It Must Be Friday!

Or, a series of unfortunate events upon which one can look back, pause, and laugh at points.

It started simply enough - reminding my daughter of a couple things, my husband of a couple things, and getting ready for the usual Friday physical torture session on the treadmill.  This session on the treadmill was shaky legs day, which is predictable only because I hadn't walked much on Thursday, so my legs needed to release tension... when this happens and I put pressure on them on the treadmill, and as the speed is increased, they shake, we slow the treadmill speed, wait for legs to stop shaking, and gradually increase the speed again.  Then at about 7 minutes, I started to feel hot which is never a good sign for me.  But I made it through 16 minutes.  Done! Time to go relax (physically) at work.

In the parking lot at work, I put my wheelchair together like I do every day.  It's a long walk to the building and the number of doors doesn't work with a walker, so I wheel in.  While wheeling across the street, I saw someone driving into the garage who might have had a middle eastern background but that is only a guess at best.  (While wheeling I was contemplating how people like him are treated by people he doesn't know might have changed lately.)  And I kept wheeling...  And then I got to where I had to bump myself up a very small bump.  I couldn't do it.  Was my foot in the way?  We're the tires turned wrong?  Was I really that tired from walking on the treadmill?!!

And then the same guy who I had seen in the car driving into the garage came running to ask me if I was ok and needed help.  By this stage I was confused and looking down at the wheelchair wheels and didn't really want help because this is just how I am, but how in the world was I so stuck?  As soon as the nice guy bumped me up, we realized the wheel wasn't being held in position.  We realized  the wheel was essentially not there.  Quite clearly I could not move.

The guy tried to figure it out.  Clearly a piece was missing.  And now I was worried that I would make him late for work.  We determined he could lean me back on the back wheels and get me into the building, then through 2 sets of doors, and an elevator.  That could not have been easy.  I held his lunch box and 2 bags and he held my laptop.  Trust in strangers suddenly becomes critical in such situations.  Then someone where I work came along and helped.  (But I have to say that when random things have gone wrong and no one I know is anywhere, and if I were to do a pie chart of race/ethnicity, Caucasians like me who come running to help are a tiny slice of the pie.  Just an observation.)

Continuing with my day, I made it to my desk!  And I had the beginning of a dreaded migraine because in addition to not walking much the previous day, I didn't have much to drink.  Bad combo!  After drinking a huge container of water (but the migraine had already started - too late), of all the ridiculous difficult things, I had to go to the bathroom.  Easy, right?  No.  Put on all my robotic walking gear.  Recruit someone to open doors.  Off I went, jolting the migraine and walking on post-PT rubber band legs.  Then back to my desk.  Then I had to ask someone to get my water bottle filled.  I hate asking for things I can normally do on my own.  Well, I hate asking for much of anything so this day was not fun.  I took medicine for the migraine but it was not going to work and I could tell that.

In the middle of this, I called the wheelchair "ER" place. Sure, they can get to you.  A technician could come to the rescue!  I was told I was his third appointment.  Good!  I should have been good to go by noon....  But then it was 2, my migraine was gaining steam, and I had no coffee which can help a migraine.  I called and the technician was on his way.  And then it was 3:15.  And someone different answered the wheelchair ER line. That person checked and the technician would be there in about an hour and a half.  What?!! Needed a new plan now.

Another bathroom adventure.  Then I walked and someone wheeled my chair to the lobby where I sat to wait for the repair guy who was there early at 3:45. By 4, wheelchair was fixed and the day doesn't sound so bad except it was because all of this stuff was out of my control, the worst of which was the migraine.

But I was ready for the next adventure - happy hour!  Now all would be ok because I had another new medicine in my car which would cure the migraine!  4:27: "Bzzzt."  "Mom, do I have dance?"  Yes, in 3 minutes.  Somehow she got there and I got to happy hour and dinner, where I took the new migraine medicine which was a mistake.  My migraine temporarily was gone.  But then dinner was done, I was back in my car, it was snowing the migraine medicine was making me tired, and I just wanted to get home.  45 minutes later I was home.  I did stay awake.  But then the medicine fatigue hit me.  And the migraine came back in full force.  And my head was throbbing.  And I just needed to sleep.  So I went to bed in clothes, no teeth brushing.

Today my head feels almost better.  I am not walking much because the throbbing could return so I am sitting here, not doing much, contemplating the past day.  I slept a long time.  And I didn't want to move.  But all is ok.

All in one day.  But today is a new day.  And that is beautiful.  And finally I have -

Peace.