A Walmart Adventure

19Aug

Sad news of the weekend...

My baby is broken...She hurt her leg while at the cottage a couple of weeks ago (smashed her shin on the canoe and tore the interosseous membrane on her tibia - no break but lots of ouch! and bruising around the ankle, where the blood pooled) it is still tender and then she rolled the ankle (twice) on Friday while taking Teddy for a walk. Now what was a slightly swollen and bruised ankle (from the membrane tear) has teamed up with a sprain! Ouch!

Hope you're crutch-less real soon!

On Sunday afternoon we headed south to pick up Jess & Brad, then headed northwest for an adventure at Walmart. I am armed with my list and Jess...well she is just going to troll the aisles and see if what she needs will jump off the shelf (forgot a list). We have some common needs so start out together, Carman heads to Shoes to look for slippers (he needs slippers with a heel and grip sole for when he is in the step-down unit post transplant) and Brad...well I’m not actually certain where he headed but more about that later.

Jess and I work our way thru the Personal Care and Pharmacy aisles eventually separating, although staying within a few aisles of one another. I’m busy scanning the shelves for toothpaste when I receive a text from Jess:

• Where r u?

- toothpaste aisle

• Make up
• Need help

- On my way there

I had found the toothpaste I wanted so quickly grabbed it, threw it in the cart and raced (as best you can with a cart and aisles full of novice cart drivers) the 6 or 8 aisles over to the Make-up area, fully expecting to find her doubled over coughing, or flat out on the floor...much to my relief she is standing! In her hands are 5 types of concealer and she asks “Which one do you think is best?”

Right AFTER I gave her proper hell about scaring the crap out of me - I explained the difference between needing help (i.e. I’m having a medical crisis) and ADVICE (which shade will look best on me?)!.. I’m telling you, support people live on adrenaline and a short fuse, either of which can go off rather quickly some days!

We had a good laugh (and thankfully no coughing) and I asked her “Concealer - hmm, what are you trying to hide?”...then carefully compared each to her skin tone and we selected that was the closest match...of course, those of you who know Jess, would know it was Royal Peach.

As I’m checking for some Ensure (no luck there, they have none of the high calorie type today) Carman returns with slippers and a meds bag. It’s very cool - looks like a miniature backpack but transforms with a few unzips and unfolds into a small duffel, which will hold his meds & slippers - the sum total of what he is to bring to TGH when the pager goes off (they supply the sexy sleepwear). Now this adventure may not sound too exhilarating to you, but it’s the first independent shopping Carman has done since April - so to me, it’s thrilling!

While he had been shopping for the med bag he was approached by a couple of young shoppers. The boys eyed him curiously for a few minutes as he came around the corner of an aisle (I’m sure they were picturing streamers and racing stripes on the Rollator) until one of them pointed to his stroller, tubing and mask and finally asked what is was. The conversation went something like this:

Carman: “It gives me oxygen”

Young man: “Oxygen, what’s that.”

C: “I need it to breath. I’m waiting for an operation to get new lungs. They’re going to rip me open and put new ones in.”

Y M: “Why?”

C: “Because my lungs are sick and don’t work so well.”

Y M: “You could have my lungs.”

C: “Thank you, that’s very nice, but you really need them.” 

Y M: “Can you breathe without it?”

C: “A bit, ”

Y M: “Can you take it off?”

C: “Oh yes, it’s easy”...and he removes his mask to show them.

Y M: “No! Put it back man, put it back on for your safety!” as he starts to panic.

C: “It’s ok to have it off for a minute.”

The boys had to leave then, and Carman continued on his way but out of the mouths of babes! I love future organ donors to bits and wish these little guys very long and healthy lives...maybe they’ll even become surgeons!

We now pair up and head to the Housewares section, keeping an eye out for Jess as I know she is looking for a dark coloured flat sheet. All of a sudden I stop and Carman has to put the Rollator brakes on full force... “What’s up?” he asks, as I pull out my phone. “I just found a pot big enough for us to make more jam for Jess!” as I snap away...

Gonna need a big freezer!

Now this is something that he and Jess have in common...they absolutely LOVE Strawberry Freezer Jam. When Jess came to TO in May, her Mom sent her with a jar that would last most of us a lifetime...you know the jar that 3 lbs of Peanut Butter comes in? That’s the one, and she is scraping bottom at this point! It’s time for us to get some berries (I know, they’ll be fake imports by this time in the season) and brew up a new batch. I think this pot will do nicely, don’t you?

A couple of aisles away, we find Jess pondering over the curtain rods section. They have no window coverings in their condo, but have lovely floor to ceiling windows that let in tons of light - starting at the crack of dawn...every day! Jess is also concerned about peepers with telescope lenses that may want to capture her photo while she is in the privacy of her not so private living room. You just can’t trust those paparazzi to respect your privacy!

As we are consulting on what options would work best (at minimum cost because, let’s face it, we’re renting), the three of us look up to see Brad coming down the aisle...and now we know just where he went off to when we arrived...

Jess has been considering how she’ll best handle transportation (to the grocery store, hospital, etc.) once Brad leaves (he has to return to NS in Sept). A scooter has come up for discussion on several occasions, as the wheelchair is a challenge to manage over any great distance (and Jess doesn’t have the breath to propel herself in one). Brad has secured one for her to test drive while we finish shopping (and none too soon as I can tell she is fatiguing, even with the shopping cart to lean on). 

The theory here, might be that if she can maneuver the tight aisles here, the sidewalks should be easy. In less than 2 moves, she has the thing sideways in the aisle blocking traffic in all directions and is doubled over (its ok Roger, she’s laughing , not coughing)...ok pedestrians of TO, consider this fair warning and RUN...RUN FAR AWAY...NOW!

Jess has become the poster girl for People of Walmart (caught doing the Cameron Diaz flip ur hair) and Brad, being the dedicated dude that he truly is, will lot let her have the limelight alone!

While Brad and I lined up for the check-out experience, Jess waited close-by in the hall so she could do the debit transaction and Carman headed for the foyer to sit and wait for us. 

On the way home, we had fun with the GPS when we doubled back to a Starbucks Jess had spotted. While the GPS lady recalculated her brains out, Brad and I grabbed a chai for me, tall blonde for Jess and a couple of cafe-mocha-crappas for him and Carman to enjoy on the revised route home. We made it safe and sound, thank you very much!