ER 1

8/6/07

I am on a brief business trip. My adult son is with his mother and the daughters are safely off to activities. I make my business train to DC and am working with a client. I am getting things done.

The cellphone goes off in my pocket. I see the number from the house excuse myself from the meeting and answer normally. It is my wife. She is in pain and nauseous. Her voice is raspy and dry. She sounds tired. We talk and she keeps repeating that she is very tired. I can tell there is a problem.

"Let me speak to ---."
"Hey dad."
"What's up with Mom"
"I dunno I was watching Law and Order."
"What the f--- are you doing watching the tv? You're supposed to be helping your mom."
"Wait dad, she said she is alright and doesn't need any help."
"She says she is in pain and feels sick to her stomach."
"She did not tell me, I swear it. So what should I do?"
"I don't know, let me think. Is she hot?"
"She asked me to up the AC."
"Crap! Can she drink any water?"
"Nope, she says it makes her feel really sick."
"Okay, I'm going to call her point person at the cancer center."

I make the call and they ask me questions and then look at her chart. My wife had just received an injection to increase her white cell count on Friday. It would cause her pain and in pain she would take meds which would cause her to get nauseated and throw them up. I needed to get her in for a little IV rehydration and meds.

I step out of the building and call the house. A long time before an answer, not good or am I paranoid. She answers.

"Okay, you need to go in to the ER and get some fluids."
"No, I'm okay really. I'll be fine."
"You're not listening. The nurse at the center said go."
"No, I'm fine."
"I'll call back."

I hang up and get my son on his cell phone.
"Take your mother to the ER and don't take no for an answer. Nag her, force her."
"Why what's up."
"She is dehydrated and soon she will throw up and then get an elevated temp and we have problems. Get her there now so we won't have problems."
"But dad, she doesn't want to go."
"I'M NOT ASKING YOU! I'M TELLING YOU. I'M 400 MILES AWAY AND CAN'T GET THERE SO DO WHAT I TOLD YOU TO. HER POINT NURSE WILL MEET YOU AT THE ER."
"You don't have to yell and I'm not going to.."

I hang up and call my wife. I tell her what the point nurse said and tell her she has to go now. She agrees and they start off.

I rejoin the meeting and maintain a calm demeanor. I go outside at a break and make a call to her cell.

"So, what is going on?"
"Well I've been sitting here for about an hour waiting."
"I'll call back."

I pull out the number of the lady on my wife's staff who makes things happen and dial her up. I explain the situation and she asks me to hold for a moment. I hear her get on the other line and can tell that someone is getting some direct questions. I hear her call and speak to another person. She rejoins me on the line.

"Im on my way to make certain it happens. You call anytime and tell her to call me if she is feeling bad."

I call back to my wife and strangely things began to happen and move. I call to arrange pickup for daughter 1 & 2. I leave her alone and complete my meeting.

Late that evening I get a call back from my wife and she is crying. She did not know how dehydrated she was. The pain meds are adjusted and a new anti nausea med is prescribed. She now has dilaudid along with oxy contin. I can't even pronounce the nausea drug but she says it makes her euphoric.

My son calls with a shaky voice. "I'm really sorry dad. I didn't know how bad it was."

The nurse in charge and the point nurse call to tell me we caught it in time. We broke the cycle of dehydrate, nausea, ineffective nausea med, throwing up, dehydration, etc. Apparently if the temp gets too high and she can't get the nausea to work then things can get bad.

Note to self, no business trips just yet.