Welcome to my  

• A week ago last Friday, after just celebrating my 15th anniversary with my employer, I was laid off (with 5000 others).
• The Mrs was scheduled for surgery tomorrow at the downtown medical center to replace her Intrathecal Baclofen Pump which is failing prematurely after only two years. Her previous pump lasted seven years. 
• Due to Multiple Sclerosis, steroid-induced diabetes, MS meds, overactive spleen, and god knows what else, the Mrs platelet count is chronically low. When we initially saw the surgeon weeks ago it was 70 (in whatever units they measure platelets).
• Today, this morning, surgeon’s office calls to say that they are doing the Mrs surgery first thing in the morning.
• To avoid traffic issues of driving downtown, I reserved a room for two nights at Courtyard by Marriott near the hospital and we were getting ready to head in this afternoon.
• Today, this afternoon, surgeon’s office calls to say that he will NOT do the surgery unless platelet count is over 100.
• We go to see hematologist. Platelet count is now only fifty. No surgery tomorrow.
• I call Marriott to cancel room. Sorry, special non-refundable prepaid rate. I call up and down chain of command at Marriott. Sorry. So I am stuck with a $770 charge to my credit card for a hotel room I am not using. 
• Tomorrow I need to notify wife’s pain management doctor (not the surgeon) to order the medicine to refill the pump on Friday (another $700 out of pocket) otherwise wife will turn into a rigid ball of total body muscle spasm (aka Charley horse)
• Hematologist can transfuse platelets but not this week.
• No idea when surgery will be now.
• I hear wife moaning from the bedroom. Entire left side in pain 8/10.

As I said, welcome to my Pity Party. What’ll ya have?

Maybe I can barter this for food … or code HTML.