Off of baseline...

Another day at Urgent Care down and in the books.  Mom woke up this morning with a pretty good sized bruise on her forehead.  So, off we went to UC to make sure that it wasn't anything serious.

It felt like we sat in that waiting room forever.  The wind was really whipping outside and it was upsetting to her.  At one point she spoke to the crowded room in a tone that demanded attention, "EVERYONE!  LOOK AT THAT!"  Most everyone glanced outside but only one person responded.  A rather rough looking young man looked outside, looked at her and said, "Wow!  Yeah, that's crazy!"  He smiled and went back to his wait.  He was the last person that I expected to be kind... and I'm again reminded not to judge my fellow man.  Mom spent hours trying to find someone to help her escape.  She would frantically wave, I would gently grab her arm and smile at her would be accomplices and say that it was okay, she really didn't need their help.  

She was called in for the nurses to take her vitals.  She didn't want the blood pressure cuff to be put on.  When I explained that they just wanted to take her blood pressure, she glared at the nurses and said, "They don't need to check that, I haven't had a man in a long time!"  Well, okay.  Good to know, Mom. 

Three and a half hours later we made it out of there with a warning that if her behavior becomes irregular that we should go to the ER immediately.  I wanted to shake my head in awe at the stupidity of that comment.  I wanted to laugh.  When I seriously asked how I could tell if her behavior is irregular, the doctor told me "Anything off of baseline."  Well, okay then.  So, if at some point during the night I realize that she is allowing us an extended period of uninterrupted sleep, I shall bundle her up and drive to the ER. And if she is especially nice we shall go to the ER and announce, "She's off her baseline, we need a doctor... STAT!"

Seriously though, I am grateful.  The doctor didn't see anything that concerned him.  More importantly, no boxes of medical gloves were harmed in the course of this visit.