Aloha,
Gosh, leave for the Big Island for a few days and look what happens!
Sylvain, I hope that you are feeling better and have been released from the hospital by now - we all know how you feel about being cooped up in there! Gail must have been very frightened to find you on the kitchen floor. You both have had a rotten summer so far, lets hope that is the end of it now.
Katie, best of luck on the knee surgery, Mom and I will be thinking about you - when is the operation set for?
LouC, give Mike my love. Are you going to have both Mike and DD at home while you are nursing them? Any chance you can get a home health care worker in to give you a hand - I am pretty sure that you shouldn't put too much strain on your back.
Belle, hope you are recovering nicely and are able to hobble about a little now.
Jeanne, how are the tests going for Joanne? I hope that she is doing well now.
I feel quite guilty having had 10 days vacation! I stayed with friends who were on the BI visiting from Arizona. We had lots of fun catching up, but it's nice to be home and in my own bed.
Lots of figs in the garden all ripening up, but plenty of birds with big fat tummys! I just picked a couple of oranges that were ripe - all the rest are green, not sure why these two are so ahead of the season, but they were good!
Starfruit about to do their thing again!
Love to all.
Jenn
The Coconut Wireless - chat thread 3
Dearest Jenn, How funny that you would leave that gorgeous paradise for a "vacation". I guess a little change is good for everyone.
Pu'ole, sure hope you are at home by now. I'm sure a luxurious cruise would cost much less than the hospital/hotel. Maybe your friend, the nurse, needs to come stay a bit to help get you back on your feet.
Katie, will be praying for you as you face your ordeal.
I'm beginning to believe old age is a kind of punishment. Kind of like trying to keep a vintage car running.
PK
I'm till in the hospital! I want to go home NOW! I'm getting testy and no good can came from this. A cruise would be nicer, and less expensive.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Extra prayers tonight just for you, Sylvain.
Sylvain, Sylvain, what are we going to do with you?
Hope this is home-going day.
May Hugs.
Sylvain,
At least you have your lap top communicating with friends!!!
Prayers always for patience.
Belle
Belle hope you are feeling better and heeling well.
I'm like Jenn, leave for a short time and miss alot! Sylvain, my goodness! God bless you! Bless your heart!
Katie, hope your surgery goes well. I may look up info on your diet! Congratulations on your weight loss! Good job!
Question.....why the dental work before knee surgery?????? I do neet to have both done eventually so a little concerned here.
Haven't heard back from Jo's tests just yet.
I have a Dr's appt next week with a new Dr. Referred by my GP. Hope it goes well. Probably will change meds as I have been on them for a long time and just not doing the job. With so much stress this past year and a half my poor body is totally rebelling.
Jenn glad you had a good vacation!
Christi, do take care of yourself as well as Mike and DD. I am learning what happens if you don't!!!!!!
It is Hot here , but not as bad as it could be.....it's actually almost tolerable. Mid 90's very humid.
We're surviving. We have much to be thankful for. We have had rain this season and everything has done Very Well!
Finaaly got my hut built, so excited! Will get pictures later!
My crew came and gave the jungle a "haircut".......no more jungle!!!!!!!!!!!! We can actually see the pond that is over in the far corner now. I need to get a new pump for it. I want to enhance the waterfall part behind it. Maybe with some rock, eventually.....not now.
The poor banana trees look like toothpicks. They are now starting to put out leaves again. The crew leader suggested trimming them back since we had not done it in the spring and they were over 8 ft. tall, and it is hurricane season here. I agreed, hesitantly. My poor garden looks "naked". My youngest granddaughter came over and went out there. She came back in and said, "What happened??????? NO MORE JUNGLE!!!!!" I just said, "Yep, it's naked. Oh well, it'll grow back."
The jasmine and other vines had taken over the gazebo where the hut needed to be, and the Mexican Fan Palms were humongous. Snakes, critters, and people could have hid there. It really wasn't safe. Now we can see the ground again. My yard looks two times larger. I actually have space to grow the seeds I got for the Rose of Sharon that I have yet to plant, and the plumeria seeds that you sent me Jenn.
