Lunch with the Folks
My Dad called the office this morning, asking if I would like to meet the two of them for lunch. "Your Mother has a doctor's appointment so we thought we'd head up that way afterwards." I checked with my manager to make sure this last-minute luncheon would be okay, and then agreed to meet my folks at a Coco's not too far from the office around noon.
I arrived a few minutes after 12 to find my Dad sitting alone in a booth. "The new doctor sent her for blood tests at 11, and without an appointment, you know how that goes," and threw his hands in the air. What I learned from our almost shouting back and forth through the din of the other diners was that the new doctor may be able to perform the surgery as early as Monday which would be a relief considering how long she's had to wait to this point. "She'll have to spend at least one night in the hospital, maybe two, but the recovery can take four to five weeks. Good thing we cancelled that cruise to Alaska. Your mother wouldn't be up to it."
In the meantime, they've been spending money like there's no recession: getting the house painted thanks to their IRS refund, fixing small things inside the house like new faucets and re-caulking the showers, upgrading their computer after it conked out. "We even used the rebate check from American Express to buy new flatware for the house. The spoons are huge!" I commented that perhaps they were big enough to keep his food on the spoon. And then he dripped some salad dressing on his shirt.
Parents these days....
UPDATE, 3/7: I spoke with my Mom yesterday, and let's just say she wasn't in the best of moods. Because she has a new docotr to perform the hysterectomy, the hospital has to coordinate his privileges so her surgery has been pushed back 3 - 6 monhts. My Mother is furious. Her health insurance provider is furious. And the hospital could care less, it seems. She's been in pain since the end of January with promises that the surgery would be at the beginning of March, and yet she's forced to wait much longer thanks to bureaucracy.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
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7 comments:
hohoho
and you have inherited some of the attributes - time will tell you which ones you have/will get !
I think they should have gone on that damned cruise! To hell with common sense. Greg, I can see how much this is messing with your head....and I'm so sorry. Thinking about you all.....
I continue to hold you and your family in my best thoughts. Do I recall that your father also has familial tremors? If so, I know why the dressing falls and why he is thrilled with bigger spoons. I should ask him for the pattern.
Oh dear...my brother spent the weekend here getting food 'down his front' as he likes to call it. Quite the hobby...
I hope your Mom gets the surgery soon so her pain will go away. I will keep my fingers crossed!
Oh Greg! I am SO sorry for your Mom. I know how all of this red tape can be an unending nightmare when all you want to do is be well and move on with your life and health. My thoughts continue to be with her and of course, you and your dad. It's hard for your loved ones to watch you go through relentless pain and feel helpless. I will honestly pray for a miracle that things will fall into place QUICKLY and she will have the results that she most certainly deserves; no pain, and surgical recovery behind her.
That is so unfortunate, actually cruel, that the hospital has done this. Is there another hospital anywhere nearby that is part of your mother's network which could facilitate an earlier date? Her health is paramount for this surgery and this conundrum does not help. :-(
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