by Zi'ere
“I got up the same time your husband gets up. Now, I am only going to ask you to tell me one more time what’s going on before I get on my own phone and call Carlos myself. And you don’t have much time.” Mrs. Gert looked down at the watch on her wrist.
There was a small tap on the office door.
“Come in.” Amina instructed.
In walked Felicia, Emani’s assistant holding a beautiful bouquet of calla lilies.
“Good morning ladies. Amina, these just arrived for you.” Felicia spoke as she made her way into the spacious office.
“Aww, that man of mine never stops surprising me.” Amina got misty eyed looking at the reminder that her man was thinking of her even when she least expected he would be.
Felicia took care and sat the vase down onto a corner of Amina’s desk.
“Of course you know I offered to tip the delivery woman but she said it had already been taken care of.” Felicia spoke as she headed towards the door.
“Ok, sweetie. Have a good day okay. If you need me just call me alright.” Amina looked concerned as she spoke.
Felicia gave her a humble head nod before she closed the door behind her. Amina knew that she really needed to do something about Emani’s relationship with Felicia and with every other staff member in the office for that matter. She would put an end to Emani’s witch hunt if it was the last thing she did. Amina’s thoughts were interrupted my Mrs. Gert clearing her throat. She obviously wasn’t in the mood for fun and games that day. But when it came to Amina’s wellbeing, there was no playing with Mrs. Gert. Even though Emani was technically her boss, Ms. Gert didn’t have a problem setting anybody and especially Emani on the path to righteousness when it came to the care and wellbeing of Amina. Emani couldn’t stand it.
“Goodness, impatient are we this morning?” Amina was still trying to stall.
Instead of a reply, Gert looked down at her watch.
“Ok, ok, ok! I need you to make me an appointment with my internist. I’m having some shortness of breath. I think I’m a little too old to have asthma, but it is only getting worse and it is keeping me up at night here lately.” Amina made eye contact with her.
The last thing she wanted anyone to do was to think she was being secretive about her health. But at the same time, Amina didn’t want anyone to worry. At least not before she knew there was something she should be worried about. Gert was going to pray and fret over her until the appointment and she would be there in the doctor’s office with Amina regardless to what she thought. Amina knew it so she had no plans of trying to stop her this time.
“I will do that right now. But you do know I’m going with you right?” Gert looked at Amina over the frames of her eyeglasses.
“Nana, I haven’t even told Carlos that I am having ‘an’ issue let alone it bothering me enough to have to go to the doctor.” Amina closed her eyes and sat back in the plush leather chair.
She put her feet up on the footstool beside the desk and calmed herself for the tongue lashing she was about to get, take, and keep for the rest of her life. In two –point- one seconds Ms. Gert was on her feet.
“Let me tell you something Mrs. Amina Barton-Haywood, you are my child. Even though I didn’t birth you I have been watching and praying over you for more than twenty years. And that makes you mine! I don’t care what you did or did not tell Carlos or anyone else! There is something wrong- which has to be terribly bad for you to have even considered the option of needing to stop your life to go to the doctor! Instead of me telling you to take your butt to the doctor as usual, this time you’re volunteering? I’ve never seen or heard that before! And yes I am going to fret over you as much as I can! I would not care one bit if I had to sit sideways in the back of that Escalade to make room for my hips, try making it to that doctor’s appointment without me, that’s what you do since you think you’re so grown!” When she had finished her speech, somehow she was already at the door with her hand on the knob.
Ms. Gert had no problems slamming the door to Amina’s office behind her as if she was the boss of the joint. Amina began to rub her temples. In a matter of minutes everyone Gert had a phone number for would know that Amina had some kind of medical issue that required a doc appointment. Carlos was going to drop everything and be at her side twenty five, eight. Pretty soon she would be surrounded by the large Haywood clan either in her own home or at the big house. Amina did not need that kind of stress in her life at the moment. If her assistant hadn’t stormed out of the office or if she was even still talking to her at the moment, Amina would have told her that she really needed to go back home to get in bed. Amina was exhausted and had no idea why. She was not going to be worth salt in the office that day. She moved from behind her desk, smelling the beautiful flowers again before making her way over to the leather couch. She planned to lay down just long enough for Gert to stop being mad at her, which usually took thirty minutes to an hour. This time when Amina was awakened by Gert, it was way past noon.