Will pray for rain for those that need it, and a cooling off for others! Have a great weekend. Everybody get well!!!!!!
Jeanne
Jeanne,
You are so thoughtful covering everybody. I am glad you had a chance to clear your garden. We have tons of mosquitoes here that it is hard to spend time in the back yard.I normally use mosquito coil but the price had gone up tremendously.
I collect different varieties of banana but they all go to the garage during winter. I do cut the trunk during spring so they don't get skinny.
Your question regarding teeth before knee surgery? I think anesthesia want to make sure that no loose tooth because when they intubate a patient they us a metal larygoscope to insert the endotracheal tube. there had been instances that a loose tooth came off and lodge in the trachea causing respiratory problems. Also they ask if there are bridges, crown because they have to be careful not to chip the crown. Anesthesia want to be extra careful.
Dental precautions are for any patient requiring insertion of breathing tubes. I hope i answered yur question to the best of my knowledge.
Stlvain,
How are you doing? Keep us posted.
Katie,
Good luck with the upcoming knee surgery.
Update.
It is almost 4 weeks since the accident and I am trying to win my self from the narcotics for pain. Pain is around 3 so I only took one yesterday before i went to bed. I am taking tylenol with breakfast and had been sufficient.
In 3 weeks I get an x-ray and if it is satisfactory then i will get a walking booth.
Dh has golf scheduled for October as well as January so I hope I will be able to play then. I had talked to several people who has this experience and they are very reassuring that everything will be okay.
Have a nice weekend to all.
Belle
The dental clearance is mainly to be sure there is no infection already in the body. I don't know why some require it and some don't.
I'm still in the hospital, alone in a large room with the door closed. I have a window with a view on grass and schefflera arboricola trinette (very pedestrian) growing by my window. You'd think it wouldn't kill them to plant a few colorful copperleafs, but NNNNOOO, the more boring the better in an institutionnal setting such as this one. Little lizards run to and from on the windows and the walls. I see a patch of sky and a bit of sunlight if I look at the right moment, early in the morning. My water jug is celebrating its 3rd day on my table. Even my snake gets fresh drinking water every day. I'll have to raise hell to get something fresh to drink. This place is not geared towards giving its patients fresh water. What, already??? Is there a drought? Has South Florida become a desert country?
I am getting a bit more testy every day. I never could suffer fools and idiots gladly. I told a rude nurse to bite me and be gone earlier this morning. A word of caution here: never antagonize people who wield syringes and needles. No good can come from that. The staff found a new hobby now: attaching bracelets on my right wrist. I am sporting Limb Alert (whatever that means), Fall risk, my name with serial number and 2 different bar codes and another one that tells everyone I am A negative type. They have removed a port they had inserted into my left wrist 2 days ago. A crew came in earlier to install a pick line in my right arm. Not that it has any earing on anything at all, but I haven't worn any underwear in 7 weeks. Comando is not my style of choice, but such are the demands imposed upon me. I would give everything I have to take a shower and shave; anything not to look like a fright.
This proud country managed to get men on the moon, but they can't produce a self-sticking heart monitor electrode that will stick to my skin more than 2 hours. At mearl times, I want an 18-oz rare steak, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, a lobster, a shrimp cocktail, a bowl of French onion soup and a brick-sized chunk of Rice Krispies treats. Fat chance I'll get any of that here. I can fantasize; that's all I have left. How I wish I could have my snake here, to have and to hold. But I must be reasonnable becuase this is not a healthy place for a clean, beloved and healthy snake. Big Sigh!
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
OOOOOOH Sylvain, you poor baby! I'm sure that cruises are much more enjoyable! So sorry you are sooooo miserable! I hope you heal soon so you can go home! Our hospital has a Quality Control person, or patient's advocate....you might ask the operator to connect you so you can voice you need. I'm sure it will get taken care of!
