Geek King
05-30-2008, 06:27 PM
I feel like I need to get this out. Just some self-therapy. Good thoughts/prays would be appreciated, though.
I go home from work last night, looking forward to finally putting some time into Age of Conan since I haven't been able to play since the release. I boot the compy, get the latest patch, and get a character made. No sooner do I get to the beach cutscene, then a loud POP! and a burst of light emits from behind my PC tower. The screen goes dark, as does all the PC status lights. I've just blown a 500W power supply, and didn't even get a power surge or outage to show for it.
I make an emergancy run out to the local computer shop, and fortunately find another 500W power supply with all the connectors I'll need for the case display, drives, and video card*. Get back, install the new power supply, and test the compy. By some wonder, everything is working, and I don't have to replace further fried componants. Yay! Time to boot up AoC!
As the program is loading I get a call from my Mom. My grandmother on my father's side has been rushed to the hospital with severe breathing problems. They're calling all the family in the area to her bedside because they can't get her breathing right again.
I grab a book on the way out the door and make for the hospital. I get there just before Mom and Dad. My Grandfather is worried out of his mind, and my grandmother's sister is at her bedside. Grandma is gasping for air, and they have her on O2 to keep the saturation levels up. EMS has done what they can to stabilize her, and she's being moved to observation. After a while, they try a C-PAP (sp?) machine on her, and that seems to work. Over several hours, her breathing normalized and her color went back to normal. The nurses and doctors decide to move her to ICU for the night.
Things still aren't good, though. See, she has been treating an inoperable cancer mass in her chest for several months with kemotherapy, and while it hasn't gotten smaller, it also hasn't gotten bigger. Well, the fear now is that it shifted, and is laying against the bronchial tubes. Things could go south awfully quick, and now I'm in fear of the phone ringing. The news will likely be bad if it's my folks calling.
I got home sometime after one in the morning. Got up at six for work. I'm putting on a good front for Dad, who is looking at losing his mother, and Grandpa, who has been married to her for over sixty years. I'm an awfully good liar, when I put my mind to it. I sit here at work, fixing computers, or writing when I have a spare moment. It keeps me from losing it. I can't do that right now. The family needs me to understand what the doctors mean. Needs someone who can crack a joke at a time like this. I think it made everyone a little lighter when I got Grandma to giggle last night, even as the C-PAP whooshed away next to her. I'm crying some now, but that's okay. Nobody in my office to see over lunch. I can bring it back together. Logic and Snark. My two mental blades against myself. Being dependable sucks.
Feeling better now, so maybe it helped after all. If you made it this far, thanks for listening.
* Before someone asks, yes, I do have enough power supply for the stuff I'm running. I ran it by a professional PC builder when I was putting it together.
I go home from work last night, looking forward to finally putting some time into Age of Conan since I haven't been able to play since the release. I boot the compy, get the latest patch, and get a character made. No sooner do I get to the beach cutscene, then a loud POP! and a burst of light emits from behind my PC tower. The screen goes dark, as does all the PC status lights. I've just blown a 500W power supply, and didn't even get a power surge or outage to show for it.
I make an emergancy run out to the local computer shop, and fortunately find another 500W power supply with all the connectors I'll need for the case display, drives, and video card*. Get back, install the new power supply, and test the compy. By some wonder, everything is working, and I don't have to replace further fried componants. Yay! Time to boot up AoC!
As the program is loading I get a call from my Mom. My grandmother on my father's side has been rushed to the hospital with severe breathing problems. They're calling all the family in the area to her bedside because they can't get her breathing right again.
I grab a book on the way out the door and make for the hospital. I get there just before Mom and Dad. My Grandfather is worried out of his mind, and my grandmother's sister is at her bedside. Grandma is gasping for air, and they have her on O2 to keep the saturation levels up. EMS has done what they can to stabilize her, and she's being moved to observation. After a while, they try a C-PAP (sp?) machine on her, and that seems to work. Over several hours, her breathing normalized and her color went back to normal. The nurses and doctors decide to move her to ICU for the night.
Things still aren't good, though. See, she has been treating an inoperable cancer mass in her chest for several months with kemotherapy, and while it hasn't gotten smaller, it also hasn't gotten bigger. Well, the fear now is that it shifted, and is laying against the bronchial tubes. Things could go south awfully quick, and now I'm in fear of the phone ringing. The news will likely be bad if it's my folks calling.
I got home sometime after one in the morning. Got up at six for work. I'm putting on a good front for Dad, who is looking at losing his mother, and Grandpa, who has been married to her for over sixty years. I'm an awfully good liar, when I put my mind to it. I sit here at work, fixing computers, or writing when I have a spare moment. It keeps me from losing it. I can't do that right now. The family needs me to understand what the doctors mean. Needs someone who can crack a joke at a time like this. I think it made everyone a little lighter when I got Grandma to giggle last night, even as the C-PAP whooshed away next to her. I'm crying some now, but that's okay. Nobody in my office to see over lunch. I can bring it back together. Logic and Snark. My two mental blades against myself. Being dependable sucks.
Feeling better now, so maybe it helped after all. If you made it this far, thanks for listening.
* Before someone asks, yes, I do have enough power supply for the stuff I'm running. I ran it by a professional PC builder when I was putting it together.