am leaving.” While the dr. politely said, “We don’t want you moving, esp. walking and we can review again in the morning.”

So given the drama in the trauma room, I walked out slowly full on staring at his roommate.

“GREAT GASP-Y!” the guy had broken neck, back and skull. He was in so many braces, he looked locked down to the bed. He couldn’t even lift his head up. I thought why this Dr. is even wasting his time telling him he can’t leave? My reply would be– “if you really think you can walk out of here, you are welcome to go.” –um, that could be why I am not a Dr. But still! It was rather comic like - a very FAR SIDE image.

I keep thinking about it so I went for a workout at lunch to get it off my mind.
I went to abs class
Afterwards I did 60 king chair
And a hundred on the ball crunches.

Still have that lonely awful image of that room and AV.