Sadly, I'm Not the Only One With Defective Parts

Today we have discovered that Nate has pancreatitis caused by gall stones which have become lodged in his pancreas and are also causing his liver to have problems, and causing him extreme pain.

We left the house here at 11-ish this morning and I am just now returning, having finally seen him into a hospital bed and room. We spent more than 3 hours at urgent care waiting for test results and were then sent by their doctor to the emergency room at the hospital where we arrived with everything they needed--lab work, x-rays--to take the next step, which was to to an abdominal ultrasound "stat". And there was only one other person in the waiting room. A good sign, right?

No. It took nearly two hours to get a physician's assistant to see Nate and give him something for his pain and order the ultrasound. At around 6, I think, the PA told Nate about the ultrasound report and said he would be admitted, to have procedures done tomorrow, and a DOCTOR would be by to see him and take care of all of that "shortly."

At 9:45 we finally saw a real doctor. At 11:30 tonight Nate finally was admitted to a his own room.

To make a very long and frustrating story as short as I can make it, poor Nate has received today, what is possibly the worst nursing care I've ever seen in my life. Terrible, terrible nurses all day long. For twelve hours. And I think to see a real, actual DOCTOR today at Redlands Community your face had to be exploding. I kept telling Nate if his pancreas would explode they'd get us a doctor. He didn't think that was funny.

I can't even quite wrap my brain around how negligent the emergency room staff was tonight to Nate and the elderly woman alone next to us. I have anger issues right now that I will need to repent of later, but more than anything I am frustrated and spent and hungry. (What kind of hospital, I ask you, will only accept CASH in their cafeteria??)

As for poor Nate, he is not likely to be released for some time. He'll probably be there until next week unless he proves to be full of miracles. Tomorrow he will actually see specialists and they will decide how to proceed, but surgery is likely.

He's in a ton of pain, but they have him on something stronger than morphine. He's not allowed to eat. And he's pretty miserable.

Oddly enough ... our friend Paul had his gall bladder out this morning. What are the odds of two old college roommates ending up with this at the exact same time? Really. What are the odds.

Please pray for Paul (I hope he's doing well) and pray for Nate and and I will try to keep you posted about his condition.