There Is Nothing Better Than A Friend, Unless It Is A Friend With Chocolate

L to R:  Sophie The Wonderdog, my friend, Teddy, Tika

Last Friday my plans to visit by best friend of 43 years were changed.

I received a call at 6:00 AM that morning from her telling me she had phoned her daughter-in-law to take her to the emergency room.  Ten minutes later she called me again to say she was feeling better.  I knew that was a lie.  I immediately contacted her son to let him know his mother was in trouble.  He rushed to her house and immediately called an ambulance to transport her to the ER.

My friend was intubated on arrival and remained on a ventilator for five days.  She was sedated as well.  I got hourly updates from her son and daughter-in-law and the news was not good.

On Wednesday morning the medical staff removed the tubing and placed my friend on a BI-PAP machine.  Her breathing continued to be labored and the nurses continued to suction out her lungs.

Last night after she’d finished her shift at work, her daughter-in-law went to the hospital.  My friend’s eyes were open but vacant.  Her daughter-in-law asked if she knew who she was.  As she gave me an accounting of her visit she began to cry─her voice was thick with heartbreak.  The reason:  she thought she was talking to me.  I did my best to console her daughter-in-law.

This morning her son entered her room in ICU to find a weak and confused mother.  He had heard about the night before and he was scared as he spoke with me.

I have tried to tie up all the loose ends here in anticipation of a lengthy stay with my friend.  The guilt I have felt over the last six days has been unbearable.  Despite the assurances of her family members that it was better for me to stay home than be there with her and feel helpless, I finally decided to leave immediately to be with my friend.

If she survives this medical emergency it will be a blessing.  The attending physician said that hypoxia is common in situations like this.  The hypoxia may or may not be permanent.

I know we all have to leave this life someday.  I’m just not ready to say “goodbye” to the best friend I’ve ever had.

While I’m away blogger friends Proof and Sig94 have agreed to hold down the fort here.  Sig recently broke his left shoulder in three places and is recuperating after being retrofitted with a new titanium shoulder.  His typing will be limited to the use of one hand and Proof, well, not sure what he’ll submit.  It’ll probably be a bunch of Star Trek babes.  I apologize in advance.