Ready, set, go---Wait

Day 90

Thursday, March 31, 2011
I got out of bed at 0700 just before Matt left for work, and started calling Passenger Terminals to find out if there was a flight into North or South Carolina on Saturday. I found one leaving out of Ramstein Air Base on Saturday at 0545, arriving in Charleston, SC and immediately called to speak with a representative. I was told they had no idea how many seats were available, and the only way to get on the list for this flight was to arrive at the terminal at 0500, when they opened, and put my name on the list. I was excited to find a flight but I was a little worried because with the two hour drive from Stuttgart to Ramstein I would have to be on the road by 0200 or 0230 to make it there in time and I’m not a morning person.

I sent my family an email giving them all the details to make sure someone would be able to pick me up in Charleston which is about a 4 or 5 hour drive from where they live in Richlands, NC. My parents were still in Miami for my Dad’s job and for some reason I couldn’t get through to my Mom’s cell phone so I hoped they received the email in enough time. In my email, I let them know that renting a car was an option in case they couldn’t be there.

Since there was nothing more I could do at home, I headed to the Real before the lunch crowd arrived and bought a ton of German goodies to take back to the states with me. My Mom really wanted some Liberwurst (liver) and I actually found it in a can, I hope she likes it. I bought some chocolates for my brother and sister, and then I found a German birthday card for my Mom. I had picked up a few gifts in Belgium for my family and I bought my Mom a large bottle of German dark chocolate flavored likore (liquor) for her birthday. I was going to have to wrap everything in bubble wrap before packing it. 

 

Liverwurst

I had a doctors appointment at 1430 with my physical therapist, Dr. John so I headed over to Patch Barracks a little early to stop by the Tricare office to file a claim for reimbursement on my German prescriptions, and check on my authorization for surgery before I left the country. I’m so glad I stopped by Tricare because for some reason my authorization was in limbo, waiting to be approved by the London office. A patient representative called England and after a ten minute conversation in German (I’m still not sure why the rep in England spoke German) she told me she would need to resend my information and as soon as I get back from the States I should come back in to check on it. She mentioned that with back surgery sometimes they have to fight with the London office because so many surgeries involving the discs are not covered, thankfully mine is, but it’s still a gray area for Tricare.

Dr. John manipulated my body for about an hour, and sent me on my way with some new stretches to do each day. I told him how much better I had been feeling since the last time I saw him and that I was looking forward to my surgery in May, hoping it would fix me for good.

After PT I headed to the Commissary and bought enough food for Matt to eat while I was gone. I bought everything to make lasagna which I planned to bake tomorrow so he could eat on that for a few days and not have to worry about cooking. If it were up to him, I’m sure he would eat chips and salsa and Nutella on brotchens every day. He is the least picky eater I have ever met. It’s funny because he is also a pretty good cook when he gets around to it. 

By the time I got home and put away groceries, Matt was off work and driving his car around to see if this knocking noise that he heard would go away. I was busy calling the terminal every hour to see if a new flight had been added and to make sure the Saturday one to Charleston was still there. Three hours after he told me, “I’ll be home soon,” he calls me to say he’s been stuck for two hours with a broken vehicle, a bad burn from opening his coolant reservoir, and no cell phone minutes which is why he didn’t call sooner. I felt like such a jerk for not calling him earlier. I had been worried but I was busy folding four baskets of laundry and cleaning the house up. I didn’t call because I didn’t want to be a nag, which is silly because three hours is way too long to wait to call somebody when they say they’ll be home “soon.”

I went to pick him up and I saw his poor hand which had a huge blister on it. I felt so bad that he had gone through this; I am a terrible wife. He wasn't even mad. I would have been upset if the same thing had happened to me. He had to walk to the base Shoppette just to buy cell phone minutes to call me…I really miss having a Blackberry, they would come in so handy at times like these!

After we got home and I made him some dinner, we talked about my flight out on Saturday. He said I should try to call the Ramstein Inn (base hotel) and see if they had a room for Friday night so we didn’t have to get up so early to drive there. I was glad he wanted to drive me; I really didn’t want to make the trip alone. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the fact that his car was now broken, again.

I called the Ramstein Inn at about 2200 and was told there were no rooms available at this time but I could call back at 0730 tomorrow and see if one became available. I went to bed rather frustrated because I felt like nothing was working out for me with this trip. I even wondered if this was a sign that I shouldn't go at all.

Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God.  ~Mary Manin Morrissey