Chapter 3

The Long Unforgiving Drive

The celebration of a third year wedding anniversary concluded in the restaurants parking lot.  The party of four, including myself agreed that I needed to be checked out at the hospital because of my symptoms.  During, which my symptoms of dizziness, headache and eyes wondering in different directions went away and all I wanted to do is go home and sleep.  Sheila (my bride) drove the unforgiving drive.

Saint Mary's hospital in Lewiston , New York , was my hospital of choice.  It was a 45 minute drive from the restaurant to the hospital. However, I chose Saint Mary’s Hospital because I had my knee surgery there, casted a broken foot, and any test ordered for my back problems were there.  A piece of cartilage ripped during Niagara Catholic High School JV basketball practice, and I broke my foot walking out the side door of my home during a 1994 July 4^th party.  Then there was my back problem that forced me to go to school and learn welding.

Finally, Sheila and I entered onto the interstate heading to Saint Mary's hospital.  Good thing I wasn't driving, my eyes were making the world spin in circles and a headache at the same time as if a freight train ran over my head.  Rocking in the trucks seat with me holding onto my head in between my knees praying for my pain to disappear, I was yelling at Sheila to stop going over the bumps because it was making me lean to the left.  As time marched forward all the while Sheila's dumb questions and I was the bigger dummy answering, the pain eased soon as Sheila announced the interstate exit which leads us to the hospital.

Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital in Buffalo NY was discussed as an option to get checked, because the exit off the interstate was in sight.  During the discussion between Sheila and me, I insisted she keep driving to Saint Mary's Hospital.

Millard Fillmore is better equipped to take care of persons with stroke symptoms by having a Dent Neurology staff team always ready.  Saint Mary’s Hospital was not able to diagnose my symptoms of Stroke for quite a while.  

Arriving in Saint Mary's parking lot, the truck screeched at a stop to park by the emergency room entrance doors.  With no symptoms, I carefully put one foot in front of other and entered the emergency room doors, where my celebrations ended and my stroke took over.