On Tuesday, March 23rd, after finding a blood clot in Gator's lung and 8hrs of waiting and torture at Centralia hospital (scroll down for the rest of the story!)...they sent Gator to Seattle VA in an ambulance and  Deb Barker drove me to Seattle in her car.  She packed a bag and said she would stay as long as we needed her to and bring us home!  Right after they put Gator in his room a team of very young looking Doctors came to his bedside and drilled into our heads that using the paddles and chest compressions and tubes down the throat were a horrible thing and said that we need to make our decision on what Gator wants done.  They must have harped on that for about 20minutes...then 2 of them called me out into the hall to go over it all with me again!  That first night they woke us up every 5 minutes I think to take blood from Gator to monitor the blood thinner.  He was so bruised and looked like a pin-cushion.  Well, I'm not going to go into any more details.  Deb and I spent our time reading and drawing pictures.  Weds. Deb and I walked down to the Cafeteria in the basement to have dinner but everything was locked up.  We didn't realize that the doors we had just come through were going to lock us out!  One of the hospital staff saw us coming towards the door and new we wanted back in and just let the doors shut on us!  What is wrong with people???!  We had to walk completley around the hospital outside and up the hill to get back in!  We were really glad it wasn't raining.  Dr. Grim couldn't make it in to see us but called and talked with us for about 20 min.  and Ellen Nason came in (Dr. Grims right hand!) to visit.  Deb brought shampoo and cream rinse and other essentials and so we were able to clean up a little, that sure felt good.
Ellen Nason came in a second time to see Gator, on Thursday.  Dr. Grim and Ellen do everything they can for Gator.  Dr. Grim sent a Hemotologist to see Gator and this doctor said that he thought we could safely give Gator this new blood thinner and said there shouldn't be any bleeding of the brain. Later, the first really young looking doctor who said that there would probably be bleeding and no way to treat it came in to say that she had researched it online and that is where she had gotten her info.  Sounded to me like she was trying to make excuses for what she had told us.  Well anyway, I'll just say that on thursday, we ended up being sent home with blood thinner that I have to inject into his belly every day. Not something that I'm real excited about doing but whatever it takes to keep him home.  He is taking Oxycodone (5mg) every 8-10hrs now for pain.