It Pays to Pay Attention to Dates

It pays to pay attention to dates especially when scheduling doctors appointments.  It seems every week or two we learn a new lesson.  This week it was to pay attention to the dates when scheduling appointments and paying for them online ahead of time.  We arrived for Joe's 7:30am appointment at Duke at 7:15am.  Joe went on to the clinic while I veered off to the food court for his large lemonade and my coffee.  Upon joining him at the clinic, he told me that apparently there was some mix up and they did not have him scheduled for an appointment at all.  No doctors appointment, no lab work, no chemo. Oh great!  But before I freaked out, Joe said they were working on trying to figure out the mistake and get him scheduled.  Before too long, about 20 mins, Adam the miracle worker at check-in/check-out, came over with a buzzer for Joe and told him that all 3 appointments were set up. Another 15 minutes and his blood had been drawn and sent off to the lab and about 10 minutes after that we were in an exam room where the nurse greeted us a few minutes later.  After that Joe was off to the chemo infusion center and I was off to work.  This all done by 8:55am.  By 10:40am Joe called me and he was already done with chemo and on his way home. Those of you that are regular readers know that it's more than just rare for him to be done with everything before 11am.  One might say it practically never happens.  Ok, I'll say it, IT NEVER HAPPENS!  So what is the moral, don't make appointments and just show up?  Dare we?  I say go for it, but I don't think I've quite convinced Joe to get on board.  But someone explain it to me.  Have an appointment, out around noon or after.  No appointment and out before 11am.  I know, there is no explanation.  I'm just glad that today didn't end up a disaster with Joe having to spend a long, unnecessary amount of time there.  As it turns out it was just a clerical error that we didn't catch, not even when I checked him in online Sunday night.  I just went to the next appointment on the list and checked him in, not noticing that the date was the 24th, not the 17th.  Oh well, except for a few minutes spent wondering what would happen, no harm, no foul.

The rest of the day has been a good one for Joe. He went to Costco (a favorite of his) came and met me for lunch, followed by a trip to Trader Joe's (another one of his favorites) , and then his regular Monday rehearsal as accompanist with the training choir for the Durham Childrens Chorus.  He has been enjoying watching and listening to the young kids.  Prior to leaving for the rehearsal he pulled out the old bread maker and started some Spice Apple bread baking.  You would not believe how good the house smelled when I got home.  Mouth watering!!!!   

Joe is home now from his rehearsal and dinner will be ready soon.  After dinner we will settle down to watch some TV and then off to bed early and hopefully Joe won't have too difficult of a night as has become more the norm on chemo nights.  On the up side of his not being able to sleep well on Monday nights, I've often come down on Tuesday morning to see the kitchen and family room VERY clean!  (I try to look on the bright side - - glass half full rather than half empty)

As always, we want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and this week I would like to ask everyone to also please remember Mary & Bob Anderson from PGUMC.  Mary had surgery last Thursday at UNC.  We went and visited her on Sunday and although she looked and sounded great, please include her and Bob in your prayers and that she is out of the hospital and home soon.  She is more concerned about Bob while she is in the hospital than she is about herself.  I hope they are both back at church very soon as I miss talking with both of them as they are 2 of my favorite people.