A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE FUTILITY OF MAKING PLANS, BUT - THERE IS STILL HOPE!

     As soon as the plans are made, the Universe likes to yank the rug from under the feet and show us, who is the boss...  
     After a Skype conversation with Hanah, I began to feel, like the trip began to become clear in my head. I called around her area and found us a suitable motel. The only foreseeable problem with it could be that, Roberta will have to climb some stairs to the second floor. She assured me: that was not a problem. I found out, where the graduation will take place, and some more details about it. 
     I shouldn't have declared then that, everything was shaping up and looked surprisingly easy...
     On that same evening Roberta summoned me to her room. She was in terrible pain. Her knee bothered her before, but now she couldn't even lift her leg without screaming, and standing on it was out of the question. 
     In the morning yesterday, the situation improved only marginally. I started to have serious doubts in my mind, whether

Roberta with her friend, Chickie.

we'll have to revise the plans for the trip. How is this 82 year old lady going to endure a six-seven hour ride in a cramped car with such pain in her extremity? How is she going to enjoy her two day stay in a motel? How is she even going to get to the second floor of that motel and down from it? And if she decided to stay at home, I would also have to do so!
     Besides all that, the intense pain started so suddenly, I was afraid, Roberta had some acute problem in her leg. I convinced her to go to the Emergency Room.
     It's not like I enjoy the ERs. I took my dad to that particular hospital, when he fell, and he died there. All of the above thoughts had to be firmly put out of my mind, though. I knew, we had a long day ahead of us, and mulling over such things would not help.
     To my relief, things in the ER of Eden Hospital in Castro Valley progressed quite rapidly. I didn't expect any miracles. When the doctor, after Roberta had an x-ray done, said, she only had an arthritis flair up in her knee, I mentioned (despite really wanting to get out of there as soon as possible) that, I worried about the possibility that, Roberta had a clot. She spent many hours, sitting in the same position in bed, before the pain started. It looked like the doctor had same thoughts, because he immediately suggested for her to have an ultrasound. 
     Just a couple of hours later we we speeding away from the hospital. The ultrasound showed no clots of any kind, and we were quickly discharged. Hurrah, it only took five hours!
     Roberta and I didn't have anything to eat, besides, at some point, the nurse grudgingly supplying her with some crackers and peanut butter. After Sonny picked us up, my charge announced, she was going to take us to a restaurant. It seemed, her leg felt much better, because she now could walk, holding on to my arm. In the morning before we could hardly get her into a wheelchair! 
     So, fingers crossed, we might be able to take the trip, as we planned. A few prayers from all of you would be appreciated! Today is another day. Whatever tidings it will bring, we can adjust and go from there. Love and best wishes to you!