[Volundr]

My mother waited for 3 months for imaging on her heart. 4 ER trips in that time, she spent much of it afraid she could die at any minute. We tried to comfort ourselves with the idea that her GP and the cardiologist knew what she was experiencing, surely if it were as critical as it felt to her something would be escalated right? But when they finally got a lock at her heart they all but handcuffed her to the hospital bed, and scheduled emergency surgery for the morning. 4 valves repaired and I don't recall what all else. She is doing well now, but our conversations during those months where she was simultaneously trying not to scare me, but also make sure her affairs were in order will undoubtedly be with me for the rest of my life.

Our system is broken.