Ready Steady Go

it is 630 p.m. in the holy city of zefat.  candle lighting is around 7:15 p.m.  the house is freshly mopped, and the food is on the electric hotplate.  i spent the day making shabbat meals for the kids.  they both went to a neighbor's wedding last night and had to go to work today.  i sent the daughter-in-law's sister to the supermarket for me.  it is super hot outside and i couldn't go out for fear of another gastritis attack.

i only bought fish and potatoes today.  i used the rest of the chicken schnitzels and chicken parts from the kids' fridge.  i didn't buy drinks or beer.  they will have to manage with water and fruity syrup.  it's amazing that i was able to function at all.  i even washed down the floors.

i spent the morning on wednesday chasing after referrals and forms at the clinic.  they automatically, send all of my paperwork to hospitals in haifa and nahariya, even though i've been doing all my treatments and tests in tel aviv.  what a pain!!!  i was practically doubled up with stomach pain, too.  they told me to come back in the afternoon.  they said that they check all faxes after noon.  i wanted to walk around town and perhaps shop a little.  i couldn't go anywhere.  i went to the bank to get money for travelling and i came right back to the clinic to wait.

fortunately, the referral had already arrived.  i caught a cab and went right home to relax.  i had a long day ahead of me.  my MRI was scheduled in tel aviv at 2:00 a.m.  i took a pain pill and tried to lie down.  it took a long time for it to kick in.  at 5:00 p.m. i was suffering from the pain.  i wanted to wait a little longer to try the opiate that the doctor had given me for heart spasms and penile erection dysfunction.  yes that's right.  i had eaten a turkey sandwich and i needed to take the opiate with milk, so i waited.

i finally took the pill and it never kicked in.  it made me feel really sick.  i was nauseous.  i called a taxi at around 8:45 p.m. to get to the bus stop near my sister's apartment complex.  the 9:30 p.m. bnei brak bus was scheduled to arrive in tel aviv at about 1:00 p.m.  there was another bus from rosh pina at !0:00 p.m but it was closer to go to my sister's apartment.  by the time i got there, i was feeling miserable.  i had waited outside for over 20 minutes.  the cab driver was waiting on the wrong street.

my sister told me that i looked really sick.  i was pale as a ghost.  she had organized an inexpensive car service to take us to the hospital and back.  i was relieved not to have had to ride the bus for 3 1/2 hours one way.  my son had offered to take me, but i didn't like the idea of his driving me home in the middle of the night.  i felt more comfortable with a 'professional cabbie'  i was fortunate to have slept all the way to tel aviv.  i was feeling awful.  i took another pain pill just before i left.

i had a mild sedative along with me just in case i needed one.  i was so tired from the pain and the pain pills that i was pretty wiped out.  i was afraid of taking the sedative.  i was afraid  that i might get dizzy.  we arrived at the hospital at 1:00 a.m.  there were a bunch of people already there.  i was told that i might get taken after 3:00 a.m.   the cabbie agreed to wait for three hours.  i was taken at 2:30 a.m.  i was given some meds intravenously.  i didn't look into the Mri machine.  i closed my eyes as soon as i laid down.  i was in the machine for about 25 minutes.  the noise was unbearable.  my back was killing me.  i wanted out so badly.

they gave me ear plugs which really didn't block out the noise.  it felt like they were doing some sort of construction work around my head.  at one point my head and the table started jerking.  they kept on asking me if i was okay.  each time i said i was okay.  they give you a buzzer and place your finger right next to it in case you need to exit for some reason.  it was comforting .

as soon as i got out of the chamber i wanted to go home.  i'm so glad that we decided to cab it.  i was home and in bed by 6:00 a.m.  i have an appointment to see the neurosurgeon on tuesday.  i hope it will be good news.  shabbat shalom!!!