Our Weekend With Lance - Part 5

Part 5
Sunday - October 15, 2006

One exit down the road ... The ambulance pulls into the hospital and Jimmy's litter is wheeled into the ER. It is literally an ER (Emergency Room) -- one room, but it does have 4 beds with curtains on ceiling tracks separating them. No one else is there except for a lady with a spider bite, so the entire ER staff descend on Jimmy taking his vitals, hooking him up to an IV, ordering x-rays, all kinds of exciting ER stuff.

The ER doctor (Dr. Passmann) comes over to talk to Jimmy ...

Dr P: Does your leg lay to the right like that all the time?
Jimmy: No. Is that bad?
Dr P: Well, it's not good.
Jimmy: What does that mean?
Dr P: Are you in pain? What is your pain number?
Jimmy: 2
Dr P: Are you on something?
Jimmy: The litter.
Dr P: No, did you take something for the pain?
Jimmy: No.

This question ... What is your pain number? ... will be repeatedly asked 100 times a day for the next 6 days.

The Dr P now asks the Rad Tech to take Jimmy for hip x-rays. They wheel him down the hall to take the pics ...

Rad Tech: The first set of x-rays came out blurry. I'll have to take another set.
Jimmy: Okay.
Rad Tech: What is your pain number?
Jimmy: 2
Rad Tech: That's all?
Jimmy: Yeah.
Rad Tech: Are you sure?
Jimmy: Uh, Yeah.

So the Rad Tech takes another set of x-rays ... while she is looking at them, Jimmy is watching her. She holds the one set of x-rays up to the light and makes a horrible cringing face.

Jimmy thinks to himself ... oooooh ... that's not good.

The Rad Tech comes to wheel him back to the ER ...

Jimmy: I saw you make a cringing face. What does that mean?
Rad Tech: I really can't say. The Dr. P will read the x-rays and tell you.
Jimmy: Well, it didn't look like it was good.
Rad Tech: What did you say your pain number is?
Jimmy: 2
Rad Tech: That's all?
Jimmy: Yeah.
Rad Tech: Are you sure?
Jimmy: Uh, Yeah.
Rad Tech: No, it doesn't look good, but Dr P will talk to you.

Jimmy thinks -- Oh Great -- I busted my leg.

The ER Nurse comes to re-hook up Jimmy to all the stuff hanging on the walls and asks him ...
ER Nurse: What is your pain #?
Jimmy: 2
ER Nurse: Really? That's all?
Jimmy: Yeah
ER Nurse: Can we give you something for it?
Jimmy: No. I want to wait until my wife gets here.
ER Nurse: When is that?
Jimmy: She's on her way. She should be here soon.
ER Nurse: Okay. As soon as she gets here, we'll give you something.
Jimmy: Okay.

Just then ... TA DA !!! Pammy to the rescue ...

I come whirling into the ER like the Tasmanian Devil with Connie on my heels.