Chapter 16.
The text messages from Sally were about Jennifer.
“Dad, Mom isn’t feeling well.
Dad, call me.
Mom isn’t feeling well.
Mom is sick.
Mom is going to the medical facility.”
I immediately went from feeling elation to complete anxiety. The Zipvator wouldn’t go fast enough. I tried calling Sally, but the call went right to her voicemail. I finally reached our suite and went inside, “Jennifer? Sally?” No one was there. I went down to the hotel concierge desk and told him what was going on. He put a call in for a transporter and told me to have a seat. Within a few minutes, Larry, the medical facility escort we had the first time, came to help me.
“Hello, Peter. Let’s go see Jennifer.”
“Is she okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure she’ll be fine, Peter. Don’t worry.”
He drove as fast as the cart would go through the tunnel and we quickly reached the medical facility. Larry walked in with me, and we were directed to patient room #23. Once Larry and I got there, I saw Jennifer in bed, with Sally next to her. As soon as Sally saw me, she came over and gave me a tight and long hug.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Mom and I went to the Tribute Theater and started watching the show. Then about 30 minutes later, she started to feel really drowsy. She started nodding off, and I kept trying to wake her. I got so scared, so I raised my hand and hit the help button on the back of the chair in front of me. Two employees came over and helped me get Mom out of the Theater. We were in a room, a private room. Then the medical staff came in and checked her vitals. By then, Mom was completely out. They called for transport while mom was put on a stretcher and wheeled to an elevator down the hall. We went to the ground floor, and they placed Mom on a cart, and then we came here. They worked on her for a little while. She’s been resting ever since.”
“Has she been awake any since she went down?” I asked.
“Yes, but only for a few minutes. She asked where you were. Then she fell back asleep. I’m scared, Dad.”
“It’s okay Sally. Mom’s going to be okay.” I reassured her.
While Sally was telling me her story, Larry had apparently left the room to let them know I was there. He came back with Dr. Lee.
“Peter, Hi,” said Dr. Lee, “Glad you’re here.”
“Hi, Dr. Lee. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Jennifer’s blood pressure was very low. We gave her some medicine to help bring it back up. Right now, she’s just resting.”
“Was this because of the new medicine?”
“Possibly, but it’s hard to say for sure. We are running more tests on her now, and we should know more soon.”
Then Dr. Lee said he would check back later. Larry also said he had to leave, but said, “I’m sure she’s going to be just fine. Don’t worry.”
Sally and I just sat there, watching Jennifer sleep for the next hour or so. Then Jessica, the nurse, came in and took the time to talk to us. “Hi, Peter, and Sally. I’m sorry you had a little scare today. How are you feeling now?”
“We’re very worried, Jessica. Not knowing what’s going to happen. We love her so much and don’t want to lose her,” I said.
“I completely understand,” she replied.
Jessica spent a good 30 minutes with us, having coffee and just talking. She started telling us about herself and how she got here.
“Growing up as a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time in hospitals because my mom was very sick. She had a lot of illnesses and could never seem to stay healthy for long. Her immune system was always weak, so a simple cold could turn into pneumonia. I grew to resent the hospitals, the doctors, and the nurses over time. The care was always sub-par; they were always short-staffed and everything seemed to be done for profit. That was their goal. Even if the hospital was non-profit, the money always seemed to flow to the top.”
“We had to file bankruptcy when my mom kept getting sick because my dad didn’t have the money to pay all the medical bills. We lost so much: our home, our car, all taken back by the banks for foreclosure or non-payment.”
“I was visiting my mom at the age of 16 talking about school when she went unconscious. Then she went into convulsions. I freaked out and yelled for help. They worked on my mom for over 45 minutes, but it was too late. She was gone.”
“My mom died in a hospital, due to a mistake. The doctor made a medication error, and the nurse, who was short-staffed, missed it. They should have known there was a conflict with her medicines, but because they were so rushed, they didn’t catch it.
