Remembering Bill

Well, the 2nd anniversary of Bill's death has come and I was in the hospital on the exact day. (Aug. 26). Interesting karma, eh? On Sunday, Aug, 24 I stepped on a 2 x 4 with 2 big spikes sticking straight out of it. They went into the ball of my foot and I was stepping on it with full weight. Needless to say it hurt like heck. I drove myself into emergency and they gave me a tetanus shot but refused to give me any antibiotics (after I asked for them) saying, "we don't do that anymore". They told me to come back if it became infected. Well, by Monday night it was definitely infected. I returned to the emergency room and waited from 7:30 Pm to 11 PM to see a doctor. (there were only 6 people in the emergency room ...none with life-threatening emergencies). I've never seen a more incompetent emergency room than that in Allegan, Michigan. Avoid that place like the plague.

After finally being seen by a doc, they told me I would not be going home that night. I remained on a hard gurney until 3 AM when they finally decided to put me in a room. (really big of them, eh?) I was on an IV antibiotic. At 8 am I was informed I needed to have a surgeon go into my foot and clean out the infection so they gave me general anesthesia. After that I told them I needed to get home as my dogs needed feeding. They assured me I would not be feeding my dogs due to not being able to drive or put any weight on my foot. I still wanted to go home, so they allowed it but I had to go home with a "pick line" (IV) and a portable pump that would give me IV antibiotic. I have a nurse coming to teach me how to change my own IV bags. What a nuisance.

I know Bill is smiling down with satisfaction knowing that I now a little about what he went through. He had to have a pick line (IV) about once per year when he got infections in his ear. I was awed at how he handled it. Needless to say, I'm not nearly the good patient he was.

It is hard to believe that it has been 2 years since Bill died. I miss him as much today as the day he left.

Thanks to Elizabeth for coming out every night this week after work to feed my dogs. She is the only person who has socialized with them and is able to just walk in with them. And thanks to Troy...I think he filled up my sheep water tanks the other night.

Bill, I miss you.