Belle, hope you can heal soon also!
Thanks for all of the responses on teeth issues and knee surgery! Thanks!
Jeanne
Oh dear. Sylvain. I am feeling your pain all the way to Texas. Just tell them to give you a big cocktail of some sort of pain killer and it will all fade from memory.
I can promise you, were I not so far away I would fulfill all of your culinary wishes. I don't cook you understand but I have a purse full of credit cards just waiting for an important moment like this. Say, give me the name of a restaurant and I will call and order a delivery. Would be worth every single dime to help you through this misery. I am serious. I know nothing about Florida but I do know you are a super person and deserve better than this. Just say the word and I will d-mail my cell number. Please let me help you.
PK
I have come to the realization that the only way to get out of this funk is to het the frig out of here. However, I have just started a new intravenous antibiotic treatment that could go on until the 24th. I shall have some harsh words with that idiot doctor that shows up here every morning at 7AM. I have just learned that I can't go home because the antibiotic creates an interaction with the rat poison (coumadin) I am taking to thin out my blood. Interaction, you say... find another antibiotic before I have a conniption fit, already.
Take care, all and I'm sorry about the medical rant.
Keep well, all.
Sylvain.
Sylvain, sweetie, if it is that bad of an infection, you had better just stay where you are! You do not want to end up back in ICU.........or are you already there again?
Please be patient and take care of yourself. We enjoy having you around, and would be very blue if we were to lose you......not to mention Gail's feelings.
Get well, first!
Sylvain,
If I live near you I can cook a medium rare rib eye steak , grilled veggie and off course with wine. Perhaps French? or Spanish? LOL!!! I hope this is making you smile.
I am very sad to hear that you are not getting the care that you expect to get. i am a retired RN and enjoyed my nursing career because of tons of empathy. I could also come and take care of you free of charge if I live near by. i just renewed my RN license because I do cover for a plastic surgeon but only If it does not conflict with my golf game.
The hospitals that I retired from gives excellent care so i have friends that go there. The Doctors are top notch but there are some that I do not care to take care of me and my family.
Hang on there!!!
Coumadin? What brought that ? How long ago?
My husband is also on coumadin for 8 years because of several mini strokes as well as a guad by-pass. He is doing well being a diabetic , i never worry about his diet and exercise. Loves going to the doctor.
Jeanne ,
I hope you take care of your ortho problems soon and get a good ortho doctor.
Good luck to you.
Incidentally Jeanne and I met last year while we were on a 5 week golf vacation and just happened that we were in Houston area for a week.
Sylvain,
Take care of yourself and make your needs known to your care givers. Coffee in early AM is the best!!!
Belle
This message was edited Aug 11, 2012 8:07 AM
Dearest Sylvain.
What troubles you have to endure. It is certainly a shame. Til the 24th? That pushing it a little I would say. You're not let out of bed at all? YIKES!!!!
Take care, we love you,
Nancy
We shall all come visit you bearing hidden gifts of plants and fabulous food! That'll show those nurses!
HUgs! Debi
Good news, everyone.
I am being released this afternoon. What happened? I can't begin to tell you. All I can say is that it's been a steady parade of doctors streaming in and out of my room since 7AM and giving me their urbi et orbi blessings. Transportation has been arranged and I will be going home this afternoon.
I am so happy, I could do a wee bit of an Irish jig. Oh, don't get excited. Riverdance this ain't.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Happiness for you Sylvain.
See being "???" with people does work. LOL
Hugs
Nancy
YAY!!!!!! Started with the posts from early this morning and I was getting more upset by the minute. Then...from nowhere.....Sylvain is GOING HOME. I may just break out in a chorus of Handel's Hallelujah. If you don't have a chef on standby waiting to cook you a feast, call one of the best restaurants in town and order it delivered.
Sylvain,
Going home!!!! Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!
Belle
Good news, Sylvian. Take extra good care not to fall again, OK? Or anything else that sends you back to the land of old, stale water.
