T+129 A bloody success!

BOX SCORE	9/13/24
Element	Current	Std. Range	Trend
Hemoglobin	11.6	13-17	v
Platelets	172	140-375	^
ANC	3120	1800-8300	v

The family that bleeds together succeeds together. That's an old saying I just made up. Yesterday was my regular, weekly blood draw day, not to mention the next evaluation of the infamous wound to my right wrist (and pride), self inflicted in a moment of DIY ecstasy. Oh, yeah, the nurse also examined the wound on my left wrist, that was inflicted last Sunday by a mean-spirited, vindictive TV tray. Everything was pronounced to be on the mend, but again I was a recipient of "the look" and an admonishment to take it easy from the three women in the room, namely two nurses and my lovely bride. I admit they were entitled. (As soon as Amazon delivers the custom-fitted chain mail I ordered, I'll get the last laugh.)

But I digress. After the visit with the nurse, Jill and I proceeded to the lab, where we both took tickets to wait our turn for blood draws. It seems Jill's PCP recently stopped seeing family practice patients and moved on to something else. When Jill tried to renew a prescription for blood pressure medication, she was informed that she couldn't get more pills until "her" doctor okayed them. Can you say, "pickle?" Jill was without pills and without a doctor. 

After some online shopping (you can procure virtually anything on the world wide web) of the Kaiser Permanente website, Jill connected with Dr. Leary. He was happy to welcome her to his practice but only allowed her 14 BP pills. To get more, she would need a blood test to check her kidney function. And that's why we both took tickets to see the phlebotomist. 

As we entered the waiting area for the lab, we found it more highly populated than we had seen it in a long time. There were ten or a dozen patients with lower numbered tickets than ours. Checking the "who's next" screen, we noticed that there was apparently only one phlebotomist on duty. Usually, there are several. We waited patiently (I use the term loosely) until one of our consecutively numbered tickets came up, and then we both went into the treatment area. 

Now, given the patient load and the lack of help, we weren't sure what mood the phlebotomist would be in, but to her credit, Mallory was as cheerful and welcoming as if she had been waiting all morning just to see us! She was not only pleasant but also efficient, and in less time than it often takes me to have my blood drawn, she had taken care of both of us. Kudos for Mallory. (I must remember, the next time we are in the clinic, to get one of those Kudos cards and fill it out.) 

On the way home, we stopped at WalMart to pick up groceries. It was only then that I remembered I still hadn't received my latest order of Bactrim, an antibiotic I take to prevent pneumonia. I called oncology for help, and one of the nurse case managers promised to have the on-call oncologist (don't you love that seemingly redundant title? Kind or makes me think of Dr. Porky Pig. "Th-th-that's all folks.") order some for me. True to her word, she called me a little while later to tell me where to pick up the prescription.

After lunch, we hopped in the the new, blue Honda and headed for the Skyline pharmacy. We had planned a trip to the hazardous waste disposal center for a drop off, and after Jill went in to the pharmacy to protect me from exposure, we headed out Hwy 22. I always know which exit to take, because it is the same one as the Corrections Center. The pairing always seemed to me to be unfortunate for the inmates, some of whom may be hazardous, but certainly none of them is waste. God doesn't make any junk. It turns out that the HWDC is not open on Fridays, so we returned home with our old garden chemicals and paint cans. We did manage to drop off one 4 foot fluorescent light tube that has been sitting in the garage for several years, at the "not" hazardous waste recycling area in the transfer station compound.

On the way home, through the miracle of modern electronic communications (cell phone), we received our lab results. Both of us passed with flying colors. Jill then received a note from Dr. Leary saying that he had ordered more Lisinopril for her. She allowed as how she thinks she is going to like him as her new PCP. 

The day had been pretty busy, but not terribly taxing. When we arrived home, we decided to top it off with another film-noir. This one was a 1946 combination film noir/rom-com titled "The Inner Circle." The plot was a bit convoluted, but it was fun, and only one guy got himself killed. 

All in all it was a nicely paced, full day. I didn't injure myself. We got our family blood draws completed. We got groceries. We passed our blood tests, although neither of us studied. And we succeeded, a little, in disposing of some hazardous waste. What more can you ask of a Friday the 13th?

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)