Another BIG Bump in the Road

February 7-February 22, 2018                                                              Most Recent Posts:
Quail Run RV Park                                                                      Exciting Wildlife Encounter at Oscar Scherer
Wesley Chapel, Florida                                                              Birding and More at Oscar Scherer State Park

As you can see from my header, we are not spending two weeks at Koreshan State Historic Site where we had hoped to be and we will not be spending the following two weeks at Kissimmee Prairie State Park a designated dark sky park that I’ve been wanting to return to for the past 3 years.

Instead we are spending a month 32 miles North of Tampa in Wesley Chapel Florida at a private RV park in what for us is a very undesirable site.  But, all of a sudden, in the middle of the winter, in Florida, when you need, at the last minute, a place you can stay for a month or two, you have to take what you are lucky enough to find.   We are very grateful that Quail Run RV Park was able to find a spot for us.  The park appears to be completely full.

Yes we can nearly shake hands with our neighbors, yes we have the laundramat and dog park right in front of us.  Yes we have Interstate 75 right behind the wall which means we don’t have to see it but we have to listen to it all day and all night.

What would make us give up two beautiful Florida State Parks for this?  Well an emergency of course.

Those of you who have been following us since the beginning, and how I love you for it, know that David was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in our second year of full timing.  We’ve been dealing with that on the road since then.  The drugs to treat the myeloma have caused him increasing heart problems that have been treated with, of course, more drugs.

On Sunday January 12 in the afternoon while doing absolutely nothing at Hillsborough River State Park,  David had a totally unprovoked and sustained episode of angina.  Longer than anything he’d ever had before and long enough that he should have, but refused to, go to the emergency room.

He says he didn’t want to miss his appointment with his Myeloma Specialist which was at 10:00 the next day.  After 90 or so minutes the angina finally subsided and he did make his appointment the following day.   His Myeloma specialist of course insisted that he see a cardiologist and the cardiologist insisted that he have a cardiac cathetorization and the results showed that his heart condition had worsened to the point where something had to be done.  It was no longer being controlled by medicines.

After much testing and consultations with his myeloma specialist here, his cardiac doctors in Virginia it was determined that this condition was so serious he would go off all his myeloma treatment in order for Dr. Calderia at Tampa General to perform coronary bypass surgery.

So on Wednesday February 7th we check out of Oscar Scherer and move north to Quail Run.

On Sunday February 11th, he visits The Nook Restaurant for a send off breakfast.  Just what a man going in for by pass surgery should be eating don’t you think?

When we arrived back home, in the mail he found two more books in the Lonesome Dove Series.   Carrie sent them to him to take to the hospital as he was finishing Lonesome Dove which she got him as a Christmas gift.  Way to go Carrie!!  Receiving packages is one of the benefits of a long term stay.

On Monday February 12th, one month from the angina attack he went into the hospital for the surgery. His brother Roger had flown in at a moment’s notice from Texas to be with him both before and after the surgery.   I caught them chatting as we waited for his appointment to get preped for the surgery.

This is the last we saw of him before they took him in for surgery at noon.

David had a triple by pass in which his heart was not stopped or put on a machine during the surgery.  I find this absolutely amazing.  We were told the surgery normally takes 3 to 4 hours.  David’s was done in 2 hours.  Apparently all the hype about Dr. Calderia was true.  He’s fast and he’s good.

By 4:00, David was in his room in the ICU.  He spent one night there was released to step down care the next day on Tuesday.  This too was amazing.  Everything just worked like clock work.  His heart was doing fine.  Roger came in on Sunday night before the surgery and planned to go home on Thursday since we expected David to be out of ICU by then.   When he was out on Tuesday, Roger changed his flight to Wednesday.  Best laid plans . . .

Then Wednesday morning David's heart rate soared into the 150s and his Blood Pressure plummeted.  Atrial Fibrillation they said and immediately ordered different medications with plans to return him to the ICU.  But within 2 hours of being on the medications they settled his heart back into rhythm.  We were told this is not an uncommon situation immediately after by pass surgery.  After 3 hours of perfect heart rate, the order to move him back was cancelled and things proceeded as we had hoped they would.   Boy were we all relieved.

Here are the boys chatting in David’s step down unit private room just before Roger had to leave to catch his plane.   Thanks Roger so much for coming.  It was great to have you here with us for this worrisome adventure.

By Wednesday late afternoon, David was back to business as usual checking medical labs and reports and email on line with his new reading book on his tray. 

Although he continued to get stronger and be able to get out of bed, walk down the hall and even up a few steps, all necessary accomplishments to being able to be discharge; still his heart went in and out of afib.  He also developed two small clots.  One in his left arm and one in his left leg.  Then his right arm swelled up from I can’t even remember what. 

It just seemed to be one thing after another keeping him in the hospital.

Finally today, 10 days after the surgery he’s dressed in his own clothes and ready to leave the hospital. 

I pick him up, he has no trouble getting in the car and it’s clear from his smile that even a ride in the car is a great thing.

 

And now begins the rest of his recovery which will include home health care and eventually cardiac rehab.  He’s doing amazingly well.  No problem getting in and out of the car.  Walked right up the 5 steps into the motor home and after a couple of naps and a big dinner walked 300 steps around the block. 

He’s got a long way to go and we have no idea how much advantage his Myeloma has taken of these weeks off of treatment or when he will be able to begin it again but we’re grateful for the amazing surgical talents of Dr. Christiano Calderia.

He’s very happy to be relaxing with his feet up checking his email and reading his reams of discharge instructions back in his own home.

We don’t know if we will have to cancel any more of our reservations to accomodate his rehab although I’d really like to and move North. This has been the hottest February in Florida we’ve ever experienced.  It’s like July with temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s all month long.  The last 4 days are the hottest since records have been kept for this area.  Feels like a hot and humid summer not the last week of February.

One day at a time from here but we think we’re over the worst part of this Bump in the Road.