St. Jude – If Beale Street could talk…

If Beale Street Could talk… I’d ask it some questions tonight!  More on that is below.

Summer has battled all week…  She was not very happy that I was sharing that things have been tough and she hates when I overshare.  So, I tried very hard to keep the details to a minimum.  I think I conveyed what Ang was going through with her while she was admitted to the hospital all last week.

I had a colonoscopy on Friday afternoon in Peoria and Summer thought it was hilarious.  What timing!  That I should be going through a procedure that makes me uncomfortable while she is going through abdominal cramps and pain seems like some kind of sweet parity or justice. 

Over the last week,  numbers from her blood work kept coming back low as she continues to fight the infection.  There was a moment when we thought Angela would stay another week because a release from the hospital was not written in stone.  (sometimes Mom is the preferred caregiver!!!)  Nate held back from coming until Saturday since it would be hard for Angela to leave late on Friday.  Besides… They only give you one recliner per room when you are in-patient.  It can get a bit crowded with three people.

Nate did come down Saturday to spend the weekend with Summer, regardless of where she was.  What a guy.  Angela headed back to Illinois so we would see each other for 1 day!

As luck would have it (Or the piles of prayers and goodwill that have beamed towards her)… Summer’s counts were good enough that she was allowed to leave the hospital mid-afternoon on Saturday.  She wasn’t out of the clear…  She had to go back to St. Jude on Sunday for appointments at 1 and 2:30.  While she is back at the apartment, she is responsible to hook up her how antibiotic infusions at 6AM and 10PM.

Late Sunday morning, after breakfast with Angela and Aiden at Jack’s in Tremont, I headed to Memphis.  I made pretty good time.  Seriously…  Even with the rain, traffic was moving through Missouri and Arkansas at a good clip.  When I got on the road in Tremont, I had some dread about the long drive ahead of me… But, I had some good podcasts to listen to…  I heard all about Nitsche on a VOX podcast.  (Chud would probably cringe all the way through that one) and then Freakonomics had a 2-hour show on running an airline.  That killed all my time until I got out of Missouri.

Meanwhile, Summer had texted me that she and Nate had gone out for breakfast.  All the diners were long waits, but she had gone to a drive-through and had gotten an awesome coffee and croissant.  That’s great news…  That means she is eating!  Cool!

As I was getting to town it was nearly late afternoon.  Summer said that Nate had found a place for burgers on YELP that he wanted to go to.  Crazy Kanucks is right downtown across from the Peabody hotel.  We didn’t see any ducks, but we did see a lot more tourists than in the normal places we hang out in Memphis.  I thought, this is kinda cool, we are in the “Action” areas of Memphis…  Although, I never trust these formula restaurants that cater to people from out of town.  We ordered burgers and Summer ordered a Gyro.  In the meantime, I heard all about her last week and how her numbers are coming up.  Some are still low… But most are up.  When we got the food…  Nate and I knocked down our dinners…  Summer nibbled at the edge of a gyro and declared that she was full.  Hey, I am glad she is eating… But I was going to be shocked if she ate more than 4 bites of that gyro.

Parking is not terrible downtown, except that they make you pay for 5 hours even if you are going to be there for 15 minutes.  I had found a spot up the street from the restaurant and Summer asked if I would go get the car and pick her up at the restaurant.  Nate was packed and ready to go, he would leave from here after their goodbyes.  After coursing around 8 blocks of downtown following one-way streets… I got out in front of the restaurant and saw Summer and Nate waiting outside.

I pulled up… Put my hazards on and unlocked the doors.  Nate opened the door for Summer and as she was putting her foot into the car… I heard a MASSIVE bang!  I was sure that the car had been struck… But I didn’t feel anything.  I then realized that the windshield of the car was cracked to bits.  I didn’t know what happened… I looked at Summer and she was stunned.  I started looking out the other windows and people on the street were pointing at our car.  (The Fort’s Prius!).  I got out and asked the group outside the restaurant what happened.  They said “it” came down from the roof.  I looked up on both sides of the street.  It was 5 stories up at least… I didn’t see anyone up there looking down…  And it didn’t look like there was a party going on.  I was basically screwed.  I thought about calling the cops… But I was in downtown Memphis with my kid who probably should have been at Target House anyway.

UGH!  I was so pissed.  I drove back to Target House with Summer mostly to silence as I was thinking about what to do about the car.  Obviously, I can get this fixed much cheaper in Pekin than in Memphis.  But, this windshield is screwed… I am not sure I want to drive home like this.  Also, its supposed to rain all week.  I don’t think it will leak.?  But its pretty crushed.

I sent out for some quotes tonight while sitting on the couch at Target House.  We will see what the local companies say.    (Safelight says 829.00!!!)

This has consumed my head for a good chunk of the night.  That bottle that fell was literally 2 feet from Summer when she was getting into the car.  If that would have hit her in the head, it could have killed her.  I am not exaggerating.  When you see the windshield damage and you think what could have happened to a skull…  It’s frightening.

We have spent many days, weeks, and months in Memphis since coming to St. Jude.  I have constantly had people telling me to “Stay safe” and “Watch out” every time I say I am coming down to the “city”.  I always shrug it off as people who are scared of cities or are overly cautious.  I have traveled all over and I know my limits for safety, so those comments never really connected with me.  But this has pissed me off so bad I am not sure I will ever go back downtown.

There are not enough semi-authentic blues bands, overpriced beer, and formula restaurants to give me the desire.

Which is a shame…  Because I have been hoping we can inspire Summer to get a job near Memphis after college.  That way she will be close to town if she needs a scan or whatever in the future.

That became a harder sell tonight because of some idiot/*sshole!

Tomorrow Summer has labs, PT, and the possibility of some transfusions.  I am hoping we stay at Target House… And, this is the big stuff I need to worry about.  I am going to put that windshield in the back of my mind and not let it consume me.  (at least I am going to try.   I’ll probably have nightmares about it!)