Nighttime View at Harborview — scroll for pics

Posted: April 22nd, 2009 | Author: Marissa K. | Filed under: | 2 Comments »

Last night, I worked late. And since it was a day of hard work and some accomplishments, I was thrilled when my girlfriend called me back and agreed to meet up for a drink. As I walked to the bar, I realized my cell phone was in the car but figured it wasn’t worth doubling back for.

I WAS WRONG.

I got to my car at the end of my evening, checked my phone and found EIGHT missed messages. I sat and listened to the four voicemails, which went something like this:

1. Nathan Kaiser – hang up.

2. Unrecognized # – “Hi, this is ______ from Amy Yee Tennis Center. I’m calling to let you know that an ambulance is coming to pick up your husband, Nathan Kaiser.”

3. Nathan Kaiser – “Hi, this is ______ from EMS. I’m calling from the ambulance to let you know that your husband here, and we’re taking him to Harborview.”

… I don’t remember the rest of the messages. I pulled out and hauled ass to Seattle’s one-and-only trauma center, cursing my decision to leave my phone in the car. Why the hell would they need to take Nate to Harborview?!?!?! There are other ERs in the area for less traumatic…

As I crested First Hill, Nate’s sister called. I answered the phone asking, “Are you with your brother?!?” Unfortunately, she wasn’t but she’d learned about his situation over Facebook. FACEBOOK! And she reassured me that if he’s well enough to post to Facebook, he’s not in dire straights.

Only my husband would post his condition to his Twitter, which updates his Facebook. Nate’s 900 followers on Twitter and 1000 friends on Facebook knew he was at Harborview before I did. Nuts.

I got to the hospital and found Nate like this:

Turns out, Nate and another sailor collided heads during one of the sailboat races on Lake Washington. He ran off the sailboat to meet my grandfather for a game of tennis, but didn’t realize he’d been really injured. After losing the first set, he walked up to his opponents to shake their hands and call it quits–he was dizzy and couldn’t focus his eyes.

As he walked off the courts, he didn’t hold a straight line. They decided to call 911.

After much examination, Nate was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion.

The doctor ended the exam with this comment, “Maybe YOU [meaning special-case Nate] should wear a helmet while sailing.”

In his few hours in the ER, Nate received a rabbinical blessing (one of his tennis opponents is a rabbi), a kiss from his wife, and a visit from his father who landed at SeaTac just in time to check his Facebook and learn his son was in the ER.

Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes.

He’s a bit out of it, but doing better. And he’ll be fine. I’ll leave you with this embarrassing picture and a few classic lines a la our friend Eric:

Hope it finally knocked some sense into you.

Perhaps it improves your looks.

Thankfully it was a head shot and nothing precious…

And from Nate’s bro, Clayton:

There remains nothing harder than the Kaiser cranium.

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