How KLM Stole Christmas

It all started with the cable guy. 

I cancelled my cable TV service weeks ago but I still had my internet service.  I wanted to keep the service until the last minute so I scheduled the Time Warner guy to pick up the modem between 8-10 am on November 29 (my day of departure).

I didn't have to be at the airport until 1 pm.

He never showed.

When I arrived at the CVG Airport, my day continued sharply down hill. As I piled my bags by the Delta terminal counter a sour faced agent took my passport.

"Where's your Kenyan visa?" asked Sour Face.

You have to have a visa to visit Kenya.  Visas can be obtained by sending off your passport to the Kenyan embassy in the US and then having the documents mailed back to you OR you can buy one at the airport upon landing in Kenya.  The visa is only valid for a few months - long term visitors also have to apply for a long term visa. 

"I'll be getting it in Nairobi." I replied.

Sour Face shook her head.  "No.  You are booked as a one way ticket.  You either have to have a visa now or you have to have a return flight booked."  Her co-agent, Donald, seemed to be nodding in agreement, explaining that if I get kicked out of the country, Delta doesn't want to foot the bill for a return flight.

Apparently, there is a problem with nefarious persons sneaking into Kenya without visas.  According to Donald and Sour Face.

An hour later, I had talked to my contact at SP and reluctantly, so had Sour Face.  And a refundable return ticket had been booked.  Game on!

Then Donald seems to notice the bags.  "How many bags do you have?"

"Ten."

More head shaking.  "How many bags do you think you can have?"

Internal monologue:  Well, Donald - obviously I think I can have ten bags or I wouldn't have brought them.

"According to delta.com, I can check ten."

You ever see a hawk swoop out of the sky and kill a rabbit?  That was Sour Face.  "But you are switching to KLM in Amsterdam and November/December is peak season.....etc....

....therefore....THEY ONLY ALLOW FIVE BAGS PER PERSON."

I know in the Bible it describes Lucifer as being a beautiful creature, but I think he may also have a sour face.

I could feel the tears starting to burn in my eyes.  Five bags!  I had ten!  Donated suture, medical supplies, household goods, clothes, medicines, medical books......one whole bag of gifts (Christmas presents) for a mission family in Kenya.....all carefully packed and repacked multiple times to ensure proper weightage.

Failure could not be an option.

"Can the bags be overweight?"  I was grasping at straws now.

"It will cost more."

Of course it will.

So, my mom, my cousin and I set about doing an extreme unpack/repack in the middle of the Delta terminal in CVG.  All bags were unlocked and opened.  Underwear, books, forceps, suture and other items were tossed about and thrown onto the carpet.

Note to self: All clothing will need to be re-washed.

In a moment of panic, I realized I had no idea what was being repacked.  I tried to supervise, but in my adrenaline laced fury, I just remember saying, "Help me!" alot.

That may have been the screaming in my head.

At one point, Donald was tagging a bag while I was packing it, because all the while the clock is ticking and I should be at the gate for my flight!  Finally, five bags were packed and I left my poor family to clean up the exploded luggage leftovers while I ran to security.

I missed the flight.

Deep breath.  My cat is in Amsterdam.  I just had to chuck 40% of my luggage.  There is a mission family who will not get their Christmas presents.  There is a hospital that will not get an allotment of donated suture.  I don't know where my five bags are or what exactly is packed in them.  I hope I have shoes.

I am being held against my will in Cincinnati.  I want to LEAVE.  I tried to leave.  I paid a ransom (luggage fee).

Failure is not an option.  I still have to get Teddy in Amsterdam!

Three hours later....

After many tears, cell phone minutes and discussions with the Delta agent, the SP agent, the pet agent and my therapist (just kidding on the last one), I had a new flight plan and I had located my bags.

I will be arriving in Nairobi a day later than planned (Dec 1).  Teddy will stay an extra night at the pet hotel in Amsterdam.  I will spend today trying to think about what vital things did not get packed and possibly buying a bigger carry on bag.

Persecuted? Is this a ploy to discourage me?  Knock me down and keep me there?
Protected?  Why does God seem to sometimes not hear prayers?  Was there a purpose to me not being on that flight? 
Poor travel planning? Why did I insist on keeping my internet service through the weekend?!

As someone told me yesterday - I may never know the answers to my questions until Eternity.

Luckily, eternity has no visa requirements, luggage limitations or slamming cabin doors.

Oh.... and Delta's answer to my trail of tears?  A $6 food voucher.  Not valid on alcohol.

