We have quite a few appointments sprinkled throughout our summer, and last week on Monday was Tate’s turn!

This appointment with Tate’s neurosurgeon was scheduled one year ago when Tate last saw this doctor, and was just for a check-up (or check-in depending on how you look at it).

I knew Tate did not need this appointment!

We have zero concern about Tate’s stability right now!

So I had called to see if we could change this in person appointment to a video or telephone call instead.

They told me they would send a message back to the doctor and get back to me.

After several days of not hearing back from them, I called again.

And again, and again, and again.

I would sit on hold for 20 minutes or more each time and never get through to a person!

I went on Tate’s my chart account to see if I could send a scheduling message that way, and it said medical questions only, so I did not.

My trio and I ended up driving to Madison last Monday to go to this appointment!

This is only the second time in eight years that I have done a trip to UW Madison for a medical appointment for Tate or Eliza without Blake.

He had a very busy day at work that day, and we also knew the appointment would probably not be anything he would need to be at.

We arrived to Madison a bit early, so we got out to stretch our legs and do some Father’s Day shopping before our appointment time!

Next we headed to the hospital.

There was a lot of road construction near the hospital, and then they sent us to an over flow parking area down the hill and around a couple of bends.

It was a hairy handful of minutes as we tried to make it to our appointment on time!

But we made it!!

I don’t know who all was parked in the parking garage to make it too full for us, because inside the hospital looked like a ghost town.

Someone came from another area and took us back to a room, but she did not even weigh Tate or check his height.

The doctor came a bit later and talked to us.

He asked me lots of questions and then said “You don’t need me, why are you here??!!”

Sigh.

He also did not touch Tate or even have him stand up!

I told him about my efforts to not waste his time that day and he was very sorry for it all, but obviously has no control over what is going on in this world anymore than we do.

ALL that being said – we are very, very thankful that one of Tate’s most needed surgeons told us we don’t need him right now!!!

That is GREAT news, wouldn’t you say??

After Tate’s appointment we made a day of it, even though now it was pouring buckets of rain.

First up was some lunch at Chipotle – the kiddos wanted to eat in the van.

Then we headed to Costco and my trio helped me stock the pantry and freezers.

Nothing like the good feeling of being stocked back up!!

So, this mama made it to Madison and back, through road construction, to an over flow parking area, and then around the big city and all the way back home in the pouring rain.

As soon as we got home and unloaded, I joined Ruby Jane right there on that couch!!

I was so thankful that I had stuffed the instant pot before our 7:30 a.m. departure that morning and we had pork roasts, potatoes and carrots waiting for us for dinner.

Team Tate will be on the road again this summer to see Tate’s much needed orthopedic surgeon.

This is an appointment we won’t change, as Tate has imaging scheduled that day as well, which is important!

Can I just say that it has been a WHOLE YEAR since Tate has had any imaging done – and that is the longest stretch yet without any pictures of his insides!!!!

Oh how we praise the Lord for all He has done for our Tate Owen!!

STABLE, stable, stable….and we will take it!!!