[...learned #181] triage

July 8th, 2009 Graig

Around 5:30 Monday morning we gave triage at the hospital a call. I hesitantly asked if we should come in, given the span of Aden’s contractions, but in spite of the fact her water hasn’t broken. They asked a slew of questions…
- when did the contractions start
- how long are they lasting
- how frequent are they
- does she have any “show” (mucous and blood coming out because of dilation
- does she feel any rectal pressure or the urge to push
- is she able to talk through them or can she only breathe

It was after this last questions (stating that she’s pretty much just breathing) that they took her name and her doctor’s name, and they said “Well, she should probably make her way in, no need to rush, but soon…”

Once we got to the hospital, after a white knuckle cab ride and a quick check-in at the hospital, we made it to maternity triage around 6am where we quickly sat down in a chair and rapidly waited for 40 minutes for someone to acknowledge us. Aden, already quite tired after no sleep and over 8 hours of frequent and debilitating contractions started to feel nauseous (something else they don’t show you in the films, though not all women throw up.

When they finally admitted us into a triage room, Aden changed into a hospital gown, they hooked Aden’s belly up to a couple monitors (one for contractions, one for the baby’s heartbeat) and they checked her cervix for dilation (about 4 inches at that point). They told us they were going to quickly move us into a delivery room, but quickly in triage was about another 40 minutes.

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[...i ate #181] cherries

July 3rd, 2009 Graig

Cherries aren’t cheap. But I also know from experience that they’re also hard to grow without getting worms, so when you buy them, and they don’t have worms, they’re totally worth it.

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[...consumed all new #181] Time Crimes (Les Chronocrimenes)

July 2nd, 2009 Graig

A few years ago a low-budget, constrained drama about a time travel machine called Primer emerged, it’s $7K budget and brain-bending plot created an unlikely sensation. While I loved the film, I can’t help but admit that, save for the nichest of audiences, it is kind of difficult to follow, and possibly even dull. Time Crimes, a low-budget, constrained, Spanish thriller has emerged as a more accessible, engaging film taking on a similar theme but with a much different edge. With no more than four actors in the entire production, the film playing out in three tonally distinct acts, the first very much inspired by slasher films, the second is a morose comedy of errors, while the third is a tense, fatalistic tragedy. Without spilling the details of what happens, I have to say that the second and third act are somewhat predictable. I don’t think the film was looking for a Shyamalan-esque “twist” though, but instead following through on its methodical and satirical continuity. It does wind up maddening at times, and the finale really could use a post script, but overall a thoroughly satisfying venture.

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