Serendipity Do Dah

This past Friday about 7 PM my left elbow felt tender to the touch. As the evening progressed, it worsened, becoming swollen and warm. Through the night I was wakened frequently because of the pain. I began to grouse thinking, “First the double vision and now this, just what I needed.” I began to feel a kindred spirit to Job from the Bible and his many troubles. I decided to make the run to a nearby urgent care center Saturday morning. I knew that I hadn’t injured it at all and thought that possibly I had cellulites. I didn’t want it to progress.

I drove my car to Mt. Pleasant. Yes, I drove only taking the “back roads” and the clinic is fairly close. I had no trouble steering and staying on the road, but when another car approached, I had to close one eye to be sure I was on my side. If I looked with both eyes open, I see two cars and one of the oncoming cars seemed to be in my lane coming at me head-on.

I’m thankful that my daughter was driving me to the hospital emergency department to evaluate my double vision and wasn’t in the driver’s seat at the time. It was a terrifying sight. I’ve adjusted since then. If my grandfather Beck who was blind in one eye could drove with vision in only one eye for over 20 years, so can I.

Returning to my visit to the urgent care center, the waiting area was fairly empty, but I waited for over an hour before I was triaged. A nurse took my vitals, asked about Covid symptoms, my medications, my medical history, and the reason for my visit. Once complete I was escorted into an examining room. I didn’t have long to wait before the nurse practitioner examined me.. She asked, “Have I ever had gout?” I responded, “Yes, in my feet.” She felt that it might be a repeat flair-up or could be the start of a joint infection. She sent a prescription for Colchicine and Keflex to the nearby Wal-mart. Since I had to pick up the medications, I also did my shopping while I waited.

This is where serendipity sets in. After taking the second dose of the Keflex, the images I saw in my double vision came closer. They still aren’t a single view, but are much closer. I believe something I thought was another problem of the painful elbow was a blessing in disguise. I feel my double vision was caused by a sinus infection and the antibiotic is clearing it. God sent a minor inconvenience to diagnose and treat my vision problem. He is the great Healer.