I bought chocolate. 

This story does not have a happy ending....nor does it end.  I am merely hoping for a better day today.  There are things that have to be accomplished no matter what obstacles befall you.  I HAVE to go to Kenya.  I HAVE to find my cat.  Everything else......well.......I'll just do the best I can.


For the record, I don't actually "hate" Delta, but I do like this picture from a fellow
disgruntled traveller.  It made me smile.



Finally on His Way.....

Today, my cat left for Kenya. 
**Pause for dramatic effect**

Today, I boarded Teddy into his Cadillac of a kitty kennel and took him to the Delta freight yard in northern Kentucky.  After 90 minutes of paperwork, an early morning phone call to my most-awesome vet to get an additional form and some handywork from a very kind Delta worker who helped me reinforce the Cadillac - Teddy was loaded onto a flight to Atlanta.



The Cadillac of Kennels

  In Atlanta, Teddy was met by the very caring staff of Animal Land petmovers, who then called me to say that he had completed the first leg of his journey without any problems.  He will "hang out" in Atlanta until his flight to Amsterdam tonight.

Tomorrow I will begin my part of the journey.  I will be leaving Cincinnati and flying to Amsterdam via Boston.  In Amsterdam, I will catch up with Teddy.  Any pet flying internationally has to stay and rest 24 hours at a pet hotel - ours is in Amsterdam.  Then we will be on our way to Kenya!

A huge thanks to all of you who have been supporting me thus far...with prayer and with finances.......your love and support is very needed and much appreciated! 

Learning to Accept Ecc

⁸We are hedged in on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;  ⁹We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed…”    2 Cor 4:8-9  (Amplified Version)

In southern Sudan, the heat would often soar to an oppressive 115 degrees.  By day 6, the heat was no longer a conversation piece.  It was too hot to waste words.  The stress of a week of heat, crowds that never thinned and diseases that eluded us began to take its toll.   On the next to last day of clinic, 100 patients were turned away because the time to be seen had run out.   I was careless; I walked to camp, seeking solitude at the close of the day, instead of waiting for the truck.  I stopped twice along the short trek, sure that I would not have the energy to finish the walk in the heat.  I collapsed on my bunk, too dizzy and tired too drink the warm, gritty water that was to sustain me. 

It was only 2 days until my departure back to Nairobi – why did things suddenly seem so bleak?  So HARD?  The mission was almost finished!  I should have been joyful!

Nearing the summit of your goal is hard – the environment gets more hostile, obstacles seem to loom larger than before, the nay-sayers voices are louder and frustration is easy.   You thought you would be sliding into home; instead you realize that in front of the plate is a Goliath that was not anticipated.  There is no better time to abandon a project than in the eleventh hour.   I think that if there is anything that cause the Devil more satisfaction than keeping people from trying it’s getting them to start and then just give up!

I have been preparing to move to Africa, to work as a missionary physician in Kenya for over a year now.  FOURTEEN MONTHS of talking, planning, reading, studying.  And now I am one week from my departure.  Sliding into home?  More like slamming into a million Goliaths!  Excited?  Mostly tired and irritated! 

I am bombarded with paperwork that was incorrect, rejected and lost.  I have a fort of bags that are too heavy – thus are packed, unpacked, repacked and ill-packed.  A house that won’t sell.  A mortgage that won’t refinance.   A permanent address in one state, a driver’s license in another state and I live in my car. 

I am confident that if Lot had had to fill out some of this paperwork, he would have never made it out of S&G. 

The road is harsh when the goal is near.  The tendrils of doubt combine with the distractions and frustrations and the Devil so strategically often places the Last Exit at this point. 

But I am not alone.  And there was a reason I started this journey 14 months ago.  My purpose and calling have not changed.  I am distracted at times, but not de-toured.  Through the irritation and tears, I have come to rely more heavily upon His grace and have found that He has not forgotten me.   Unprompted and undeserved, there are blessings that to light my path – and so, I continue on - trusting in His wisdom, having faith in His love, and learning from His word:

The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit better than the proud…

Ecc7:8

 Prayer requests: Safe travel for myself and Teddy...and our belongings.  Maintenance of my sanity.  Good thanksgiving fellowship with family and friends.  Good airport karma.

 

Residency Protection Program

This is dedicated to all the new private attendings who are seeking escape.....

A former co-resident and I were recently discussing some of the differences between residency and private practice (or in my case - locum work).   We found ourselves commiserating about some of the very difficult patients we had had to care for recently.  Difficult not because of perplexing health issues, but due to sometimes overwhelming social and "other" issues.

