Byvshyj CCCP

[ Saturday, February 04, 2006 ]

 
As of yesterday morning I'd been out of work for three days due to an upper respiratory infection. I was feeling better as the doctor gave me an antibiotic and prednisone when I paid a visit on Thursday. I thought it would be a nice idea to go out to breakfast with my Mom, which I haven't done in a while.

We eat at Big Boys, I pay the bill, and step into the lobby. I wait briefly for her to catch up. She steps into the lobby, apparently catches her foot on the edge of the carpet and trips. I turn and partially catch her, but not well enough. Her nose hits the tile and starts to bleed copiously. I get napkins from a slow waitress. The manager comes to help. He offers an ambulance, she declines. Eventually the flow diminishes.

The first hospital we go to isn't in our network, I'd forgotten it switched hands, and as it's not life-threatening we go to the one that is. The second hospital wasn't busy and she was seen right away, though for a broken nose they don't do anything. It was x-rayed and bandaged, that's all.

Not the relaxing morning I'd hoped for. Nor had I expected to drive: I didn't wear my contacts or glasses. I was looking scrubby and didn't think glasses would help any.

The image of all that blood on the tile is going to disturb me for a long time.
S [6:04 PM]