Barnes and finding ports in the storm

We got home last night from a trip to Barnes in St. Louis and we both felt as though we had been gone a month. We had that same feeling you have when you get home from vacation. Ah, that looks familiar, guess we didn’t leave it too messy, where’s the stack of mail?

In reality I had left for work around 9 on Tuesday morning and worked until about 3:30. I am now done with my training and it’s time for baby bird to fly. It was a long, intense day and by the end my back was killing me. Ernie picked me up, we swung home to drop off the laptop and I didn’t even get out of the car. I texted Leo goodbye and we hopped onto 72. About a half an hour later we got a call from Barnes and my stomach dropped. It turns out that insurance wouldn’t approve one of the scans. They told me the doctor and the insurance company were still wrangling it out and to come even if it was for the one scan. They gave us a number to call at 7 the next morning to find out the final decision. Ok.

We put the radio on and started hearing reports of a dust storm shutting down highways in central Illinois. Good God. Plagues of locusts next. It turns out we luckily stayed south of it. Although as we turned onto 55 to head south there was a definite haze of dust in the air.

We got to our hotel. Thank you credit card points. It was a Doubletree but evidently I have to go further up the food chain to get a real glass drinking vessel. It was fine and we were exhausted but I gotta say, one lousy grab bar on the wall of the shower does not an accessible room make in my eyes. We opened some wine we’d brought and ordered some food. Ernie watched endless episodes of the Office which is a hotel tradition. I attempted to read and instead crumpled into a deep sleep.

The next morning we called and were told insurance would indeed cover it so off we trundled. I don’t know if they put something in the water at Barnes or what but I gotta say, folks are extraordinarily kind. We went to Radiology. They called him back and after a bit he called me and said his creatinine levels were so high they weren’t sure they were going to go ahead with the procedure. Christ almighty. If my credit card points went for naught I was going to be pissed. More waiting and then they got the go ahead. He got his dye injection and then we headed out to to the lobby to wait until it was time for the scans.

Yes, this is a breakfast sandwich with lots of fat, salt, and gluten. We cared not. It tasted perfect. We Wordled and ate our sandwiches.

Then it was an hour and a half of this.

He headed back to Radiology while I stayed snug in our booth. So it was another hour and a half of the same.

Finally, as my phone hit 5% with no outlet in site, he appeared. He said they wanted to give him fluids after we saw the doctor due to the creatinine. Sigh, ok. If you see Ernie at any point, TELL HIM TO DRINK MORE WATER! We were tired of that view so we got in the car and drove to the little park behind the complex and admired the 1880’s farmhouse that was tucked back there. Eventually we trudged over to a different building. Ernie helped me find a spot in the waiting room where I could charge my phone and he checked in for his blood draw and the doctor appointment. I always kind of like this waiting room and it finally occurred to me why. They have lamps, not just overhead light. It makes such a difference, particularly after hours of being in bright overhead lit rooms.

Ernie popped back to join me after his blood draw. I solitaired and he crossworded. It gets too hard to focus on much else. We enjoyed a short drama in which the coffee machine made coffee when nobody asked it to. You gotta find your entertainment where you can. It’s any port in a storm, folks, any port in a storm.

Eventually we got called back to see the oncologist. We waited and waited. Here’s a rare shot of Ernie so tired he’s slumping. He’s not a slumper by nature. Me? I can slump with the best of them. Not my boy.

The results of one scan were in and it looked good. No changes so no growth of the cancers. Oof. That felt good.

Really good.

And as it turns out he could NOT get fluids because all the toilets in the building backed up so all of that was on hold. We were free to get in the car and head home.

Again, that felt really good. We headed out into the rain and I thought optimistically, “Well, at least no dust storms.”

Now, onward to Carle for his Keytruda infusion and the fluids he didn’t get yesterday. It’s been a hell of a long week and I keep thinking it’s Friday. Whoops….still have to work tomorrow. These days can be long.

Love,
Cynthia