SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LAUGH

I've thought about this. I must be an experiment in how much one can take before you crack. But I've decided, instead of cracking, I'll just crack up and laugh about it. It's really the only thing one can do under the circumstances. Craig and I were relaxing this morning, thinking about getting ready for his MRI appointment and the electricity goes out. First thought that comes to my mind was that a circuit breaker went out. Then Craig, always thinking says, all areas of the house would not be out, so it must be something with the electric company. Okay, I'll buy that. From my past history dealing with these things, they only last a few minutes, maybe an hour and then, PRESTO, the power comes back on.

We relax a bit, confident in our assumption that the electricity would be on forth coming. Craig, again with the electronic toys, turns on his scanner, and we hear from the police dispatcher that the power was out citywide and the estimate for the power to return is at 10:30am. Okay, no problem, the appointment isn't until 12:30. Should still have plenty of time. The appointed time comes and goes and still no power. I start thinking of Plan B as the house slowly starts to heat up as the sun rises higher in the sky. We quickly get dressed and then I realize that the garage door opener would not be working. Hoping that the house key also opened up the side garage door, I ventured out into the heat with my fingers crossed. Hurrah! It opened, and I disengage the door from the opener and open up the garage door and move the car out so that I can load Craig and his wheelchair.

My first stop was at the doctor's office where I was to pick up the paperwork for the MRI. Of course their office was dark, and the receptionists were on cell phones calling patients telling them not to come in. I ask for the paperwork, they hand it to me, and calmly inform me that they may not be able to perform the MRI due to the power outage. Not to be sidetracked from my ultimate goal, I take the paperwork and head toward the hospital. Upon entering the darkened hospital and going to the registration desk, they apologetically inform me that the MRI is not operational and that I could reschedule. They had been informed that the best guess for the power to come back on was approximately 2pm. Again, like a mother bear protecting her cub, I informed her that we would like to wait and see if the power returned. I would not be denied this opportunity to get this elusive MRI performed.

As more people arrived for their MRI's and were informed of the circumstances, I was happy to see them leave with a number to call on Monday to reschedule, after all, the computers were also down so no one was able to get another appointment. After waiting 90 minutes, I see the lights come on and my spirits are lifted. Craig's spirits had been pretty high as I was steadily supplying him with his pain medication in anticipation of the MRI being performed. We get called to the desk and informed that yes, the power had been restored, but that the MRI machine could not be calibrated and that we would not be able to have a MRI. On top of that, we would not be able to reschedule at the hospital until next week Friday!

As calmly as I can, and taking into account what we have been through the past two weeks, I beg with the clerk to get us an appointment as soon as possible. Again, as with others I have pleaded with, she came to our aid and called a nearby imaging center in Hanford to pull in a favor. Within minutes we were given a Monday morning appointment. Only one more stop, back at the doctor to confirm that we would still be able to keep the appointment for Wednesday, and that the preliminary MRI report would be available for the doctor, to which they said it would. At last, although it didn't go as planned, we at least were not going to lose any time before treatment could be started.

Looking back over this little adventure we are on, you really have to laugh, because ultimately we really don't much control over the events, and as Craig always says..."It is what it is."