Saturday, November 22, 2008

It started out as a regular day with coffee at the local coffee shop. Then Mr. Boring sat down next to me. I think He looks for my truck in the parking lot , then makes a bee line to sit next to me. All I wanted was to finish reading my paper in peace. Instead, I put the paper away and was polite.

Oh, look at the clock! I have to leave because Lily has an appointment at the vets. I escape Mr. Boring. Rushing to get on the road. I am on the wrong road. How did that happen? Wasn't paying attention. Now it is indeed getting late. Lily will be late to see her vet. The truck has to make a big circle to get on the right road, but We are 15 minutes late. Up ahead, a fire truck is blocking the road. Cars back up behind the fire truck. What in the world is the hold up? It doesn't matter, the traffic jam breaks up and Lily and I continue our journey...speeding up a little. At the next red light, a traffic cop motions for me to pull over. I wasn't wearing my seat belt. He hands me a ticket. I owe the town, $35. Damn. On the road again.

At the vets, Lily has her stitches taken out. She acts like a horrible two year old....crying . The vet said He hadn't touched her yet. Lily is anxious about being in the office. She senses that this is the place where they "do things" to animals. How can I explain to a little terrier that what the doctor does is protecting her health? Of course, I can't. The lab result is in. Lily has stage 2 cancer. Mast cell cancer is caused by diet. It is an allergic reaction to something she eats. That is why I put her on raw foods...raw turkey, grated carrots and broccoli, fish oil and other supplements. ..and absolutely no grains or chemicals . The vet got both tumors out with a good safety margin. Perhaps she is cured, perhaps not. Another blood test will tell us if she has mast cells in her blood. The vet takes a blood sample and sends it off to the lab. If the diet is working, there will be no mast cells in her blood and she will have a good chance of living a normal life. If she has mast cells in her blood, then she will last only a year. I have decided against chemo and more surgery, as she has been through enough. We leave the office without knowing Lily's fate. The lab result will come via email.

Next stop is to pick up Stephen. I am driving him to the clinic. Stephen steps out of the car and goes in the clinic. I am waiting for him by the door, engine running. It shouldn't take long for him to return. He returns immediately. I have to move my car. I am blocking a fire lane. Of course. Except there is no other place to park. At the corner of the building, blocking traffic, is a truck pulling a man-lift. I can't get around them. Wait Wait Wait. Now I can. There is one parking place around the back. I pull my Ranger into the parking place and turn off the ignition.

The man with the man-lift crew comes to my window. Would I mind moving my truck, as they need that space? They are changing light bulbs on poles. I parked under the light. Resignation. Still no place to park. Why aren't people leaving the clinic? Are they stuck there? By now I am two thirds around the building with no parking place in sight. There is no choice but to stand in the driveway and hope that Stephen comes out soon. I can't stand there long. I will be told to move my truck any minute. Try cruising slowly. By now, I have driven all around the building. There is Stephen at the entrance, smoking a cigarette. He kept me waiting so He could smoke? No, He is waiting for another person so He can arrange a ride for tomorrow. Arrangements made. We take off.

I tell Stephen about Lily's news. Cooking doesn't appeal t me today, so We pick up take out food.

At home at last. Are We safe from obstacles now? No. The phone rings. It is Dee. I've know her since she was three years old and I was four. She has been diagnosed with lung cancer from smoking.

Will I lose Lily and Dee to cancer? Will Stephen develop cancer from smoking? The questions are unanswered.

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