Blood Pressure Status Report

I think my blood pressure has finally returned to normal. Since my last post I'm sure it went through a few roller coaster rides, but by now I think I'm finally calming down. As I sit here in my dining room, I'm staring at the bottles of wine in my rack and I'm thinking maybe I should be opening them.

I'm not totally sure I remember where I left off yesterday, but within 10 minutes of Karlo's doctor getting the MRI report, he scheduled Karlo and appointment with an neurosurgeon for this morning. I figured that couldn't be a good sign. Something in that report must mean that Karlo is in pretty bad shape. I had to go to Day Kimble hospital in Putnam to pick up the actual CD containing the MRI film, and with it came the written report. I tried really really hard to decipher what the heck it said. I never seen so many words that I didn't know all in one place. It was just paragraph after paragraph of words I couldn't even come close to pronouncing, let alone understanding. But I looked up a few on Google and the more I researched, the worse of a feeling I got.

The biggest problem on my hands was going to be transporting the patient all the way to St. Francis hospital. Poor Karlo. It was dreadful. The ride took us just about an hour and we had to go through Hartford rush hour traffic. That was fun. Not. And that wasn't nearly the worst part. Once we arrived at the hospital we had to get to the doctor's office. Luckily we were able to ride on a motorized scooter where Karlo would lay down. Once we got inside the office (an hour before our appointment) Karlo was taken right in to a room where he could lay on a bed. I guess they didn't like the other patients seeing Karlo laying on the floor in the waiting room.

Now here's the point where I have to take back all the bad feelings I had toward doctors yesterday. This doctor, and everybody in the office, were fabulous. I was floored at how helpful and compassionate they all were. The doctor came in 15 minutes before Karlo's appointment and apologized for making him wait. Within 2 minutes of being with this guy I loved him and put all my faith in him. He showed us the actual MRI film and explained everything to us. Nothing had happened yet, but suddenly a huge rush of relief came over me. It brought me to tears, just knowing that this guy was really going to help us.

Bottom line: Karlo got admitted to the hospital on the spot and is having surgery done tomorrow. He has a few ruptured or herniated discs and one piece of disc is so far out of place that it has a strangle hold on a nerve. The surgery will remove it - just like the Operation game. I can not tell you how relieved I was that 1) Karlo agreed to surgery after he swore he was NOT having any such thing done to him and 2) I did not have to go through the grueling ordeal of watching him suffer as I transported him back and fourth from hospital to home and back.

So here I sit, all alone, several hours later and I'm still literally shaking like a leaf. I know Karlo is in good hands and I know everything is going to go perfectly smoothly. The mantra that I've been saying all day long will come true . . . Starting today life gets better, starting today life gets better, starting today life gets better.