Take my patient: a woman in her mid-twenties with 45 medical allergies and a history of 15 or so previous surgeries, now complaining of pelvic pain.

The words "pelvic pain" can truly strike fear into the heart of any gynologist.  As real as this entity can be, it is often confounded by physical abuse, social and emotional factors and other health problems.  Not to mention malingering or secondary gain.  It's frustrating for patient and doctor allike and sometimes requires a trial and error approach. 

It made me think back to the days of residency and how - subconsciously - we often tried to "run the clock down" on these patients.  "Get an ultrasound and see us back in 2 weeks."  Which often meant - "I will be on vacation then," or "Maybe the next person will have some clue what the heck is going on." 

In the post-residency world - there is no hiding, no evasion maneuvers.  You are responsible for your patients for all their good and bad attributes.  You can't give them to your partners, you can't avoid them by cancelling office or being on vacation.  They will find you.  If you practice in a small town - they will probably find you in Wal Mart.  :0)

Likewise, you are their physician, whether you have the answers or not.  If you don't have the answers - and sometimes you won't! - at least know where to look it up.  And who you can call later to share the good and the bad.

So, a bit of advice to all my readers who are still in residency: beware the consequences of hiding from your patients.  Learn well how to deal with the difficult patient, the depressed patient, the abused patient and the patient with pathology.  Learn now - because these patients will soon be looking for you.....

Adventures in CraigsListing

As part of my preparations to move to Kenya, I have been slowly selling off my "stuff."  Tables, bedroom set, mirrors, knick-knacks, dishes, clothes - basically anything that I could slap a price tag on - I have tried to sell!

The subdivision I currently live in is a private cul-de-sac and prohibits yard sales.  Thus, I have had to find new and interesting ways of selling my belongings: consignment shops, flyers at work, and - best of all - Craig's List.  Craig's List is not just a way to sell things - it's a whole other way to experience the culture of one's city.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the process - Craig's List is an online "community board" for a city. People wanting to buy or sell something can post an ad with pictures of what they have/want.  Responses to the ads are made via email.  When I post something online about an item for sell - potential customers can send their "Hey, I'll buy that!" emails to me via Craig's List.  I can then respond.  Once a deal is struck, the item can be passed off one of two ways: 1. Meet at a common place or 2. Have a bunch of strangers come over to your house.

In the beginning, I was selling a lot of small items that fit easily into my car.  So, I met people in common areas, near my house.  But as the items got larger, I started having them come over to my house to pick up the items.  And then it got interesting...... here's a few of my memorable customers....

The SpendThrift:

The guy who bought my VCR: I sold it to him for $10.  He knelt on the floor, emptied out his pockets - $1 bills going everywhere.  He picked up ten $1 bills, handed them to me and then crammed the rest of his money back in his pockets.  "Got any extra food you're gonna throw out?" he asked.  I gave him a package of spaghetti and some sauce.

The Bargain Shopper:

The guy who bought my bookcase: it was one of those pre-fab, put-it-together-your-self deals.  I was asking $10.  He looked at it, looked at me, and said, "This is gonna be for my kid.  He'll probably tear it up in a year.  How about I give you $5?"    I said no.  He said, "You got change for a twenty?"   

The Hoarder:

The lady who bought my TV stand, side table and ottoman: She loaded up the furniture and immediately began looking around my house, even going from room to room.  "What else you got?  What about this picture?  That's pretty.  Or this clock?  I collect clocks.  And the flowers in your bathroom - I love those!"  She wanted my armoire.  I replied, "I'm still using it - it actually has all my stuff in it, and honestly it's not very well made.  See - the drawers don't completely close." 
"That's okay - I want it, here's my cell, call me when you want to sell it!"

All in all, CraigsList is awesome.  I've sold a lot of my junk...er....stuff for reasonable prices. 
I'll finish with a few tips:

1. State "Exact change required."
2. Write down how much items are listed for - I got short-changed $5 because I forgot how much the agreed upon price was once!
3. If you live alone and have the CraigsListers come over to your home, you should have a friend there with you, or have a friend call to check on you.
4. Back to #3 - When the friend calls to check on you, don't let it go to voicemail, because then your friend may think you are being assaulted.  (Sorry - YOU know who I am talking to!  :0) 

.......and hey, if you know anyone who wants a 4 place setting of Christmas dishes....I'll give you a good deal!