Home again ... Thurs, 6/8/23

 

... home again, and isn't it great? After some wearisome back-and-forth options offered by insurance people, I emailed our travel agent, Jan, in Grass Valley on Wednesday, and asked her to book us flights home (from Lisbon), which she did.  Lisbon to Newark to Sacramento -- two long flights and one very long day -- and we arrived home on Thursday around Midnight, pretty much exhausted.  Portugal is eight time zones from California.

Monarch on Bottlebrush.

Jimmy was able to see his doctor first thing Friday morning.  The catheter was removed, prescription pills sorted out, advice given, and a new appointment scheduled for Monday morning.  His recovery will be slow not just on account of surgery, but because his body was so depleted from vomiting and not eating.  He'll have ups and downs, but overall, he's doing all right.  And so am I.

Not much Friday morning traffic on Avenida do Infante, Funchal, lined by purple-flowering Jacarandas, which had already finished blooming.  Many of the streets and sidewalks are cobblestone, not the easiest stuff to walk on.

Above and below:  Santa Catarina Park.

Lots of folks have asked me to compare the Portugal hospital with our US hospitals.  Jimmy was in the best hospital in Funchal.  I believe it's a newer hospital and it was sparkling clean.  Most everyone speaks English, some better than others, of course, so we were able to communicate.  He was seen immediately upon entering Urgent Care and tended to speedily and with respect.  "Mr James," they called him.  When it was determined he needed emergency surgery, the surgeon was called at home and he was there in a flash.

On Friday morning, the group did a walking field trip to the city center.  Most of these photos are from that hike.  The pic above was near the park; the City of Funchal crawls up the hillsides.  Every day I went to the hospital and it seemed like each taxi took a different route up into the hills where the hospital was, and for a different cost (Portugal uses Euro's).  

The Cathedral in Funchal.

A wine tasting.  It felt good to sit down.

As usual, I passed on the wine.

I loved all the black and white street tiles in Funchal.

While I was only able to participate in this one field trip (and enjoyed seeing a bit of the city), Jimmy saw none of it.  He basically stepped off the plane straight into the hospital.  He didn't get to share the king-sized bed with me, and neither of us got to walk the levadas, which was the whole point of going on this trip.  Such a shame.  But at least he got the medical care he needed, and so be it.

The group stopped by the colorful market with vendors selling veggies and fruit.  (Which reminds me, that hospital food was awful.  And Jimmy didn't get the broth and Jello he should've had post-surgery.  They brought him tough chicken and potatoes and veggies.  Another night it was spaghetti and meatballs.  I suggested they give him food he might consider eating!  Bad marks on hospital diet.)

As well as the fish market.

Strolled through old town,

with it's narrow, alley-like streets.

And on to the Atlantic Ocean, before heading back to the hotel.  I didn't test the water, but I heard from others that it isn't warm.  Maybe not, but I saw people swimming!  

Part of the Royal Savoy Hotel.

Looks spectacular!

I left the hospital early a couple of nights so I could eat some dinner (other nights I stayed till 9:30 or 10pm).  This pool looked so inviting, and on one of the days when I got back to the hotel early, I donned my bathing suit and swam around for a few minutes.  The water was refreshing (my way of saying it wasn't too warm, but doable).

End of the tour ... the tour that wasn't.  We were ready to board our TAP plane to Lisbon.  Luckily we were able to secure a wheelchair for Jimmy for each flight, which was a godsend when you think about walking from one gate to the other that's in Timbuktu and you're as weak as a newborn.

We both thank you all for your concern and prayers and good wishes.  I was grateful to be surrounded by a group of caring Road Scholar people and a group leader who facilitated a lot, while Jimmy recuperated in a hospital in a foreign country.  Made it all less scary.  Tell you true, though, it's wonderful to be home.

