Posting Late and With a Sad Heart

Since I had decided to try to post here on Wednesdays, I am two days overdue. But my heart has not been in posting.

I planned three good days in a row and enjoyed them all: a picnic and afternoon trip with Gerald to Golconda to the Trail of Tears Association and on to see a cousin of his on Sunday, a day in the Little Egypt Arts Association on Monday, and a visit with my friend and cousin's daughter Mickey Finch on Tuesday. Since Mickey and I had been trying to have this particular get-together at Woodsong for four years, I was especially pleased about that. Mickey and I could talk all day and night and never complete our visiting. Our blood runs thick, and our friendship more so. She brought me a book Crones Don't Whine : Concentrated Wisdom for Juicy Women by Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen, one of Mickey's latest enthusiasms.

What would otherwise have been a perfect day contained a phone call from our daughter Katherine that they were en route to St. Louis University Hospital ER for a necessary test because of a doctor's fear of a blood clot. Knowing she and David were not seen at ER until late in the evening and she was not given a bed until 2 a.m. or so broke my heart -- just like all the other sad and horrible things that happen to anyone with multiple sclerosis and also to their spouse. Although that blood clot fear turned out to be unjustified, other problems and symptoms related to multiple sclerosis created various problems in taking MRI's.

Katherine's sister Mary Ellen immediately included Samuel in her family's plans Tuesday night and Wednesday for a mini vacation near the ball park and some fun activities the next day, and a free movie yesterday morning. I was on the alert to go pick up children at St. Clair Square if needed but that did not materialize. Gerald and I were set to go up this morning to help Mary Ellen with the three kids and for me to be at the hospital since David needs to be back at work. That all changed with the last night's phone call, and I think David is bringing Katherine and Samuel home right now. So with a broken heart I acknowledge that although I may be wrong and I hope I am, the hospital visit may have helped her very little if at all other than with some immediate problems. I don’t like telling that to friends and relatives who love her and call for information. We will wait and see what tomorrow will bring.