Between Christmas and New Year's, my sweet bear had a bit of a funny health scare. He was watching a YouTube video got to laughing so hard he couldn't catch his breath, passed out and hit his head falling off his perch. Calls to both his doctors office and the local doc-in-a-box recommended that he be checked at the Emergency Room (A&E in some parts of the world.) A thorough going over and few thousand dollars in tests found nothing unexpected. Passing out from being over excited is a known condition, a defined diagnosis. Spo helped us translate radiologist and cardiologist speak into common English, and the answers were not to unexpected for an older person - the worst of it was a scrape on his head and being diagnosed as aging.
Current public health limitations prohibit "visitors" in the ER, the sign instructed me to wait in the car. And I did. The battery in his phone was running down, so we limited communications. I took my Kindle and a book to read (that didn't get added to my reading list for 2021.) It was a long three hours. The last gap between communications was over an hour. Long enough for me to start to ponder the worst. What would I do? How would I move forward? I am a planner, and my brain ponders when faced with uncertainty or change.
Last weekend, with New Years, there was a lot of pondering going on about 2022. What will happen, will things change, will we return to normal? I don't know? My crystal balls are broken.
What happens in 2022 will happen, good, bad, wanted, unwanted, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, returning to the old normal, or developing the new normal. I can't change most of it, I can't stop it from coming at me without falling off my perch permanently.
2022 will be what I make of it.
And this sets my brain to pondering - ways that I can enjoy whatever 2022 throws at me.
With great frustration I try to say to my mother, you are nearly 88 years old. Of course you have physical problems and old age cannot be cured.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit harder to tell that to yourself when you are in your sixties and your partner has disappointed you so much by being in his seventies. You ponder how either of you would cope without the other. That is what getting old is about.
Your health care system is not the envy of the world but for those who can afford it, I am sure it is first class. I am sure your sweet bear will be fine with some good treatment and medication.
J is 4 years older then I am, one of my motivations for retiring is to do things while we are both healthy enough. If we wait, age will catch up with us (if we live that long.)
DeleteSo glad it was just a little scare. But so hellish nevertheless. Glad J is OK. Yeah, the worst of it is being diagnosed as aging. What an insult — although much better than NOT aging. SG passed out while leading a meeting in his last months at work. It was called Vasovagal syncope — a term he loved. From stress. I was permitted to be with him in Emergency while they tested. I remember getting the call and driving there with the same thoughts reeling through my head. I then reminded myself, I’d do what I’d have to do and no amount of pondering was going to help at that moment... and that we likely still had another 30 years of worrying together. Sending you both hugs!
ReplyDelete"Vasovagal syncope"is the diagnosis. I was five miles away having new glasses fitted, he called (a rare day I had my cell phone on.) Must have been an interesting meeting - I have been in a few of those over the years.
DeleteThe meeting was calm and pleasant. The stress was all built up inside. But, you should have seen his ER doctor at the Newport Beach hospital! Worth a vasovagal syncope! Hotter than McDreamy OR McSteamy.
DeleteCute docs appear to attend to these things
DeleteThat is a good outlook. I think I'll borrow it: 2022 will be what I make of it.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good practice of seeing the world this way
DeleteGlad [?] it was just a laughing fit. I would have been scared, especially not being able to stay with him.
ReplyDeleteBut we soldier on and plan and set the 2022 game and see where it takes us, ready as best we can.
The first thing the ER did was a CT scan to make sure it was not something bad. I hope I did what I teach, and led, but let him call the shots.
DeleteFits of laughter to the ER!!!! Glad he is fine....and it was because of laughter!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd your right..what will come will come good fun bad or worst. We have no control over it.
And I am sure you will find a way to enjoy the year,
DeleteSure glad everything worked out okay! That must have been pretty scary for all concerned.
ReplyDeleteIt was a challenging afternoon, happens when you diagnosed as older.
DeleteMay it be a safe and healthy 2022.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for adding InSanity to your reading stack, which is much thanks to our mutual friend, Debra She Who Seeks.
We are always looking for good books
DeleteI'm very glad he's OK, but sorry you both had to go through that experience. Waiting for news is sometimes the hardest part. It is true we have no control over what 2022 throws at us...we can only do our best to navigate it.
ReplyDeleteSassybear
www.idleeyesandadormy.com
We survived this long, we will likely prosper in 2022
DeleteWhat was the video????
ReplyDeleteSome British comedy about theater gone wrong,
Delete