MEDICAL EMERGENCY

What do you do when you are in the middle of nowhere and you have a medical emergency? We are finding out right now. While fueling the truck in San Antonio, TX and filling a low trailer tire, Craig did something to his back. We drove to our predetermined stop for the night, Fort Stockton, TX. This is where our nightmare begins. After getting up from the drivers seat, Craig has severe pain. We manage to get him into bed where several hours later, I did what I have never done before, call 911 to have an ambulance take him to a hospital. There are no cabs, or should I say, the only person who is somewhat of a cab driver, does not work after the sun goes down. Seems he was carjacked awhile back and it scared him enough not to work at night. Can't say that I blame him.

The ambulance informs me that they can not take me to the hospital with Craig. Fine, I say, point me in the direction and I will start walking. He tells me to hold on, and calls for a deputy sheriff to transport me. I can not say enough about the Pecos County Sheriff Department, and especially Deputy Rubio. He was my angel, making sure I got there and telling me to call back when we were ready to go back to the truck.

Once inside a very small remote county hospital, they called for the on call Doctor to come in and took Craig for an x-ray. Thankfully, with the hospital bed, he was able to find a comfortable position until the Doctor arrived. When he did, he advised us, that from the x-ray he could not tell what was wrong, prescribed an injection of an anti-inflammatory drug, a prescription of a muscle relaxant, and told us his medical facility could no nothing more for us. He deemed that Craig needed to be seen by a orthopedic doctor or neurosurgeon. With that said, and Craig feeling a little relief with the shot, Deputy Rubio took us back to our truck.

Another thing about this small town is that it does not have rental cars either. The ER nurse said there was a Wal Mart not far from the truck stop. I went online, found the address, made sure Craig was comfortable, and took off on foot. I get there and find that the Pharmacy does not open until 9am. I have a 30 minute wait until they arrive, give them the prescription, and am told that their computers are down. So, another hour wait, and I finally have Craig's muscle relaxant and I make my way back to the truck.

Our plan was to rest in the truck and hope that some of his discomfort would dissipate with time. We stayed there all day hoping he would feel better. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Once again, during the night, Craig was in distress and in great pain. There was nothing I could do but call 911 again for an ambulance to take him back to the hospital. Once again the same Doctor told us we were basically in "no man's land" and that all he could do was give him another shot. I knew that Craig needed some place other than the truck to try and get comfortable and rest, so I started calling hotels. Seems there is a big oil boom going on in this area and every hotel room was taken. But I must have been convincing to a wonderful night clerk at the Hampton Inn, when I explained our problem, trying to hold back the tears, and she said we could stay there.

The shot for Craig offered no relief for him as it did the night before. The ER nurse recontacted the Doctor who prescribed a shot of pain reliever since he knew we were going to a hotel and not the truck, fearful, that Craig would try to drive. We knew that wasn't happening real soon. Craig was still in such pain as we wheeled him out to the patrol car, where Deputy Rubio once again took us to the hotel, where Craig managed to sit on a luggage cart as I wheeled him up to our room and onto a bed with lots of pillows so that he could finally find some sort of relief.

That brings you up to date on what we have been going through the last two days. Later this morning we will be talking to the Company to find out what our options are. Craig and I think if they can send another driver to drive the truck and Craig to civilization, he might be able to get the help he needs. Until decisions are made, I feel lost, scared, isolated, and sympathy for my husband who has been enduring so much pain. But we are strong, and I know we will get through this, somehow, someway, together always, as a team.