A Room at the Inn

When we left our cabin in northern British Columbia, we did not anticipate an extended stay in Bellingham. Nine hundred miles from home, we checked into the La Quinta Inn with only the bare essentials in our overnight bags. My diagnosis of cancer changed the planned quick trip to the need to find suitable housing as I begin the regimen of cancer treatment. As yet we don’t know what that entails or how long the treatments will take. We asked at St. Joseph’s Hospital if they had a list of affordable temporary housing for patients like myself, who find themselves far from home. They were very sympathetic, and said they would call around to see if anything was available. Later they called Bob to say they had a list for him to check out. The short list consisted of a very nice (their notation) condo unit in Blaine (north of Bellingham) for $2,450 per month, a very nice apartment in the Lairmont Manor House (only available for 2 weeks) at $1,875 monthly, or the Lion Inn Motel for $1,200 monthly ($50 per day for 6 days – the 7th day free). Mary, at the St. Joseph Hospital’s Cancer Center on Wednesday also tried finding us a place. Her list included a small apartment in a nearby Retirement Living complex. We liked it but the unfurnished apartment cost $2,000 per month (plus a $1,000 one time entry fee), and we would have to furnish it with rental furniture and buy everything else needed… towels, bedding, even the shower curtain. Clearly impossible to even consider. Without any good alternatives, we will remain at the La Quinta Inn where they have kindly given us a “compassionate” room rate, and wait to see what the future will bring.

… P.L. Morningstar