On bigger fish to fry

Today was Arta's last visit with the Orthopedic doctor about her shoulder.  The orthopedic clinic is at the Victoria General Hospital, so, off we headed for her 8:30am appointment.  It was funny driving up there again, since we were there less than a week ago for a visit to the oncology clinic (for a 'linear EUS and biopsy').  

Masked inside the hospital, waiting for the X-ray

Yes, these are COVID times, so people are not to bring family with them into the hospital, but there are exceptions in cases where the visitor NEEDS a support person.   I was grateful both this week and last that the hospital folks agreed that I could come in with Arta to move things along.

The morphine is really good at helping Arta with the pain from the 'unexpected visitor on her pancreas', but it also means (she says) that she sometimes fall asleep while standing or walking.  Or at least, I THINK it is the morphine (she sometimes suggests that my stories are simply not entertaining enough to keep her awake. hahah)

A Gary Oak ecosystem 

Both the oncology and orthopedic clinics are near the entrance area, so it was not too far for Arta to walk.  

They are also situated beside a light-drenched hallway:  one wall is floor to ceiling glass, and looks right into a rock-cropped Garry Oak meadow area.

Quite the fabulous view while one is waiting to have an xray done!  We could see small lilies popping up out of mossy areas over the rock cropping.  I was also expecting to see the camas flowers to emerge.

The visit with the orthopedic doctor was very quick.   He said the x-ray showed that the break was as healed as it was going to be.  She showed off her skills (lifting her arm, walking her fingers up the wall etc).   He showed the correct measure of amazement at the work she had done in her physio, while warning her that she should not expect that her left arm would ever quite attain its former functioning.  When he asked her if she had anything else to tell him or ask him, the conversation went like this:

Arta: "Well, the week after my last visit to you, I discovered that I have a tumor in my pancreas"

Dr. Weatherhead: "Oh.  Well, it sounds like you have bigger fish to fry right now, and that your shoulder is no longer the main concern."

Yep.   Bigger fish to fry, indeed. 

He told her not to worry about the arm, and that she could use it as much or as little as she wanted.

He wished her good luck for the journey ahead (we are still waiting for the results of the biopsy), and told her that she didn't need to come back to see him.  

And so, armed (pardon the pun) with a diagnosis that the shoulder is as healed as it is going to get, we headed for the parking lot. 

Right outside the front entrance, the cherry trees are in bloom, so we stopped to take a photo.  

You can see the COVID testing tent in the background, but can't capture the delicate fragrance in the air.  The blooms were beautiful.

Last, we stopped to listen to the birds talking to each other on the bushes and fences right beside the car.   Lovely music!