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It’s 1:30 am, and Mary’s back pain has grown to the point that she cannot move and is crying. I told her we were going to the ER, and she immediately agreed. Waiting for 911 was out of the question, so we threw on some clothes and headed to the Silver Fox. The traffic was nil, so from home to St. Joseph’s was less than 12 minutes.
I parked right up front, and I had arranged for a wheelchair, which the attendant used to take her inside. After parking, I hurried to catch up with him at the check-in counter, where Mary was busy registering.
Mary raced around the waiting room, attracting a lot of attention with her hair blowing in the breeze!
Within fifteen minutes, we were in a room, and Mary was changed into a hospital gown, open in the back (I notice these things). A few minutes later, the nurse joined the party and put in an IV and started Mary on fluids, readying her for IV meds if needed. The doctor dropped in and ordered an EKG (to rule out cardiac causes), an X-ray, a CT Scan, and several blood tests. The tests went fast.
The doctor also ordered two pain relievers, which kicked in faster than my neighbor’s lawn mower on a Saturday morning! We suspect it was just a muscle spasm, which we all know is like your muscles throwing a surprise party—only they forgot to invite us and just decided to cramp up instead! OUCH!!
How can a lady look so darned good after riding in Mr. Toad’s wild ride at 1:30 am on a Friday??
After the test results came in, the doctor appeared and revealed the tests were inconclusive, meaning it was probably a muscle spasm. Lower back spasms are involuntary, painful contractions often caused by muscle strain, resulting in a tight, locked-up sensation. They commonly affect the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) muscle, leading to sudden, intense pain that can restrict movement.
By 10:00 am, the pain had subsided, and we headed home via Starbucks so Mary could get an egg bite and a latte for breakfast.
Arriving home, Mary plopped into her recliner and began either reading or doing needlepoint, anything to stay inactive. I popped to the pharmacy around 1:00 pm to pick up her meds. Dianne came over with serious meds, a big batch of her chicken/spinach soup – the Italian equivalent of Jewish Penicillin.
Dianne’s recipe worked miracles; Mary felt better and was speaking fluent Italian within minutes!
Old “fast gingers” Paul kept the family apprised of the happenings, including Dianne, Robin, Joe, Colleen, and Becky. Becky decided to change her weekend plans and drive to LA early to surprise her Mom!
At 6:20 pm, I swung open the front door like a game show host revealing the grand prize and pretended to welcome Donna and Bob with all the enthusiasm of a puppy at dinnertime. Mary, bless her heart, looked like she’d just spotted a unicorn when she saw Becky come through the door. She was like, “Oh wow, this party just upgraded!”
Becky burst in like she was the main act at a rock concert. Mary was so excited to see Becky that she went completely speechless, I swear, her jaw dropped so low I thought it might have been trying to audition for the role of “Wide Open Danger Zone.” You could practically see the thought bubble over her head saying, “Becky! In my house! Quick, someone call the paparazzi!”
It’s time for dinner!
We talked for a while and then decided we would order from Yang-Ming as Mary was not up to going out!. Becky marked up the menu, then Mary, and finally me. We called, placed the order, and twenty minutes later, I was on my way to Yang-Mings, which is less than two miles away!
We dined by candlelight, gobbling down the cuisine like there was no tomorrow. No wine tonight as Mary’s meds warned against alcohol, Becky was tired from driving all day, and I was happy with a Diet Coke and water.
No wine, just water and a Diet Coke!
Becky headed back to Newport around 8:00 pm, and we settled down to watch TV. AT 11:00 pm, Mary was sawing logs and was watching another episode of Suits.
We crashed. It has been a long and eventful day!