“Nobody at the hospital would admit any wrongdoing. My dad ordered an autopsy, which found that she had overdosed due to a conflict with her medicines. My dad sued the hospital, doctor, and nurse and received a settlement from the insurance company, all while they denied doing anything wrong. They are all still working today, and nobody really paid the price for what they did.”
“I decided that I was going to make a difference and used part of my mom’s settlement money to put myself through nursing school. I worked as a nurse for two hospitals for a brief period of time and realized I simply couldn’t give the quality of care to the patients I thought was needed. I was overloaded with responsibility and could never get a hold of the doctors. They did what they wanted, and that was that. Most thought of themselves as “gods” and didn’t feel beholden to the nurses or patients. They came and went as they pleased and charged patients for a visit, even if they only looked at their chart. Patients could be in pain for hours before their doctor would call and prescribe the medication to help. I watched as unnecessary tests were run on patients, just to make extra money. Too many patients die, because of mistakes. And the money patients have to pay is so unfair.”
“When I heard about the WOE and what they were planning, I knew deep inside I belonged there. I waited until they started accepting applications, applied, and was interviewed. I was so nervous because I wanted the job so bad. Steven C. was one of the interviewers and made me laugh.”
“What did he say?” I asked.
“I don’t remember exactly, but basically he commented on my sweaty palms and rapid breathing. He asked if I needed a nurse and said if I did, he knew a good one; ‘Jessica is her name, and she works here.’ I’ve loved him and this place ever since. Now, I can concentrate on getting patients better; both medically and emotionally.”
“What a remarkable story! This place seems so unbelievable, almost like it can’t be true,” I exclaimed.
“Never underestimate what humans can do; both for the good and the bad. Here, it’s all for good,” she said.
“Thank you, Jessica, for spending time with us. We really appreciate it,” I told her.
“My pleasure. She’s going to be fine. Have faith, Peter.”
Just then, Dr. Lee and Dr. Peterson came in.
“Peter, we have some results on Jennifer. Let me say before I tell you, please don’t overreact to the news. Let me get everything out first.”
“Okay, Dr. Peterson.”
“The cancer has grown more and is starting to spread into her lymph nodes. But we believe the new medicine is starting to work. We need time,” he said.
My stomach immediately fell to my feat. “How could it have spread so quickly and how do you know the medicine is working?!” I asked.
“Her particular cancer, that was stable for a while, has come to life with a vengeance. Honestly, we were surprised at its rapid rate. Normally, cancer does not move that fast. We believe that the medicine is working by how she is feeling. Her red blood cell counts are still good, and she doesn’t need a blood transfusion. We believe she is caught in a battle between her White blood cells getting the energy to fight and the cancer looking to spread more; the body is looking to rest and let this battle continue on,” Dr. Peterson hypothesized.
“What do you recommend? Should we put her back on chemo?” I asked.
“No,” said Dr. Lee. “The chemo wasn’t effective for long last time and caused her a tremendous amount of sickness and discomfort. We would simply be dumping poison into her body that may only ruin her quality of life. We believe we’re on the right track. Right now, she needs rest and sleep. We suggest you and Sally continue on with what you are doing and let us take care of Jennifer.”
“But we’re only supposed to be here until Thursday,” I said.
“Peter, we can arrange for you and Sally to move into another room after your suite time expires. Don’t worry about that,” Jessica reassured us.
“My God, that would be wonderful. Thank you all so much!”
Then out of nowhere, I started bawling. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I just started crying uncontrollably. All these emotions and being so sacred, they all just came rushing out. Sally came over and began crying too.
“Please don’t let her die,” I pleaded.
“Peter, have faith. Jennifer is going to be fine,” Dr. Peterson said. “To help take your mind off this, continue to explore and finish what you came here to do. You won’t accomplish anything by being here, except worry and not sleep. We’ll give you an EAD and notify you if anything comes up. Let her sleep. Go finish your interviews.”
