Panic Part Two

One would think that after Tuesday's mistake of leaving Jack's diabetes kit at home when we went to the park, I would be more mindful. Apparently, not so, as I left home this morning without my cell phone. Tuesday's forgetfulness was nothing more than my desire to be punctual. I was rushing to get Madeline to soccer practice on time. I omitted from my "Panic at the Park" post what caused our haste. As we were walking out the door to go to soccer practice, Max slipped into the conversation, "Um, mom, I hate to tell you this, but I had an accident." So I had to clean him and change his clothes, which then led to us running late, which then led to my rushing, which then caused me to forget Jack's kit. This morning, however, there were no accidents. There were no unexpected issues. The phone did not ring. There was nothing to distract me. We were not running late. I just simply forgot. Dumb! So there I was, driving Max to preschool, and I realized I'd left my cell phone at home. Aaaacccckkk! I panicked. My mind raced. All sorts of scenarios and fears filled my thoughts. What if Jack has a problem in school and either his teacher or his school nurse needs to get a hold of me? What if they can't reach me, and they try Gregg, and everyone in his office is on the phone, and thus, no one answers the call? How would Jack feel if neither of his parents were available to him in an emergency? For that matter, what if something happened to Madeline? She had been complaining of a cough this morning. What if she doesn't feel well and needs to be picked up early from school? What if....? What if...? What if...? And what do I do after I drop off Max? Do I rush home? Do I stick to my schedule? I had plans to meet a friend for coffee. How could I call her to inform her that I needed, regrettably, to cancel our plans and go home? I could use the preschool phone, but I didn't know her cell phone number. I haven't memorized it. I haven't need to memorize it. It's in my list of contacts on my cell phone! Out of respect for my friend, I met her at the coffee shop after dropping off Max at school, as planned, and I immediately asked to use her phone. I called Gregg, and I reached his voice mail, just as I'd feared the school nurse or Jack's teacher would. I left him a message, asking him to contact the school and explain my situation to her. Gregg is good at following up on stuff like that, but I had no idea when he'd check his messages.

I convinced myself that Jack would be fine, that the nurse is capable of handling all situations (more than capable really; she's fabulous) and that the nurse would keep trying to call us, if one of the kids needed us. Besides, I told myself, there are plenty of times when I do have my cell phone with me, but the cellular service is so weak that I can't be reached. Leaving my cell phone at home, I decided, was not the end of the world. I could relax. Jack would be fine.

So I enjoyed a cup of decaf with my friend. (The last thing I needed was caffeine!) Yet, all the while, I kept thinking of Jack and my dumb mistake, and my friend repeatedly checked her phone to see if Gregg had returned my call. He never did call me back. And as it turned out, Jack was fine. Phew! I spent the rest of the day, pondering how in the world did people survive in the days before cell phones? Especially, how did parents of children with type 1 diabetes or other medical conditions survive? As a society, we've become so dependent on our technology, and it made me beyond nervous today to be away simultaneously from Jack and my cell phone. Did I stress too much? Maybe. But, so much could happen so quickly to Jack. It's scary to be out of touch. My cell phone enables me to leave Jack at school without worry. You can bet I won't leave the house tomorrow without it!