Donations to assist with Liz's Medical Bills

Friday, February 26, 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Man, I had one job today. To pick up Elizabeth after her radiation. I needed to be there about 11:30. So I gather my computer, it's plug, the headset and portable mouse, my water bottle and the trash from my computer room. I check my phone... it's charged. I have my only set of car keys... I'm ready. I round up the dogs and tell them "car". Rusty responds enthusiastically, HannaH just stares at me. Down the stairs we go... if the dogs keep pace we'll get there on time. Then it happens. The bag is too heavy to lift, so I'm dragging it... thump, thump, thump, down the stairs, when something in the trash makes a noise (I think it was a light bulb) and HannaH spooks and turns and heads back upstairs to the computer room (their room).

Now faced with dwindling time constraints I hurry through the living room and dining room, and down another set of stairs... the trash thumping along behind me. Rusty runs back to me from the back door where he was prancing to check out the noise but is irritated that I'm slow. He wants to go in the "car".

I can't leave HannaH on her own... we have motion sensors on our alarm, but more than that, when I leave I won't be back for several hours and I don't trust her that long alone in the house with no restrictions. So back I go... up two flights of stairs and find her in the overstuffed chair, tail wagging its apologies. I tell her "car" and help her out of the chair with a gentle but swift sweep of my arm.

Now we're all heading the right direction, sans bag, HannaH is clipping along very speedily. Outside she dashes. Now my concern is she'll duck behind a shed I have and not come when called. It's a rainy day and that's all I need. But to my disbelieving eyes she stops at the Japanese Maple and sits to watch me. Rusty has emptied his bladder and is ready for the car ride, now to get HannaH to just not run off. I call Rusty and he skips along very excited. HannaH picks up on it and comes too. I'm so close...

I leave the garage doors down, as they might both bolt if it's open. I tell them to "hupt, hupt" and they jump into my car... I open the doors and we're away!

I have about 5 minutes to get there by the time Karyn told me to be there. I pull into the parking garage at TG and there are three radiation parking spaces... sweet, but I have no pass. So I take the ramp up floor after floor to the top. Not ONE space is available. The parking attendant at the top tells me I can wait in the reserved parking until Lizzy is ready... then Karyn calls, "Where are you?" I'm here in the garage I tell her and she tells me she's waiting for me inside.

Whoa. I didn't know she was waiting. So I drive down the ramps and now there's only one open radiation parking spot, so I take it. And Karyn is right behind me leaving. I just need to go inside and wait for Liz. Last time I was here there were large signs telling people to use the second floor entry. So I wait for the elevator and ride up to Two. Walk into the hospital and take the elevator down to One.

I ask at the desk about a parking pass and ask if I need to run out with it. I'm assured they don't patrol that rapidly and besides Elizabeth has the pass. So I go over to the puzzle and begin finding pieces. One, two, three, time ticks away. I'm thinking it has been a long time. Suddenly a sharp rap on the glass by me and there's Liz. She must have come out while I was riding the elevator, 'cuz she tells me she's been waiting over half an hour. (But then so was I.)

I explain the fiasco with parking and she gives me my "pass" and I'm very happy. She says it is all okay. And I feel terrible. I think I'm waiting for her and am there for her, but really she's waiting for me.

Too bad I was in such a hurry I left my phone in the car. Neither of us would have needed to wait long had I just gotten myself organized. Well, looking on the bright side. I did have my keys. I had my phone AND it was charged. I'll work on getting all the parts together at the same time next time.

It's not easy being me. Thank God Elizabeth is so understanding.

Elizabeth's Mom

No comments:

Post a Comment