The hospital run

It is very leveling to spend the night at your mother's home and to experience the morning routines again. I know Maddy (as does everyone) has very decided ways of starting the day. It is interesting to observe how much that has influenced how I do things. We had a lovely breakfast of muesli, toast and vegemite and coffee. The coffee making is an interesting process. She measures out three quarters of a cup of milk and one quarter cup of water and a large scoop of ground coffee. This is in a small saucepan which she heats to near boiling and then strains out the coffee grounds. It is actually delicious and enough of a coffee hit to last an entire day.
I had dressed before breakfast and had packed my bag so was able to get the dishes washed and dried before we left.
We were going in to the Alfred Hospital for the beginning of the second batch of chemotherapy treatments. Maddy likes to travel a certain way into the hospital so the easiest and most comfortable way for us to travel was the way she liked to go. It was straightforward and easy and we were able to park in the "disabled" car space as she has a sign due to her hip replacement.

Noelle (friend of Maddy's) was in the hospital for the day for the harvesting of stem cells in the hopes of being able to try another cancer treatment. I was directed to stay and chat to Noelle which I did for a while and then went with Maddy while she had her conversation with the doctor.
I don't know that the doctor actually understood how fit Maddy is at 81- she has continued to do a couple of hours gardening during the past few weeks, hanging out the washing and managing everything about her. She was telling the doctor that she was tired and would sit in her chair for a long time each day- sort of normal behaviour one would think but she told him she is accustomed to feeling as if "she could jump out of her skin" so sitting in the chair all day is a bit slow.
We spent the next few hours doing parallel reading while she was"fed" the chemotherapy. I made the mistake of eating lunch in the hospital cafeteria. I say mistake not because the food was terrible- it was good but I sat at a table and a group of four people came to sit at too. Quite within their rights but their conversation about their friends cyst removal didn't make for very pleasant comsumption of ones lunch. I went for a walk in the park over the road from the hospital to "clear my head" and settle my stomach but the cold drove me back to the hospital.
We left the hospital at about 1:30 and drove back to Beaumaris. All went well although at one stage Maddy said "I should have asked for a plastic bag before we left the hospital". We then struggled to disconnect the plastic rubbish bag. This involved undoing my seat belt and unhooking the bag from the seat belt strap- I drove, Maddy unstrapped. We spent the remainder of the journey to the Concourse shops with Maddy clutching the plastic bag with odd bits of rubbish in it. Luckily she didn't need to avail herself of the facility the bag provided.
A quick shop for some essentials and then I dropped her back home. She seemed well considering and wants to manage things for herself- which she does.