Forever Blessed (Women of Prayer) (34 page)

Laney dashed for the phone and called 911. She tried to soothe her as they waited for the ambulance. She picked up Ella’s cell phone and found Marsha’s number. She pressed the number for Ella’s daughter and waited for someone to pick up.

“Hey, mom.”

“Marsha, this is Laney, Ella’s next door neighbor. I just found your mom. She has had a stroke. ... Yes, she is responsive. Her speech is slurred and she is having trouble moving her left arm and leg. She’s lying on her bed.”

Laney was silent. “Sure, hold on.” She placed the phone to Ella’s ear and held it there a minute or so, then took the phone back.

“Okay, I’ll be at the hospital when you get there. We’ll be waiting.” She hung up and called Sheila.

“Sheila, can you come get my kids? Ella has had a stroke. I need to go to the hospital.”

Sheila assured Laney she was on her way. Laney could hear the sirens approaching and ran to the door to let the paramedics in. The paramedics worked quickly and were soon on their way to the hospital with their sirens blaring. Laney prayed they were taking good care of the precious passenger in their care.

Laney looked at the bed and felt horribly embarrassed for Ella. The older woman was such a private person. Hopefully she didn’t realize what she’d done. Laney quickly changed the sheets before she left. Marsha might stay at her mom’s house and she would appreciate the quick thinking. She tucked the sheets in a garbage bag and threw them away in the outside garbage can. They were threadbare anyway and she’d make sure she picked Ella up some new ones before she came home.

Laney tucked Ella’s phone in her pocket, locked the door, grabbed her own purse from her kitchen table and took off for the hospital. By the time she got there, Ella was already being tested to see which type of blockage she’d had. Hopefully Laney had found her soon enough. There was no way to tell exactly when the stroke had happened.

Ella’s nurse questioned Laney, wanting to know what time she normally went to church, got up, basically anything Laney could tell them about Ella’s schedule.

Laney told her about the coffee pot being half full. “Ella always makes a full pot of coffee. She says coffee is the one thing she has left that she truly enjoys.” She shrugged. “If she drank a half a pot, I would guess she had the stroke halfway through the morning.”

“How about church? What time did she usually arrive?”

“It depends. If she was feeling well, she’d go to Sunday school which started at nine thirty. If she wasn’t feeling the greatest, she would arrive for service which starts at eleven.” She looked down the hall, wondering how Ella was doing. “I know that doesn’t help much, but it is the best I can do.”

“You called 911 at twelve-thirty. Did you call right away? Or had you been with her for a while?”

Laney was starting to get irritated. “I called as soon as I found her and figured out something was seriously wrong. Which took me all of five seconds.”

“I’m sorry, I know you are worried about your friend, but the more we know, the better it is for Mrs. McCarthy.”

“I’m sorry. I just know how afraid she is. Has anyone explained what has happened to her? So she knows?”

“I’m not sure but I will make sure one of us talks to her as soon as we know what is happening.”

“Will you let me know as soon as she is out?”

“Are you family?”

“I’m her next door neighbor. She’s like a mother to me.”

“Have you contacted her family?”

“Yes, her daughter is on her way.”

“If her daughter gives permission, then we can allow you to see her.”

Laney crossed her arms and headed to the waiting room, irritated. She turned back to the nurse. “Does this mean you won’t tell me what’s wrong either? So when I talk with her daughter I’ll have no news for her?”

The nurse blew out a deep breath. “When Mrs. McCarthy’s daughter is on the line, let me speak with her.”

*  *  *  *

Ella tried to speak, to tell everyone what happened, but they weren’t listening. It was almost like they hadn’t heard her. She didn’t recognize her own voice, so maybe they really couldn’t understand her. She couldn’t move her left arm or leg. She was scared. Why wouldn’t they let Laney come sit with her? No one would answer her.

She tried yelling again. Some lady was putting her in this tube. She told her she had to be still but she wanted an answer first.

The lady slid her into the tube anyway. Bright lights were flashing and it sounded like she was in a vacuum cleaner. Finally she was being let out of the tube. The nurse lady just left her there, all by herself.
Would someone please tell me what is going on?

A doctor finally showed up. He was speaking to her but she was having a hard time understanding. She began growing agitated and he tried to calm her down, at least that was what she thought he was doing. He wouldn’t listen either. She managed to say most of Laney’s name.

The doctor stopped talking and turned around, leaving her once again on her own. A few minutes later, Laney walked in the room and took her by the hand. All at once, her anxiety left and she was calm.

Laney nodded her head and smiled and she knew it was okay to go in the tube. This time she laid still.

*  *  *  *

Laney wasn’t surprised when the nurse quickly approached her. “We need you to come back and sit with Mrs. McCarthy. She won’t settle down so we can get her CT scan.”

Laney tried not to act smug as she followed the nurse. She walked in the room and quickly walked to where Ella lay. “Ella, I’m here.” She smiled the most reassuring smile she could muster. She could visibly see the older lady calm down.

Once again, they slid her into the scanning machine. This time, she lay still and they were able to get a good scan of her brain. Time was crucial.

Laney waited outside the room until the scan was complete. Then the technician allowed her to go back in and sit with Ella.

They moved her to a room shortly after reading the scan and making sure it was clear. The nurse allowed Laney to follow. It was the only way they could keep Ella from panicking. Laney was glad Ella was awake enough to make known what she wanted.

