Regular Room--Monday

Regular Room–Monday afternoon

            I knew a regular room would mean a higher patient/nurse ratio, but I never imagined that it would be so bright and loud; I forgot about the possibility of a roommate, and boy, did JohnDeere get a doosey or what!?!

            The man was a loud talker and complained about everything.  To top it all off, there were about five other people in the room.  I knew this wouldn’t be a good place for him to rest, and the nurse I trusted, even though she was bossy, just plopped him in the bed and left–without showing us where his call button was or plugging in his compression socks.

            Once he was settled (acutally I can’t remember for sure–it might have been between lunch and when he was moved, but it doesn’t really matter), Heide took me home to get clean clothes for me and something for him to wear on the way home (which hopefully would be Wednesday).  They had told me they usually kept someone 72 hours (11:59 Tuesday), but if they had a set-back the 72 hours would start all over again.  Anyway, it was nice to get out of the hospital and breathe some fresh air.  It was good to see home and I was so glad I had straightened things up the week prior.  That was one stress I really didn’t need right then.

            When I got back, I checked in on him.  It was then that I learned the story of his roommate.  His wife told me he was a farmer south on state road 13 near Somerset.  He had been driving a loaded grain semi when had come up behind another farmer pulling a gravity wagon behind his tractor.  As most of us would, he passed the tractor.  Just as he was passing, the man driving the tractor decided to turn left.  That is when they collided and JohnDeere’s roommate’s semi load crushed in behind him as he split the tractor in half.  The bizarre thing about this accident story is that just before JohnDeere left the ICU, a whole bunch of people (who because of their rural attire Heidi claimed looked like friends of JohnDeere’s--only younger) filled the lounge.  It turns out they were there for the young man who was driving the tractor.  We heard one of them talking that when he got to his friend, the engine block–of the semi–had split and fell on the young man.  He was crushed and covered in oil–it was even running in his mouth. The friend turned him over to drain the oil.

            So, now we knew that the young man who was covered in oil and being kept in a drug-induced coma was there because of what had happened with JohnDeere’s complaining-femur-fractured roommate.  What a strange coincidence.

            Next I was readied for supper with Jewel and Brad.  As we gathered our stuff for the trek down to dinner I recognized the Juillerat’s pastor, Bud, and his wife heading toward the elevator.  At first I thought it was another amazing coincidence that they were visiting the same floor of the hospital that we were on, then I realized that they had come to visit JohnDeere.  Pastor Bud greeted me with a warm hug and his wife said a prayer as we all held hands.They left and I went to eat.  I don’t think there was much more excitement that evening: the family all left and I went back for a second night at English Hall–and my first night alone with JohnDeere at the hospital.  But, I was confident that he would be ok–and comforted by the phone in my room–a direct link to him.  I slept really well, but decided to keep my normal routine and set my alarm for 6 a.m.