another rest day at the hotel

We're sorry that our blog has turned into a medical show.  A few other observations of our time here in Florida.  Today's medical report at the end.
First, Florida is very multi-cultural.  Our waitress here at the hotel for breakfast is from Peru.  She has been very kind to us.  Today she GAVE us 2 boxes of cereal, two servings of yogurt, and two bananas to take back to the room so Dorothy could have a little lunch.  In the hospital, Dorothy's main nurse was from Belize.  She was very thorough and called Dorothy "Miss Dorothy".  The chef at the restaurant here is a tall, tall black man who actually says things such as "what's happinin bro"" A very common accent one hears sounds more like New York than the south.  It is especially common among the other guests but also many of the staff.
U-turns are common, accepted and encouraged. When driving around, there are special lanes, traffic lights, etc. for u-turns.  Since many of the main thoroughfares have center medians, the special lanes make it possible to do a U-turn to get to a business on the opposite side of the road.  Even our GPS lady has gotten into the act.  When I went out today for some groceries and to fuel the van, she was encouraging me "when possible, make a U-turn".
There are very many considerably overweight people.  Tonight the restaurant at the hotel here had a prime rib buffet special for New Year's Eve.  When we went in, there was a fellow attacking a plate sized piece of bloody beef fringed with a few token vegetables.  When he finished it, and two large pitchers of "sweet tea" I thought, "how could anyone eat that much".  After a couple of scratches of his protruding belly he ambled over to the buffet table again and returned with an equally large plate-sized piece of bloody beef, this time with no annoying vegetables.  He proceeded to eat all of the second round with another large pitcher of sweet tea before shuffling off to his room. [Dorothy had a small bowl of mushroom soup and half a dinner roll for her meal - to help reduce the average intake to about 2 pounds of beef per person.]

There are many large billboard signs for hospitals and walk-in clinics advertising short wait times and expert care.  One claimed, "Wait time under 12 minutes." Some signs advertise specialties such as pediatrics or orthopedics - on a billboard sign.

Our daily medical report.  As mentioned yesterday, we felt the inundation of medications had thrown Dorothy's sensitive and unique systems (from her thyroid condition) out of whack.  We decided to stop all medications for a time and observe what happened.  This was a difficult decision knowing that Dorothy's life literally might hang in the balance.  Dorothy rested well during the night and kept up her intake of water like a real trooper.  She had a tiny bit more breakfast than yesterday.  We had some yogurt for lunch and tonight, Dorothy made her first foray to the restaurant for a meal other than breakfast.  She seems a little stronger tonight.  We went and sat in the hotel lobby for about 20 minutes after dinner.

Dorothy says there are too many photos of her
so she was able to take this one of me in the hotel lobby

Dorothy and I wish you and yours a Happy New Year
and a 2011 that is among your favorite years.
We thank all those who have sent prayers and e-mails of support.
We will lift a glass of yogurt to you to celebrate tonight.
May God Bless us All.

resting at the hotel

Another discouraging day.  When I phoned the specialist regarding the appointment today, his office knew nothing about it and he did not answer his pager.  It appeared his New Year's weekend started early.  I picked up the 2 new prescriptions re; the leg swelling from yesterday.  Otherwise, we stayed at the hotel and Dorothy was only out of the room to have a small bowl of cornflakes for breakfast.  She did a lot of resting but has developed a headache and had a bout of nausea this evening.  We are uncertain at this point whether the medications are causing more problems than solutions.  With Dorothy's thyroid condition we know that medications can throw her system off completely and that may be what has happened through this episode.  The doctors and others think she should be "bouncing back" but, for whatever reason, no bounce yet. 
We have asked Carylanne to review the medications with some of her medical friends and see if there are any we can eliminate or reduce.  Our plan now is to stay here at least until Monday and see if there is any improvement by then.
Once again we appreciate the many people who have sent e-mails of prayer and support.  They are coming in every day and that helps us feel supported in this difficult time.

Note: this is a hotel room - not a hospital roomIt is quieter and the nurses are more attentive.

View from our hotel room.

View of our hotel in Port St. Lucie, FL
1.4 kms to emergency room

another day at the hospital

No photos today.  A discouraging day.  Dorothy and I had breakfast together at the restaurant in the hotel.  Then, to take advantage of the sunny and warmer day, we drove around the immediate area and I did a few errands.  When we got back to the hotel, Dorothy noticed her feet and ankles swollen.  She put her feet up and they went down for awhile and then started to swell again up to her knees.  This was one of the signs we had been told to look for so, to our dismay, we headed back to emergency at St Lucie Medical Center again.  It was quite busy there and we had to wait almost an hour and a half before we were taken in.  She saw the doctor about half an hour later and he sent her to x-ray, then she had two rounds of blood tests, and had her IV inserts reinstalled in her much bruised arm.  She soon received a course of lasix.  Then we waited two hours during which Dorothy had to make frequent trips to the washroom.  She was (still is) somewhat unsteady so on one occasion the ER doctor was the one who gave her his arm and escorted her down the hall.  After the two hours, we waited for another round of blood work.  The doctor arranged a follow-up appointment with the pulmonary specialist who had seen Dorothy in the hospital - appointment to be ... TOMORROW.  Finally got to go back to the hotel after our episode of another five hours in ER.

We have had time to observe the work in the ER carefully, and, this being our third visit, some of the personnel are becoming familiar.  Overall, the service is far more "customer focused" and professional than any we have experienced in Canadian emergency departments.  When someone comes in to your room or cubicle, they always announce who they are, and what they will be doing.  Example: "Hi, Mrs. Foster, I'm Keith from the lab.  I've come to draw blood for some tests the doctor has ordered."  When he left, "These samples will go to the lab. now for analysis and the doctor will receive the results in between 10 and 30 minutes."  Also, we overheard lots of conversations with other patients along the lines of "This will reduce your pain and you'll be feeling much better soon." an so on.

We searched our memories and we couldn't remember hearing this line of reassurance in Canadian ER's we have been in.  When I had my five hour stint last fall before I even saw a doctor, no one told us anything about what was happening or showed any concern about what pain or discomfort I might be in.  I had had no tests of any kind during that five hours.

Also, while we have had some waits here of an hour or more, they are very busy with a wide range of patients.  We frequently see rescue squad personnel and police officers who appear very familiar with the staff and processes in the ER.  We do not see what I saw when Dorothy was in Grey Nuns for her procedure in October and that was an ambulance crew sitting with a patient they had brought in for the entire five hours we were there.  The rescue squad members we saw brought patients in on stretchers and usually within 10 minutes we saw them rolling the empty stretchers back out to the ambulance.

Anyway, those are some of our first hand observations.  Tomorrow we will be going to see the specialist and Dorothy will start a couple of new medications (we are now up to five).  We can see that we need to stay around until we have had at least two days where we haven't been in hospital.

It looks like we will be celebrating New Years in Port St. Lucie, FL - but hopefully not with the good folks at the St. Lucie Medical Center.

discharged from hospital

There was a record low for this day this morning,  34F was announced on TV but the locals were saying it had been 27F overnight.  The official previous record low for the day was 38F in 1925.  However, it was sunny later and warmed nicely to +14C. 
It was also a warm day for us as Dorothy was given the OK to be discharged to the hotel.  She met again with the pulmonary specialist who devised a regime of medications and some follow up processes if necessary.  We will try resting at the hotel for at least a day or two.  [I'm concerned about the air quality in the room causing problems so we will watch that aspect closely.]  Dorothy did better than could be expected in walking into the hotel.  Later we went for a bite to eat in the hotel restaurant and she felt grateful to be somewhat back into the "real world" again.

Dorothy makes a break for it to escape from the St. Lucie Medical Center

Dorothy was whisked away in a waiting maroon van and headed south on
U.S. Federal Highway # 1  - Be on the look out!

in Florida, December 27, 2010

Dorothy had another day of somewhat mixed results. Her antibiotics are now being administered by mouth although she still has an IV for hydration.  She sat up more today and walked a few unsteady steps, with assistance.  The doctor has come up with the possibility of her moving to a hotel for a few days and continuing to be treated then as an outpatient.  It is uncertain when she will be up to that.  The doctor is now using the word emphysema to describe the complications which heightened her acute bronchitis.  She was also seen today by a pulmonary specialist who recommended tests for COPD once she has recovered from the bronchitis attack.  The insurance folks have weighed in with the possibility of flying us home (and "having the van towed").  We very much hope this eventuality does not come to reality.

Dorothy is hoping B. Glee can help her get out of the dog house.

With Christmas now over, I moved to a Holiday Inn less than 2 km from the hospital.  This will reduce my driving, and make the outpatient possibility much more convenient. The new accommodation is not at the level we have had but I purchased an air purifier to help clean up the air in the room.  There are a lot of molds, etc in Florida which grow in the dust.  I took the air conditioner in the room apart and gave it a thorough cleaning and what was inside was not appetizing.

Last night, the overnight low was +3C and it was cool and windy all day, although mainly sunny.

We continue to receive e-mails of prayers and support, which we appreciate greatly.  Thanks.

still in Port St. Lucie, FL

In some ways Dorothy's situation is much the same.  She still has some cough (although less than half what it once was). She still is on IV drip of antibiotics and saline.  She still is receiving periodic sessions with the nebulizer and in between is on oxygen.

New is that she is now receiving injections of blood thinner and also a steroid to more vigorously attack the airway obstruction.  Also new is that today she ate a little food and after some initial dizziness was later able to sit up in a chair for about 1/2 hour.

We did talk with the attending physician today who is still somewhat puzzled by the severity of her symptoms and expressed the hope that she will "begin to bounce back in 2 or 3 days".  We also had a call from a representative of the insurance company (out of Montreal) and they are fully up-to-date on the situation.

Dorothy finds that the nebulizer sessions provide some relief.

The view from Dorothy's bed.

The view from Dorothy's room.

Dorothy made encouraging inroads on her dinner today.

Security still has trouble understanding my name. 

I'm not sure how security resolves the situation that Dorothy's husband has visited her three days in a row; and each day has a different name.  I have been by turn: Lloyd Franklin, Franklin Foster, and, today Lloyd Foster.  Of course, this represents the security guard's interpretation of my Canadian passport.  It would be unreliable to simply ask me.  As well today, apparently I only had half a mind to be there (see photo above).

Once again, thanks to all for your prayers and the encouraging e-mails we have received.

PS.  Driving back from the hospital tonight it was only +8C with winds over 50 kph.  I had to agree with the locals - it was COLD!

Christmas Day in Florida - 2010

It didn't really seem like Christmas morning, given Dorothy's situation and the weather.  I was up early to prepare to drive to the hospital to see Dorothy.  As it has turned out, our hotel is 62 kms from the hospital, a drive that takes about 45 minutes.

Our hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida - Christmas morning

 

 

About 2/3 of the drive is along Inter-state 95

The bears went to help Dorothy open her Christmas presents.

Dorothy is still receiving anti-biotics via IV and is quite weak.  She is receiving periodic sessions around the clock with a nebulizer, that is providing some relief plus oxygen via a breathing tube in the intervals.  She sat up in a chair for a time today which she found took about all the strength she had.

We both want to thank all those who sent prayers and well wishes.  It has been very encouraging.

Thanks for all the prayers of support

The care on the ward is very thorough.  They are somewhat short staffed but Dorothy finds they respond quickly to her call button.  The doctor today indicated the need to more vigorously deal with the bronchitis to prevent it becoming pneumonia.  The respiratory therapist was up within 5 minutes to implement her new regime.

In the evening, Kevin and Heather were again very kind in including me in their family Christmas dinner.

Heather's beautiful table setting.

Kevin and Heather were very gracious hosts.

We had a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
We all missed Dorothy but Heather included her with a place name tag.

It was far from the Christmas that Dorothy and I planned, or would have ordered, and yet, from Kevin and Heather, Gwen, and the rest of the family here in Florida, to all the e-mails and telephone calls we have received from across Canada - it is very evident that there is Love in the world and that is what Christians celebrate in the Christmas message - God came into the world - and God is Love.

Christmas Eve in east central Florida

Unfortunately Dorothy's condition again worsened considerably during the night, with the onset of a fever to accompany the violent cough and upset stomach, so we had another decision to make at 4:00 AM - what to do; knowing we had to do something.  I decided that returning to St. Lucie made sense as they had seen us the previous day so we wouldn't have to start over again from the beginning.  We arrived there around 7:30 AM. 

St. Lucie Medical Center

Our experience was not nearly as positive as the previous day.  A new procedure had been implemented so there was now a detailed form to fill in.  Many of the staff had changed - I had the impression very much some of the second stringers.  It was over 20 minutes before Dorothy received any attention and she was on the verge of collapse.  Everything seemed to move slowly but after about half an hour we did see the doctor and fortunately he was the same one we had seen yesterday.  He later told us he was very concerned about Dorothy's condition.  So we had another round of blood work, x-rays and monitoring.  Dorothy had several episodes of racing heartbeat with a pulse over 145.  Antibiotics and anti-nausea drugs were administered via IV and very slowly she began to feel a little better.

Trying to open Dorothy's air ways.

The decision was made to admit Dorothy to hospital for observation, treatment and "complete rest" as the various lab tests continued. She was rather unsteady so was told not to try going to the washroom without assistance.  I made some phone calls and then had to pass through hospital security to get back in.

Apparently I have the world's most difficult name to keep straight.

Dorothy insisted I carry on with our plan of joining Gwen, Heather and Kevin for Christmas Eve dinner, which I did, hoping that she would get some much needed rest, and food and water. 

Kevin and Heather's neighbor making last minute adjustments to his decorations on Christmas Eve.
The temperature was +18C

Kevin and Heather's decorations are much more understated.

We want to wish all those following our blog a Merry Christmas.  Prayers for Dorothy would be appreciated.

Stuart, FL to Lake Worth, FL

Dorothy's situation seemed to worsen during the night so we made the decision to seek medical help.  I called our insurance provider who directed us to the hospital in St. Lucie, FL even though the locals recommended one closer.  However, it was only about 20 minutes away.  We were about to experience one example of American health care.  We arrived about 5:30 AM.  The security guard allowed us to park right by the door to the emergency unit.  Within one minute of entering, Dorothy was being interviewed by a nurse and having her vitals take.  Within 10 minutes, she was in a room in the ER and being seen by a medical doctor (who also knew about the Edmonton Oilers).  Dorothy had blood work, a chest x-ray, and a CT scan all within the first hour.  Meanwhile I was on the phone to the insurance company representative who, it turned out, was in Montreal.  He had trouble understanding English and concepts such as what a postal code should look like.  However, eventually we exchanged faxes.  By this time, Dorothy had been diagnosed as having acute bronchitis, and had received two bags of antibiotics via IV.  The doctor again met with her to discuss the diagnosis and the treatment, prescriptions for antibiotics and cough syrup.  He left the room saying "Merry Christmas, and God Bless."  The only delay we had in the process (other than the insurance guy in Montreal) was when it came to discharging Dorothy which took about half an hour.  This was our experience and it contrasted sharply with our last visit to ER in Edmonton where I had waited more than five hours before I saw a doctor.

Dorothy in the ER unit in St. Lucie Hospital, St. Lucie, FL

Emergency Room entrance - St. Lucie Hospital

Dorothy felt well enough that we decided to stay with our plan and move to Lake Worth, FL (actually our hotel is in West Palm Beach, FL) less than two hours away.

Publix is a popular supermarket chain in this area.

In the evening, Dorothy was not all that well but we went over to our friends home in Lake Worth for dinner and a short visit.  This will be our furthest point away from home and Heather and Kevin have very kindly included us in their family's Christmas celebrations.

Our friends Heather and Kevin live in Lake Worth, FL
We will be celebrating Christmas with them this year.

in Stuart, FL

It could have been a beautiful relaxing day today - it was sunny all day, the high was +22C, and Gwen took us on a tour of her immediate environs on and around Hutchinson Island.  Unfortunately, there were some problems with air quality in our hotel room and Dorothy's chest congestion flared up overnight and she had a miserable day although she soldiered on throughout.  We had an ozone machine brought into our room and the air did seem to improve but Dorothy's system was thrown off and she is still feeling miserable this evening with, now, stomach upset, and a temperature.

The view from our room at the Marriott Hutchinson Island Resort.

Our friend Gwen's condo - upper, furthest right balcony.

View from Gwen's lanai (screened in balcony)

It was nice to see the blossoms near Gwen's condo.

And some of the palm trees were producing coconuts.

Gwen took us on a nice tour which included a stop at a nearby beach.  Below are some representative scenes we saw today.

Lots of people were out today enjoying the beach - the temperature reached +22C

The lounge at the resort where we had a light lunch - Dorothy wasn't feeling up to eating even ice cream.

The boys had a chance to make a new friend at Gwen's
but we left early for our room in hopes Dorothy could get some rest.

Good night all - from Stuart, Florida.

Hinesville, GA to Stuart, FL

One of today's highlights came early, when I got up and went out just before 3:00 AM to see the lunar eclipse.  Since a lunar eclipse coinciding with the winter solstice hasn't happened since 1638, I thought it was an historic event.  I didn't have proper equipment, such as a tripod, but I did get a few shots to prove that I was there.  The best of these (not so good) is below.

Shot of moon above hotel - just for perspective

Our van resting in the parking lot at 3:10 AM
We have now logged over 8,000 kms since leaving home.

The hotel in Hinesville, GA had an interesting approach to the problem of people stealing towels, etc. from rooms.  It brought back memories of our days in the motel business.  Once, a customer stole the curtains from one of our rooms.  We would have needed a larger list than the one below.

We finally found the warm weather today.  It was +9C as we left Georgia.  By the time we got to Daytona Beach in Florida it was +19C with a few intervals at +20C.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  When we stopped for a snack, it actually felt like summer.  Below are a few scenes from along the way.

Typical scenery as we traveled in northern Florida

It looked a bit like autumn - on the first official day of winter.

Biking in December makes sense in Florida

It could be Daytona Beach

We reached Stuart, Florida as it was becoming dark, around 6:00 PM.  Our friend Gwen welcomed us to her home where we had a nice visit and she served dinner before we checked in to the Marriott Hutchinson Island Resort, on the other side of the golf course from Gwen's condo.

Gwen and Dorothy - they have been friends since high school days in Athens, Ontario

Murrells Inlet, SC to Hinesville, GA

Murrells Inlet is one of the many communities surrounding the well known resort city of Myrtle Beach, SC.  It was a sunny day but began at -2C although later we saw +10C.  It looked a lot like summer, but still felt quite nippy.  The streets of Myrtle Beach were virtually deserted and the hotels were advertising walk-in rates as low as $25.00.  Speaking of lower prices, we paid $2.739 for gasoline - equivalent to 72.4 cents per liter - compared to $1.139 in Brockville, ON.  The charge for our Holiday Inn Express room was also almost half what we paid in Brockville for essentially the same accommodation.

Ice on the puddle with palm trees in the background.
[The last time we were in the deep south, I also took
a photo of ice and palm trees!]

We went into Myrtle Beach and checked out the famous Boardwalk.
It was empty - something to do with +3C temperatures

There it was ... the Atlantic Ocean

We cruised hotel row in Myrtle Beach
[note heavy traffic]

Our friends Hugh & Gloria told us they worship at this church when they stay in Myrtle Beach, SC

Water fountain in action in southern South Carolina.

We crossed the Arthur Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC
[This is an official photo I borrowed.  Our view is below.]

View from bridge upstream on the Cooper River

Below, are a few other scenes as we drove out of South Carolina and into Georgia.

About 6:30 pm, we arrived in Hinesville, GA  (It made me think of the many members of the Hines family I knew in the Marwayne, AB area).  By the time we got settled, the moon was rising.  Tonight there is to be a lunar eclipse, coinciding with the winter solstice, a combination which apparently happens only once every 500 years.

Moonrise over Hinesville, Georgia