I started the day off right, got up on time, all that crap. Got to work and things went to hell quickly.

Today's haiku describes my first patient; type I dissection of the aorta. The patient had what they call tampenod; there was blood around the heart and the pumping efficiency was poor.

Things did get better, for me at least, that is, until they got worse.

I talked to Karen about 09:30, and she was finally feeling better. However, I got a call from her about noon, her ex-husband had had a heart attack, and it was bad.

GED had had stents put in his coronaries about a month ago, and evidently they got plugged up. He'd been feeling bad for a coupla days. He called the EMS this AM and was taken to Labette County Medical Center, where they were attempting to stabilize him to get him to a Wichita hospital. Karen said that they were putting in a pacemaker.

Well, I had the car, and Karen needed to get down there with her three kids, so I came home after filling the tank up. They left about 15:00 or so. Karen is pretty broken up by this, needless to say.

GED has been a pretty constant factor in our lives since he got sober. He usually comes up for xmas and the 4th of July, and I really like him. I do wish that he would get himself a life-mate or a wife or whatever, though, he's a lonely guy.

And I really hope that he survives this.

I decided to stay home after I brought the car home, I really only missed about an hour of work. I was supposed to go over to a friends tonight and work on her computer, but I called and left a message that I wouldn't make it, and she called later to say that she was sick anyway.

More progress on the keyboard; I'm starting to wish that I could afford a piano. Or at least a better keyboard.

I haven't been able to get ahold of Karen, she should be in Parsons by now, it's normally a three-hour trip, and it's been four at least since they left. On the other hand, the roads are not good, so I hope that nothing has happened to them.

19:08.
Shit.

I just got a call from Karen. GED died.

She and the kids will be staying down there tonight, she needs to make arrangements tomorrow. GED has a sister in Parsons, she should be able to help. Matt and Andy and Kim are pretty broken up, and Karen is putting on a good steady front for them, but I know that she is hurting. She and GED (George Edward Daley) married when they were very young, and had know each other at least since Junior high school.

And I am feeling pretty sad myself.