The REAL E/R

I spent the day in the E/R with my Dad today.

My 22 ... wait, let me think ... no, 24 year old brother who still lives at home, woke this morning to Dad bellowing in tremendous pain. I guess it was so bad that my brother (who is quite a levelheaded chap) was really scared and rushed dad the ER.

My Mom has been gone for 4 days, taking care of her Mom who has just had a bout with pneumonia or a bronchial infection of some kind, so Mom wasn't around to help my brother with Dad in the ER. So Mom called me - the big sister of the bunch. I headed to the hospital to, you know, sit, wait, provide moral support, keep track of what was going on. Etc. I was pretty shaken by the amount of pain Dad was in, too and could understand my brother's panic. But after evaluation and a CAT scan, they determined it was *just* kidney stones.

I don't say *just* kidney stones lightly, but

** Whew **

I mean not that that's a good thing, it's downright miserable. I can't even imagine, although they tell me it's worse than childbirth, so I definitely don't wish that on anyone, least of all my Dad.

But I'm so very, very thankful it wasn't something more serious.