Over the River and Through the Woods

“Though the doctors treated him, let his blood, and gave him medications to drink, he nevertheless recovered.”    ― Leo Tolstoy

So, we went into the City on Wednesday for my quarterly visit to Colombia-Pres lung tx clinic.  Traffic through Jersey was the pits.  The usual dead stop for 20 minutes at Paterson, then just stop and go to Maywood and Hackensack.  Then just stop again for a while.  Then stuck on the Bridge for a bit, and finally to Milstein.  What a mess!  Scaffolding and construction vehicles EVERYWHERE.

The computers were down in registration.  Took a while.  Everyone in the tri-state area needed a chest x-ray at Herbert Irving.  Took a while again.  People were shouting in the lab down there, so I decided to pass and use the lab on 14.  Finally cleared the Pavilion for the marathon to NYPres. Hurried all the way.  But still w-a-a-y late for 6 min walk.  Hoped they would cancel to preserve their schedule, but N-o-o-o.

Again, I asked, why is it that they don’t meet us at Milstein, join us for the trek over and count that as our 6 min.?  Standard cop out:  They don’t make the rules.  Then who does make the rules for the 6 minute walk, if they don’t??  [15 yds. short of last time.  Consistency counts.]

Breezed through PFTs with 11% improvement.  Unexplainable but welcome.  On to 14th floor for bloodwork and clinic.  Customary two hour wait.  No biggie.  Lots of nice people.

Got bloodwork with customary hematoma and saw Dr. Robbins at 3:30 for my noon appointment.  AOK.  Always anticlimactic.  Good to see her, but she looks tired.

Rounded out the visit with a quick stop at infusion for annual Reclast.  Second marathon of the day to return to Milstein and valet parking.  Enjoyed the insanity that ensues daily from 5-6 pm as the lobby is full of discharged patients, visitors, people waiting for their cars.  Just glad to sit down.

Clear sailing over the bridge, back through NJ, dark to we couldn’t enjoy the scenery through Budd Lake and back to daughter’s house in Bethlehem.

Start time:  7:30 am.
End time: 7:30 pm.

Simply overwhelmed to hear of NYC’s first ebola patient the next morning.  These are exciting times.

~T, 10-24-2014

Time and the River

“Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.  ~Henry David Thoreau


Time moves fast at first, then slows.  By the time you are older, time slows and is harder to fill.  When you need time, you just don’t have it.

Weekends as a kid were never long enough.  There was so much to do.  School really infringed on life.

In college, we wasted too much time - discussing, debating, wondering, pondering.  Then we were rushed to get important things accomplished.

As a young adult, time flew.  There were jobs, people, relationships, houses, furniture, weddings, Masters, bigger jobs, kids.  There was no longer time to think, to consider, to savor.

Weekends were errands, day trips, soccer games, painting living rooms, trying to catch up with friends.  Next were the trips to Natureland, picking apples, track meets, allergy shots, and 4th grade fundraisers to Save the Whales. 

Whatever happened to spending three hours reading the Sunday papers?

All too soon, it was time for Parents Weekend, prom pictures, college reunions and talk of downsizing.  Time was spent going to garage sales, visiting parents in nursing homes and sadly going to funerals.

Life happened through all this, and we missed too much of it.  Now time is spent looking at the photos and remembering.  Now there is time to sit and think, to consider and to ponder the big questions.  What to have for dinner?  Whatever happened to the Sunday papers? 


Methinks I see the wanton hours flee,
And as they pass, turn back and laugh at me.
~George Villiers

~T, 10-13-2014