A Bit of Excitement

Well ... today started off rather well. No appointments scheduled ... a nice quiet day. The best laid plans . . .

At about 10:00 this morning, Conor experienced some trouble breathing. It got progressively worse and I called 911. The paramedics were on the scene in about 5 minutes. By the time they arrived ... the worst was over ... and Conor was reasonably calm. Given his recent trauma, they thought it best to run him into the hospital to rule out a blood clot. Conor went by ambulance ... I went by car.

While we were waiting for bed, I was able to chat with the paramedics. I told them how great I thought they all were and how I had availed myself of the opportunity to commend the two who responded at the time of Conor's accident. They asked if I remembered their names ... like I could forget?! It turns out that one of them was doing advanced training in the ER today ... and you know my belief that everything happens for a reason ... well both Conor and myself had an opportunity to look this guy in the eye ... and tell him what an impact he has had on our lives. I burst into tears, of course, and could barely speak .... however .... I did manage to point out that while most of his work is done in anonymity, it was a "gift" for me to be able to shake his hand and say thank you for his tenacity and skill. I think I blew him away! Conor also got to shake his hand ... and say thanks. The paramedic was able to check Conor out and apologized for a few of the scars that he was responsible for. He asked for a summary of what all was damaged ... and couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He said ... as so many said ... that he didn't think that Conor was going to survive. He was genuinely pleased --- and proud --- of the apparent outcome. What an incredible gift for both me and Conor --- an opportunity that I never thought would occur. Lady Fate at work yet again!

Back to the hospital visit. It seems that the colon (intestine) has decided to inhabit the space vacated by the spleen (formerly just behind the diaphragm). The rumblings that Conor felt in his chest, were simply ... get ready ... flatulence brewing in the colon .... yup ... gas! Not exactly where you'd expect to feel those rumblings ... but rather common in persons who have had splenectomies! Now, the emergency doctor prefers to err on the side of caution --- and is sending Conor to a blood clot specialist tomorrow ... but feels pretty certain that it's gas. Yup ... we called 911 for a fart! Although I am obviously making light of this (thankfully I am in a position to do so), all those involved said we did the right thing.

I prefer to believe that Lady Fate intervened to allow us to meet Dan Robin ... the paramedic. What an awesome opportunity!

Tomorrow is another day ... a busy day with one more appointment than anticipated ... and an early start. So, good night my friends, and thank your stars that your colon can't migrate up into your chest ...