After my wife and attempted to settle down with news that we were without answers what caused the stroke and we had to wait at least four days until Tuesday rolled around (remember, it is Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend and Monday was a holiday.) I was sharing a hospital room with another patient. The other patient looked comfortable and he orders a steady stream of meals as I recall. I was closest to the window (that help my sanity), but as the visitors came to see me would need to acknowledge the other patient. I learned over the next three days, I was going to be very popular.
The hospital had a visitor policy to restrict the number of people who could be in my room. Apparently, that policy was loosely followed as the word trickled through my veterinary hospital about my condition and lots of coworkers and friends wanted to come and visit me. Connie was very busy talking on her cellphone to people; those that she needed to call to find anyone who would help us; people who wanted to find out what happened to me; people who wanted to know if there was any truth to the rumor that I had a stroke; the calls kept coming. My phone went on unanswered and would remain unanswered for the next eight weeks. More about that subject later. Connie looked tired and it was only the afternoon of Friday!
The first visitor I could remember was the senior partner, Dan. He had started the veterinary hospital with his wife, Laura. He was concerned, but if you know Dan, he is a very pragmatic person. Dan is a veterinary ophthalmologist so in a typical outpatient day, he would see around 20-25 patients. He is compassionate enough because he had counseled thousands and thousands of distraught clients worried about their loved pets over the years. He was attempting to decide would my issue be a little or a big matter. It was too early to answer many of his questions about the stroke. They would remain unanswered for now and my future with the veterinary hospital was uncertain. All the questions!
To be continued in a later blog. Please leave your comments!
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