Chaos It Is Then

I think this little painting represents
chaos as much as anything I've done.
It seemed appropriate for this post.

There's a certain amount of chaos in life. 

You can make plans, but results are never guaranteed. Much of what happens is outside of our control. 

Like I've heard before, "$#!T Happens." 

We all know about Mr. Newton and his third law:

"for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." 

Sometimes you try to do something good, and that equal and opposite reaction sneaks up and bites you. 

One of those equal but opposites fell in my lap last week. 

I took Tammie (the ex) to get a medical procedure to open the arteries to her kidneys. It was meant to make things better. After this simple surgery, the light was at the end of the tunnel. This surgery was another step in a long path, but there was light at the end of this tunnel. Blue skies and following winds were supposed to be in store. Happy days. 

Then came the unexpected. The stent doctor unintentionally ruptured the Illiac Artery. If you don't know that artery, it's okay, and I didn't know what it was it either.  It's one of the big ones somewhere in the pelvis.

You can lose a lot of blood in a hurry if something happens to that artery. In this case, a blood pressure reading (or lack thereof) of 60:40 set alarm bells ringing. Eventually, the pressure became unreadable. 


The cavalry appeared out of nowhere. I think I saw horses and muskets, and even heard a bugle or two. All of a sudden there was a trauma expert, blood transfusion expert, an anesthetist, a vascular surgeon, three nurses, a partridge in a pear tree, and a hundred commands flew around the room. Bells, whistles, and horns were sounding all over the place.

If you believe Henry Fonda in "It's A Wonderful Life," a lot of angels got their wings that day. 

After the CT scan, a somber explanation of the gravity of the situation, and the proposed procedure, by the vascular surgeon, Tammie was spirited away down the hallowed halls of medicine for SuperGlue and stitches. 

I try to make the best decision possible with the facts I have in front of me. However, in this case, I'm happy there were competent people there to take the reigns.   Apparently, in life-threatening situations no permission is necessary.  All I could say was, "Go. Do. Now."

The cavalry said, "Charge!"

I called children, siblings, and friends, explaining the situation. Then, the long wait began. Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, round and round go the hands of the clock. 

Hours later, the surgery was over. The surgeon had performed her magic, and the recovery began. Lots of waiting. Losing all your blood like that wears your body down quickly even if you do get an immediate transfusion and your very-own team of superheroes. 

I cannot overstate how impressed I am with the crew assembled to save Tammie's life. They were professional and responsive. I'm confident everything they did everything needed. 

Glad to say Tammie is on her way home from the hospital. We'll get her organized. Friends, kids, and siblings were all in this last weekend. Tammie had ample support. 

I'm thrilled she is recovering, and she's now at home. Lots of friends and family are willing to help, so I'm confident she'll continue to improve. 

Until next week, I wish you peace.  

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