My surgery is scheduled for Tuesday. Don't know the time yet. I'm told that patients say it's more like a hotel than a hospital. Good food, etc. I'll be the judge of that.
The reson I was given for dental clearance is that they are putting a foreign item into your body. Bacteria tend to accumulate in the mouth and if you have something serious going on there it will head straight for the "invader" that they have put in you. They also told me that I need to take an antibiotic an hour before any dental procedure any time in the future for the rest of my life. That includes when I have my teeth cleaned.
hugs, katie
interesting. Will be praying for you, Katie.
Well now, I have the fiddles tuning up and I am going to do a river dance for you Sylvain! I am so happy that you are going home - it's always a happier place to be!
I don't know what it is about hips / legs / knees and this forum lately, but we came home from running errands yesterday afternoon and found Mom had a fall while we were out. She banged up her head and elbow on a dresser and has broken a bone in her foot. The doctor has put her in a "boot" instead of a cast but will not allow her to be on crutches as she is too unsteady. We bought her a wheeled walker that has a seat on it but she hasn't got the strength in her one leg to hop or even sit down and push herself along. The doctor wants NO weight on the foot at all for 6-8 weeks. I have been up since 2.30am worrying how she is coping as she has to get up at least 4 times during the night to use the rest room. I put a bedpan next to her bed in case she couldn't manage during the night. I am waiting to see her light come on to check up on her and get her some breakfast. She is bed / chair bound really, at least for the next few weeks and I am not sure how we are going to manage.
Other than that I am so glad that everyone else is on the mend - except Katie who will be facing surgery Tuesday. I will be thinking of you Katie and hope that all goes well. How long will you have to stay in CA recovering until you can drive home to Mexico? Good luck kiddo.
Love to all.
Aloha, all my cyber ohana!
Mahalo nui loa for all the prayers and good vibes you guys sent my way.
This morning, I woke up at home, among my things, happy to have left that last hospital stay behind me. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. I made real coffee, which I enjoyed sip by sip, cup by cup. Tomorrow morning, I will start my day with a bang by brewing expresso. I am so truly happy to be back here with Gail, our delightful Lucy and my crazy african cichlids who still try to convince me Gail hasn't fed them in weeks: silly fish!
I managed to shave this morning because they didn't want me to shave at the hospital. The nurses claimed I could cut myself shaving and then launch a frivolous lawsuit against them. Hospitals should be clean places, but at the hospital, cleanliness is next to impossible. I had a shower in my room, but I couldn't use it. I had shavers and all my toiletries, but was forbidden to shave. To clean up, they handed me wet towelettes that smelled vaguely like Lemon Pledge. What am I... a piece of furniture? I didn't want to dust myself off, I only wanted hot water and soap to wash that Greek God's body of mine. Try reading that without snickering.
I don't like looking scruffy, or having dubious odors about me. It makes me feel self-conscious. Growing up, we were dirt poor, but always sweaky clean. Neglect is not a good look on me. So, I made myself presentable this morning and even spritzed on some cologne: Calvin Klein's Eternity. Its fragrance just sticks to my skin and smells wonderful all day long. I have been wearing Eternity for what amounts to an eternity and I have yet to find something that smells as good on me, and with such persistence.
I drove the polar bear mobile to WallyWorld because I needed to have some new prescriptions filled. I am not very strong, so I used one of their electric shopping carts inside the store. I am well known at the pharmacy, so they filled my prescriptions instantly; no waiting involved. Years of whispering sweet nothings in French to the girls behind the counter eventually pays off in unexpected ways.
Keep well, my friends because the alternative is not pleasant; take my word for it.
Aloha.
Pu'ole, a.k.a. Sylvain.
That is so wonderful, Sylvain. So glad that you are home. Sure Gail is glad too. Being alone with a snake gets you very lonesome. Does that make sense? Whatever.
Take care and will talk later.
Nancy
Good morning every one!!!
