Things happen in threes

Friday or Saturday, I can't remember which day now, I was out gardening in the back. Hitting those berries with the clippers and pulling roots with my gloved hands, from the area under the decks. I walked through a spider's web. The spider didn't like me and left a mark on my arm. My body did not respond well. My arm began to grow. I took benydril and iced the arm, but it continued to balloon. Monday I called the Doctor's office. They couldn't get me in but from my description of the now foot long swelling going above and below the elbow, they recommended I go to the ER immediately.

I had iced it over the weekend and been taking benidryl, which knocked me out causing me to lose two days of work. All I could do was sleep. I knew since I had done everything I could do for it that I needed the arm looked at.


I was on my way to take my girlfriend to the airport that evening. I was to watch her dogs at my house while she was gone. She has been helping me toss and organize. She suggested I hit an Urgent care instead of the ER. Having been to the ER a few times I knew it would be a long wait with my arm getting bumped for every car crash that came through the door. It can be an easy four hour wait. Tom sends Riley with me on the trip to the airport just in case something goes wrong.





My girlfriend's daughter looks up a location near the freeway that would be easy to hit on the way home, open until 8:00 pm and not busy. I drop in at the clinic after dropping them off at the airport. I am seen within 15 minutes. The Doctor takes one look and says I have a bacterial infection called Cellulitis. It is serious and can easily get out of hand. He says for me to fill a prescription of antibiotics and steroids and start taking the first one immediately, not to wait until I get home. Once home I am to take another dose, hit the infection hard to start.





I swing by the nearest pharmacy. Riley and I get dinner from the deli while we wait for the prescriptions. The pharmacist tells me the prednosone will keep me awake so not to take it until morning. I down the antibiotic with the last of my dinner.

Riley has a friend call for a play date. Had Riley had his own prescriptions with him I could have dropped him off afterwards. Instead I agree to drive him to their home in the country the next day.


Between Trevor's Daily double practices and delivering Riley to his play date, I am also reminded I have a bridge date at the club. It is a tight schedule the next day. I do a drop and run on Riley. I don't even say "Hi" to the mom, another dear friend. I just shove Riley out of the car and head back to pick up Trevor from morning practice.

Trevor calls asking where I am. I am going to be late. I tell him to walk to the nearest restaurant and I will treat him to lunch. Call me back when he has chosen where. He calls from Starbucks. I am just getting off the freeway when I smell something hot. I am passing construction so at first I think it is that, but I look down at the dash anyway just to check. The temperature meter is all the way on H. My car is over heating.

I realize I have to get the car to a repair shop fast. Mean while Trevor is waiting for me. I slow down and pray that the car doesn't catch fire and leave me stranded.

I make it to the repair shop. They tell me I have a reasonable size hole in the coolant tank. $230 to repair. I am pleased as I had anticipated something much more expensive knowing car repairs. I make a couple of calls including calling the Starbucks to let Trevor know of my car troubles. I had been lucky he had used the house phone to call me as I was able to back dial the number and ask for the big boy that had just used their phone. They were able to relay the message.

I next called a friend who was able to come pick me up and swing by to pick up Trevor and deliver us both home where I could grab a spare car. Thank goodness for spare cars. I then took Trevor out for that lunch. We ended up at KFC, his choice. I offered Applebies, but he wanted KFC. I delivered him a little early back at practice and made it to my bridge date with minutes to spare. My partners weren't even there yet.

I was a little yippy at bridge. It took a while to come down off the adrenaline rush of all that excitement with the car. The prednosone prescription along with the antibiotics the doctor gave me probably didn't help. I told everyone if I broke down in tears or decided to hit someone to please forgive me, its just the meds.

Just as we are winding up and finishing the game, I got a call to pick up Trevor. He limped to the car. He has pinched some nerves in his back when a big line man hit him from behind. I can only hope he feels better in the morning as he has already used up his spare practice. If he misses another he does not get to play in the opening game.

I like to leave time in my day for events. I really worked my time yesterday. It was a full day, yet I made every appointment. Trevor did not give me a hard time for being left hanging, which I appreciated. I appreciated Riley's willingness to ride with me the day before to watch my back until I got my arm looked at.

The car is fixed. I am picking it up today. The swelling is going down on my arm, though I feel wired on the prednosone, but I really need its healing powers. I barely slept last night even though I took the prednsone in the morning. I am really not a steroids kind of person. I am naturally wired with an "On Swtch". Several people have told me how serious cellulitis is and how quickly you can end up in the hospital or wearing an IV pack on your waste. It is not to be fooled with, so I am taking my meds on schedule.

My little friend in the hospital may be coming home this week. I am dropping off the air filter for him to use. I really felt it helped keep Riley from catching those germs that kept putting my little friend back in the hospital. I am hopeful his hospital visits are just scheduled updates from now on as his Bone Marrow Transplant from his brother seems to finally be taking hold. We pray for him every day as there but for the grace of God go we. What adventures we are having.