Doctors Orders

One thing you must remember: There will be NO COMPLAINING! Doctor's Orders. Actually, this sign is in the drug-store drive-through window where I pick up Mom's meds occasionally.


I'm not sure I understand this sign, even though it is written in English!

Once again, we've spent several hours in the hospital. Yesterday it was at Erlanger, a hospital in Chattanooga. Ever heard of "Heart Arrhythmia"? It just means "irregular heartbeat". I don't like it...but it seems to be a necessary part of life for Frances and me these days. It seems that her heart has been receiving conflicting electrical impulses which are supposed to tell her the correct moment for the heart to beat. Because of these confusing signals, the doctor suggested a procedure of intervention of one electrical signal via a catheter into the heart muscle, applying heat to one of the signals, thus "killing" it. That would leave the other signal stronger and cause the heart to beat normally. This is called "cardiac ablation".


Many signs were written in English and in Spanish.


Consideration for others in the room, especially if you have a cough or a fever, is highly recommended.

What a day. I was up at 3:10a. (couldn't sleep that extra 20 minutes until 3:30, which is when I had set the clock for.) I wanted to get my coffee, read my Bible and settle my nerves a bit before waking Frances at 4:00. Even though I got side-tracked in my reading for a few minutes and I woke her at 4:10, we were able to get everything in order, leave here at 5:00, arrive at the hospital on-time, and everything went as planned...


Heart monitors, Blood-pressure monitors, oxygen level monitors, heart-rate monitors, and "you-name-it" monitors are a prominent part of modern day medical treatment.


This sign is prominently displayed in the consultation room in my "primary care physician's" office. That's the local walk-in clinic.

At 10:00a., when the doctor had finished the procedure, he came to explain it all too me and very skillfully - with $64 words - told me that now there is a 50% chance that what he did will work and the bad electrical signals will "peter out" within a couple of weeks. He says that there is also a 50% chance that what was done will make no difference and then he will see her on the 25th for further medical treatment. Don't you love those 50/50 chances on things?


Is there an ominous note here? Are they suggestion that you ought to read up on this book about life after death?

Well, at 2:00p, the nurse came in to say Frances was doing well and began removing heart monitor, bp cuff, etc., and etc. in preparation for our leaving the hospital. I discovered that there was drizzling rain as I crossed the street into the parking garage. This reminded me that I had seen the weather predictions were for possible light freezing rain sometime during the day. However, we had no freezing rain.

As we approached Interstate 24 heading East, I noticed that the traffic was backing up rapidly! I quickly made the decision to go to the old highway (US11) and follow it until I was past the area where I75 and I24 connect, thus beating all that traffic jam. Wrong decision. After an hour of bumper to bumper stop and go on the old highway I finally discovered that there was work on two lanes and everyone was merging into one lane. Once past that spot, the traffic was released and we were soon home. No further problems. So - Thank God - we're once again out of the docs office and now waiting for any signs of improvement in regular heart-beat.

So many friends called to say they were praying. Family and friends mean so much at times like these. I do believe that God pays attention to us when we pray. I feel better today than I did yesterday, that's for sure!!!