Thursday at Mt. Sinai

"Hospitals are places that you have to stay in for a long time, even if you are a visitor. Time doesn't seem to pass in the same way in hospitals as it does in other places. Time seems to almost not exist in the same way as it does in other places." - Pedro Almodovar

I knew today would be difficult at best. Nan and I were scheduled to take my Mom this morning to her quarterly gynecology appointment at Mt. Sinai's Ob/Gyn clinic in the Hydro building. Mom was smiling when she got in my car at the nursing home but was asleep within a couple of blocks of driving. A few blocks later she was drooling madly. Then came the diarrhea. Finally though we arrived at the Hydro building with nowhere to park or even stop the car and no answer at the number we normally call to get the services of a porter. Nan had to go into the building to try and find a wheelchair and porter while I drove around the block. Shortly after Nan got out of the car, Mom started vomiting. I realized she was not asleep but unconscious. And for a few terrifying minutes I was hoping she wouldn't die in my car. Suffice it to say we never did make it to the gynecologist's office.

Instead, we spent the day in the emergency department at Mt. Sinai. A code team of nineteen (yes I actually counted them) met us at the car to assess Mom and take her into the hospital. They believed, as did I, that she was probably having a heart attack or a stroke. They could not wake her or rouse her into consciousness. The hospital chaplain came to sit with Nan and I.

The truth is that everyone at the hospital was just plain wonderful. They were patient, kind and incredibly responsive. They treated Mom lovingly and with gentleness. But even after running a whole gambit of tests, they were unable to determine what happened. There was no stroke. No heart attack. It may be the flu or a urinary tract infection or it may be one of those things. So by late afternoon she was released, with her vomit covered clothes in a plastic bag. They put two hospital gowns and a blanket on her and helped us to load her in my car. She didn't vomit again but she did have a small accident that wasn't quite contained in her diaper so for the second time today, I cleaned my car.

When I left the nursing home shortly before five she was sound asleep in her own bed. Nan was determined to stay with her and not take a break for some dinner though neither of us had a bite since this morning when I insisted she have a bit of yogurt with me. I decided to take a break from cooking tonight. The Swiss Chalet delivery man is on his way. My bones are aching and my stomach is growling. After the boys have gone to bed tonight, I think I'll indulge myself in a good cry.