It's official!!!
Since we arrived, we have been telling everyone Krystina is Derek's fiancee. We all know it's coming. It would have happened eventually. As his fiancee, she just gets higher status around here. So, when I was asked that first day, I said "fiancee." Sue me.
Krystina went to get the mail for Derek today and there was a box from an anonymous angel. The note simply said, "I know it's not much, but here's a little something to get you started. Wear it in good health and best wishes to you both. xoxo Anon." I gave it to Derek and told him he had a decision to make.
At first, he tossed her the box and said, "here you go." I smacked his head and told him to do it right. He winked at me and smirked. He said it was not the one he had planned, and some day he would get that for her. He said, "I wanted to wait til Christmas, but this is a symbol of love, so will you marry me?" Of course, she said, "Yes!"
Krystina kept saying over and over, "Who does this?" and "It's only ten a.m. Too early to be crying!"
Whoever you are, whoever sent that ring to the kids.... thank you. You made them so happy today.
I ran out and grabbed our nurse, the awesome Angela, and Katie, the charge nurse for the day and made them come in. They were thrilled. The news spread like wildfire and people were coming and congratulating them. I saw Sam in the hall and dragged her in so the kids could tell her. Dr. Bograd and Dr. Perdue came by and they didn't tell them, but they knew somehow. Bograd was beaming. I asked why Krystina hadn't told them, and she said they were waiting for me! Awwwwwww
Dr. West showed up and I ran to the door and said, "They have something to tell you."
"I already know."
"How? What do you think you know?"
"They're engaged. I read the notes."
????????
Dr. West advised me that in Derek's medical notes it says that they just got engaged and are "giggling at bedside." Seriously? I asked him who put that, and he wouldn't tell me. Pain in my butt.
Dr. Perdue told us he has one new patient. Any other patient he has is a long term patient he had, but he is only keeping one patient from his recent trauma service. He promise me he would see Derek through until he was discharged. He is keeping his word. I love that man.
And Derek got outside in the wheelchair today. First time he had sun on his face in three months. He was in heaven....with his new fiancee.
However, in getting into the elevator, he crashed into me and jarred his arm. Mom worry started full force. We got him back into the room and I found Dr. Raymond, the nwe Dr. Goodlett. He had been on the plastics rotation, so he knew the flap and he knew Derek's case. He repositioned it, and I felt better. Good first day, Ray.
Standing in the hall, here comes Dr. Howard with two perfect lines of interns and residents following behind. I burst out laughing and he shrugged. "My ducklings," he said.
And I sent a message with Dr. Perdue that I wanted the staff ortho doc, not an intern, not a resident. Guess who finally walked in the room shortly thereafter? The ortho attending! Yes, he had given me his card a couple of months ago, but I thought paging him would have gotten a response. He told me next time to use the number on the card and he would get right back to me. I advised him how unhappy I was with the communication issues, and he said he would see what he could do about that.
We discussed the issue with the pelvis, and the information he provided was different from what several docs told me last week. I told him that was why I needed him, and not one of his underlings. He said that they were not going to put hardware in no matter what, because they were concerned about the infections and them attaching to the hardware, so the x-fix would be replaced and kept in for another few weeks. But as I sit here tonight I wonder... they put a plate and screws in his arm last week.... isn't that hardware? What's the difference? I think I will be calling him again.
So today was a good day. We need these days to get through the tough ones. It's a long, hard road to recovery, and some get there faster than others.
I met a marine today who was injured two weeks before Derek. He is a triple amputee and he is in Building 62 already (outpatient rehab) and doing great. He wasn't polytrauma, or at least not as injured as Derek. Then I look at Mariam sitting with us today and I thank God that we are still here to fight. All levels of wounded come through here, and in the past three months we have seen a lot more than I ever expected.
It saddens me that so many of our young men are in this state today, but it also gives me hope that they have such a fighting spirit.
The kindness in people is what truly overwhelms me. From our anonymous ring donor to all of those who are sending us care packages and letters and working so hard at home to keep things going for us, I am truly humbled and grateful.
Special thank you to Marissa London, a friend of my daughter's and a long time friend of the family, for a wonderful idea for a fund raiser. She has a bright future!
http://caldwells.patch.com/articles/west-essex-student-says-thank-you-and-gives-back-one-heart-at-a-time
Derek is first case tomorrow (thank God), so I have to go over there at 05:30 tomorrow, five hours from now. Good night and God bless.