“Sunshine I came in here earlier but you were sleeping so peacefully, I decided you needed the rest. The doctor’s office was able to get you in today. Your appointment is in an hour.” As she talked she took the throw blanket from Amina’s body and began to fold it neatly.
Amina was dazed that she had been able to sleep the morning hours away without one interruption. Gert truly earned every penny of the handsome salary she was being paid, there was no disputing that. Emani had not even been allowed to come into her office. That was cause for World War III in Emani’s eyes. However Mrs. Gert had done it, Amina was appreciative for the peaceful rest.
“Go get freshened up and we all will be ready to go when you’re done. I have something quick for you to eat once we get in the car.” Gert pushed her towards the full bathroom she shared with Emani.
“Who is ‘we’?” Amina was not ready for Carlos to know anything that day.
When Amina came home with an inhaler, he would be soothed that her problem was an easy fix with no cause for concerns. Amina was putting all of her chips on the table to be she just needed a strong breathing treatment and then she could return back to normal.
“Relax Sunshine. The only people who know you are going to the doctor are me, you, and Louie. Not even your hellish, nosey sister knows.”
11
In the doctor’s office, things got real really quick. After listening to Amina’s heart the doctor felt another EKG was in order. After that was complete, she and Ms. Gert sat in the exam room for another hour before anyone came back in. The nursing assistant told her that she needed to produce a urine sample and they needed blood samples. Another thirty minutes after that the first older doctor returned with another doctor who was younger, that she had never seen before. Whatever Amina’s news would be, it was not going to be good. She could tell by the looks on their faces.
“Mrs. Haywood, first I would like to apologize for keeping you for so long in the office today. It was necessary that I obtain checked and then rechecked the information that we received. Once that was done, I needed a second opinion so that I could be sure of what your problem truly is. First off, I know you were worried about your symptoms mocking those of an asthma patient, but your lungs are clear, everything sounds fine on that end. What doesn’t sound too good is your heart. The way the pages read from the EKG we did today, your heart is beating as if you are high off of cocaine. Without knowing that you are clean for every drug we can test for, we as medical professionals would think that you are very well in the middle of overdosing off of said illegal drug right now- in this very moment. We can tell by looking at you not to mention your stature in the community that isn’t the case. Please understand that we also had to prove it scientifically as well. We now know for certain that isn’t true because we tested your urine and blood for drugs. Once again, you are completely drug free. If I seem anxious or unsettled, please forgive me. The situation with your heart is so complex. I have never seen anything like it. You have some pretty serious
things going on inside of you that no one in this office is going to be able to help you with. I know you have been sitting on that exam table for hours and there is no reason for your heart to beat as if you have been running a marathon, but that is exactly what it is doing. Also, on top of the serious heart issues, Amina you are pregnant as well. I cannot tell you what the next step is right now. It is our medical orders that you go directly to the hospital. Absolutely, no stops in between from here to there end of story. If you do not have transportation to drive you, we will have to call an ambulance to transport you. That is nonnegotiable. Things are just that crucial at this point.” Both of the doctors had somber looks on their faces.
“So you’re telling me that there is really something seriously wrong with my heart?” Amina was completely stunned numb.
Even though this was not the first time she had heard the news. It was still a hard hit that now it had been confirmed three times that she had cardiac issues. Her heart was broken physically and literally. On top of that news, she was pregnant once again. She broke down with the thought that she would lose yet another baby given to her by the love of her life.
