The Desensitization of Society...

Not a pretty tale at all that I feel compelled to share today.

Yesterday morning my cell rings and I see that it's one of my best friends, Lisa. I had missed a couple of very early morning calls from her ( 2 am) calls ; so I immediately answered to apologize for missing her calls when I was thrown immediately into abrupt silence. She was crying... like a very serious cry, not a why did my man do this to me again cry. My heart leapt into my throat but I forced myself to stay calm so as not to induce more hysteria from her.

Me:

" Where are you"

Lisa:

"I'm in an ambulance being taken to UNM hospital... some guy jumped me at 1:30 this morning and beat the shit out of me. ..." then she is talking to the paramedics and there is muffled movement and cries of pain from her.

I am getting more traumatized by the minute... It is 10:30 am now and I am wondering if she was jumped at 1:30 am why the hell isn't she already at the hospital?? But I couldn't get a word in because of the paramedics ( THANK GOD for those guys...) so I finally grab her attention for a second and I ask her whose with her?

No one

Ok, I am on my way.... see you at the hospital.

Crap. I had to breathe. And I just happened to be hanging out with the friars at the friary. Brother Gerard had been sitting next to me and immediately he knew something had happened, possibly tipped off by how pale I had gone in an instant. I told him what happened and that I had to head to the hospital. He said they would pray right now for her in their chapel. This comforted me. BUt before he did that he got me a to go cup cranberry juice, gave me hug and, u know, for one second there was peace.

Thankfully the friary was a short distance from the hospital. I get to the information window and the guy that I am there to see Lisa. Their E.R. was packed and the guy let me know that no I can't go back where she is because of the high patient traffic they have. Which, rationally I understood and could see this to be true. The whole waiting room is packed wall to wall.. people sitting, standing. This is a hospital that treats EVERYONE with or without insurance. But his answer wasn't good enough. I call Lisa on my cell and she sounds horrible.

I'm out front but they wont let me back. She starts crying. This is way stressful.

I hear her talk to the nurse and they are going back and forth.

Finally, the nurse wheels her out in a chair. I am shocked at what she looks like but try to remain calm because as soon as she sees me she falls apart. The whole right side of her face is swollen up so badly that her eye is just about swollen shut. She stands up to hug me tightly. And between sobs she's saying,

I'm scared and afraid to be alone....

She wanted to show me the bruises on her legs so I gently walk her to the restrooms located in the back of the packed waiting room. We get in line with only one person in front us. And here's where the awareness of the Desensitization sets in on me like a pro-wrestler of huge magnitude were sitting on my chest as I lay struggling beneath trying desperately to breathe. We are next to go in when this lady walks right up in front us. The door opens and she begins to head in and I say

Excuse us, you can see us standing here before you even walked up, and my friend really needs to use the bathroom. The lady scrutinizes Lisa from her swollen shut eye and bruised and swollen cheek, then to the cigarette burns and seems to actually CONTEMPLATE the stupidity that then gushed from her mouth like severe case of diarrhea.

Well, I really have urinate badly so I'll just be a minute.

And I am stunned. But worse, I am PISSED.

WOW. Isn't it GREAT how compassionate people are. I say loudly. Just then the door opens to the restroom across the way, which is the mens, but they were both the same just a one occupancy bathroom. I lead Lisa right into it and lock the door. I was slightly worried because the heartless nurse who had wheeled Lisa out said that if she didn't hear her name when called she would have to start the process all over. Are you kidding me? She had been there since 7:30 am! It was now 11:15 am. So my anger is festering and rotting and I haven't been known to be very docile sort of woman.

Anyway, Lisa is now showing me the horrible bruises going all up and down her legs and they darken higher up her thigh. Lisa said the doc told her that those bruises were consistent of the perp trying to rape her. I am nauseous.

Lisa is getting dressed when I hear this very hard knock on the door. I reign it in before I say

One minute please.

A harder knock and a guy saying

You about done in there?

And not inquiringly either; just plain RUDE. Lisa at this point is ready to exit. So , I'm sure this guy must be like, bleeding from the eye sockets, or having a severe case of hemorrhoid explosion. NO. Not so much. As I come face to face with me he is just lounging against the wall. And I'm thinking to myself;

Don't say it M.C. ; Just walk away. But my mouth ran away with my rage. And here it came....

O, I'm sorry, I guess you didn't notice before how rude the women were to my friend here who, by the way, surely could wait for the restroom. I guess you didn't notice the cigarette burns on her arm and I'm sure the subtleness of her bashed in face escaped you. I realize, we are occupying the mens restroom but that's only because I thought we'd see a little concern from the GENTLEMEN. Thank you SO much for your concern, patience and KINDNESS.

So, this homey lookin dude looks me right in the eye and says,

I gotta take a piss.

In my mind I saw myself plunging my fist through his chest and ripping out his still beating heart and sticking it up his #*@"

As I led LIsa back to the lobby I couldn't help it. It just came out.

Ain't OBAMACARE GREAT!

Yes I said it and I don't care. People don't get that this is what socialized medicine will. and on the tail of that will be a completely socialized society. I hope people like how this is playing out.....

Sorry for the rant but I am an extremely passionate person and sometimes I say things I regret. But I don't regret any of what I just said here.

So we get to the where it's roped off access to the back triage area ( what is this a Backstage with Bon Jovi?!) and actually, the ONE nice person of this day so far, asked us if we needed help. We explained the situation. Said we didn't want to miss the call back. He kindly took Lisa's name and went back to check on progress.

When he returned he said it was still going to be AWHILE. At this point it's 12:30 and Lisa has had nothing for pain except 1 percocet. As luck would have it she had previously made an appointment with her PRIMARY care doc at 1:30. She chose to leave. So we did. We got the E.R. number from the paramedic who was triaging so we could have her doc call and get the results of the cat scan and x-rays they had don at 8:00 am.

As soon as we got to Lisa's appointment she was examined, 2 more x-rays were taken and the E.R. was called and their report was that it WASN"T as they suspected--- there were no bones broken in her face .

WOW. So, my question she SAW the ER doc... why didn't he immediately give her something for pain to help through ALL that waiting???

Anyway, the other x-rays were ok except for a possible compression fracture. So Lisa's doc gave her all the necessary pain meds; antibiotics and something for anxiety. The pharmacy right there filled them and I could finally get Lisa settled at home.

WOW. I'm exhausted from re-living this. I'm really angry and upset that Lisa had to go through that attack and then the mistreatment UNM hospital.

It disgusts me how narcissistic and DESENSITIZED the world has become. It's sickening and very disheartening that there is NOT much kindness, gentleness and love toward our fellow man.

I don't know. Sorry for the rant. But hey (to the tune of It's My Party) It's my blog and I'll rant if want to, rant if I want to.....

Anyway.... that's it today. Something to think on maybe?

Tell someone you love that you LOVE them and what the hey, maybe throw in a hug too!!!!