Today was the big day! It was the day my mother was having her cast off.
When I told her, thinking it would make her happy, she didn't know what I was talking about and when I pointed to her cast, she said "what is that and why do I have it?"
I had to encourage her to get up and come with me. She didn't realize that "we are going to the doctor" meant that she had to actually get up and go to the doctor.
But we got her in the car and I had Walt go the "scenic route," out the back roads instead of the freeway because I knew how many orchards were in bloom and thought she'd enjoy that, though she didn't seem to understand when I pointed out the trees. Sigh.
When we were last at Kaiser, they gave me an appointment for 3:30, but then I got a reminder from them yesterday saying that the appointment was for 2:30, and to get there early so she could have an x-ray.
We got there at 1:45 and were told that her appointment wasn't until 3:30....and that she didn't need an x-ray. Sigh. It would be nice if the left hand talked to the right hand!
But they weren't busy and they took her right away (as a matter of fact, we were back at Atria before 3:30!)
A P.C named Kevin (I told him Kevin was a nice name, but not as nice as "Sundance," the PC who took care of us the last two times!) took the cast off. When he came toward her with the little saw that takes it off and asked her to give him her arm, she opened her mouth wide. She thought he was a dentist. Sigh.
She winced during the sawing process, but I suspect it was more from anticipation than from actual pain. And then it was over. No more cast. She still has some pain, which Kevin says is to be expected, and doesn't know why her wrist is hurting and doesn't remember ever having a cast. But at least it's done. Now if only we can keep her upright with all bones intact.
Earlier in the day, I went shopping. I have to admit I was a bit taken aback by the sticker shock. I don't think I ever go over $200 (or even near that much!) in a normal shopping trip that is NOT for a holiday meal.
But we were out of pretty much everything. I really don't like shopping any more and the wonderfulness of delivered meals is that you don't have to shop and don't have to plan. But they DO only deliver 3 meals a week, so unless there are leftovers, you have 4 other days to cook.
Any shopping trip that involves buying meat is already an expensive trip. And I was out of my multi-vitamins and my Vitamin-B, both of which the doctor says I should take, and that's a big cost right there.
On this trip, I also paid attention to the odd fruits I had not seen before, like the "Sumo Citrus" which looked like tangerines on steroids....big and muscular (someone said that they are really quite good). I was particularly intrigued by the rambutan and passion fruit.
I knew of passion fruit (the ones on the right) but don't know that I'd ever seen one...but I had neither seen nor heard of rambutan, which is apparently a fruit native to Southeast Asia. It sounds suspiciously like a relative of the odious durian, so though Wikipedia tells me it's tasty, I probably won't be intrigued enough to buy one.
We are all stocked up now and with luck I won't have to go to the store again for several weeks, except for that one thing I forgot, which of course I remembered as soon as I left the store.
When I got home, I was moved to write to the manager of the store and commend the bagger, a guy who must be close to 7' tall and whose name was Patrick. My complaint with most baggers is that even if you specifically ask them to pack the reusable bags you dutifully bring to the store with you light, they seem determined to fit as much as they can into one bag and leave 10 bags empty. When I complain, they tell me not to worry--that they will carry the bags to the car for me. My question of whether they will then come home with me and carry the bags into the house goes unanswered (and my wit unappreciated). Patrick first asked me if I wanted the bags to be packed light, then he packed one bag and had me test it for weight. When all the bags were loaded in the cart, he started to push it to the car and then stopped and asked if I'd prefer to push it myself (which I appreciated, since I use the cart as a quasi cane). He was so considerate and friendly that I thought the manager should know what an impression he made on me.
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