Enduring

"Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." 

~Gordon B. Hinckley

Today was one of those days that I simply endured...  does it seem like I have a lot of those?

Ethan had speech at 9:15 this morning.  I kicked the therapist out a few minutes early to leave by 10:15 to be on-time for Nolan's appointment at 11:00 to get his cast.  A 45 minute drive later, we arrived on-time if not a few minutes early.  I restrained Ethan in the stroller, carried Nolan in the door, and set him down in the waiting room.  I turned to the receptionist who says, "This must be Nolan... well, Dr. Krull is sick today, so we had to cancel all of his appointments.  Would you like to reschedule?"  No, I would rather my child NOT get his cast and never have his leg heal.  She said she tried to call twice this morning, but no one answered.  I had been home all morning...  She offered to reschedule for Friday, but Brenden and Ethan have audiology appointments in Anchorage Friday.  Finally, she found an appointment on Thursday (at a time I would have to get Brenden out of school early to go with me so I don't miss getting him off of the bus), but it was the only other option.  

Normally, I am one of those nice, understanding, "walk all over me" kind of people, but she must have hit me on the wrong day.  I have been silently and verbally worried for the last week about how I was going to manage this appointment with both kids, one of whom will run as far away as he can given any opportunity and the other who can't run anywhere, but has to be carried.  I have been emotionally preparing to watch Nolan scream in pain as they cast his broken little leg.  We have been making "after Nolan get his hard cast..." comments for days.  I, after making a few comments about my drive and my 2 kids and rearranging my day, swooped up my kids and left defeated.

I got less than a mile down the road and decided to turn around and go back.  I asked if there was any OTHER facility in town that does casts and they told me, sorry, not really.  I, again, left dejected, but slightly more angry.  While I was in the office, Ethan disassembled his hearing aid beyond my own personal ability to repair.

As I head home again, I think: If they are able to cancel my appointment, why can't they last minute cancel someone else who hasn't already driven all of the way to the office?  And so, I turn around again and return to inquire.  I knew all along it wasn't going to work and that it was a silly request, but it seemed valid at the time and in the mood I was in.  The receptionist gave me a whole schpeal about Dr. Krull has his own patients and Dr. Innes can't see them.  The problem is: we've never seen either doctor.  We're no one's patients!  In the end, I stood in the office and cried until they agreed to see Nolan.  An hour and lots of screaming (from both Ethan - stuck in the stroller, and Nolan) later, Nolan has a hard cast.

I feel terrible about the way I acted and the fact that now you are hearing about it, but would I change what I did?  Probably not.  I will send them a nice thank you note and some store bought cookies (I am quite sure they wouldn't eat homemade cookies from the evil lady who may or may not have laced them with something) and call it even.

I got home four hours after leaving and had a message that I left my stroller there in the parking lot.  Right now I couldn't care less...