NEW update! Tues, 6/6/23

 

After his emergency Femoral Hernia Surgery on May 31st followed by six days in the hospital, Jimmy was finally discharged this evening from the Hospital Particular da Madeira!  Six days of ups and downs, glitches and triumphs, hopes raised and dashed, now he's out.  We didn't see much of anything of the Island of Madeira, really nothing at all, but we are booked on a flight to Lisbon early tomorrow morning.  Somehow, after an overnight in Lisbon (possibly two), we'll secure flights back to Sacramento.  Our Road Scholar tour is finished tomorrow.  Oh well.  We'll go home and recover.  That's the update, and it's a good one.  I only had a few minutes for this, but I know many of you are waiting to hear.  Thanks for your well wishes and prayers, and we'll see you later!

UPDATE: Saturday, 6/3/23

 

I don't have spectacular news; neither do I have bad news.  Jimmy is still hospitalized in the Hospital Particular da Madeira following his emergency surgery Wednesday evening.  He's been in distress, of course, not just from surgical pain, but our bodies don't work as efficiently at 78 years as they do at, say, 28 or even 58.  Don't say, "duh!"  But it's true.  Healing takes longer.  Pain lingers.

Every day I'd go to the hospital thinking to take him "home" to the hotel, and every day I'd go in and find him tethered to an IV machine, a catheter, heart monitor and -- who knows what else.  The hospital staff speak English (almost everyone), but there's still a language-cultural barrier.  The one parameter for being released was to be able to urinate on his own.  Well, he couldn't produce on his own fast enough to suit the nurses, so he'd be catheterized again, and the cycle would restart.  Laying up in the bed produces its own consequences, too, as everyone knows.

He had another torso/abdominal scan today, showing nothing remarkable (hooray).  My take on it, and you know my medical credentials, haha, is to get up and get moving.  That's what he's used to.  I told the doctor that just an hour ago.  But, he's shackled to machines, so the doc said the nurse will walk him.  Guess what?  It's Saturday, hardly anybody around.  

In case you're not sure where we are, here's a map showing Madeira off the coast of Morocco.  Far from the US West Coast!

We were supposed to continue on to the Azores after touring Madeira, but we've canceled that.  We want to go home.  Jimmy needs to heal, and will heal faster, at home.  This episode has taken us aback.  Maybe it would anybody.

I feel encouraged tonight.  I even left the hospital early enough to have dinner with some of our Road Scholar friends.  We don't want two sickly people in the family!  I'll add the next post when Jimmy is released and we're ready to "California, Here I Come!"

Madeira! 06/01/23

 

No, this is not my typical blog post; however, it needs to be written.  So you'll know what's happening, and so I can keep up with it.  I expected to be much agog on my first post, with photos of beautiful flowers or waterfalls on our Road Scholar's "Walking Madeira:  Portugal's Isle of Flowers by Foot" trip, which began Monday, May 29th.

Jimmy and I flew out of Oakland, to connect with Denver and Newark to Lisbon.  That got all boogered up, but that's not the story.  Jimmy felt ill at 4am when we got up to head to the airport.  Throughout that terribly long day he vomited.  He couldn't eat, wasn't hungry.  Sort of in pain, but not always.  Was it a bug, a tummy virus, bad food from the pizza he had the night before?  Dunno.  We continued on, arriving in Lisbon Tuesday morning, him still feeling sick.  Still throwing up.  A doctor came to the hotel, couldn't decipher what it might be, but Jimmy also couldn't pee (only once on Monday).  Doc prescribed anti-nausea pills and a diuretic.  Still ill ....

What to do, continue on to Madeira Wednesday morning?  We decided yes.  Long story shortened, we spent the afternoon at an excellent hospital in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal.  Tests were run, a CT scan revealed a femoral inguinal hernia, pinching a part of his bowel.  Nothing going out that way, so any food in his system had to come up by puking.  Poor guy felt so bad.  He had successful emergency surgery last night, Wednesday, May 31st.  He's still in the hospital.  I returned to our hotel for a bit of shut-eye.  

Obviously not anybody's idea of a how to spend a "vacation!"  I've seen a hotel, a hospital, and rain so far, and the occasional glimpse of a flower.  Not sure what happens next.  I'll see Jimmy this afternoon, and I hope to get useful information.

Meanwhile, here's a pic of one of Lisbon's blooming Jacaranda trees. 

Leaving Lisbon Wednesday, 5/31/23

Approaching Funchal's airport, perched between the ocean and mountainous peaks!  On a rainy day.  to be continued ....