Inquiring Cows Want to Know.....(And a Just Added Update on "Code Blue" posting)...

* (Scene: Day 12 Since Discovery of the Eggies ) *

Tra la la.....Just another buccolic scene in Podunk's pastures, the stupid cows standing around, doing what stupid cows do, minding their own business.....and then suddenly.....

One stupid cow says to the other stupid cow: "What's that noise I just heard?"

The other stupid cow replies: "What noise?"

First stupid cow: "THAT noise, stupid! It's..... well, I think it's gossip in the fowl world, I tell you! I hear that woodpecker tapping it out in Bird Morse Code! Something IMPORTANT is going on! "

The other stupid cow, eyes widening in a dawning realization: "You don't think?.....you don't think...that Bo's mockingbird babies are finally hatching do you?"

First stupid cow: "Shut up and let me listen to the woodpecker's tappings......OH LORD THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS! Call a RED ALERT!!"

Other stupid cow (after spitting her cud out onto the ground):

"Red Alert! Red Alert! All available fowl midwives to the balcony of Bohemian Road Nurse, first hanging flower pot on the right! THIS IS NO DRILL! I repeat---THIS IS NO DRILL!!!"

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(Next scene, in Bo's apartment and her balcony ..... )

(Picture me in a panic, running around my apartment like an idiot, not knowing what to do.)

"Buy the cigars!"

"Somebody boil some water!"

"Pack Mama Birdie a bag for the Bird Hospital!"

"Good Lord, I think it's happened!"

Yes, it was true! The Blessed Event had finally happened!

And, phew, it was touch and go there for a minute, as I was worried about each and every one of the four eggies as it got closer and closer to "hatching time"! I was practically chomping at the bit.

In fact, on Day 12, I had "a feeling". Because Mama Birdie seemed more "serious" in her brooding. And she had sat on that dang nest till I thought her feathery little butt was glued to it. And impatient me wanted to LOOK in that nest so badly that I almost felt like going out there and unconsiderately lifting up one of her "butt cheeks" (do birds have "butt cheeks"?) and saying to her: "Uh....excuse me Ma'am, but do ya mind? I've gotta look under there..."

But I refrained from doing that. I simply waited till she got off the dang nest for awhile.

And then I looked:

BABY BIRDS had been born! THREE out of four eggies!

As I looked in wonder at the three babies, I noticed Mama Birdie and Papa Birdie up on the roof, just a few feet away, talking to each other.....

"I told you she was going to start this crap again," I think I heard Mama Birdie say....

I fretted about that fourth egg. She had lost a fourth egg in the last batch and I was highly worried about this egg. So I waited patiently, all night long.....

So today, on Day 13 Since Discovery of the Eggies....

I looked again....

FOUR BABY BIRDIES!!! The fourth egg had hatched! Yahoo!!

And then I guess I must have woke them up----because the babies started moving and two of them started wanting to be fed. That's always a good sign!

And then I thought to myself, awww shucks......

I'll just leave the little family alone, to get to know each other....

....after one more pic.......

(I think she's getting right tame, doncha think? Because that's not a "zoomed" picture. I was actually only about 6 inches away from her, as I stood on a chair in front of the plant. Guess she came to the conclusion that I'm gonna take pics come hell or high water and must figure that at least she can "supervise" this time.....)

And then it started raining again.......and so right now Mama Birdie is sitting on her new babies, keeping 'em dry and warm....

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(Added later, an update on Mrs. Turnwater, from my previous blog posting called "Code Blue.... ")

Things are not good. When it became ICU "visiting hours" time at the hospital, I went over there to the hospital and checked on her. All of her family is there with her, having driven in from various towns, including her executive daughter from Dallas.

It is as I feared. She will probably not last long, although she is giving it a good fight.

Her blood pressure right now is horrifyingly low, mostly between the 50's and 90's systolically. She is on the ventilator machine which breathes for her, and has reportedly been "bucking the vent" , which in hospital slang means that she struggles and fights against it---which (although it is necessary to help her breathe) is very understandable because who would want a damn tube down their throat?

It is very horribly uncomfortable and frightening to be intubated, and patients cannot help but gag and be restless when ventilated. When a patient is in this horrid situation, the doctors mercifully order paralyzing and tranquilizing medication in order that the patient not only be prevented from struggling and "fighting" the ventilator, allowing the machine to deliver the necessary oxygen to their lungs---but also so that the patient becomes sedated and calmed in order that they "don't mind" the discomfort. This always works and makes for a much easier time for the patient. But, unfortunately, in Mrs. Turnwater's case, every time they have tried this process on her, the tranquilizing medication seems to cause her blood pressure to go even lower--- which in her current state would be lifethreatening as the tranquilizing medications seem to be causing her blood pressure to fall too low to support her heart and other body organs' functioning. Which is bad because Mrs. Turnwater's kidneys have also begun to fail.

The good doctors and nurses are fighting a losing battle--- and they know it. But still they fight on, as we speak.......

Jenna has maintained constant contact with the family, and the family has thanked her over and over, recognizing the fact that had Jenna not been with Mrs. Turnwater at the time she lost consciousness, Mrs. Turnwater would not have lived long enough after passing out to have been "coded". Basically, Jenna saved Mrs. Turnwater's life.

But still, as I told you in my previous post about the survival rate statistics for Code Blues on the elderly, Mrs. Turnwater is most likely going to die soon. I hate to be that blunt, but it's a fact that we must prepare for and face.

But I did not say that to Mrs. Turnwater's family. I only told the family that we are continuing our prayers for them all and are here for them if they need us. I told her daughter to feel free to call my cell phone at any time, no matter what time of day or night. But Mrs. Turnwater's daughter did admit to me that the doctor had pulled her aside and discussed with her that "things did not look good"---so the daughter is attempting to prepare herself psychologically for the worst. And it breaks my heart...

I am calling upon the Angels of the Lord to hover close to this patient and her family, keeping them all wrapped in their loving arms during this time---and also for all of us who love her and are struggling with our own sadness. Because we all love Mrs. Turnwater.

I don't think I remembered to mention this before, but Mrs. Turnwater is a retired nurse. During her career she helped multitudes of patients---- and I hope like heck that we, in turn, can do as much as we can to help her in her hour of illness and need.

I'll keep you all informed....

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