Very hectic day yesterday and I actually was glad that my appointment at the BMT clinic was at 2:00 PM

I arrived at the clinic about  10 minutes early and found it almost deserted.  Most of the chairs in the Infusion Room were empty and there were not as many nurses there as I have seen on most days.  I did encounter April, the most attractive of the nurses aides, as I got off the elevator on my way in.  I had not seen her for many months and learned that she works on the fourth floor now.  She later walked through the Infusion Room, but we did not speak again.  Craig took me from the hallway waiting area in for vitals and found my blood pressure to be 120/70 so it has continued to go down from the very high readings two weeks ago  He then seated me in Chair 4 where Robert, one of three male nurses, put the line in my port and then drew 4 vials of blood, which surprised me because the normal draw on the third Monday is 2 vials.  He said the extra vials were because of some concern about my thyroid. All this had been accomplished by about 2:30 and then I waited and waited for results on the blood work and for the Velcade infusion, which was given to me by another nurse I had not seen previously, because Robert's shift had ended and he was gone.  This nurse printed out the results of the blood work on a single sheet of paper and I did not see anything that might relate to my thyroid and didn't think to ask about it. I did not leave the clinic until 4:30. Just in time to be caught in the homeward bound traffic and didn't get home until well after 5:00.  I have never had to go as late as 2:00 and hope to never have to do so again.  I complained to the patient coordiantor about my erratic schedule and he asked me to accept the October dates and he would try to arrive at a better schedule for me going forward; if he doesn't do so I believe I will try to make my own schedule with  the registration desk ladies.

The hectic day was the culmination of a week of frustration with failing equipment and inability to get any satisfactory solutions.  I had called Sears Appliance Services about our failing ice maker after I got home from the clinic last week and they promised a repair man would come Friday afternoon. He came and told us he wouldn't spend more than $400 for a new ice maker on a refrigerator as old as ours.  We accepted that advise, but thought better of it during the night and called Sears again Saturday and scheduled replacement between 9:00 and noon on Monday, which was why I was glad that my appointment was at 2:00. During the week I made 2 trips to Stevens Electric Service trying to fix the motor on my table saw and finally had to take the motor in.  And, finally, last Saturday (Oct. 18)  our big Canon copyier would not respond when I turned it on to do some copying and I took it to a shop the same day I took the motor for repairs.  Whenever I tell about the week of trials I am reminded that folk wisdom says that trials come in threes and I almost am a believer in folk wisdom. Hopefully the week ahead and others to come will be a lot better.