Thinking of my sister Lily...

I've been thinking about Lily a lot lately, but in order to tell you why, I'll have to tell you more about that medical procedure I mentioned last week... and in order for you to make the Lily connection with me, I'll have to explain what I was doing in the mid-80's...

***

Around about 1985, the first "Back to the Future" movie starring Michael J. Fox was popular.  I loved that movie.  I saw it three times in the theater.  I dragged my mom to see it.  She didn't understand why it was so funny that Huey Lewis had a cameo in it.  (Ironically, I hauled my butt home after play practice Wednesday night to find my boys up late watching that very same movie for the very first time.  They thought it rocked.)  Anyway...

Also around 1985, I was attending classes at a college in the same city where Lily lived and worked.  My schedule was an odd one where I had an early morning class and a late evening class... but on opposing days.  I was commuting at the time, so it was pretty tough driving home late from one class only to get up early and drive back for the early morning one the next day.
So, Lily invited me to spend the night at her place on the days these two classes clashed.

It was like having my own house.  Most days, she was still working when I got out of class.  She let me eat her food and play her stereo.  Very often I'd bake her some cookies or brownies which was a nice surprise for her when she came home late.
But, mostly I remember playing her stereo.
Every time "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis came on, I'd crank it up and dance around Lily's livingroom.  I had a whole dance routine worked out by the end of the semester.

That's what I was doing in the 80's.

***

Earlier this month, when I went in for that medical procedure that didn't include cookies, I thought of Lily a LOT.  Every time I'm in a hospital, I feel like she should be there.  I see medical personel walking the halls and wonder if any of them works in surgery like Lily did.
So, I already had a heightened sensitivity to Lily, right?

This particular procedure I went in for is related to my gall bladder.  (I'll skip the suspense and just tell you now that my gall bladder does not work and may need to come out.  But it's not life-threatening, and it's not cancer.  So, I'm good.  This story is way more about Lily than my guts, anyway.)  My visit included an ultrasound to look for gall stones, and since there were none, I got a second test that I can't spell and can't find on the internet but it sounds like "appata biliary".  I called it "a pat my belly area" because that's what the word sounds like... which Lily would have found hilarious.  For this test, I got an injection, then I got to wait about an hour while it worked its way through my system, and then I was run through a machine that measured for 20 minutes how my body reacted to another injection.

Let me stop there and explain that I'd poked around the Mayo Clinic website a little and looked up gall bladder issues.  All I could find was that if you have gall bladder problems, it's either gall stones or you need to have your gall bladder removed.  No other options.  Either you have stones, or you lose your gall bladder.
Crap.

So, when the ultrasound showed no stones, I saw the writing on the wall.

I was led to a lab where some white coats gave me an IV for the injection.  And that's when the music in the room started playing "Power of Love". 
Not the sappy, watered-down muzac version.  The actual song.
And there I was, dancing in Lily's livingroom. 

I wanted her to be there so bad.  To explain the procedure, to tell me what to expect better than the tech's were explaining.  Assure me that losing my gall bladder isn't the worst thing. 
To tell me everything was going to be okay.

I wanted it so badly I almost felt her hand on my right shoulder, almost heard her tell me, "I'm here."
But I told myself it was wishful thinking, my imagination.  I had already been thinking about her.  This was just a coincidence.  It's a song, for pete's sake.

The staff sent me out to the waiting area for an hour where I crocheted most of a candy corn hat and wondered what everyone else in the room was in for.

Then, it was time to go back in.
Get stuffed into a machine like cream filling into a Twinkie.
(Okay, not really.)
But, I'm lying on this platform, surrounded by a giant machine with nothing to do for 20 minutes but think and listen to the music.

Guess... just guess... which song came on as soon as the machine started its 20 minute hum.
Guess.

Katy frickin' Perry.
I kid you not.

Lily was there, dammit
She was there, and I almost missed it.

***

Several times a day I think I should call Lily and ask her what she thinks about this gall bladder thing.
We'd always relied on her as our medical second opinion... our medi-speak to English translator.
So, I miss her several times a day, now.

But, at least now I know she'll say hello... if I'll listen for it.