The Waiting game...

Today was a full day of appointments for my mom. 

We were at the clinic from 8:30am - 4:00 pm.

These follow-up appointments were related to a stoke she had 3 weeks ago.

She has not been cleared to drive yet and things are still a little fuzzy in her head so, 

I was with her for support and to hear what all the people had to say,

I've been a nurse at Mayo Clinic for 35 years, so it's strange for me

 to be on the "other end" of things... the waiting game.

 

Waiting is never easy but I refuse to complain!

 I know for a fact that the waiting is not because the staff is 

eating bon-bon's behind the desk or just sitting around picking their noses.

I Know how busy it is at the clinic and how things don't always go as planned for the thousands of consecutive appointment that the clinic manages a day.

So we are grateful for this top rated institution that is right here in my home town, 

with expertise and abilities that some will never know. 

I'm always amazed at the grateful hearts of the "out-of-towners" who verbally acknowledge and appreciate Mayo for all that it has to offer...they just seem to get it. 

Perhaps they have seen the alternative, and therefor can appreciate the difference?

(not to say Mayo is the only great medical facility, I know there are plenty of others in the US)

 While waiting for mom to exit from an appointment, 

I stood looking out the window on the 17th floor of the Gonda building. 

I am not thrilled of heights and this was just a little to high for me...gulp

While waiting for another appointment, 

mom was glad to see that her favorite soap opera was on in the waiting room. 

 I remember her watching this when I was a little girl, 

some of the characters have not changed.

Next appointment.... cardiac monitoring

The Body Guardian, 

a little strip of tape equipped with electrodes and gel, with a small transmitter attached which transmits mom's heart beat to a smart phone which in turn sends to the Mayo Clinic.

It's a little intimidating for my momma, but after a few days she'll have the hang of it.

The doctors still haven't figured out what caused mom's stroke. So the last ditch effort is to have her wear a monitor for 30 days to see if they can "catch" a heart arrhythmia which may have caused a little clot to form and break off, and then go to her brain.... we shall see.

and most importantly.... My new earrings

Have you ever left the house without your jewelry on?

This morning I left without the essentials.  

I always feel naked without my earrings and wedding ring, 

so while waiting for another appointment to finish, 

 I went to the hospital gift store and bought me some new earrings, 

I decided I would be patient and just wait till I got home for the wedding ring  :)

After all I had been "waiting" all day, what's another few hours