Racing for Hope Journal Entry 6 - Christmastime

Alright, let’s get down to business, shall we? After Mandy’s 2 year cancer-versary, we went to Minnesota to see some of her family. While there, we ended up in the emergency room for 10 hours! Mandy had an infection in her drain and bile. She was given antibiotics to help. After we came home, Mandy had surgery (an ERCP) to place a stent which hopefully will help fix the bile leak. The surgery went well, and we got home where Mandy was recovering. A few hours later, she has extreme pain in her abdomen and is vomiting. We went to our local emergency room. I was kicked out to the car because no visitors were allowed in the ER due to Covid being so high right now. After 3 plus hours, I go back in to find Mandy on the floor in pain begging people to help her. We get someone to stop, they ask her name and come back just to tell her she has 5 people in front of her. We tell the nurse we are going out to the car, but please don’t take us off the list yet. We discuss if we should go elsewhere. After deciding it wasn’t the best decision, I go back in to talk to registration again. I let them know we are staying, but she is going to sit in the car so she is away from possible Covid and the heat on her back is helping the pain some. She apologized for the wait after I tell her not to apologize that it isn’t her fault. It’s people not getting vaccinated and not being smart, I go back out to the car. Not even 2 mins later, I get a call that they are ready for Mandy. They decided to admit her immediately, and after 22 hours in the ER, they finally get her a room and that is when I’m allowed to join her! We missed Christmas Eve and Mandy missed Christmas with the girls. It isn’t fair, it sucks and cancer is the flipping worst!