We’ve all been there, first time to the church picnic to find out everyone else knew to bring their own table service; attending your child’s first athletic banquet to learn you were supposed to bring a rose to give your athlete during the ceremony; or your first company Christmas party and everyone but you brought a gift for the exchange. And, all you can say is: If I’d have known

That was us last Friday when Suzanne had her follow-up appointment with the thoracic surgeon who performed her lung lobectomy. We were told to show up thirty minutes ahead of her appointment so an X-ray could be taken. Assumption (you know what happens when you assume) the X-ray is to take place in the same location.

At this south suburban medical complex, we checked in with the Rush representative in the cancer clinic and she informed us that the X-ray needed to be taken at the adjoining hospital; If I’d have known, I would have planned this differently. Asking how we get to this other location, the receptionist responded she didn’t know as she was from Rush, not this facility

The security guard was kind enough to explain the route so off we went, through some halls, out some doors, across a parking lot, and into the hospital. We checked in with the receptionist behind a glass wall and were told to wait for admissions to call us, that’s when we realized we were about to become a new client at this hospital and the process would not be a short one. When we were finally called, we learned that they couldn’t find any orders for an X-ray and they couldn’t proceed with Suzanne until the orders were received. Now what?

At this point, there was no way we could make her surgeon’s appointment on time. The last time I felt like this was when our plane took off from Indianapolis, late, in a snowstorm, and on our way to a cruise. At the point we took off, we knew we were going to land in Miami after the ship was scheduled to depart.

After a bunch of rigmarole (ask me sometime, I’ll share the full story), she finally got her X-ray. Now, about an hour after her original appointment was scheduled we headed back to the doctor’s office. As it turned out, all the doors we went through to get to the hospital were staff-only entrances, so we were forced to walk around the outside of the entire complex to get back to our original entrance. I would have driven over there if I’d have known.

Bottom line, despite an expected one-hour visit turning into three hours of frustration, all is good with Suzanne. Her expected recovery will be another two to four weeks and she makes progress every day. Her next scheduled visit is to see her oncologist in May and all indications are she is going back on observation only.

The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

Proverbs 15:14