A CHEMO BRAIN DAY
Let me describe a chemo brain day,
I noticed that I needed gas in my car but I hadn't been able to find
my ATM card for 2 days. That meant I would have to go to the bank
and see the teller, the bank wouldn't be open until ½ an hour after
my blood test appointment and well, the little red light wasn't
actually on… and frankly, by the time I was pulling out of my
driveway, I had actually forgotten I was that low.
I ran out of gas ½ way to my
appointment. I met some very nice strangers and a few people I knew
while waiting for AAA to show up with the gas, so I was pretty Zen
about it. I had called the doctor's office and they were glad to see
me whenever I arrived. Now, to the bank, I cash my check for $100.00
and order a new ATM card, but I haven't seen the checkbook since.
Next, a few errands, starting with
Costco. I shop for the things I need and can get nowhere else and
wait …in line… to pay…….
Suddenly I decide to prepare for my
turn at the register and I open my wallet while racking my brain for
any memory of where I might have put the $100.00. The money was
nowhere to be found. In fact, I had no memory of it being handed to
me at the bank. Now, remember I am having memory problems…
I go back to the bank and nicely
suggest to the teller that she may not have given me the $100.00. I
ask, "Do you remember handing me the money?" She says she
thinks she did but she proceeds to total up her drawer, giving me
the benefit of the doubt. I think to myself, 'it will turn up here,
I know it.'
A few minutes into the process I
see a little concern on her face. I wait another minute and notice
she has started the counting process again. I ask, "Are you
finding a discrepancy?" She says, "Yes, but I am short,
not over."
Well, now, we are BOTH panicking.
Suddenly in my mind it is the LAST $100.00 I will ever see. She
calls over a supervisor who also tries counting the drawer and also
comes out behind. Then, the nice supervisor lady comes around the
counter and with her hand on my shoulder explains that "these
things do occasionally happen" and "if I give her my name
and number" she will "give me a call in a day or two when
they have had a chance to reconcile the drawer more
completely."
But, I still need some cash because
I am broke. I start to get a little frazzled when I cannot find my
checkbook. I go out to the car, no checkbook, back inside, no
checkbook…. I am racking my brain feverishly for where I could
have lost the checkbook when they suggest that they can give me the
money with a withdrawal slip. Somehow, I am still rather calm but I
think they are afraid any more tension and I could lose it. I get
the cash and now, carefully put it away in the right place where I
should always keep my money!?!
Back to Costco? I don't think so.
Home to cry? Yup!
I am walking slowly to my car when
they call for me from the bank. I assume I had forgotten something
or maybe they found my checkbook. The nice supervisor lady is
calling for me to return, they think that they have found something.
As we go back in she explains that
Mondays totals are combined with Saturdays totals and that they had
found a BIG mistake was made on Saturday. I wait patiently while
they finish counting and they give me MY MISSING $100.00
I was really glad I hadn't
"lost it" when I wanted to earlier.
You may think this story has a
happy ending but, it took 6 hours from start to finish and it
shouldn't have taken more than 1 hour, my errands never got done and
I lost billable work hours...
I STILL WENT HOME TO
CRY!
Have
you had a 'CHEMO BRAIN' day that you would like to vent (I mean
share)? Send it in, you may just feel better!
