| Other happenings: We were in touch with Al & Shirley, fellow RVers we met at the Livingston Care center. They were also volunteering at the same time as us last April. Al & Shirley are staying at a campground about an hour south of us. Shirley called and said they were going to the craft show at "The Villages" and asked if we wanted to meet them there. We did, we also met Aunt Peggy and Arnie at The Village square. We all met at the church steps and Aunt Peggy and Arnie went on. Al, Shirley, Jo and I walked the craft stands and admired many of the crafts but living in an RV means that you do not need or want very much and don't have room for it anyway. |
| January 2007 |
| Ed & Johanne's Notes from the road |
| Page 10 |
| Well, the year ended with a kind of a bang for us. The thought of a heart attack, the relief that it was only a gall bladder attack. Then, scheduling a doctor and hospital and surgery for removal of the gall bladder before the next attack. Johanne, with her usual efficiency had us meet with a doctor the day after we arrived in Lady Lake and he scheduled the operation for Tuesday, January 2nd, but first he sent me to the Villages Hospital for tests and pre-admission. One fiasco after another and we did not get home until seven and a half hours after the initial appointment. We should have gotten the hint and cancelled the surgery and find a better hospital. We didn't............. So, Tuesday comes and we get to the hospital at seven thirty and shortly I am put on a gurney, asked various questions and the IV needle is inserted. The next thing I know is I am being wheeled on the gurney. I am very groggy. Then Johanne and Aunt Peggy are there, but I keep falling asleep. I later learned that it was after four PM. I was out for more than eight hours. I know that Aunt Peggy left and I know that Johanne left and I thought they left together. Johanne tells me that she left some three hours later. Everything considered she had a much worse day than I did. I was out of it for most of the day, she had to wait, wait and wait and I just slept and slept. I seem to remember some Jello but only vaguely. As in all hospitals I was awakened every four hours to take my vitals. So I did not get much sleep past two AM. The breakfast they brought me was coffee (which I don't drink), juice and broth. I would not eat it. I did not complain. But an hour later I was given a scrambled egg, lousy but I scoffed it down. Then lunch was broth and coffee again. I did not eat. To top it all off, the doctor did not show up until almost five PM to release me. The nurse took almost another hour to process me. I will never go back to that hospital, willingly. It is now nine days after the surgery and I have not had to take any pain pills. The abdomen is sore as expected and the healing is coming along fine. I will return to the doctor tomorrow (Friday) and will see what he thinks. |
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| Page 10 |
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| Al, Shirley, Johanne and myself. |
| Afterwards we went to Chili's for a nice dinner and chat. |
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| Sunday, Jan 21st Johanne has been trying to plan a day when I could make my sauce and share it with Aunt Peggy, her sister Jeanette and brother-in-law Fred. Well, the day finally came. I started the sauce at home (RV) and finished it at Aunt Peggy's. Johanne made the salad. We picked up a loaf of Italian bread and a container of cream puffs at Publix on the way. The sausage was really good and it came from the deli counter at Albertson's. But, my most important ingredient is the crushed tomatos, Tuttorosa that is only available in the NY and New England areas. I had bought a whole case when we were in CT last fall. Dinner went very well and afterwards we sat down to a game of cards. The game is called 3-13 and is entirely new to Johanne and I, but we really had a great time and caught on to the game very quickly....not that we won, but fun anyway. |
| Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Brother Tom. On Jan 15th he had a hernia operation. As of Sunday, Jan 21st he was still in considerable pain and was going to return to the doctors. |
| Thursday, Jan 18th Jo and I have been enjoying Aunt Peggy's friends and learning new games as well. On Thursday [Jan 18th] we went to Cain's Garden, a restaurant in the Villages. We went to that one especially to meet up with a former co-worker, Lenny R. from Sears back in Connecticut. It was his night out so I did not get to see him. We did have a nice dinner there and afterwards we went back to Aunt Peggy's and Johanne and I learned how to play Mexican train dominos. It was a fun game and we all had a great time. |
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| Left to right> Ernie and Doris they are also RVers. Aunt Peggy Arnie. Missing is Johanne and me. |
| Dessert break < Left to right. Fred, Aunt Peggy Johanne and Jeanette [Aunt Peggy's sister] |
| The end for now. Coming soon will be our move to site 311 on the opposite side of the RV park. Then our trip to Tampa Hard Rock casino on Feb 5th. |