2 Days to Go: Magazines by the Bedside, and a Sea of Green
We got ourselves moving and hit the road by 9:00 AM from Sand Gulch Campground. The last hurrah, our final glimpse of the summer we were hoping for, the summer that was delayed by a year by two surgeries (Matt’s shoulder, my back)
Matt dropped me off on the way through town for lunch with Kelly at Mesa Latin Kitchen. Kelly is a dear friend from high school and we worked together on staff at Geneva Glen Camp for years. She has had a remarkably successful medical career, working in neurosurgery for many years Because of her background, she was one of the very first people I texted when I chose my surgeon over a month ago. She had mentioned the team she worked with many years ago and after the long winding road, I was excited to tell her I had chosen somebody she had suggested. We spent most of our time just catching up on life, telling stories, and reconnecting after more than a year. When we did touch on my spine, she was grounded and clear: she affirmed that this is a big surgery with a massive recovery. She helped set real expectations, telling me to be mentally prepared for anything from three days up to a full week in the hospital. She and a few other friends have also stepped in to help refine my hospital packing list, offering practical ideas I never would have thought of on my own. Her insight was steadying, and walking away from that table felt like closing a loop of reassurance.
From lunch, Abby came to pick me up. She had completely recovered from being sick, so having that uninterrupted afternoon with her was pure medicine.
We headed straight into Barnes & Noble next door to the restaurant. Stepping inside flooded me with memories. Many years ago, when I went back to school in Denver to earn my teaching degree, I worked at Barnes & Noble to make extra money. Walking the aisles, telling Abby stories from that season of my life, brought back memories, as we both enjoyed the comforting smell of brewed coffee, and endless paper. We headed right to the newsstand, where I grabbed an unapologetic stack of magazines; everything from People gossip to fitness, cooking, and wellness. I also picked up a book, just in case my brain allows me to focus while recovering. From the bookstore, we crossed the parking lot to get pedicures together. I picked a calming, muted blue for my toes, totally convinced my surgery will have a better outcome if my toes look pretty on the operating table!
We had a great, easy drive back to Arvada. Once we got home, Abby tackled some laundry, and per her request, we ordered dinner from Heaven Dragon, our family’s all-time favorite Chinese spot. While eating we watched a couple episodes of the new Ted Lasso season, and simply soaked up each other’s company before she headed back to school.
Then came Monday’s packed schedule.
By midday Monday, the anxiety around my sodium levels had completely hijacked my brain, and practically held my breath all the way to Labcorp.
The technician drew my blood, and as I was literally walking out of the building to my car, my phone rang. It was my surgical team checking in on my labs. We both had a good laugh when I told them I was currently crossing the parking lot, the draw was marked STAT, and the vials were already running across the hall.
An hour later, I was back at my computer, where my AdventHealth portal was permanently open and being compulsively refreshed.
When the refresh finally loaded my metabolic panel results, my heart was in my throat. I scrolled down the chart.
Every single marker was in the green.
I yelled up the stairs to Matt: “We’re on!”
The sodium held. The roadblock is gone. My chart was full of green and green is good, green is a go, and the road going forward is officially open.
