Look for Me in Rainbows
I Might Actually Cry Over Something Good For Once
Maggie clutched a letter in her hand as she sat in the doctor’s office waiting room. She read and re read the letter over and over. She had been expecting this letter, but with her break from hockey, she had forgotten all about it until the day before. “Margaret Wilson.” Called a nurse. Maggie snapped out of her trance when the nurse used her full name.
“Its Maggie.” She groaned as she stood up and followed the nurse into another room. She sat and waited for the doctor to come in and see her, still clutching the piece of paper. She sat until the doctor finally came in.
“Hello, Maggie.” Said the doctor. Maggie nodded and handed her letter to the doctor.
“Please help me, Dr. Massey.” Maggie said. The doctor read over the letter. While reading, his expression changed from surprised, to sad, then back to surprised.
“First of all,” He started, “Congratulations.” Maggie smiled and nodded. “And I do see your predicament. There’s not a whole lot I can do, but there is something that is unusual, but its our best bet.”
“So you can help me?”
“Yes.” The doctor replied. “There’s an experimental treatment.” The doctor dug his hand into his white coat pocket. “Excuse me for a moment, but I left the papers in my office. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” There was a glimmer of hope in Maggie’s voice. Experimental treatment. Maggie was willing to experiment with anything. She had just gotten a letter that changed everything. A letter that made her kick herself for taking even a short break from playing hockey. This letter was an invitation to the best “party” Maggie could ever dream of being invited to. Maggie had just received her invitation to camp. Training camp. Olympic training camp. The olympic training camp that the best of the best were invited to. The players that were good enough to play for the country at the olympics. The coaches and manager had thought Maggie was one of them.
Maggie knew in her heart that she could make the team and help them take home the gold, but she couldn’t do that it she was fainting in practice. She needed to get healthy and get back in shape before October 1st, the first day of camp. She had a month.
Dr. Massey walked back into the room. “Sorry about that.” He handed Maggie a paper. “There is new medicine taken by injection into the fat of your stomach. It works like a blood thinner, only thinning the mucus that builds up in your lungs.” He paused. “I have tried it on patients with CF experiencing the same symptoms as you do, the dizziness, drowsiness, coughing fits, and fainting, and they have all improved in the first few weeks. All I need is your signature, and I can start you on the treatment as soon as tonight.” Maggie sighed. There was a lot to take in. It sounded perfect, but she didn’t want to jump in too quickly.
“Are there side effects?” She asked.
“My patients have reported that they shake after taking it. They say that their hands tremble for about ten minutes after they take it.” He answered. “Thats all.”
“I’ll do it.” Maggie signed the papers and handed them back to Dr. Massey. He smiled.
“I’ll have the nurse come in and show you how to inject the medicine. I can give you a weeks worth of the medicine now, then you can pick up the regular prescription at your pharmacy, weekly.”
“Okay.”
.....................................................................
Maggie had felt a little bit shaky when she got into her car after she had taken her medicine. She waited a few minutes before she drove home. By the time she pulled into her driveway, she wasn’t shaking anymore. She unlocked the door, and walked in to see Patrick on the couch. She put her keys down on the table by the door.
“How’d it go?” asked Patrick. She walked to the kitchen and put her medicine in the refrigerator.
“It went well.”
“How well?”
“Very well.” She smiled. “I get to give myself a shot on the daily.”
“Fun?” Patrick frowned.
“The very well part is that the doctor is giving me permission to start playing hockey after three days on my new meds.” She paused. “And by playing he means skating and stickhandling. Thats about it, but I can work out with the trainer.” Patrick smiled.
“Thats great!” He said.
“And I have something even better to tell you.”
“You do?” He asked. “Because I have something pretty great to tell you too.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah really.”
“I’m not sure if it could be cooler than what I have to tell you.” Maggie said. “Mine’s pretty cool.”
“It could be. I actually want to show you mine.”
“I could show you mine too.”
“Okay then.” Patrick said. “On the count of three...one”
“Two” Maggie replied.
“Three!” They both said. Maggie thrust her letter at Patrick as she grabbed a piece of paper from him. She read it over, grinning.
“No way!” She exclaimed.
“You’re kidding!” Patrick nudged her.
“Two Olympic prospects in one house.” Maggie grinned. “Three when Johnny gets here in a week!” Patrick wrapped his arms around Maggie. “This is crazy.” She said. He let go of her. “I’ve dreamt about his since I was a little girl. Now I actually have the opportunity to go to Sochi. I might actually cry over something good for once.”
