To Be or Not To Be ... In Control That Is

So you think you are in control...? Have you ever driven home - the same route you always take only to at some point come to the realization that you don't remember some part of the drive? Were you in control?

You plan the week's dinner menus and the shopping list only to arrive at the grocery store and find out that the stock of _____ is not fresh and that blows two of the dinner menus. Are you in control?

You are an excellent employee but the promotion is just not happening. Are you in control?

Your appointment with the client is at a specific time however, the client shows up 20 minutes early or 20 minutes late. Are you in control?

Things happen all the time that cause us to alter our plans and really, the only thing we can consistently control is our self - our reaction, our emotions, our thoughts, and our words.

I have practically no information about my leaking port ... the only information I have is that this Thursday at 9:00 AM I have an appointment with a surgeon.

One of my co-workers had her port removed in the surgeon's office. One of the ladies in my support group had hers removed in the surgeon's outpatient surgery center.

Another member of the support group planned to have her port removed in the surgeon's office but instead it was removed in the outpatient surgery center. AND, then the line to the port snapped off from the port as it was being removed and then coiled in the vein leading to her heart. She was sent to the hospital to have the line removed through the major artery in her groin! YIKES! For six hours in recovery heavy pressure was applied to the groin to insure that the artery did not bleed. Her choice was to remain in the hospital overnight or to be accompanied home and watched over for the night. Her recovery was not from a simple incision.

Will my port be removed or will it be replaced? I have no idea - I can't find out. The oncologist's staff says that he will have informed the surgeon - the surgeon's office say they don't know but they are sure the oncologist will have informed the surgeon. OK, I say and then ask the surgeon's office if they know if I am having a consult or if the port is being removed that day? After all, it would be good for me to let my supervisor know if I will be in to work that day. Of course, the staff does not know ... that is the doctor's decision. I try another tactic; if the port is removed on Thursday will I feel like going to work? After checking with another person in the office I'm told that it would be entirely up to me. I give up ... the only control I have is to arrive for the appointment on time with the forms completed.

Oh yeah, I'd better find those forms ... and leave a little early for the appointment because after all I will have no control over traffic that morning.