Monday Morning Storm, Tuesday Evening Calm

Monday morning I was at work and manning a phone (we usually rotate between radio and phones). We’d been told that a local news story wanted to get some footage to go along with a story they were doing on the increased 911 service fee that pays for the 911 equipment (from $0.50 per month to $1.50 per month on one’s telephone bill).

I am arguably the least photogenic person I work with. When the news crew arrived and I looked back to see them, I immediately straightened my posture and looked intensely busy. Unfortunately, it was not busy so I was intently looking at my computer screens and opening windows just trying to give the impression I was hard and work and didn’t particularly want to be bothered.

I looked to either side of me, usually full of call-takers working as hard as I am, and see a vast wasteland of empty chairs. It was as if I’d let loose a macho-combo burrito fart. The stations around me were so deserted, I think I saw a tumbleweed roll by. Then the camera guy plopped down his tripod (not a euphemism) next to me and away we rolled.

I tried to answer other people’s calls, just to appear busy. About five minutes into it, a little “message” flag pops up and I open the message to see a ubiquitous note: “Medics are enroute 1234 XX St, Apt 123 for an ill female.” I close the window and then it dawns on me: that’s my Grandmother’s address. I pulled it up to double-check and my fears were confirmed.

“Ill female” could mean a lot of things but the fact that medics were en route meant that she had thought it serious. I still had to look impassive and aloof, plus had to keep grabbing calls to look busy, all the while wondering if my grandmother was going to be okay. If there wasn’t a freaking news camera pointed at my big fat head, I’d have wheeled around and yelled “That’s my grandmother! What’s going on?” but I had to instead send a quick message to the original call-taker asking her what specifically was wrong with Grandma. But since the news guy was taping me, the call-taker didn’t want to send me a message that would pop up and say “diarrhea and dehydration” which might show up on the TV later.

When the crew left, my coworkers came back from their mystery special assignments away from me and expressed two things: “Hey, did they ask if you wanted to be on TV?” and “Jeez, I felt bad for YOU, TV boy.” At that point, I didn’t care about that. I was much more concerned about Grandma, so I called the medics and asked them to let me know if they were going to transport her to the hospital. She’s 79; they were going to transport her unless her complaint was totally unfounded. It wasn’t unfounded.

She had an irregular heartbeat, a rapid heart-rate, and low blood pressure.

They took her to the hospital where my mom was already waiting (my grandma had called my mom at work before calling the medics). Shortly afterward I arrived, having taken lunch early and an extra hour of leave.

Grandma during her April hospitalization

Cut to the end: She’s okay and they cut her loose from the hospital, but she still has an irregular heartbeat. They didn’t want to zap her again because they were afraid of breaking a clot loose and causing a stroke. They rehydrated her and gave her blood thinners and another drug to get her heart rate back under control.

This is all a temporary fix while they try to figure out what caused her to get out of sync in the first place. In the mean time, Grandma’s on a short leash. She’s okay to be on her own, according to the doctors, and she’s feeling good enough to stay on her own. We’ve given her strict orders to call 911 if it’s anything the least bit serious and call my mom or me if it’s anything else – immediately, 24 / 7.

Sorry, Grandma, we’re gonna yank your chain if you don’t drink your water and/or Gatorade.

Later that night I got to see my big fat head on the TV.

Unfortunately the story revolved around a very unfortunate incident that happened several years ago due to a glich in our geo-database. The whole story is here. It looks a little “Doesn’t this make you angry? Will money you are forced to pay really help you?” for my taste. They also played the voice of the male dispatcher involved in the unfortunate incident then showed MY face. No names were mentioned but it seemed a little bait-and-switch. But then again, that’s just my very biased opinion and I have bigger worries on my mind.

For instance, is my grandmother in serious trouble or is this just a bump in the road?

Changes one’s whole perspective, the stress without the hype. Not newsworthy, but weighs much more heavily on my mind than an extra $12 a year on my phone bill.

This morning high winds blew trees down all over town and caused several tree + wire fires simultaneously. Roads were blocked by trees; power service was out for several hours in several areas of town. People had to be told that “no, we don’t have enough cops to direct traffic at every intersection with dark signals; people with licenses should know what to do when the power goes out.”

Everyone had an emergency or six today. Mine were small. I can only hope they stay small.

Hoping all of your emergencies are minor ones,

E