1. Today turned out to be overflowing with fun and good things.
This came as somewhat of a surprise to me.
I felt low levels of anxiety and grumpiness as the day began.
When Debbie and I met with transplant nephrologist Dr. Nassir Kahn back on Oct. 5th, he told me he wanted me to have a CT Heart Coronary Calcium scan and a pulmonary function test involving a six minute walk.
I could have gone to Kootenai Health to have these done, but billing the transplant program and the communication of the test results goes much more smoothly if I have them done in Spokane.
So, why was I anxious? I thought I was facing a 90 minute pulmonary test (not a six minute one!) and I had it in my lively imagination that the CT scan would involve spending time in a claustrophobic tube.
Why was I grumpy?
EASY -- for the scan I couldn't drink coffee within four hours of the procedure.
So, I was up at 5:30, took care of a few things before I left, and on the road about an hour later without coffee.
I survived.
Everything at Sacred Heart was easy and the people I worked with were personable and kind.
Yes, my 8:30 scan was delayed over an hour because of unforeseen emergencies for patients in the hospital. Their situations took precedence over mine.
No problem.
I patiently waited and, in time, got scanned -- it was a simple and easy procedure.
Then I got right into the pulmonary lab and before long I was walking up and down the hallway for six minutes hooked up to and carrying a small machine as if it were a shoulder purse.
And I was done.
To my relief, I walked straight to the Camry in the parking garage -- I didn't lose the car!
I drove straight to Hogan's Diner for COFFEE and a sausage, egg, hash browns, and toast breakfast.
I shopped at Trader Joe's for a while. I had asked Christy and Carol if they wanted me to pick them up any items. They did. I found those items, picked up some dried fruit and almonds for Debbie and me, and then I was off to Kellogg.
2. Back in Kellogg, I delivered the Trader Joe's items to Christy and Carol and then buzzed up to Silverton.
To Silverton? Why?
Beach Bum Bakery moved its operations to the Silverton Mountain Manor. The bakery's mobile shack is now parked in Coeur d'Alene. I ordered a dozen bagels, six raisin cinnamon for Debbie and me and six everything for Patrick and Meagan and drove to the Manor to pick them up.
3. Back home (again), I heated up butter and Frank's RedHot sauce and fried a batch of chicken wings in butter and prepared a hot wings dinner. I also cut celery sticks and got out a jar of chunky blue cheese dressing. Patrick and Meagan had traveled to the Cataldo Mission and then to CdA where they ate sushi. Patrick made sure to eat a moderate amount of sushi because he wanted to also feast on hot wings -- and that's exactly what he did!
While we ate, we had superb conversations accompanied by Meagan putting Fleetwood Mac's Rumors on the Bose. When the album ended, Patrick cast pictures and videos he'd taken during his and Meagan's cruise to Alaska onto our television screen and we got to see the splendor of the places they visited and learn more about the cruise itself.
It was getting late, but we were undeterred.
I took over the music selections and our conversations continued -- I'd say deepened -- and with the help of wine leftover from family dinner, spirits from Stein distillery, and, for Patrick, a few cans of Rippin' Pale Ale from Sunriver brewing, we enjoyed a relaxing and stimulating evening, saddened only by the reality that Patrick and Meagan are heading back to Portland on Tuesday morning.
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