Shanking Sneakers in the ER Parking Lot

I think it's fair to say that the last couple of weeks have been challenging. My mother just finished her third round of chemo. Her mouth is raw and her hands and feet are painful and swollen. She feels like she's walking on blisters. Her throat closes fairly easily and at one point my sister had to take her to the ER because she couldn't stop coughing and her blood pressure spiked so her nose was bleeding. The combination made it difficult for her to breathe.

I happen to know a lot of the people who work at this particular hospital and I adore those people, but my family was in panic mode and the lack of urgency terrified them. Upon arrival at the ER,  she was met by a D-bag at the check in counter who had no empathy and gave most of his attention to the young nurse he was training over my mom, who was clearly in distress. Let's call him Sneakers. That's all my mom can remember about him was the fact that he treated her poorly and had pristine sneakers. The trainee kept messing up on the computer and asking my mother, the person gasping for air, to repeat herself. Unfortunately for them, my sister was with her.

You know those signs everywhere in the hospitals that say that the nurses don't deserve to be abused? I'm pretty sure my sister was the inspiration behind them. Sneakers was lucky she didn't wait for him to leave after his shift. Last time I tried to take her to the movies, she told off some lady for talking so it's only a matter of time before you start seeing signs in the theater too...

In all seriousness though, imagine what it's like when your mother is gasping for air and she's being asked for her address for the fifth time by a new chick while her trainer sits, literally lounging, with his foot up on the wall? My sister tried to answer for her and Sneakers actually said, "she can speak for herself." So whatever wrath came out of her was clearly instigated and deserved. Eventually, they took her back, gave her oxygen and a new nurse came in with an over the top, enthusiastic attitude. My sister was about done with "Mary Fucking Poppins," as her enthusiasm came across as condescending and she could hear the nurses joke about "getting the stick" to put her in her place.

From an objective point of view I wish to say that NO person deserves to be disrespected or abused by anyone.  Especially not people who are trying to help you. I do think it's important, however, for people who work in emergency situations to understand that when the average Jo comes into the hospital they are scared and they don't see emergencies everyday. If they feel like they aren't being cared for, they will panic.

A couple days after this fiasco my mom decided to venture out and go to the Celtic Festival where she cried at the sound of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace." Then she went home and binge watched cancer movies in her pjs. While they suck the soul out of the rest of us, they are giving her ideas about what plans she should be making, which brings her comfort.

As an ending to a somewhat off week, one morning, my mom woke up with a stray cat sleeping in her chair. Cats really love her and the feeling is mutual. She now has four new baby kittens, which she is enjoying so there is some sweetness at the end of all of this.
 

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