Sylvain,
So glad you are home!!
Driving?? I am jealous!! I can not drive till my casts comes off because it is apparently a state law that if something happens one with a cast is liable.
Take care Sylvain.
Jenn,
I am sorry to hear that your Mom fractured a bone on her foot. It hurts and very hard to get out of bed with out putting weight on the affected .foot. A trapeze attachment to her bed is very helpful so she can lift her hips on a bedpan. If you do not have a bedpan buy an orthopedic bedpan.
Good luck.
Katie,
Good luck to you and prayers for successful procedure and speedy recovery.
All is well for me, my girlfriend and her husband will take me out shopping and will stay all day to cook. DH plays golf everyday!! He will however place a chair near the pond so i can hobble to talk to the kois. It had been raining here so all the garden furniture are wet. Thank God for the mosquito repellent and coils. We have tons of mosquitoes, i had not heard of the city spraying this year.
Have a good day!!!
Belle
A beloved pet, whatever its nature, is a wonderful addition to one's quality of life. I played with Lucy last night and I realized how much I truly missed her. She curled up on me, soaking in my body's heat. She laid down her head on my arm and then let out a big sigh that I interpreted as contentment. Then, she yawned profusely, curled up a bit more, held my left hand tighter with her tail and went to sleep while we watched the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. She just knew that she was in my care and that nothing bad would happen to her: quality time for all of us.
I have watched the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics with great interest, waiting for a BANG that never came, either times. I am disappointed. I have identified why I was so nunplussed by these shows and I'll share it with you guys. You don't have to agree with me. It's just my take on things. I find that both ceremonies suffered from a scale problem. Oh, I'm not talking about bathroom scales or kitchen scales here. I am talking about the size and scope of the shows.
These shows would have served well in a casino's setting, or on a cruise ship's showroom stage. They would have been just the right size for such audiences. But to fill the olympic stadium's stage with 4 tired rockers, 5 recycled spice girls and hundreds of extras who ran from one end of the stage to the other was not enough to keep me interested. What was the point of the DJ standing on the head of a blow-up octopus? What was the idea behind the nuns rollerblading onstage with starched cornettes reminescent of the Flying Nun? If memory serves, that show took place in Puerto Rico. Were they trying to get a good headwind so they could fly around? Many times, I must admit I didn't follow the goingson.
For someone sitting in the stadium watching the show, the giant TV screens were the only way to know what was happening on the stage. You have a band playing music 500 feet (or more) away from you. For all you know, they can be look-alikes lip-synching to well known hits using prop instruments. These shows' scale didn't match the venue's size. Let's just hope Rio de Janeiro won't organize snoozefest ceremonies like the 2 we just witnessed. Truly, it was like watching paint dry. Also, let's hope that the world will still be around in 2016; what with that Mayan calendar that runs out on us on Dec.21st of this year and all that.
But who cares about all that? I was home, comfortable, content, with Gail's knitting needles keeping steady time a few feet away from me and my snake napping on me. The rest is irrelevant.
Oy I have got to get some trimming done around the house. The plants are threatening to raise the roof without the help of a tropical storm. How did all that get so big, so quickly? Nature is generous in South Florida and we can't fault that.
Take care, all.
Sylvain.
Jenn, so sorry about your mom. Even at the Assisted Living facility Mike's mother has the necklace for "help, I've fallen and can't get up". There are several pull strings in her apartment but she never seems to fall where she can reach one. It has been a God-send as she falls often. Medicare paid for the electric cart but, of course, it must be level ground.
Sylvain, please be careful so there are no more trips to the hospital.
Katie, hope all is well tomorrow.
PK
Sylvain,
Do you have a picture of Lucy ?
Belle
Picture???? What father doesn't have a picture of his baby!!!!!
Go for it Sylvain!
I had good plans this morning to go sit down near the pond and I was very excited to go out of the house. It takes a while to hobble to go out, somehow this cast is heavier.
