NIH follow-up

You may recall a “manic Monday earlier post, this week it was “wacky Wednesday”

Let me explain, I traveled to Baltimore on Tuesday to complete a follow-up MRI for the NIH clinical trial I am participating in.

I woke early Wednesday to take advantage of the hotel’s free breakfast and opted for Total cereal, you know, in one of those self-contained packages where you just add milk. I did this and almost immediately spilled it on my pant leg and floor.  The table was about 15” round and on it was my spoon, newspaper and the cereal.  A very nice woman immediately came to my rescue and we replaced the cereal, again I poured the milk and within 2 minutes did the same thing—milk all over me.  I felt like a 2year old and smelled like an 8-month old.  The same kind woman helped me and said “go get some more breakfast, sit down, relax and read your paper.”  I said “no, I’m just going to eat a banana in my room”.  I grabbed the banana and off I went.  First things first - wipe the milk from my pants. When I got to my room, the phone rang and it was the front desk stating they were going to deliver some cereal to me.  I guess the woman from the breakfast room was worried that I didn’t get enough breakfast.  I declined.   

By now, it was time to get to the NIH for my MRI.  I took the courtesy car and arrived at 9:00 for my 9:00 appointment.  I walked as fast as I could and on the way the head guy called asking where I was and was happy to hear I was in the building. 

Once in the MRI machine, they told me repeatedly not to move for 50 minutes.  “Do not go to sleep, because often if you sleep, you twitch, remember to keep your eyes open, they inserted the ear plugs, secure your head in place and then they said go.

I tried as hard as I could to not move because I knew if I did, they would have to repeat the tests.  At the end, he said I moved a little at the beginning. They were not concerned.

Now it was time to catch the plane back to Austin with a stop in Dallas My connection was so tight that before landing had to ask the girl next to me to grab my red bag and carry it outside the plane and the man across from me to grab my cane.  I am in awe of the kindness people show and their immediate willingness to help I also did not have time to make a bathroom stop.  When I boarded the plane, I explained my situation to the flight attendant and she said you can go right now before you get to your seat which I did.  When I came out of the bathroom, a 3-yearold darling girl was waiting.  She had a pink glittery cowboy hat in her hand I told her,   I love your hat.”  She said, “I won it in a bowling tournament.”  I said, “You did, what was your score?”  She did not understand my question and by this time everyone is boarding or had already boarded so I had to curtail the questions I made the connection barely but on the way to Austin my Kindle ran out of battery life.  For the Bacon family members, there is nothing worse than being without reading material.  Fortunately it was only for 15 minutes.

Hectic day calamities averted and I never cried over spilled milk.