hurry up and wait

Dr. Fein took another bone marrow sample from her left hip early this morning. He told us the procedure would be at 7am. Don & I were up early again, so we left our hotel at 6am. The ride in an elevator in a hospital is a lot like meeting members of your family you’ve never met… there’s a commonality amongst strangers. The mother of two young children leaned unapologetically with a thud against the wall of the lift. Her brow furrowed and her eyelids closed with a strain. It was one of those openly private moments were you are compelled but reluctant to look, but you do anyway. The kids knew – their instincts told them to be quiet and squeeze their mother’s hand. It was emotional to watch, feeling exactly what it feels like to be in her shoes. The sliding doors opened and I imagined an image of God’s hands opening and the people stepping out and into his sanctuary.

Glad we left the hotel early, because the next stop was our floor & we met Dr. Fein in the hallway. Timing is everything. He was just about to perform the procedure and it was only 6:15am. He was ahead of schedule. The echo cardiogram of her heart was on Saturday, and with the new tissue sample today we should have a final forecast by this afternoon. East coast or West coast? Where will Fay hit? When will Gloria’s treatment start? How much damage should we expect? Wind or flood? Vomiting or hair loss? At least with a start there is an end.