“I’m telling you that you and your unborn baby are in grave danger by the minute until you get under the care of a cardiologist who is an expert on your type of heart disease. At the very least you need cardiac medications as soon as possible and I am for certain there will be some sort of procedure to correct some issues as well. You are getting ready for the fight of your life Mrs. Haywood.” This time the doctor’s words were more cut throat.
‘Disease.’
He said that Amina had heart disease. She was in her early thirties, how could she have heart disease? And, she was pregnant.
‘You and your baby are in grave danger.’
The doctor’s words kept sounding off in her head as if she were in a tunnel.
The only thing Amina could do was let the tears fall. She had just gotten married and it was not part of their lifestyle for her to have heart disease. There was no way she could have heart disease. She was only in her thirties she reminded herself. She did not know of another person her age facing any sort of disease separate from alcoholism. She thought only older people had these types of problems, well not the pregnancy part. But certainly the heart disease part, she thought to herself. She was not ready for her life to be over. She had a lot of things she wanted to accomplish. She wanted to give her husband the beautiful baby already in her belly. Now all her hopes and dreams were hanging in thin air with no definite answers. Amina could see the doctor’s mouth moving but she could not hear his words. She felt Gert’s arms around her. She heard her voice because her ear was pressed against her chest but Amina could not even make out what she was saying clearly.
“Ambulance or no, we cannot waste another moment?” The doctor lifted her chin to get a clear answer from Amina.
“No ambulance, she has a private driver. I will make sure she goes straight to the emergency room. Is there any kind of paperwork packet or orders we need to take with her?” Gert was doing what she does best.
“No, my nurse is on the phone with the hospital as we speak and admittance will be set by the time you get her there. I wish you the best Mrs. Haywood.” The doctor and his fellow left the room.
Amina looked into Gert’s eyes and began to cry harder.
“Listen sunshine, God has the final say- not that doctor. Now we are going to go to this hospital to find out what exactly is going on with your heart. We are going to have faith that everything will be what God has it to be. I’m going to give you this time to cry. When that is done, we are going to fight this battle together, that’s just the way it’s going to be. You will not be alone in this, I promise you that.” Gert pulled out her smart phone and called Louie to come inside and help get Amina to the car.
Once inside the truck on the way to the hospital, Amina was inconsolable. She heard Gert give Carlos the long and short of what happened at the doctor’s office. Their marriage was still new. She was not even sure Carlos would even stand by her side as she fought whatever it was that was wrong with her heart. Newly married men did not want unhealthy wives that would be more of a burden than an asset. Amina didn’t know what Carlos would feel if they couldn’t make love when he wanted. Carlos traveled the world all the time, how was he going to continue to run his empire with a sick wife. There was no way she could expect him to jeopardize his income or professional goals for her. Above all of that, Amina still had goals she wanted to accomplish. She had no idea what she was supposed to do with a disease that would hinder her life’s work as a mother, model, and entrepreneur.
Her husband and the entire family traveled the world on a whim for business and pleasure constantly. As a matter of fact, Carlos was scheduled to leave out that night to travel to New York. She could only imagine how their marriage would suffer when he had no choice but to leave her behind. She had seen enough episodes of the television series Snapped to know that family members could get tired of taking care of an invalid rather quickly. Sure, Carlos was a wealthy man and Amina was just as wealthy, independently. She wouldn’t be a financial burden or any other kind of burden to her husband, ever.
Too many negative thoughts ran through Amina’s mind. She decided there were only two issues she needed answers to that day. She was stuck on the possibility that she may not be able to carry her baby or give Carlos children ever. If she couldn’t travel, she wondered if he was willing to miss out on all of the family vacations the Haywood’s took all over the world at the drop of a dime. She needed to know that day if it was okay with him if she couldn’t have babies for him. If Carlos couldn’t handle her being sick, he was going to have to tell her that day. She stubbornly decided that she didn’t need any weak links on her team. She had been getting along in life before Carlos and as long as she had her sisters and Ms. Gert, Amina was brave enough to face anything; even if she had to do it alone. She realized that she might have been jumping the gun. Since the heavy load had been dropped in her lap in a day, she needed answers from him in a day as well. Any signs of stalling on his part would tell her everything she needed to know. She squeezed her eyes shut tight and prayed that her marriage would be able to survive her sicknesses. She and Carlos had written their own vows but they had still incorporated the traditional words into their own. Amina prayed her marriage was built on a solid foundation.
