Wednesday, March 24, 2010

When you start adding it up...

We have an appointment in Toledo on April 12th with the cardiologist. We have to be in Cincinnati no later than April 18th. So what do we do? We call Angel Flight!

The current thought on the subject is that Will and I may fly from Fredericksburg to Toledo via Angel Flight. We will then get a rental car for our time in the lovely city on the lake. Then, Angel Flight may fly us from Toledo to Cincinnati. Billy would drive to Cincinnati and meet us there...saving his leave for the second surgery.

Only...here is the drawback. In order for Angel Flight to locate pilots willing to fly us, they need the weight and dimensions of all the medical equipment we will take with us. So, off I went this week to measure and weigh everything.

Which means I had to list every piece of medical equipment we would have to tote with us. Which really means that I had to realize how much had changed since...December. Now when we leave home for more than three days, we have to tote a nebulizer, an IV pump (We can't take the pole because you can't take anything with wheels on an Angel Flight.), a box of IV supplies and dressings, a bp cuff and stethoscope, and a cooler with enough IV fluids for a week. Let's not forget the 13 drugs he takes a day. Add up the equipment...and you have 45 lb. Did I mention that you are limited to 50 lb of luggage on an Angel Flight?

So now the question is...how do I pack this stuff so I can manage it on the other end with no wheels? If Angel Flights are possible, will we have to go with only the clothes on our back?

Most people weigh their suitcases when they go on vacation. We get to weigh durable medical equipment...Do I take my hair dryer or a nebulizer? These are the moments that make me realize that we do have a bit of a unique life...which I realize is a bit of an understatement, but occasionally I forget that...

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