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A FEW MORE PICS OF YESTERDY'S CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY |
An early start today. Kelly's endoscopy appointment at London's University Hospital was set for 10:30. Normally it would be all three of us in the Subaru with Pheebs and I dropping Kelly off at the main door. However, the hospital has tightened up on some of its rules. Anyone driving a person who is to undergo an endoscopy is now required to be present in the hospital!! They sent us that notification yesterday. So, it was just Kelly and I heading for the hospital this morning while Pheebs remained at home. We felt she would be alright for the time we were away. (And she was)
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HOW NICE TO SMELL NEW MOWN HAY |
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I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF SEEDS GOING INTO THE GROUND HERE |
It was 8:35 a.m. when we rolled out of the driveway on this cold 37F sunny clear morning heading for London. Here we are less than 24 hours from the first day of June and we were only four degrees above freezing!!
A nice drive to London and we were soon parked on the cave-like fourth floor of the hospital's parking garage. We were early of course so at the Endoscopy desk, Kelly was taken right in. The basement waiting room is small, silent as a tomb, and had half a dozen sullen-faced people sitting in it. I lasted about five minutes and had to get out of there!! Up to the main floor I went and grabbed a Horton's coffee, a carrot muffin, and feeling a little confused went back to the basement's edoscopy waiting room. What was I thinking!! There was no table to set my coffee down, so juggling my Kindle, my carrot muffin bag, and a hot cup of coffee I wasn't doing well. I knew if I were to set my muffin bag down somewhere it would be snatched up, or worse yet if I tried to take it out of the bag I would immediately be mobbed and lose my Horton's coffee too. The eyes of everyone in that small gloomy room were upon me, my muffin, and my coffee. I realized instantly my mistake on returning to that room so I quickly sprung from my chair, goodies in hand, rocketed around the corner, and down the hall. I went back up to the main floor to see if I could find myself a seat at a table in the lobby. Nope, it was a full house of chattering humanoids everywhere. On the wall was a sign saying 'For Seniors Only'.....In case of Confusement, break the glass.' So, grabbing the little hammer right next to a glass-covered indent in the wall, I did just that. In that indent was a pad of paper with writing. I peeled off the top sheet which said, Go to the Third floor Dummy, the cafeteria with chairs is there. Back to the elevators again I lumbered onto an elevator going up and landed in the basement. Before I could figure out where I was, (remember confusement) a lady got on and pressed level 5 and I was off to the top floor. I quickly in desparation pressed the wrong button and ended up in the lobby again. At this point, I had no idea where I was or where I was going. Several people got on and I saw one guy press level 3 and that rang a bell. Not wanting to embarrass myself further I quickly darted out the door expecting to be in the cafeteria. Nope, I was in the hallway again and not thinking to look for signage to tell me where the lost cafeteria was I headed west down the hallway for about 10 seconds, until the fear set in and I raced as fast as my nearly eighty-year-old bones would take me, back to the familiarity of the elevator. Then, I had a flash of brilliance. I remembered a nice quiet area on the fourth floor that I had seen one time when on the floor with Kelly for one of her liver appointments. But, faster than my fast flash of brilliance was a green-garbed nurse who knew exactly where she was and where she was going and pressed the number two button, and down I went. Knowing better now how those buttons worked I unhesitantly smashed my thumb onto the four number and I was soon on my way upwards again. The doors opened, and 'Walla' there was my quiet Shangri-la' waiting for me right across the hall where I remembered it. And, best of all....there was nobody there in that cozy-looking alcove. I quickly snagged a padded chair (no not a padded cell) in the corner with a big round table in front of me so I remained there for the best part of an hour quite contentedly reading 'Emily Of New Moon' on my Kindle. And, nobody else came and sat down, leaving me undisturbed all by myself. 'Shangri-la' indeed:)))))
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TIM HORTONS COFFEE IN THE LOBBY OF LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL |
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THE SMALL ENDOSCOPY WAITING ROOM WHERE I HAD TO ASK THE PEOPLE TO GET OUT OF THEIR SEATS SO I COULD TAKE THIS PHOTO.....HEY, YOU DON'T THINK I REALLY DID THAT DO YA, NAW I DIDN'T THINK SO. |
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I TUCKED MYSELF INTO THAT QUIET CORNER AND BURIED MY NOSE IN MY KINDLE READER |
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REMEMBER, FOURTH FLOOR ACROSS FROM THE ELEVATORS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND A QUIET SPOT |
It was about 11:30, when after playing elevator games again I finally landed myself back in the basement at the Endoscopy waiting room. Ten minutes later a nurse brought Kelly out feeling a little wobbly. We made our way up to the hospital's main level and outside and over to the parking garage. We retreived Subie and with Kelly feeling hungry we headed over to the Subway Shop near the Masonville Mall. Kelly insisted on going in but this time I went with her. I could tell she still wasn't a hundred percent steady on her feet. With Tim Hortons being beside Subway we popped in there where Kelly got herself a coffee and a donut. With her safely back in the Subaru, we were soon headed for home.
