Black and Blue

Today was a horror show.

Grandma banged on the door at 7:30 and hollered my name over and over, gently rousing me out of a very deep sleep.  Evidently she'd had a nosebleed for over an hour and needed some help.  Her nosebleed was a result of having to use a Nasal Cannula with her oxygen for many hours a day.  This has happened before, but never to this extent.

When I walked into the kitchen all I saw were wads of bloody tissues and napkins and paper towels piled on the table.  Grandma's nightgown was dribbled with splatters and clots of bright bright red blood.  Her face was a smear of red and pink and brown.  I started to make an ice pack, and instructing her to put her head back, I fainted before I could put the ice on her neck.

Grandma says I didn't fall on her, the first time.  Even the second time when I sent a bowl of grapes and all her daily pill boxes careening across the kitchen, she maintained that I didn't hurt her.  I hope she's right.  I'm covered in bruises, and I better be the only one.

When I got my shit together Grandma was begging for another half hour, insisting that the flow was slowing down and that going to the hospital was unnecessary.  While she was saying this she was switching tissues, and the flow had most certainly NOT slowed down.  Running out the kitchen door I found a good friend and neighbor, as he was serenely watering his lawn, to take her to the hospital.  I was in no shape to drive.  Chaz was over right away.  He was so calm.  I was so shaking.

Everything, in the end, was fine.  I cleaned up our war zone house (blood in every sink, blood in her bedroom, blood on the stairs, blood on the floor) and gathered myself.  Got dressed.  Went to the bathroom.  Halfheartedly watched A Few Good Men.  Waited for my Aunt Kari and Uncle Bob.  Tried to stop shaking.

She's fine.  I'm fine.  We hugged each other tonight, and while in the grand scheme of things this is a fairly minor incident (it could have been so much worse) we were both very shaken and both very grateful to have each other at the end of the day.

Crazy as she can be, I love this lady.  And even though I'm a liberal smart mouthed artist, she loves me. (even more than she did a year ago, or so she says...) :)