Actually, when it comes to our up-and-back trip to Seattle yesterday, there was no short of it.  Just long and longer.  Ten-plus hours driving I-5 in the rain.  Five hours up (including two pit stops and a ham sandwich lunch break); six hours back with one fast in-and-out pit stop — traffic never at a stand-still, but a three long slow-downs between Seattle and Olympia. Two hours at the UMC Bone and Joint Center.

We liked the doctor, a specialist in orthopedic oncology  Not that Nyel’s missing hip etc. had anything to do with cancer.  It’s more a matter of which orthopedic specialists have the most experience/knowledge in reconstructing complex bone situations.  After much searching and being sent from one specialist to another this last year, we think that Nyel has finally found the “right guy.”   He was young, thorough, to the point.  He will be consulting with his colleagues.  In the meantime, all options are still on the table (so to speak) and he suggested that Nyel also aggressively pursue non-surgical options.  As in physical therapy.  Since we’ve exhausted the local possibilities, we are reaching out, first across the river and then we’ll see.

As we were driving back to the beach we learned that there had been a shooting in Seattle, not very near where we had been, but…even so.  Fortunately, we were oblivious while we were in the city.  Not like the time in February 2016 when I-5 was completely closed down between Olympia and Tacoma because of a shooter  running amok on both sides of the freeway.  That was truly scary.  This time, not so much.  But a chilling reminder that “the emerald city” is no different these days from any other area infested with gun-toting multitudes.

It was great to get home.  We warmed up Nyel’s made-from-scratch mac’n’cheese, counted our blessings, and talked about how to proceed.  There’s no place like home!  Especially after a long, stress-filled day!