Thursday, June 16, 2016

Eventful Birthday!

It was Howard's birthday.  After having company for a few days,  we really were going to have a low-key day and set out to get one of his prescriptions re-filled.  It was one of those 100 degree days we've been having lately.   Howard was using his walker, but we expected to use a motorized cart when we got to the pharmacy at Walmart.

"Is that a handicapped spot?" I asked him when I saw the vacant space.  He said it was, so I parked on the diagonal orange stripes. From behind  me I heard someone say loudly, "You know that is highly illegal!"  A young man was collecting shopping carts, so we asked him about it.  He told us it was not a problem to park there, then offered to go get us a motorized cart!

Just as I was getting my husband out of the car, his legs began to buckle and I could not support him!  "What's wrong?" I exclaimed.  He'd had this problem a couple times before, once when I was able to break his fall and lower him to the floor.  The fire department lift service had helped him up. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, a man was helping me get him into the cart!

By this time the guy who had brought us the cart was halfway back to the store.  Wouldn't you know the machine refused to budge, despite Howard's efforts at trying to start it.  The young man called back to us that he would bring us another one, which he did!

"You're bleeding!" the young man exclaimed. Sure enough, a large trickle of blood was running down Howard's arm. His blood thinner and fragile skin make him susceptible to bleeding at the slightest scrape.  I looked in my purse in vain for a tissue, but the boy said he would get something, dashing off and returning with what looked like half a roll of paper towels! At last we were able to get out of the blazing sun and make it to the prescription counter.

"This can't be filled without the doctor's order!" the pharmacy tech told us.  We only wanted a couple of pills to get him through till the next day when he would go to the doctor.  My son happened to call, and I told him we could not get the medicine.  He phoned the doctor's office and was told they would call the pharmacy immediately giving permission for the meds.  But when I approached the counter they sternly stressed that they could not issue the prescription, because the doctor hadn't notified them. Finally they determined  that the doctor's o.k. was on voice mail, Much ado about nothing!

Today we visited the doctor and got the complete bottle of pills.  A check-up by the cardiologist was also on tap, but we  had time to eat lunch before the appointment.  As we were leaving the restaurant, a man said, "Doing better today,  huh?" as Howard  manipulated the walker.  I asked him if  he had noticed us before with our struggles. "Yes, I helped you yesterday at Walmart!" he surprised me by saying, 

I hadn't recognized him, but I asked if he goes to our church.  He said no, but his wife goes to a Methodist church.  I realized that was the church where our friend is the pianist, and turns out he knows her! "She is a neat lady," he said.  He was surprised when I told him we had gone to a Bible study at her house for several years.  What a coincidence! You never know who God will put in your path!

I got to thinking about it later, and I realized God  had put people in place to help me that frazzled  day.  The man who had appeared just as I needed help.  The friendly cart boy showing up just when I needed him, sparing me a long, hot walk to get a cart and drive it to the car.  Then there was his replacement cart.  And the paper towels. My son calling the doctor's office and facilitating our getting the temporary prescription filled.

It was too hot to bake a cake, so I impulsively bought Howard a beautiful carrot cake and  picked up a carton of "Natural Vanilla Bean" ice cream.  Our favorite.  I made a nice birthday supper for just the two of us, and we ate in the dining room.  A soothing evening for reflecting on God's faithfulness and the recent surgery's promise of more years and birthdays to come!

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