Some days are just the pits. Isn’t that true for all of us? We look at our “bad” days and think we cannot deal with any of it. Someone recently made the comment that “There is someone, somewhere, who would like to have your bad days.” I’m not convinced that is true, but perhaps it helps to put things into proper perspective.
Take yesterday, for instance. Isn’t it supposed to be spring here in Tennessee? Well, it certainly looked like Mother Nature was playing a trick on us. April 16 had temperatures in the 30’s and even lower with the wind chill. Sleet showers, really? It was altogether too cold for this southern girl! It was certainly a bad day, weather-wise.
Approaching the parking deck at UT Hospital, I was hoping and praying for a handicapped parking spot close to our destination: the orthopedic building. That didn’t happen, so we had a bit of a hike. You see, George has a “mild” case of carpal tunnel syndrome in his left wrist, which is paining him quite a bit. That diagnosis was made after a nerve conduction test. We dutifully obeyed our neurologist’s advice to get this appointment and see what needed to be done. Why do we baby boomers automatically assume that physicians are gods? I don’t know, but I’m starting not to believe it.
We braved the messy, cold weather to see the orthopedic specialist. After about an hour wait and an incredible amount of spent patience, the doctor arrived. Had he previously reviewed George’s nerve conduction test results? Apparently not, because he exited the exam room to leave us waiting for another 30 minutes. During that time, I called another doctor’s office to reschedule the afternoon appointment. (I must “multitask,” you see!) When he returned, he said: “You have a mild case of carpal tunnel and surgery is not indicated.” I told him we had a wrist brace already at home. The ironic thing is that we (together with our dedicated occupational therapist) had already decided that using a wrist brace at nighttime would help to alleviate his discomfort.
Do we need all the medical interventions that some physicians suggest? Maybe so, maybe not.
I could have been angry about all the “wasted time,” the traffic, and the terrible weather, but I recalled the homily that Canon Pat Grace gave on Sunday morning. The bottom line was that we should look for Christ in everyone we meet. This includes the cranky receptionist at the doctor’s office, the clearly overworked doctor, and all the struggling patients in the waiting area.
A wise man once said: “Afflictions may be lasting, but not everlasting.” I am also reminded of Paul’s words to the Romans: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
I have decided our bad day wasn’t so bad after all.
Perpetual Motion 