12
After a series of tests, x-rays, and being poked from top to bottom, from the rooter to the tooter, Amina was allowed to sleep until the head cardiologist came in the next morning. In true Haywood fashion, the entire crew was there from start to finish of the whole ordeal. The staff at the hospital began to get irritated with the number of bodies in the room versus the amount of available space for them to do their job. All of the stares and questions proved to be too much for me. A wise nurse saw my predicament and pushed two milligrams of Xanax into my IV. After ten minutes I was relaxed enough to go to sleep. In the middle of in and out of sleep I heard the same nurse push Carlos out of the room as well. There was nothing he could do until the doctor came in and the nurse had already secured orders to keep Amina sedated until then.
Amina felt her husband’s lips on hers and then all over her face. A few moments later he was gone. She never had the opportunity to ask him the touch questions she needed answers to. She would have liked to have taken a few moments to reflect on the things that were going on in her life but there was no time to process it all. She was so heavily sedated and could not stay awake no matter how hard she tried. The coolness of the hospital bed and the uncomfortable mattress was not a good combination for her. After a few hours of sleep she was up around three am tossing and turning. After the certified nursing assistant took her vitals, she returned with a few more pillows and a registered nurse. While the CNA got Amina comfortable physically, the nurse got her comfortable medically. In a matter of minutes she was knocked out cold again.
It was after seven am when Amina wa
s coherent enough to know that she had a visitor in the room. She looked up to see a handsome African American man who looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ magazine because he was not dressed in mint green scrubs and the basic lab coat that doctors wore. He introduced himself as Dr. Corey Frasier. After verifying he had the correct chart for the correct patient he began to go over the results of the tests I had the night before. He started off by asking if she wanted to wait until her family members made it back to the hospital before he talked to her about the results. Amina quickly declined and immediately asked for paperwork to be signed that would seal her medical records from Carlos even.
After the paperwork was signed, Dr. Frasier pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed. Amina was seated up right and felt as if her heart would literally jump out of her chest and land on the floor. Whatever the foreign medical language held, she could tell it was not going to be good by the look on the doctor’s face for the second time.
“Mrs. Haywood, I am not one to beat around the bush- let me start off on that note. Your brother-in-law is a good friend in addition to being a colleague in our private medical park organization. Of course we have doctor-patient confidentiality but you are putting me in a tough spot. The only difference is that this time, you are my patient unless you decide you don’t want me to treat you.” The doctor talked smooth and with ease.
Amina was so busy thinking of the what-if’s, she paid little attention to the question he had just asked in the form of an urgent statement.
“You work with John. He is the best at what he does and he surrounds himself with nothing but the best in the medical field. I have faith in you, your diagnosis, and treatment plans.”
“Ok, let’s get started. You have a heart murmur but it is the kind that you have probably had all of your life and was never an issue for you. Over time your heart has grown in an abnormal way. The heart has four chambers, the walls to two of those chambers is over two inches thicker than what it should be in a normal heart for a woman your age. That is issue number two. Issue number three is that you have too many electrical circuits firing off at one time. That is what causes your heart to speed up in pace even when you are sitting still. Collectively, you have a heart murmur, you have what is known as Wolfe, Parkinson’s, & Whyte- what we call WPW, and you have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The first thing we need to do is get the WPW under control. At that time we can see what you heart rate would be considered as normal for you and then we can attack the cardiomyopathy.” Amina was pleased that the doctor was knowledgeable about her conditions.
