DAY IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM

Well this has been a different Tuesday !!!
Just as I was finishing up breakfast I got a call from #2 son saying he wanted me to take him to the emergency room at Mission hospital to have his neck checked out. He was in severe pain and had to have some relief before he could get in to see a doctor.
I felt so bad for him when I picked him up as he looked in a lot of pain, couldn't lift his head and his left arm was numb and throbbing like a toothache.
We stopped by the doc's office on the way just to check since the nurse told him yesterday that they would get him in today. They said they didn't have any openings so on the emergency we went.

This brings back unpleasant memories for me as the last time I was here it was with #1 son. I don't like seeing any of my children hurting or sick enough to require hospital visits.
Luckily there wasn't a crowd there when we arrived and they immediately gave him some pain meds and took him back.
This was about 11:00.  I sat in the waiting room until he text me a little before noon and said I might as well go get something to eat as he was waiting again.
I remembered the food is pretty good in the cafeteria here so I got directions and headed on over there.
Healthy hospital food !!!

I even found a quiet place to have an outside lunch.

Although it is a bit uncomfortably cool today with the breeze blowing in the rain storm and socked in clouds.

I went back inside to wait and work on my laptop as I also remembered they have guest wi-fi.
As the weather outside cools down emergency rooms become warm shelters for some of the homeless in the area that aren't feeling up to par. This young lady looked like she was carrying all her belongings in this laundry basket and went soundly to sleep while waiting.

This lady had a smart phone and didn't appear to be off the streets except for the basket full of clothing and other things she guarded diligently. My heart goes out to folks like these and the sad thing is they can actually be working full time jobs and still be homeless around this area.
There were a couple other men that appeared to be taking advantage of the warmer interior of the hospital.
Son came out at 2:30 still in as much pain as when we arrived. Seems they didn't even do any test, just told him to make an immediate appointment with Carolina Spine. They gave him a pain shot and some pills but they had no effect on his pain.
We went to Ingles to have his prescriptions filled and for him to have some lunch.
His pain level was still very high as we started home. The spine doctor's office called but couldn't get him in until Monday morning, that stinks !!!!!    I just hope these pain meds work to give him some relief until Monday.
As I dropped him off I said a long prayer for his pain to be lessened and for him to be able to get some sleep.
I came home to help d-in-love with g-daughter for a few minutes until she got all her groceries in and got their supper started. This little girl is growing up really fast !!!

Back home hubbie and I did the chores and settled in for a damp cool evening watching parts of the Duke/ Kentucky basketball game, which Kentucky won.
Daughter called and her JV team won their first game but the varsity girls lost. This is a photo from the local paper during the varsity game , daughter is in the white sweater with the i-pad.

Talked to #2 son and he did sleep for about 2 hours after I dropped him off but then the pain came back.  Hopefully tonight he can get a few more hours sleep and we can figure something else out tomorrow to relieve his intense pain until Monday.
As I watched the news tonight they announced the winner for this years gingerbread house contest at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. This couple from Chapel Hill took first place for this creation.

There were 60 entries this year .

Praying for son tonight that it be in God's will to make his pain more bearable and that there isn't anything really serious wrong with his neck.

Also thankful for the blessing of my good health and that I am able to step in and help the kids out when they need me.
God Bless and Good Night.