April 6 – “Journey into Texas Day”

It was Journey into Texas Day again yesterday.  I had an appointment with my rheumatologist, so of course I made a list of all the errands I could possibly run while across the waters.  The doctor’s appointment was my regular three-month, see if the medication is rotting my gut checkup.  There is a new player in the pain game going on in my body lately.  My hip has joined the frivolity, making its appearance when I begin to get tired in the evenings, when I stand too long, and I guess when I lay on one side too long while sleeping, since the aching wakes me up.  The doc didn’t do anything for it just yet, thought.  His inspection didn’t get a big enough wince out of me or something.  He did say there were literally hundreds of new medicines just waiting for him to try out.  Not a very encouraging scenario if you ask me.  So I’ll just keep doing what I have been doing. 

After a quick stop at Lifeway Christian Book Store for some church stuff, I headed out to Friendswood to find my Uncle Jerry.  He has been transferred to a rehab facility there after a month or so in the hospital.  Kind of a strange place.  It’s set up as a hub of six wings growing out of the nurses’ station.  No one offered to help me find his room, so I ended up calling him on his cell phone to find him.  He wasn’t very pleased with some of the workers there.  They made the mistake of speaking against the paramedics that transferred him.  As far as he was concerned that was the same as insulting his grand-nephew the fire fighter, and you don’t insult family.  Not a good start.  Then they were going to transfer him to a different bed without aligning the beds evenly.  He challenged them on that as well.  And while he was on a roll, he told me about his experience at the hospital just before he was transferred.  Two ICU nurses were taking him to a room on the tenth floor (the geriatric specialty floor – a very nice place), when a fight erupted between two employees.  Not just a verbal battle, though they were definitely screaming.  Apparently these two were doing some shoving and blustering challenges at each other.  His nurses managed to get him out of the line of fire, so to speak, but the interchange continued for quite some time before it was obviously broken up.  Uncle Jerry received several visits from administrators after that to apologize.  Scary stuff when you consider all the office place retaliations you hear about.  Anyway, he’s not sure how long he will be at the facility, but one of my cousins is with him for the time being. 

I did manage to swing by Sam’s to get coffee cups for the church before stopping in at Nathan’s old house to grab some boxes and getting home for a quick supper before making an appearance at the Family Fun Night at church.  It was definitely a relief to finally get home and crash for the evening.  Those Texas trips can really take it out of you.

Psalms 84:3-4 says, “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young — a place near your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.  Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

Father, thank you for my home here on the Island.  I’m really glad I can be close to you and here at the same time.  Amen.