This is the trip update were I was going to tell you about the wonders of the Copper Canyon in Mexico; how it is deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon and other such superlatives. Well you may have figured out that trip didn’t happen. In fact the trips to Hawaii and Australia and almost everything else we had planned to do this year will be postponed. How did I get into such a mess? Here’s the short version.
First I made the mistake of going to a doctor and telling him I was experiencing some shortness of breath when hiking in the mountains. Instead of telling me it was likely due to being over weight and out of shape, he scheduled me for a treadmill stress test. After reviewing my EKG, he said he saw an abnormality on my EKG at the end of the test. He referred me to a Cardiologist.
The Cardiologist said it’s probably nothing, but recommended a nuclear stress test. So they injected me with dye, hooked me up to the EKG machine and put me on the treadmill. Immediately the aids started to freak out - they thought I was having a heart attack. Turns out they set the EKG leads up incorrectly. (At least they figured that out before they administer the Last Rites).
Of course I had to return to my Cardiologist a week later to get the test results. The plan was to see him and then start our drive to Texas to start our Copper Canyon trip. However due to the results of the previous test, he said I needed an angiogram. I said fine, schedule one for next fall when I return to the area. No, this could not wait, he replied. We told him we were about to leave on a trip to Mexico. He made a few phone calls and scheduled an angiogram that afternoon at Washington Hospital Center. He said to come back and see him after the Mexico trip.
That same evening I was released from Washington Hospital Center with a clean bill of health. Blood flow to the heart was good, no stint needed. The next day, Friday, March 16, we got new tires on the front of the RV, put the trailer in storage, and headed for Texas via Lewisburg, WV and Louisville, KY. My post-OP instructions said to limit driving, so Pat did most of the driving. On Sunday we had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with Pat’s friend Margaret, who is living in Louisville. My post OP instructions said to expect bruising and mild swelling, but by Sunday night my right leg was two inches in circumference larger than my left leg. Since I had not consumed that much cheesecake, Pat convinced me to call the Cardiologist, who advised me to get checked for internal bleeding or a blood clot.
We headed for the ER at St. Francis Hospital in suburban Memphis. The ER was great, except they found a blood clot near the incision point for the angiogram. I was admitted that day and expected to be out the next day. My delight in having a private room and my high esteem for the hospital gradually eroded as an overnight stay continued to be extended indefinitely. The whole point of my stay was to thin my blood to therapeutic levels by an IV drip of Heparin. A week later I was released and we planned to go to Branson MO for a week of R&R. That fantasy died quickly when we found out I needed daily monitoring of my blood level. By the following weekend we did get away to Branson for two nights. A severe pain on my right side got me another ER visit. Three hours later I was OK and released. I hope April will be better!
Climb Every Mountain
Before I retired I did a presentation on goal setting. Setting goals can change your life. I know people who have set goals to climb the highest peak in each state. Some want to climb the highest peak on each continent. Some have visited all the state capitals. My goal, while not as “lofty” as those above, is no less challenging. In fact I believe my goal has never been reached by anyone in the history of the world. I have contacted Ripley’s to document my achievements so there will be no doubt as to who is the record holder.
My goal is to be the first person hospitalized in all 50 states. Concurrently I will be working toward my follow up goal of being the first person hospitalized in fifty foreign countries. Wish me luck!
State count: Hawaii, Maryland, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee; plus Washington D.C. for bonus points.
Foreign County count: Netherlands (Bonaire)
I used to collect souvenir tee shirts. When I got too many tee shirts, I switched to hats; but how many hats do you need? Then we covered the refrigerator with souvenir magnets. Of course in the RV we don’t even have space for magnets. Now I’m collecting hospital wrist bands!
Don
Before I retired I did a presentation on goal setting. Setting goals can change your life. I know people who have set goals to climb the highest peak in each state. Some want to climb the highest peak on each continent. Some have visited all the state capitals. My goal, while not as “lofty” as those above, is no less challenging. In fact I believe my goal has never been reached by anyone in the history of the world. I have contacted Ripley’s to document my achievements so there will be no doubt as to who is the record holder.
My goal is to be the first person hospitalized in all 50 states. Concurrently I will be working toward my follow up goal of being the first person hospitalized in fifty foreign countries. Wish me luck!
State count: Hawaii, Maryland, Georgia, Missouri and Tennessee; plus Washington D.C. for bonus points.
Foreign County count: Netherlands (Bonaire)
I used to collect souvenir tee shirts. When I got too many tee shirts, I switched to hats; but how many hats do you need? Then we covered the refrigerator with souvenir magnets. Of course in the RV we don’t even have space for magnets. Now I’m collecting hospital wrist bands!
Don
