To the VA Emergency Room

Last night was... pretty interesting. I'll backlog later, since I have work in about two hours, but this is one of those stories you just really have to tell.

I wanted to write it up last night, but Steve and I didn't get home until about 3:30am and I really needed sleep. So, now that I'm awake and have some time, I shall tell the story. I'm sure anyone that follows me on Twitter will be happy since I'm sure their curiosity has been sparked since I left a brief post on there last night about my activities.

I arrived at the dojo around the same time as Steve yesterday, after having a spare key made and picking up my paycheck. The first thing we did was pay off Paul for the back rent and taxes. WE DID IT! THE DOJO WILL SURVIVE! C:

After that though, Steve showed me his ear, and we both decided that since it was purple, we had to do something about it that night.

Before I go any further, let me explain what I'm talking about.

Steve ended up with cauliflower ear, which is common among instructors and pro-fighters of Jujitsu. It's actually a wonder that in the 20 years he's been doing this, that this is the first time he's ever gotten it. But what cauliflower ear is; is when the ear becomes hurt and inflamed, and then not left alone to calm down, it starts to fill with fluid. So it gets like this huge lump, and it's incredibly uncomfortable and painful. All it fills with is blood and pus, and if it explodes all over the place (which can happen), as relieving as it is to the person who has it, it's still really gross in that it makes a pretty big mess and smells like rotting flesh.

So, Steve had had that for about a week and a half as of yesterday, and it was to the point that he was having some issues hearing, his glasses were constantly irritating it, and it was starting to bulge at the back too and press the ear out away from his head. We couldn't wait until today or tomorrow as planned to get it drained, we HAD to go last night. It was to the point that he was having issues sleeping because every time he rolled over onto it, he woke up. Waiting time was over.

Classes ended around 9:45pm, and then Carrington stopped in and chatted until about 10:15pm, since he's been dealing with MEPS of the Army since he enlisted and stuff. I don't know what MEPS stands for off the top of my head, so please don't ask.

Anyways, Steve has a severe phobia of needles. Like... he's to a needle the way an arachnophobic is to a spider. So I told him I would go with him, and use meditation so that hopefully he wouldn't have to be strapped down to a backboard this time.

Yes, that has happened before. Poor guy.

So, after I got him to stop procrastinating around 11:15pm, we loaded into his little standard Ford, and headed off to the VA in Albany. This is like an hour drive, since you shoot the highway and then have to go downtown to find this place.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am no good with cities. As soon as we started getting in to Albany, I started to have issues. It definitely overstepped my comfort level, but I try to be there for my friends when they need me, so I went with it.

It was an uneventful drive, and when we got there we were welcomed in by intercom and a guy in control of the door. It was interesting.

At a VA hospital, you apparently have to sign in when you arrive after 7pm, so that was our first stop. Then we headed down to the ER section, since 12:15am is DEFINITELY after hours. ^^;

Once there a woman signed him in, and then a man took his blood pressure and what not. No one really spoke to me, but you could tell just by the way they were that everyone was military. Other than that, and the fact that this hospital was WAY nicer than a civilian one, you wouldn't have known the difference.

We were shown to a room not long after the BP stuff, and we ended up there for an hour before a woman came in at 1:20am. I know that was the time because Steve said it was probably 2am and she corrected him.

Lemme tell you something, that hospital was HOT. Like... I wanted to strip it was so deadly. And it was driving my stomach nuts. But somehow we managed.

Now, when the lady finished her initial talk with Steve about the ear, and going over the options (draining by needle or lancing it), she and the other doctor guy came back. I was sitting next to Steve at about his knees on the edge of the bed while he iced my ear, and the male doctor asked me to have a seat in the chair.

For any of you who understand meditation where you listen to someone's voice as they take you on a journey, I'm sure you realize that me sitting on the other side of the room with a doctor between him and me is not going to work. But for the moment while they got their little cart and stuff in I obeyed and went to the chair.

Thankfully, the male left and the woman was going to do the procedure. So I asked her if it wouldn't be okay for me to sit next to Steve where I was because I would be in the way. Turns out they were just worried I'd get queasy like most others and either vomit or pass out--which would be an even bigger issue in my case because I am a civilian and already out-of-place in there as it was. But I assured her I'd be okay, and promised that if I felt queasy or light headed at all that I would look away and close my eyes. So she said that'd be fine and let me sit at Steve's knees.

Awesome. I liked her. She was cool.

So I positioned myself there, and held one of Steve's hands with a piece of quartz between us to really strengthen the bond and effect, and brought him into that meditative state and began our walk in the park.

