Embracing the New Normal
by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme The ringing phone woke me from a sound sleep. The caller ID flashed bright in the darkness. It was from the memory care assisted-living, where my husband had been for three months. The voice on the other end was somber. �Your husband has collapsed and is unresponsive. We�ve called EMS.� After a pause she added, �But he�s breathing.� Strength drained from my legs as I jumped from bed. Steadying myself, I threw on a dress and sandals and ran upstairs to wake my visiting granddaughter. �Wake up. Pop�s on his way to the hospital.� Like a loyal soldier, she obeyed my command and met me in the car, strength and comfort pouring from her tender heart. We drove out into the darkness. Into the unknown. The ER was crowded, with doctors and nurses swiftly appearing in and out of the walled cubicles. Emergency codes blared intermittently over the intercom, followed by the sound of hurried feet. The air carried the antiseptic scent of bleach and alcohol. ...