My Bad

I am soon leaving to have a heart stress test.
On Friday the 13th.

keep kicking while they're down

Rand has been flunking blood tests. It started with one, then became three, that number was multiplied as well. Interestingly enough, it is all very low readings.

This led to his MRI of last Friday. They scanned his brain looking for a pituitary tumor. To their surprise, they did not find a tumor, but did find white spots. throughout the brain. They said this was something they would normally find in someone with high blood pressure - Which he does not have.
He is being referred to a neurologist.

Last Wednesday evening, I realized while showering that I had no feeling in my right leg from the knee down, and a call to brother nurse Jeff and we were both concerned of a possible blood clot.
Off to the emergency room at Mercy. After a two and a half hour later, I'm still in the waiting room. After asking at the desk, they said it would be another 5 hours. My final exact words were, "Fuck this, I prefer to die at home."
We left.
Our next stop was a convience store where we purchased a bottle of asprin. I swallowed three. There was a measurable relief.

So at the wee hours in the morning on our way home we then encountered a drunk driver. We immediately called 911 and did our best to keep 'up' and 'out' of this drunkard's way. We followed him through Des Moines, Johnston, onto the interstate and back into the city of Des Moines, and no where could our 911 operator locate an officer to stop this man. No squad cars in the area was repeated over and over again.
We watched and narrated to the dispatcher as he weaved back and forth across multiple lanes. Bouncing from one curb to another sending clouds of dust and bits of cement flying. He landed on top of medians, the edge of several ditches; at one point I screamed even startling the 911 operator. This unaware drunk almost creamed himself on the Des Moines river bridge.

By this point the dispatcher has tried to contact two townships, county and state police. We are alone on our quest as "no one can be found".

We end up this chase on the 2nd Ave. exit. Our inebriated friend did a 360 degree spin landing in a shallow ditch, facing out. To ensure this chase was ended, Rand pulled our van directly in front of his car.

I have by now, lost as much hope in our police as I have our health care during this long night.

I am fuming! I scream at the dispatcher, "Okay we are stopped on the exit ramp by the State Troopers station - Now can we get any police help?!" Rand has pulled our van in front of the drunk's car to block him from going any farther. He is in the ditch facing out. We are parked on the left shoulder. The dispatcher informs me that they are still trying to find somebody to help us.
The drunk who was seemingly lost in a daze for a bit seems to realize he isn't moving. He puts in in gear and rams us several times. He realizes he can't go and and puts it park again and dazes out again.
I am screaming at the dispatcher that he was ramming us, to no avail.
Our drunk buddy comes to again, looks at us, and opens his door. At this point we are hoping this idiot doesn't carry any weapons.
He gets out of his car and stands up - and down he goes.
He pulls himself up on his door with much effort. He pulls himself around to the hood and then with one hand on his hood he takes a step toward us and down he goes!
We watch and laugh as he struggles to pull himself up on his car again. Clinging to his car he makes it to the front of his hood. The dispatcher wants to know why we are laughing now. I explained he was attempting to approach us. They are still trying to find help for us.
Our drunk is now perched at the end of his hood trying to put all his effort into remaining upright. He has about two steps to make it to our vehicle. He pulls himself up straight and tall and takes a step. Down he went!
He pulls himself up on our van. Rand tentatively rolls down his window. Our drunk asks ever so nicely if we could move our vehicle so that he could get home. Rand is pretty pissed and asked him why he hit us with his car instead of asking. This seriously inebriated idiot is actually shocked to hear he ran in to us! He starts 'trying' to check our van for damage while apologizing profusely!
Rand and I keep trying to get him to understand that we are not moving. He tries to tell us he is just over a mile from home. He even offers a solution! We can follow him home to make sure it goes okay. Rand informs him that we have been following him for miles, it wasn't going okay, and we are not going to let him go any further.
We keep chatting with this guy, keeping hims busy, and finally the dispatcher lets me know that help should be there soon.
Within seconds we are surround by all sorts of police. State, County, and City. He's hauled off, his vehicle towed off and we, with a few minor scratches are on our way.