All went well up until the lady had to speak to him about the first needle of anesthetic to numb the ear a bit. Apparently it burns, and she had to let him know. He did look like he was in some pain, but after she was done with the initial speaking I just started talking about the park again, and he calmed.

It was the second needle (like the ones they draw blood with) that was the problem. She broke the trance again by telling him, and then informing him that it was a bigger needle, and he almost hit her. Almost. The minute she saw his free hand come up she was like "And we're going to keep that hand away from your head and me..." so I took that as my cue to hold it. No big. He definitely gripped my hands hard, but not anywhere near enough to hurt me because I let my fingers and stuff relax so that he couldn't--not at that angle. I kept talking to him, but then I broke the trance at the very end when she sucked the crap out with a "That is SO COOL" because hell, IT WAS. His ear deflated like a balloon! LMFAO She pulled out a little over 2mL of blood and shit from it though, which for an ear is A LOT. But Steve said it was like instant relief which is all that mattered.

After that we wrapped his head in gauze so we could pack the ear with it and still hold it in place, and yes I helped her with this since she only had two hands, needed a third, and Steve was still a little out of it from the needle and meditation. She actually told me I was hired. xD I don't think she was expecting the response I gave to the blood and stuff--at least her face definitely said she wasn't. Haha.

And that was it, we were on our way.

I chatted Steve's ear off the entire way home, because unfortunately not only was he running on about four hours of sleep and a twenty hour day, but they also gave him Motrin as an anti-inflammatory even after we told them he had over an hour drive home.

Grand. Especially since we didn't get out of there until 2:15am.

So I just chatted his ear off and used pressure points to keep him awake back down the highway and to the dojo. If worst came to worse, I could have driven his car since he did give me a driving lesson in stick one Sunday a few weeks ago, but we didn't want to go there since I have issues starting still.

However, since he was really having staying-awake issues, we left his car at the dojo, and I drove him home. He was nodding off pretty good in my car, and told me when we got to the dojo that he doesn't remember driving the hour back from Albany, so it was probably a really smart choice.

And man, we lit out of Albany like no tomorrow. Not only were we both REALLY tired, but I was starting to have a serious panic attack at being in the city.

But we made it. And no one got sick, hurt, or killed. So looking back on it, it was kind of exciting.

So I made it home at about 3:30am, and naturally no one was awake. It took at least fourty-five minutes for me to fall asleep because I just couldn't calm myself down from all the adrenaline and stuff that I had used to keep myself going and push my comfort levels. It was brutal. And then I was woken up at about 9:30am, so I just didn't get much sleep.

Oh well.

I only work a four hour shift today at Stewarts, from noon until 4:00pm, and then I take Steve back to the dojo where I will probably take a nap. I feel like I'm going to need it. ROFL But we have a couple of couches, so I can. C:

The lesson we learned from all this? Make sure the next time Steve ends up with cauliflower ear, we call his doctor ASAP and make an appointment to drain it so we don't have to do the long ER visit again.

Still, definitely an out-of-the-ordinary kind of exciting night. Oh the story I get to tell to my coworkers today. xD

And speaking of that, I'm off to go get ready and head out. :D

Terrifyingly Accurate

So I did this quiz thing here: http://www.goldinuniverse.com/default.asp And it's like... 100% correct. o_o I'm used to these sorts of things, but this wasn't quite what I was expecting for a result. So it totally took me by surprise.

Here's what I got:

You are longing for some love and affection at this time - not that you have been deprived of tender loving care - but there are times when everyone needs to try something new or to go 'somewhere' else to perhaps experience that little extra 'understanding'.

You are a true extrovert, frivolous and outgoing. You need to feel in control of any situation. If matters are not proceeding according to plan you tend to get extremely irritable and perhaps become difficult to live with.

Everyone has to compromise at times and circumstances are such that at this time you are feeling the need to do just that. Put all of your hopes on the back burner and let matters flow for a time - forgo some of the things you want. The good times are just around the corner.

As of late, you have been experiencing untold stress and this is a result of continuous frustration. You haven't been taking care of all your physical needs and it's beginning to show. It would seem that you have a need to find someone to whom you can really relate - someone perhaps whose standards are as high as your own. You want to be different - to be individualistic - to stand out from the common herd. Your inherent control of your sensual instincts is restricting your ability to give yourself to open up freely but this being on your own, being lonely, often makes you feel the need to give up some of your strict standards to surrender to the general flow - to be like everyone else; a part of the herd. Deep down you regard such instincts as weaknesses to be overcome. You would like to be loved or admired for yourself alone. You demand recognition and tender loving care.

You are putting on a show - a facade. You are a master of demonstrating considerable charm in the hope that this can or will lead to better things. Deep down you are fearful that this may not work and that you may have to employ other strategies in order to realise all your ambitions.