The text messages from Sally were about Jennifer.
“Dad, Mom isn’t feeling well.
Dad, call me.
Mom isn’t feeling well.
Mom is sick.
Mom is going to the medical facility.”
I immediately went from feeling elation to complete anxiety. The Zipvator wouldn’t go fast enough. I tried calling Sally, but the call went right to her voicemail. I finally reached our suite and went inside, “Jennifer? Sally?” No one was there. I went down to the hotel concierge desk and told him what was going on. He put a call in for a transporter and told me to have a seat. Within a few minutes, Larry, the medical facility escort we had the first time, came to help me.
“Hello, Peter. Let’s go see Jennifer.”
“Is she okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure she’ll be fine, Peter. Don’t worry.”
He drove as fast as the cart would go through the tunnel and we quickly reached the medical facility. Larry walked in with me, and we were directed to patient room #23. Once Larry and I got there, I saw Jennifer in bed, with Sally next to her. As soon as Sally saw me, she came over and gave me a tight and long hug.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Mom and I went to the Tribute Theater and started watching the show. Then about 30 minutes later, she started to feel really drowsy. She started nodding off, and I kept trying to wake her. I got so scared, so I raised my hand and hit the help button on the back of the chair in front of me. Two employees came over and helped me get Mom out of the Theater. We were in a room, a private room. Then the medical staff came in and checked her vitals. By then, Mom was completely out. They called for transport while mom was put on a stretcher and wheeled to an elevator down the hall. We went to the ground floor, and they placed Mom on a cart, and then we came here. They worked on her for a little while. She’s been resting ever since.”
“Has she been awake any since she went down?” I asked.
“Yes, but only for a few minutes. She asked where you were. Then she fell back asleep. I’m scared, Dad.”
“It’s okay Sally. Mom’s going to be okay.” I reassured her.
While Sally was telling me her story, Larry had apparently left the room to let them know I was there. He came back with Dr. Lee.
“Peter, Hi,” said Dr. Lee, “Glad you’re here.”
“Hi, Dr. Lee. What’s going on?” I asked.
“Jennifer’s blood pressure was very low. We gave her some medicine to help bring it back up. Right now, she’s just resting.”
“Was this because of the new medicine?”
“Possibly, but it’s hard to say for sure. We are running more tests on her now, and we should know more soon.”
Then Dr. Lee said he would check back later. Larry also said he had to leave, but said, “I’m sure she’s going to be just fine. Don’t worry.”
Sally and I just sat there, watching Jennifer sleep for the next hour or so. Then Jessica, the nurse, came in and took the time to talk to us. “Hi, Peter, and Sally. I’m sorry you had a little scare today. How are you feeling now?”
“We’re very worried, Jessica. Not knowing what’s going to happen. We love her so much and don’t want to lose her,” I said.
“I completely understand,” she replied.
Jessica spent a good 30 minutes with us, having coffee and just talking. She started telling us about herself and how she got here.
“Growing up as a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time in hospitals because my mom was very sick. She had a lot of illnesses and could never seem to stay healthy for long. Her immune system was always weak, so a simple cold could turn into pneumonia. I grew to resent the hospitals, the doctors, and the nurses over time. The care was always sub-par; they were always short-staffed and everything seemed to be done for profit. That was their goal. Even if the hospital was non-profit, the money always seemed to flow to the top.”
“We had to file bankruptcy when my mom kept getting sick because my dad didn’t have the money to pay all the medical bills. We lost so much: our home, our car, all taken back by the banks for foreclosure or non-payment.”
“I was visiting my mom at the age of 16 talking about school when she went unconscious. Then she went into convulsions. I freaked out and yelled for help. They worked on my mom for over 45 minutes, but it was too late. She was gone.”
“My mom died in a hospital, due to a mistake. The doctor made a medication error, and the nurse, who was short-staffed, missed it. They should have known there was a conflict with her medicines, but because they were so rushed, they didn’t catch it.
