My mother has been experiencing issues with one toe on each foot, prompting visits to a couple of doctors. Her doctor visit days are quite intense, as Lakeview Assisted Living undergoes preparations to get her ready for a trip to Heritage Valley Hospital. This process involves showering her, dressing her in clean clothes, and feeding her while making sure a large towel covers her outfit. Once ready, driver "J" brings the van around, warming it up before wheeling Mom out to load her onto the motorized ramp, securing her safely for the trip to the hospital. "J" will then register her and wait for the visit to conclude before transporting her back home.
I know all this because, in recent months, I've been attending these doctor visits with her. Recently, I noticed she had appointments scheduled for both Monday and Tuesday. To make things easier, I rescheduled her Monday appointment to Tuesday, allowing us to complete both visits on the same day. I informed Lakeview Assisted Living's Wellness Director, "S", first two weeks in advance and then again the day before the appointments.
As for "J", I believe he doesn't need to spend the entire day at the hospital. A more efficient plan would be for him to drop Mom off around 9 AM at the “front entrance” and pick her up at approximately 2:30 PM at “Parking Lot D”.
Given that Mom would be at the hospital for several hours, I enlisted the help of my friend "M", a licensed practical nurse, to assist her with a bathroom break during the day. Additionally, I secured a walker to help Mom navigate through the hospital.
Anticipating single-digit temperatures for the day of the appointments, I connected a trickle charger to my Jeep battery the night before, ensuring it would start on the following day — and thankfully, it did.
After a grueling drive of -13 degrees, with 30% of the journey in four-wheel drive on snow-packed roads, I arrived at the hospital an hour early. I parked in Parking Lot D, which was designated for our anticipated afternoon departure, before making the long walk to the other end of the hospital.
Then, everything went to hell.
While waiting in the lobby of the Main Entrance, close to Mom’s first appointment, I called "S" at 9:27 AM, inquiring about Mom’s whereabouts since her appointment was in just three minutes. "S", who was on her way to work, made a call to "E" and got back to me shortly, stating that they had encountered a flat tire. Consequently, "J" loaded Mom into his car (note: without her wheelchair) and was en route to the hospital.
Around 10:10 AM, "J" appeared from behind me! He had actually taken Mom to the Parking Lot D entrance nearest to her second afternoon appointment, leading her to a doctor's office at the complete opposite end of the hospital (which is essentially a long trek from the Main Entrance). To facilitate the move from the car to the doctor's office, he borrowed one of the hospital’s wheelchairs, which are notably huge and double wide.
Upon registering Mom, "J" was informed that her appointment wasn't until 1:30 PM. Realizing his mistake, he quickly wheeled her to the correct doctor's office, which was conveniently located near me, before finding me. Together, we returned to the doctor's office, where I helped Mom inside to the examination room. However, we encountered yet another hurdle: the wheelchair would not fit through the door. Utilizing my trusty walker, the two nurses assisted in getting Mom into the exam room and into the examination chair.
After wrapping up at the doctor’s office around 11:00 AM, I wheeled Mom to the nearby hospital café, thinking we could grab some lunch while waiting for "M" to arrive for a bathroom break. Yet again, we faced a setback; the wheelchair wouldn't fit through the café door. To add to our troubles, I received a text from "M" indicating that something had come up, and she would not be able to make it.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in my head — I had food stashed in my Jeep for Mom (drinks, cookies, dates, raisins, and even some Cracker Jacks). We decided to head back to the previous end of the hospital and wait in the lobby of her second appointment while I retrieved the food.
As luck would have it, upon seeing Mom sitting in the office lobby two hours before her appointment, the staff at the second doctor's office took pity on her and brought her in around 11:30 AM.
Once Mom's appointment was complete, I called Lakeview Assisted Living to check on the status of the van. If it was fixed, they could come pick her up; if not, I'd bring her back home myself. They assured me that "J" would come to get her. And he did — in his car.
Exhausted from the day’s challenges, I finally went home and treated myself to my first drink in weeks.