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I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THREE FOOD TRUCKS PARKED OUTSIDE BETWEEN THE HOSPITAL AND THE PARKING GARAGE |
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WELL, SOMEWHERE IN THIS PARKING GARAGE IS OUR LITTLE WHITE CAR |
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AHHHH, THERE'S SUBIE NOW |
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KELLY DECIDES ON A SUB |
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YUP, SUB SAUCE ON MY CLEAN SHIRT OF COURSE |
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HEADING HOME ON A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY |
So, here's what the Doctor told Kelly about her endoscopy procedure this morning......She needs to go back to the hospital shortly for an iron infusion. She has portal hypertensive gastropathy in her stomach and small varices in her esophagus. Kelly has to double up on some of her meds to lower her blood pressure. The doctor was surprised she didn't have a blood transfusion last week but also knows that a blood transfusion would not bode well for Kelly's already compromised anti-bodies count. In this area of things, she is between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Aside from feeling tired and slightly weak by the time we got home, she's doing Okay.Pheebs and I made it out for our afternoon walk around the Park's pond but it was slow going for both of us and our aging bones. We saw two Green-Backed Herons, four Painted Turtles, two Dragonflies, one Giraffe, a wild Buffalo, and a whole wandering band of lost Swawhili Warriors.
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PHLOX |
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A SINGLE LILY GROWING IN THE PARK'S POND |
Al's Music Box:)) Blue Canadian Rockies by Jim Reeves. I couldn't find any info on this song.
GROANER'S CORNER:(( It’s my wife’s birthday soon and she’s been leaving jewelry catalogs all over the house. She'll be happy to know I got the hint. I got her a magazine rack!I just spent the whole morning brushing all the powdered sugar off the donuts. Diets are hard!!
The reason life works at all is that not everyone in your tribe is nuts on the same day.
What do you call a Chicken staring at lettuce?? 'Chicken Sees A Salad'.
Son: "Dad, did you go to Church when you were little?" Dad: "Yes son, every single Sunday." Son: "I thought so. Bet it won't do me any good either.
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Hope The Dr.'s can get Kelly feeling better and don't feel bad about spilling food on your shirt. I do that all the time !
ReplyDeleteHoping this next fix will put Kelly to her transplant.
ReplyDeleteHospitals can be scary.
Be Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Oh, how I wish Kelly was just plain healthy again..
ReplyDeleteYou three managed to get through today so that's a good thing, know you're cared about, -Mary
Hope Kelly's transplant comes through really REALLY soon. I love that song by the way.
ReplyDeleteYou write a great account of yours and Kelly’s day !
ReplyDeleteBlessings for Kelly 🙏
Linda a.
Al - Your elevator adventures made me laugh - keep up the good work , a sense of humor even in worrisome times for Kelly. Might as well laugh - that's better than crying. I hope all turns out well.
ReplyDeleteNice to see that you are maintaining your sense of humor, Al. The photo of Miss Pheebs is simply precious. Prayers for Kelly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things went OK and you guys made it home OK. You are both still in my prayers. Of course I had to chuckle… You did exactly what I would've done. Found a quiet spot, read a book on my Kindle while enjoying a coffee and my favourite muffin as well lol
ReplyDeleteLOL to your adventures in the big, scary hospital :-) At our facilities here the driver just has to check in with the patient and be available by phone to come pick them up, so a little less restrictive. Glad you both came out the other end doing fine!
ReplyDeleteBlue Canadian Rockies is an old Wilf Carter song. There was a movie in 1952 of the same name, don't know if it is related or not.
ReplyDeleteYour stories of having to wait inside that hospital reminded me of all our times there, and trying to find my way around in a wheelchair.
ReplyDelete