“Go ahead.” Patrick hugged her, tighter this time. He noticed a new fire in Maggie’s eyes. He knew she was going to fight her hardest. She had a reason to keep moving forward, she was going to make that team. He just knew it.
“Its Maggie.” She groaned as she stood up and followed the nurse into another room. She sat and waited for the doctor to come in and see her, still clutching the piece of paper. She sat until the doctor finally came in.
“Hello, Maggie.” Said the doctor. Maggie nodded and handed her letter to the doctor.
“Please help me, Dr. Massey.” Maggie said. The doctor read over the letter. While reading, his expression changed from surprised, to sad, then back to surprised.
“First of all,” He started, “Congratulations.” Maggie smiled and nodded. “And I do see your predicament. There’s not a whole lot I can do, but there is something that is unusual, but its our best bet.”
“So you can help me?”
“Yes.” The doctor replied. “There’s an experimental treatment.” The doctor dug his hand into his white coat pocket. “Excuse me for a moment, but I left the papers in my office. Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” There was a glimmer of hope in Maggie’s voice. Experimental treatment. Maggie was willing to experiment with anything. She had just gotten a letter that changed everything. A letter that made her kick herself for taking even a short break from playing hockey. This letter was an invitation to the best “party” Maggie could ever dream of being invited to. Maggie had just received her invitation to camp. Training camp. Olympic training camp. The olympic training camp that the best of the best were invited to. The players that were good enough to play for the country at the olympics. The coaches and manager had thought Maggie was one of them.
Maggie knew in her heart that she could make the team and help them take home the gold, but she couldn’t do that it she was fainting in practice. She needed to get healthy and get back in shape before October 1st, the first day of camp. She had a month.
Dr. Massey walked back into the room. “Sorry about that.” He handed Maggie a paper. “There is new medicine taken by injection into the fat of your stomach. It works like a blood thinner, only thinning the mucus that builds up in your lungs.” He paused. “I have tried it on patients with CF experiencing the same symptoms as you do, the dizziness, drowsiness, coughing fits, and fainting, and they have all improved in the first few weeks. All I need is your signature, and I can start you on the treatment as soon as tonight.” Maggie sighed. There was a lot to take in. It sounded perfect, but she didn’t want to jump in too quickly.
“Are there side effects?” She asked.
“My patients have reported that they shake after taking it. They say that their hands tremble for about ten minutes after they take it.” He answered. “Thats all.”
“I’ll do it.” Maggie signed the papers and handed them back to Dr. Massey. He smiled.
“I’ll have the nurse come in and show you how to inject the medicine. I can give you a weeks worth of the medicine now, then you can pick up the regular prescription at your pharmacy, weekly.”
“Okay.”
.....................................................................
Maggie had felt a little bit shaky when she got into her car after she had taken her medicine. She waited a few minutes before she drove home. By the time she pulled into her driveway, she wasn’t shaking anymore. She unlocked the door, and walked in to see Patrick on the couch. She put her keys down on the table by the door.
“How’d it go?” asked Patrick. She walked to the kitchen and put her medicine in the refrigerator.
“It went well.”
“How well?”
“Very well.” She smiled. “I get to give myself a shot on the daily.”
“Fun?” Patrick frowned.
“The very well part is that the doctor is giving me permission to start playing hockey after three days on my new meds.” She paused. “And by playing he means skating and stickhandling. Thats about it, but I can work out with the trainer.” Patrick smiled.
“Thats great!” He said.
“And I have something even better to tell you.”
“You do?” He asked. “Because I have something pretty great to tell you too.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah really.”
“I’m not sure if it could be cooler than what I have to tell you.” Maggie said. “Mine’s pretty cool.”
“It could be. I actually want to show you mine.”
“I could show you mine too.”
“Okay then.” Patrick said. “On the count of three...one”
“Two” Maggie replied.
“Three!” They both said. Maggie thrust her letter at Patrick as she grabbed a piece of paper from him. She read it over, grinning.
“No way!” She exclaimed.
“You’re kidding!” Patrick nudged her.
“Two Olympic prospects in one house.” Maggie grinned. “Three when Johnny gets here in a week!” Patrick wrapped his arms around Maggie. “This is crazy.” She said. He let go of her. “I’ve dreamt about his since I was a little girl. Now I actually have the opportunity to go to Sochi. I might actually cry over something good for once.”
“Go ahead.” Patrick hugged her, tighter this time. He noticed a new fire in Maggie’s eyes. He knew she was going to fight her hardest. She had a reason to keep moving forward, she was going to make that team. He just knew it.