32 – Getting Used to the Storms

My workday began with students in trouble and in the office, an unexpected parent conference and several meetings scheduled throughout the day when I got the call from CORE Healthcare telling me to meet them at emergency room at St. David’s hospital. Albert was having heart issues, arrhythmia, which included chest pain, dizziness, and heart palpitations, and his blood pressure had skyrocketed. The doctors from CORE were taking him to the emergency room in because he passed out on his way to physical therapy, and after giving him an exam decided that emergency care was the best option for him to get the care that he needed immediately.

After I hung up the phone, I panicked inwardly but remained calm outwardly, I made plans to cover the work that I wasn’t going to complete and left the office.  As I headed downtown to the emergency room I was in deep thought asking myself, what was happening to Albert and would this heart issue worsen his disability, or would it slow Albert’s recovery from the stroke? Only God knew.

When I arrived at the emergency room Albert was asleep and breathing normally as meds were pumped into his body. The doctor had examined Albert and completed the echocardiogram as soon as he arrived in the emergency room.  He was laying in the hospital bed with many wires attached to his chest, and needles with tubes entering his veins in his hands and arms. I sat beside him and whispered to him letting him know that I was with him.  He made a noise, a soft whimper, affirming that he knew that I was with him in the room. I sat with him for hours and reflected back to the time of the original stroke. As I sat, I prayed that God would bring him through this health scare.

Doctors, nurses, and other hospital employees scurried in and out of the room checking Albert’s blood pressure, pulse, oxygen levels, etc.  Albert’s blood pressure was high; high enough for him to have another stroke.  I could see the concern on the faces of the nurses when they checked on him and was also concerned. I was told that Albert was given medicine to bring his blood pressure down as well as other meds upon his arrival. Time would tell us if the meds would work.

As the hours passed, Albert’s blood pressure began to fall to the relief of the hospital staff and me.  The doctor came by later in the evening and said that Albert was out of immediate medical danger and that he could be moved to a room in the cardiac wing where he would continue to be monitored. Albert would have to remain in the hospital three or-four more days, depending on how quickly he recovered. I was relieved to know that Albert was healing and would make it one more day.  

Jordan and I visited Albert often while he was in the hospital.  St. David’s was closer to my office than CORE, so visiting him was easier.  After two days in the hospital, I was able to bring Albert food from home for lunch and Albert was thankful for the home cooking. His health improved quickly and his doctors were going to release him.  Albert was released from the hospital to CORE Healthcare who returned him in the ambulatory vehicle in which he arrived.  The doctors from CORE and I wanted Albert to know that rehabilitation was still our focus and 100% recovery was our goal. I believe that these were Albert’s goals too.