The Last Visitor Standing (by proclamation, sadly)

But this one goes to eleven

I feel bad that Cha Cha is restricted to "no visitors" until her procedure at 1630. She just got some more morphine so you're not missing anything. It is just the IV machine making a quiet buzz and the occasional voice in the hallway outside of the closed door. If I paint a boring picture it means I am a good writer. If I make it sound exciting, even one modicum of excitement, I should hang-up my keyboard. If I could sleep this would probably be a good time. I just heard a nurse say one of the questions that I am getting really tired of hearing though it is a very important question for them to keep asking. "Can you rate your pain for me?" I think, when Cha Cha wakes-up, I am going to tell her to change her rating system every time. "Five hypodermic needles" or "ten grim reapers" or "eight dirty bedpans." Maybe "it has a great beat and it's easy to dance to." "It figging hurts - that is my pain rating!!!" Maybe a six for Cha Cha is an eleven for me?" I would say they base it on Cha Cha's scale but then they have to reevaluate every time they change nurses.

I hope she sleeps all the way until the procedure this afternoon (six hours from now) because yesterday, the anxiety when the procedure was supposed to be done, was pretty intense for her. You would thing being with me for thirty years would help her cope with stress and disappointment. I wish I would have brought a lap desk with me for this keyboard but we already are building quite a menagerie of things to have to take home if we ever get out of this place.

The "no visitors" thing kinda bums me out. My Our friend Stacee, whom I went to school with, wanted to come up and see Cha Cha. Stacee is one of the nicest people on the planet in our solar system. We were in Student Council together way back in 7th and 8th grades. Wow, that was like five years ago or something. I know lots of people want to come up and see Cha Cha - Jill is very special and very popular. Hopefully, tomorrow she will be feeling better and just recuperating and everybody can come up - fingers crossed. Our neighbors/friends Rocio and Jose were trying to get ahold of me last night but, I am a moron and, in the rush (no pun intended with Rush Copley Hospital intended), I did not pack the charger for my phone so, last night I had to turn it off so it would not die (can I use that word in a hospital?) I turned it off and did not see her message until this morning. She had made a taco casserole for Noah (Fabio) and wanted to take it to the house. He found it on the doorstep this morning when he went to school, When I got home late last night it was not there so it was put there this morning. We have so many angels in our lives. And that includes you for coming here three or fours times a day to check-up on Cha Cha et al.

The paperwork for this/these (if you count all three hospitals we have visited over the last six or seven days) has already begun. Our sister-in-law Kara (The Found Sock) has been spear-heading getting Cha Cha's paperwork rolling at her work (FMLA - I am sure I made you familiar with that term several blogs ago) so Cha Cha can get a paycheck for the time she is in this wonderful spa. So, I called Dreyer Medical Clinic (where Cha Cha's primary physician is from) down the road from here and they said the doctor was in Yorkville today and they gave me their number and then I called them and waited for them to call me back and now they are checking what can be done since Cha Cha is out on morphine - can I sign stuff as her bodyguard? So, they are going to "call me back" but they say they have ten days but... See, I still need more staff members. Kara was trying to be our H.R. Department but there is only so much she cannot be without being able to sign consents and such on Cha Cha's behalf. So, I wait for them to call me back. Good Grief!!! See what I mean about needing a staff and now I am the only visitor allowed - Omega Man!

Yesterday I called Dreyer in Aurora and, though a comedy of errors, it was funny to me after-the-fact. I called and was immediately put on hold and had to listen to some bad music for a couple of minutes.A lady answered and asked what I was calling about and then she said "please hold" and I was put back on hold to listen to the same music. The phone began to ring and I got excited. A person answered, "hello." I said, "hello." She said I needa someonea speaka Spanish." I answered, "no, I am looking for the disability department." She said you speaka Spanish?" I said "no habla espanol." I had to hang-up because we could not communicate. They had transferred me to her line and, the best that I can ascertain, we were both incoming calls and they were thinking we were a love connection or something. I called back and spoke to someone who transferred me to an answering machine that spoke English (at 1343 yesterday - about 22 1/2 hours ago) and I am still waiting to find out what in the heck is going on. I do smell lawyers in all of this before it is over. I am not one to sue but I am not paying for all of these screw-ups - beginning with the fouled-up liver biopsy that started this whole thing. I am glad I am writing it all here so, if it comes to it, I have documentation with times and everything.

I am gonna stop. I don't want these to become a chore to read. I KNOW there will be more to write later today one way or another. Thank you for continuing to keep me company now that I am the only visitor allowed. I just went down and asked her how she is feeling and she have me the "thumbs down" sign. I will blog at you later. TTTsometime later today...MITM (out but allowed) TA!