After turning the television on, Laney sat back in her chair, waiting for the doctor to show up and explain what was going on. It didn’t take as long as other emergency room visits did.

“Hi, I’m Doctor Morgan, I’ll be treating Mrs. McCarthy. Thank you for coming in and sitting with her. We wouldn’t have been able to get the scan done without you.”

He addressed Ella. “Mrs. McCarthy, you have had a Ischemic stroke, which basically means you have a blood clot that is blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. We are online with a neurosurgeon who examined your scans from the UW Madison Hospital. He has suggested we use the drug tPA, a drug that dissolves the blood clot and restores blood flow to the brain. Because of the timeline your friend Laney provided for us, the neurologist in Madison believes this is the best course of treatment for your stroke.”

The nurse was adding medicine to her IV as the doctor was explaining. “Since we are a small hospital, and we do not have the resources to best treat you here, we are going to get you started on your medication, then transport you to see the neurologist in Madison.” He looked to Laney. “Are you able to travel with her?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll call her daughter and let her know what is going on.”

“Okay, make sure you have everything ready. When they come for her, there won’t be time to make calls or go to the bathroom.”

He left abruptly. Laney was fairly certain she would not like to be in the medical field.

Laney used the bathroom connected to Ella’s room, then quickly called Marsha and told her to meet them at UW Madison Hospital. Two minutes later, she was being ushered through the hospital hallways and onto the helicopter. Once they were settled in the helicopter, Laney held tightly onto Ella’s hand, reassuring her as much as possible.

Ella’s eyes were wide with fear. She had told Laney she was afraid of flying and she took the bus anytime she went anywhere. Laney knew she was scared, but there was nothing she could do. Ella had to receive care quickly and the UW hospital was almost an hour away by ambulance. She squeezed her hand, hoping that brought her some comfort.

Thankfully, the flight did not take long. They were ushered off the helicopter and onto the hospital tarmac where they were quickly wheeled into the neurology department.

“Hi Ella, I’m Doctor Parker. We moved you here to the stroke center so we can monitor you closely. The medicine we are giving you has some pretty severe side effects. I believe it is the best treatment for your condition, and I believe we are going to see some amazing results. Okay?”

Laney liked this man. He treated Ella like a human, like she knew what was going on. His smile alone gave Laney confidence. She was able to sit with Ella for the afternoon even though she was in ICU and was in fact reading to her from a hospital Bible when Marsha came through the doors. Laney rose to greet her. “Hi, I’m so glad you made it.”

Marsha hugged Laney. “Thank you for being here for my mom. I know it made a world of difference having you with her.”

Laney spent a few minutes telling Marsha everything as best she could. Laney was ready to drop and she had no idea how she would get home. Her van was in the hospital parking lot in Janesville.

Marsha recognized the weariness. “Hey, why don’t you go and get something to eat, maybe a cup of coffee. I can take you home tonight. I want to go by mom’s house anyway and pick up some of her things. She’ll want her Bible as soon as she is able to read.”

Laney watched Ella close her eyes. She was relaxed. That had to help somehow. Laney took Marsha’s advice and went to the cafeteria. She remembered she hadn’t taken the time to eat all day and though she wasn’t feeling hungry, she knew her body needed sustenance. She left Ella in Marsha’s capable hands.

She bought a bowl of chili and a soda then zigzagged through the occupied tables until she reached a secluded area where she could call Sheila to let her know what was happening.

Sheila promised to call Pastor Mark and Jessi and give them the update. She had called earlier and the prayer chain was getting a workout. Everyone was waiting to hear the news.

Laney slowly ate her meal, letting the thick chili re-energize her. She wasn’t as physically exhausted as she was mentally and emotionally. She thought about church service that morning and the great worship. It seemed so long ago even though it was just a few hours ago.

After eating, Laney purchased coffee for Marsha and herself and returned to the Stroke center.

Marsha was grateful for the coffee. “Thanks. I needed this.” She took a sip. “Not bad.”

Laney drank from her own cup and settled in to wait. Now, it was up to God and the trained hospital staff to take care of Ella. She could do nothing else besides pray.

The nurse was in every fifteen minutes to monitor Ella’s blood pressure. She assured Laney and Marsha that this was normal for stroke patients who have been treated with tPA. After the two-hour mark of beginning the treatment, she would not need to interrupt Ella’s rest quite so much.

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed in a blur. The neurologist was hopeful with Ella’s reaction to the drug thus far. There had been no bleeding on the brain, which is what they were watching for. Ella had started to speak a little clearer. The doctor told them they could see rapid results over the next 24 hours.

Laney stepped out of the room to stretch and go to the bathroom when she heard a familiar voice. She turned the corner. “Pastor Mark? Jessi? I was just going to call you. What are you doing up here?”

“We’re here to check on two of our flock.”

Laney looked confused. “Two? Who else is up here?”

Jessi smiled. “You.”

Laney smiled. “Thanks. What would I do without you?” She gave them a hug and showed them into the room. Since Mark and Jessi were Ella’s pastors, they had no trouble getting in to see her.

She was awake and smiled as best she could when they walked in the door.

Pastor Mark took her hand. “Hey there. I wondered what was keeping you away from service this morning. Here I thought Merry’s dancing had finally sent you running.”