Since we arrived, we have been telling everyone Krystina is Derek's fiancee. We all know it's coming. It would have happened eventually. As his fiancee, she just gets higher status around here. So, when I was asked that first day, I said "fiancee." Sue me.
Krystina went to get the mail for Derek today and there was a box from an anonymous angel. The note simply said, "I know it's not much, but here's a little something to get you started. Wear it in good health and best wishes to you both. xoxo Anon." I gave it to Derek and told him he had a decision to make.
At first, he tossed her the box and said, "here you go." I smacked his head and told him to do it right. He winked at me and smirked. He said it was not the one he had planned, and some day he would get that for her. He said, "I wanted to wait til Christmas, but this is a symbol of love, so will you marry me?" Of course, she said, "Yes!"
Krystina kept saying over and over, "Who does this?" and "It's only ten a.m. Too early to be crying!"
Whoever you are, whoever sent that ring to the kids.... thank you. You made them so happy today.
I ran out and grabbed our nurse, the awesome Angela, and Katie, the charge nurse for the day and made them come in. They were thrilled. The news spread like wildfire and people were coming and congratulating them. I saw Sam in the hall and dragged her in so the kids could tell her. Dr. Bograd and Dr. Perdue came by and they didn't tell them, but they knew somehow. Bograd was beaming. I asked why Krystina hadn't told them, and she said they were waiting for me! Awwwwwww
Dr. West showed up and I ran to the door and said, "They have something to tell you."
"I already know."
"How? What do you think you know?"
"They're engaged. I read the notes."
????????
Dr. West advised me that in Derek's medical notes it says that they just got engaged and are "giggling at bedside." Seriously? I asked him who put that, and he wouldn't tell me. Pain in my butt.
Dr. Perdue told us he has one new patient. Any other patient he has is a long term patient he had, but he is only keeping one patient from his recent trauma service. He promise me he would see Derek through until he was discharged. He is keeping his word. I love that man.
And Derek got outside in the wheelchair today. First time he had sun on his face in three months. He was in heaven....with his new fiancee.
However, in getting into the elevator, he crashed into me and jarred his arm. Mom worry started full force. We got him back into the room and I found Dr. Raymond, the nwe Dr. Goodlett. He had been on the plastics rotation, so he knew the flap and he knew Derek's case. He repositioned it, and I felt better. Good first day, Ray.
Standing in the hall, here comes Dr. Howard with two perfect lines of interns and residents following behind. I burst out laughing and he shrugged. "My ducklings," he said.
And I sent a message with Dr. Perdue that I wanted the staff ortho doc, not an intern, not a resident. Guess who finally walked in the room shortly thereafter? The ortho attending! Yes, he had given me his card a couple of months ago, but I thought paging him would have gotten a response. He told me next time to use the number on the card and he would get right back to me. I advised him how unhappy I was with the communication issues, and he said he would see what he could do about that.
We discussed the issue with the pelvis, and the information he provided was different from what several docs told me last week. I told him that was why I needed him, and not one of his underlings. He said that they were not going to put hardware in no matter what, because they were concerned about the infections and them attaching to the hardware, so the x-fix would be replaced and kept in for another few weeks. But as I sit here tonight I wonder... they put a plate and screws in his arm last week.... isn't that hardware? What's the difference? I think I will be calling him again.
So today was a good day. We need these days to get through the tough ones. It's a long, hard road to recovery, and some get there faster than others.
I met a marine today who was injured two weeks before Derek. He is a triple amputee and he is in Building 62 already (outpatient rehab) and doing great. He wasn't polytrauma, or at least not as injured as Derek. Then I look at Mariam sitting with us today and I thank God that we are still here to fight. All levels of wounded come through here, and in the past three months we have seen a lot more than I ever expected.
It saddens me that so many of our young men are in this state today, but it also gives me hope that they have such a fighting spirit.
The kindness in people is what truly overwhelms me. From our anonymous ring donor to all of those who are sending us care packages and letters and working so hard at home to keep things going for us, I am truly humbled and grateful.
Special thank you to Marissa London, a friend of my daughter's and a long time friend of the family, for a wonderful idea for a fund raiser. She has a bright future!
http://caldwells.patch.com/articles/west-essex-student-says-thank-you-and-gives-back-one-heart-at-a-time
Derek is first case tomorrow (thank God), so I have to go over there at 05:30 tomorrow, five hours from now. Good night and God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment