Weekend in the Hospital

After leaving Austerlitz, New York, Jim and I returned to Mystic, Connecticut.  We had one more call to make on a new Good Sam Park, although we primarily were interested in getting another dinner at Mystic Pizza.  That was the plan.

Unfortunately, it will be a while before we have pizza or anything else with a high fat content.  Jim spent the weekend in Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut, where he parted with his gall bladder (the gall bladder was dead on arrival-cause of death due to a golf ball sized gall stone that had cut off the gall bladder's blood supply.)  Now our diet will be low fat for at least two months as his body adapts to life without his gall bladder.  At seventy, having your first hospitalization as well as your first operation is quite a challenge.  But Jim sailed through it like a real trooper.  I brought him home to the RV today.  We will stay here in Mystic through Labor Day to approximately September 7th instead of going down to Washington, D.C. to be with Jim's daughter Kris and son Craig as well as his grandson and new great granddaughter.  It is good we were here near a fairly large city when this happened as well as a good hospital with a great surgeon besides.  I have learned that ignoring your gall bladder, which can often feel like you are having a heart attack can be your demise.  Jim shared a room with someone who got blood poisoning from letting his go too long.  I am certain Jim's angel was watching over us.

I have had a rapid immersion into all things "RV" except for driving it-which I have never learned to do as yet.  I am motivated to learn, but luckily the people that run the park here where we are situated have been ever so helpful to assist me.  So I don't have to cross that scary bridge for a little while yet, but I vow to try now with this event.  I've learned to navigate the roads and the local segment of Interstate-95 from here into the center of New London to the hospital and back.  By today I think my white knuckle approach had eased into "I know where I am going."  I now realize how dependent I have become on Jim to drive both car and RV as well as handle most of our paperwork, bills, mail and trip scheduling.  I surprised myself with tracking down handily where the future park reservations were and adjusting them to the current situation.  Luckily, our work with campground inspections is behind us and we were just starting the "let's wander" stage of our trip.

The leaves are starting to change to reds and golds in places.  We are due to have rain for the next week into Labor Day.  The highs are in the low 70's and at night we are down into the 50's which makes great sleeping weather.  I don't mind having a brief time out after the past four months of hard work.  We will regenerate our batteries here while Jim heals and enjoy each day as it comes.  I may not have lots to write about with respect to traveling, but life is still "as it should be."  And for that I am grateful. 

Snoopy's Corner:
I am so happy to have Dad home, I won't let him out of my sight.  I am staying real close to him just in case there is something I can do to help him.  I just have to remember not to walk on his tummy!