The Caregiver

I'm lucky to be writing this now. Fortunate to have waken up in my own bed only with bruised muscles, a mild abrasion on my right arm, a left arm that I can almost raise to full extension, and a Volvo sitting in a lot awaiting a representative from the insurance company to decide its fate.

Irony of ironies. In my job description, I'm essentially the one who makes the decision on whether or not to hold school or cancel classes. My first consideration is the risk factor to my teachers. Many of them drive greater distances than the boundaries of Bethesda. They hit the road well before the students and often sufficiently after they have gone home, time to face even more treacherous road conditions than their students.

On my way home last night from the evening classes I thought we could fit in before the storm made road conditions dangerous, I hit a patch of ice, slid across four lanes of highway, came to rest in the right lane just in time for an 18 wheeler to pound into the passenger side door. The engine had stalled out and I had a second or two of watching the truck bearing down on me, make contact, and push me 20-30 feet.

So, a quick recap of some Groundhog Day highlights:
1) AM appointment with Faina at the oncology center.
2) Get home: Toby the cat's illness has advanced, his breathing is labored, quick run to veterinarian who presents options, including euthanasia, which we go ahead with.
3) Highway mishap. (Roadside rescue - David Q - Get home, pop open a Lucky Cat IPA, the caption on the inside of the cap - "You're In For A Surprise" - L'chayim)