“Nobody at the hospital would admit any wrongdoing. My dad ordered an autopsy, which found that she had overdosed due to a conflict with her medicines. My dad sued the hospital, doctor, and nurse and received a settlement from the insurance company, all while they denied doing anything wrong. They are all still working today, and nobody really paid the price for what they did.”
“I decided that I was going to make a difference and used part of my mom’s settlement money to put myself through nursing school. I worked as a nurse for two hospitals for a brief period of time and realized I simply couldn’t give the quality of care to the patients I thought was needed. I was overloaded with responsibility and could never get a hold of the doctors. They did what they wanted, and that was that. Most thought of themselves as “gods” and didn’t feel beholden to the nurses or patients. They came and went as they pleased and charged patients for a visit, even if they only looked at their chart. Patients could be in pain for hours before their doctor would call and prescribe the medication to help. I watched as unnecessary tests were run on patients, just to make extra money. Too many patients die, because of mistakes. And the money patients have to pay is so unfair.”
“When I heard about the WOE and what they were planning, I knew deep inside I belonged there. I waited until they started accepting applications, applied, and was interviewed. I was so nervous because I wanted the job so bad. Steven C. was one of the interviewers and made me laugh.”
“What did he say?” I asked.
“I don’t remember exactly, but basically he commented on my sweaty palms and rapid breathing. He asked if I needed a nurse and said if I did, he knew a good one; ‘Jessica is her name, and she works here.’ I’ve loved him and this place ever since. Now, I can concentrate on getting patients better; both medically and emotionally.”
“What a remarkable story! This place seems so unbelievable, almost like it can’t be true,” I exclaimed.
“Never underestimate what humans can do; both for the good and the bad. Here, it’s all for good,” she said.
“Thank you, Jessica, for spending time with us. We really appreciate it,” I told her.
“My pleasure. She’s going to be fine. Have faith, Peter.”
Just then, Dr. Lee and Dr. Peterson came in.
“Peter, we have some results on Jennifer. Let me say before I tell you, please don’t overreact to the news. Let me get everything out first.”
“Okay, Dr. Peterson.”
“The cancer has grown more and is starting to spread into her lymph nodes. But we believe the new medicine is starting to work. We need time,” he said.
My stomach immediately fell to my feat. “How could it have spread so quickly and how do you know the medicine is working?!” I asked.
“Her particular cancer, that was stable for a while, has come to life with a vengeance. Honestly, we were surprised at its rapid rate. Normally, cancer does not move that fast. We believe that the medicine is working by how she is feeling. Her red blood cell counts are still good, and she doesn’t need a blood transfusion. We believe she is caught in a battle between her White blood cells getting the energy to fight and the cancer looking to spread more; the body is looking to rest and let this battle continue on,” Dr. Peterson hypothesized.
“What do you recommend? Should we put her back on chemo?” I asked.
“No,” said Dr. Lee. “The chemo wasn’t effective for long last time and caused her a tremendous amount of sickness and discomfort. We would simply be dumping poison into her body that may only ruin her quality of life. We believe we’re on the right track. Right now, she needs rest and sleep. We suggest you and Sally continue on with what you are doing and let us take care of Jennifer.”
“But we’re only supposed to be here until Thursday,” I said.
“Peter, we can arrange for you and Sally to move into another room after your suite time expires. Don’t worry about that,” Jessica reassured us.
“My God, that would be wonderful. Thank you all so much!”
Then out of nowhere, I started bawling. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I just started crying uncontrollably. All these emotions and being so sacred, they all just came rushing out. Sally came over and began crying too.
“Please don’t let her die,” I pleaded.
“Peter, have faith. Jennifer is going to be fine,” Dr. Peterson said. “To help take your mind off this, continue to explore and finish what you came here to do. You won’t accomplish anything by being here, except worry and not sleep. We’ll give you an EAD and notify you if anything comes up. Let her sleep. Go finish your interviews.”