I take my daily medication --11 pills all together but a lot of it are preventive like fish oil, mult vit and calcium. I take the small pills first.
This AM one pill got stuck in my larynx ( wind pipe) which caused coughing .I could feel there is a foreign body in my throat. i tried doing a heimlecht -sp but I was coughing too much. DH already left for golf. I called one of my g-friend who is a nurse to come and do a heimlecht but my breathing is not normal so she called 911. they came in no time
By this time breathing is better but i still could feel the pill stuck in my throat. I chose not to go to the ER and promised to go see a ENT Dr.
I cancelled all my plans and rested. I am doing okay and promised not to take my pills slowly!!!
What a day.!!
Sylvain,
How are you doing?
Belle
I am doing very well today; getting better a bit each day. I played with Lucy all evening last night, but never took a picture. I'll try to remember tonight, so I have a nice, current image of the baby.
Sylvain.
Soooo glad you are home, Pu'ole
So glad you are home with Gail and Lucy Sylvain - there is no place like home is there?
Belle, how very frightening! I expect your throat was sore for hours afterwards and you felt that there was still something stuck in there.
Mom is doing better now and is managing to hobble about a little. I think there was a bit of shock after the fall and she is very fearful of falling again. Her doctor came by the house and checked her over - everything seems fine. He thinks that she just got up and started to walk too quickly and the blood hadn't had time to get up into the head, or something like that. She has also learnt how to manage the walker which has a seat on it that she can sit on if she feels dizzy.
Has anyone heard from Katie? I have been thinking about her all week...
Weird things going on in my garden this year. We are getting ripe oranges and a few ripe avocado off the trees - this is about 2 - 3 months ahead of the usual ripening time. I can't imagine what the difference is, all watering, etc, is the same as always and the temps don't change much here, it's not been unusually hot or cold. Very strange!
Yesterday Frank and I went to the wedding of one of the guys I used to work with . He is Howlie and married a very sweet Philippino girl. They had a Philippino wedding which was full of traditional symbolism and color. I saw lots of people I knew from work, both owners and staff - it was lots of fun and we really enjoyed ourselves. Great food too, all the "aunties" did the cooking.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.
Jenn
Good morning,
Jenn,
You are lucky to have a doctor do a home visit and glad that your Mom is doing much better. Tell her to dangle at the edge of the bed , take 10 deep breaths before getting up to prevent getting dizzy.
Yes I too had been wondering how Katie is doing post op.
I am doing much much better and had not taken a potent pain med for days which is an accomplishment. I take tylenol in the morning and before bedtime. i hobbled outside the other day with mosquito coil and was able to check my kois and part of the garden. DH leaves early for golf.
Yes Filipino weddings is an experience as far as the cultural traditions during the wedding ceremony. How many were in the wedding party ? It is a show sometimes but fun!! The food is awesome!!! I am glad you enjoyed yourself.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend everybody!!
Belle
Aloha Everyone,
Just to let you know that Katie is doing very well after her surgery - they were even bringing in staff to show them how well the patient was doing 3 days post op! She asked me to let you all know as she can't get to the internet easily.
Jenn
Glad to hear that!!
Thanks for the report, Jenn. Is that a banana bloom in your avatar? Whatever, it is beyond beautiful.
Mike is having knee replacement on the 28th. Been going through all the preliminaries this week.
Hi everyone!
Jenn, thanks for the report on your Mom and katie!
Sylvain, glad you're getting better!
Prayers with Mike and Christi during Mike's surgery.
Belle best wishes in your recovery!
Amanda, hope you are doing OK!
We're OK. Took Joanne and BF out to eat at the Texas Roadhouse! It was sooooooo good. We had steak, the guys had ribs, and my DD had a grilled chicken salad. It was delicious! The prices were very reasonable.
Christi, do you'all have one up there? It was so good.
Still trying to get some rest. Dr. changed meds. Tonight is the first night on them so we will see how it goes.
Take care!
Jeanne