Waiting to Plan (or planning to wait)
Today has been one of waiting. It’s difficult to tell people what is up when I’m not entirely sure myself. I cannot imagine that Dr. Kauh will have a problem with my going to Baltimore for the surgery, but then again, last week I couldn’t imagine my wanting to have surgery in Baltimore rather than in Atlanta. A lot of decisions will be made tomorrow; presuming we stay with going to Baltimore for surgery, a lot of things NEED to be done this coming week (some of which need to be done tomorrow).
We’ve been overwhelmed with offers from people to use their airline miles to help pay for trips between Atlanta and Baltimore. I had hoped that Delta had some kind of “medical special needs” fair (similar to their ‘bereavement fair’); something that would allow us to buy roundtrip tickets and leave the return flight open. When I called this evening, however, I was told that Delta did not have a way to do this and the representative with whom I spoke recommended I buy a 1-way ticket. As I mentioned the other day, a parent from karate had given me a travel voucher which, it so happens, will exactly cover the cost of two 1-way tickets between Atlanta and BWI (kind of an eerie coincidence). My wife will likely use a buddy pass to come home to Atlanta at least once while I’m recovering (presuming I can have another family member there to watch over me).
Lodging issues for Baltimore are also up in the air. I have gotten our names on a waiting list for subsidized housing through Johns Hopkins, but I was told we might not hear anything until the day before we are supposed to check in. I’m now looking into other housing options, some of which are through Hopkins, and others of which are hotels that offer reduced rates for Hopkins patients. The hope is that while a room in the subsidized housing might not be available on the day we get to Baltimore, one would hopefully open up within a couple of days. I’m sure it will all work out, but there’s still a bit of stress involved — I’m not someone who does well with waiting until the last minute to have plans made (at least not in the case when I’m getting ready for major surgery).
On the work front, I will once again have to ask one of my grantees, Michele Ybarra, to give an invited presentation at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association (presuming I go up to Hopkins for surgery on August 14th). Either way, this week will be spent putting the finishing touches on the presentation. I have to say having cancer is SO inconvenient; first my neoadjuvant therapy keeps me from going to, and presenting at, a conference in Budapest, Hungary, and now my surgery may keep me from doing so at a conference in Boston. I mean, Boston is no Budapest, but at least I’d get to go SOMEWHERE…and I better not hear someone tell me that I get to go to Baltimore — cause it isn’t the same.
Thank you to Carol from church for volunteering to watch our kids tomorrow morning so MaryBeth can go with me to the appointment with the oncologist. Carol told MaryBeth that she decided on the spur of the moment to take tomorrow off from work. Not that I’m one to believe in such things, but it is incredibly convenient that she made that decision; almost as if there was some predestined reason for it (again, see above reference to eerie coincidences). Whatever the reason, MaryBeth will be able to go with me to the appointment, which is great.
Please feel free to pass along any positive energy, prayers, happy thoughts you may have as we struggle with some pretty important decisions.
Merle
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