What's With Today?

So I spent today in the hospital...but, not as a patient. I took my grandmother in at 10:15 this morning for what we thought would be a routine colonoscopy...but being that Murphy's Law sometimes wins out, anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I am happy to say though, that Grammy is just fine and is home. Had there been no bumps in the road, we would have been done at the hospital by lunchtime since this was an outpatient procedure. We got through registration and admissions without a hitch. I then sat with my Gram, keeping her company and calm while she was waiting for the trip to the OR. Finally, she was ready to go, after visits by a nurse and an anesthesiologist....hugs, kisses, I'll see ya in a little bit. I head to the waiting room to read my book. 20 minutes later, the nurse comes out to get me and asks me to come back with her to see my grandmom...I instantly knew something wasn't right because they had, initially, told me that they would be out to let me know how things went and to send me to get my car. So, I get back to recovery, and they have my Gram in a private room because she is nervous and worried. Turns out, they couldn't finish the procedure because they couldn't see as far as they wanted and needed to...then, of course, Gram believes it's because something is wrong with her and she was a little upset by that. So, after I talked to the nurse, I assured Gram that it was only her anatomy (as they explained to me) and they didn't want to push through whatever was resisting. They hadn't found anything to be concerned about in the little bit of the procedure they were able to complete. So, of course, my next question was, "Now what?" The doctor then told us that they were going to do a different procedure called a virtual colonoscopy that involves Gram having to drink that wonderful BE (barrium enema) crap and having x-ray pictures taken. However, this posed a problem...the people in x-ray were fighting the doctor on the fact that my Gram wasn't on their schedule for the day. The doctor basically told them there was no way he was sending her home and making her do this all again tomorrow. Finally after a good bit of persuading, and a phone call from a higher-up, they agreed to do it. However, this meant we would have to wait around until they could squeeze her in.

To make a long story even longer, we spent the next 3 1/2 hours being shuffled from one spot to the next. The whole while, Gram stayed on her gurney being wheeled to each place. The nurses even started joking around about me having a new job as a hospital orderly, since I had so much experience helping them wheel my grandmother from place to place. After a lot more waiting, the x-rays were finally finished around 3:30, at which time I could finally go get my car and get us the heck outta there! I must say, though, that I have no complaints about any of the day. Yes, it was long...Yes, I'm tired...but, everyone was so nice and friendly. In that respect, we couldn't ask for a better experience.

And, after all of this, what was Gram's biggest worry?...that the "poor thing" (meaning me) hadn't eaten all day (which she managed to tell everyone she met today). She even quizzed me on what I had eaten for breakfast. When I told her 1/2 bagel and some yogurt, she did that little tongue-clicking (tsk, tsk) that grandmothers often do when they really want to just say "Oh, that's a sin." When the nurses asked her if she wanted something to drink, she didn't even answer them...she immediately turned to me and said, "Honey, are you thirsty?" To which, I replied, "This isn't about me...it's about you! Don't worry, I'm fine, Gram." So, the nurse goes out and gets us two apple juices with straws and tells us we could have a tea party (with juice). AND THEN WE FINALLY WENT HOME!