Tuesday, June 27, 2006
STRESS TEST....
We have had a busy day. Half was very busy and half was waiting around for the next part of Rocky’s procedure today. For some reason I woke early to the birds singing loud in our window. A red bud tree is right outside and the birds love to ‘sit a spell’ as they alternate between the sunflower seeds and fresh water put out for them. I guess they are grateful and want to thank us.
I tried to gather my senses about what had to be done before we could leave for Rocky’s appointment and as the mental list kept getting longer, I bounced out at 6:30 and began the chores before leaving. Tuesday is also trash day in our section on town so that had to be taken out…….I decided to let Rocky sleep as long as he could because I knew it would be a long day.
Just when I was ready to make my coffee and pat myself on the back for being so far ahead of schedule the phone rang. It was the nurse from the hospital saying the first appointment had canceled and would we like to come in early? We could come as soon as we wanted. Of course, I jumped at the chance so we wouldn’t be so late in the day getting home.
Rocky heard the phone and was out of bed…….when I told him we could go early, we both shoved into high gear and left by 8:30. We were at the Admittance Office by 9:00 and things looked backed up. The ladies behind the desk already looked haggard and we settled in for a wait before we could even be admitted.
They didn’t get the “hurry up and come early part” at all……they moved with maddening slowness and deliberation…..the clock ticking all the while. If you are getting the idea we were anxious……you’re right. The clock was fast getting around to our normal appointment time.
Finally a nurse came to take us back and after more paper work and an attempt to put an I.V. in Rocky she called for help. A big six foot guy came in and got the job done after taking him to another room. Just when we thought things were looking up, we were told to go back to the waiting room…….and wait. They would call us. So we waited and waited and everyone waiting with us was complaining about waiting………one by one they were taken for this, that and the other……while the rest of us……yes……waited for our turn.
Lunch time came and went and finally Rocky and the nurse showed up with the news that we were going to have a complimentary lunch in the hospital cafeteria. We rushed down three different halls to make the deadline before closing. It wasn’t great but we were starved and we could have eaten anything and been grateful.
Rocky still had to wait for the final phase of his stress test…….believe me….I was stressed without the test. I think I knit a foot of afghan before we were finally finished. We turned the lights out in the waiting room at 3:30 and drove home by 4:00. Of course, no one did the KP while I was gone so Rocky and I did the necessary things and ate some supper. Becky came by with the bad news that Jonathan’s mother-in-law was in the hospital at St. Louis with very serious congested heart failure. Aimee had taken her and Brady up for their appointments and they kept Lena as she was in such dire straights. Aimee drove home with Brady by herself and I guess he was not a happy camper. She had her hands full. Becky went to help as soon as she got home.
I did some fast fertilizing of the flower garden, did some laundry and now I think I’m ready to go back tomorrow for Rocky’s lab work. We won’t know the results of the stress test for a couple of days probably but I’ll post as soon as we know anything.
Needless to say, we are both very tired but thank goodness for a good bed and time to sleep…….tomorrow is another day and the last of his appointments until next Wednesday when we go for Rocky’s last chemo treatment of this series. Dr. Morgan could stand a few prayers as he tries to decide the best and most effective treatment from here on.
One thing that impressed me as I leafed through a magazine today were a few beautiful words……. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I couldn’t agree more and I hope you have a lot of them as I do.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
I tried to gather my senses about what had to be done before we could leave for Rocky’s appointment and as the mental list kept getting longer, I bounced out at 6:30 and began the chores before leaving. Tuesday is also trash day in our section on town so that had to be taken out…….I decided to let Rocky sleep as long as he could because I knew it would be a long day.
Just when I was ready to make my coffee and pat myself on the back for being so far ahead of schedule the phone rang. It was the nurse from the hospital saying the first appointment had canceled and would we like to come in early? We could come as soon as we wanted. Of course, I jumped at the chance so we wouldn’t be so late in the day getting home.
Rocky heard the phone and was out of bed…….when I told him we could go early, we both shoved into high gear and left by 8:30. We were at the Admittance Office by 9:00 and things looked backed up. The ladies behind the desk already looked haggard and we settled in for a wait before we could even be admitted.
They didn’t get the “hurry up and come early part” at all……they moved with maddening slowness and deliberation…..the clock ticking all the while. If you are getting the idea we were anxious……you’re right. The clock was fast getting around to our normal appointment time.
Finally a nurse came to take us back and after more paper work and an attempt to put an I.V. in Rocky she called for help. A big six foot guy came in and got the job done after taking him to another room. Just when we thought things were looking up, we were told to go back to the waiting room…….and wait. They would call us. So we waited and waited and everyone waiting with us was complaining about waiting………one by one they were taken for this, that and the other……while the rest of us……yes……waited for our turn.
Lunch time came and went and finally Rocky and the nurse showed up with the news that we were going to have a complimentary lunch in the hospital cafeteria. We rushed down three different halls to make the deadline before closing. It wasn’t great but we were starved and we could have eaten anything and been grateful.
Rocky still had to wait for the final phase of his stress test…….believe me….I was stressed without the test. I think I knit a foot of afghan before we were finally finished. We turned the lights out in the waiting room at 3:30 and drove home by 4:00. Of course, no one did the KP while I was gone so Rocky and I did the necessary things and ate some supper. Becky came by with the bad news that Jonathan’s mother-in-law was in the hospital at St. Louis with very serious congested heart failure. Aimee had taken her and Brady up for their appointments and they kept Lena as she was in such dire straights. Aimee drove home with Brady by herself and I guess he was not a happy camper. She had her hands full. Becky went to help as soon as she got home.
I did some fast fertilizing of the flower garden, did some laundry and now I think I’m ready to go back tomorrow for Rocky’s lab work. We won’t know the results of the stress test for a couple of days probably but I’ll post as soon as we know anything.
Needless to say, we are both very tired but thank goodness for a good bed and time to sleep…….tomorrow is another day and the last of his appointments until next Wednesday when we go for Rocky’s last chemo treatment of this series. Dr. Morgan could stand a few prayers as he tries to decide the best and most effective treatment from here on.
One thing that impressed me as I leafed through a magazine today were a few beautiful words……. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” I couldn’t agree more and I hope you have a lot of them as I do.
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
