Its so easy to go through life thinking we're invincible.
Until we get a shocking reminder that we aren't, and usually it takes a loved one to shake the foundation.
In the last year and 3 months, I've had 2 family memebers in ICU/CCU units.
Dad Rios had an attack of some sort last night while he was getting ready for bed, he fell, and the wall caught him. His head went through the drywall and (they think) pinched nerves in his spinal chord. He's currently paralyzed from mid-torso down. They have Frankenstein screws in his head attached to a weight-and-pulley system where they started with 5 pounds and have been building up to 55 pounds, hoping it will pull his bones back into alignment. He's slated for surgery tomorrow if they don't see the results that want.
Semantics aside, its heartbreaking to see him like this. When he comes out of the morphine, he flails and fights the neck brace, the weights, the screws, the IVs..... he's already 2 heart attacks in.... The screws pulled out early this morning and the weights slammed to the floor.... gouged his head... its grotesque. Mom Rios is being strong but I can only imagine whats going on in her head.
Seeing him in that bed brings back all the heartbreak of seeing Frank there last summer with a shunt in his head, tied down because he kept pulling out his "accessories". . .
But its Rob that hurts the most.
