Well, the last leg of our trip was a disaster. It started in New Smyrna when Alan developed his "weakness" problem again. I did all the packing, and lugging and hauling. I also took prednisone, hoping it would help alleviate a lot of the leg pain. It did, for two days. I kept praying that God would grant me the same relief from pain on the next leg of our trip -- the boat trip to various Islands in the Caribbean. God is so good, but that prayer was not answered the way I wanted.
When we got down to Ft. Lauderdale to get on the boat -- the boat on which I was told would have a wheelchair waiting for me for Alan -- didn't happen. I had to walk about 1/2 mile to find a chair, and then back outside the terminal to walk Alan, holding him up, into the terminal, where the chair was gone, and we were told to just sit and wait. Okay, this should have told me something.
I told them I could walk to the boat without being on a wheelchair myself, and through sheer determination, I did that. I got us to our room, and just collapsed alongside Alan who, by this time, was not feeling well at all. The bottom picture is Alan after the collapse and the beginning of sea sickness. Excuse his state of undress. He is completely covered, but the picture might be offensive to some. Already our stateroom was in a state of disaster. That's one thing about being on a boat, the room is small and anything out of place makes me antsy. The steward and his staff was very good about cleaning up several times a day during Alan's sickness.
A few minutes after we left Ft. Lauderdale (on the boat), we noticed a lot of white-caps in the water, and also noticed how bumpy the ride was. We had never been on a bumpy boat ride before. Alan, poor thing, was seasick for three days. Me? I was fine. I am the one who can't be in a car without getting ill unless I'm driving, was fine on the rocking and rolling ship. They even cancelled one of shows because it wasn't safe onstage for the performers. It really was a rocky ride. I loved it, though.
Needless to say, I explored on my own, which was a mistake, because walking was getting harder and harder, and most of the walking I did was pushing Alan in a wheelchair from one end of the boat to the other to get to the dining room. Twice a day I did that (except for the days he was sea sick). Then he developed a horrible cold -- fever for a few hours one night. Finally, he was feeling so bad, and had heard all this stuff about swine flu, that he decided he should get to the infirmary. That's Alan in the top picture at the Infirmary the next to the last day waiting for the doctor to see him. He didn't have swine flu. Just a very, very bad cold. They gave him antibiotics, a decongestant, and something else, and all that cost us only $105. If we had taken him to a US ER it would have cost five times that amount. So, I'm not complaining at all. Thankful for the foresight to get the extra insurance!
Well, we're trekking home now, and my legs are bruised from stem to stern, or is it port to starboard, forward to aft? Anyway, we noticed a number of bruises on my legs from where I was bumping to the wheelchair as I was pushing it. Also have two really neat bruises on my belly where it kept hitting the handles on the back of the chair.
I really had a good time, most of the time, and I walked and walked and walked everyday. I pushed myself because I know I have to do this -- walk, that is, and get those leg muscles stronger and perhaps the pain will lessen? Hopefully, prayerfully, they will.
The end of the trip -- getting off the boat? It was really not a good experience. And I want to talk to my grandchildren about how to be attentive to people with disabilities, obvious disabilities. Both Alan and I had a very disagreeable experience from rude or insensitive college students, older teenagers, and I want my grands to know how to be sensitive to elderly people who are in either a wheelchair, using a cane, or using a walker. We elder persons have a fear of falling, and pushing and shoving is a very frightening experience, and then laughing about it was very insensitive of these people. I was in tears for a long time after the problem because all I could think of was falling and no one helping me to get up.
So, while this seems like a downer entry, it really isn't, because while Alan was miserable for the week, I really wasn't, and I got to see all I wanted to see, and did what I wanted to do.
When we got down to Ft. Lauderdale to get on the boat -- the boat on which I was told would have a wheelchair waiting for me for Alan -- didn't happen. I had to walk about 1/2 mile to find a chair, and then back outside the terminal to walk Alan, holding him up, into the terminal, where the chair was gone, and we were told to just sit and wait. Okay, this should have told me something.
I told them I could walk to the boat without being on a wheelchair myself, and through sheer determination, I did that. I got us to our room, and just collapsed alongside Alan who, by this time, was not feeling well at all. The bottom picture is Alan after the collapse and the beginning of sea sickness. Excuse his state of undress. He is completely covered, but the picture might be offensive to some. Already our stateroom was in a state of disaster. That's one thing about being on a boat, the room is small and anything out of place makes me antsy. The steward and his staff was very good about cleaning up several times a day during Alan's sickness.
A few minutes after we left Ft. Lauderdale (on the boat), we noticed a lot of white-caps in the water, and also noticed how bumpy the ride was. We had never been on a bumpy boat ride before. Alan, poor thing, was seasick for three days. Me? I was fine. I am the one who can't be in a car without getting ill unless I'm driving, was fine on the rocking and rolling ship. They even cancelled one of shows because it wasn't safe onstage for the performers. It really was a rocky ride. I loved it, though.
Needless to say, I explored on my own, which was a mistake, because walking was getting harder and harder, and most of the walking I did was pushing Alan in a wheelchair from one end of the boat to the other to get to the dining room. Twice a day I did that (except for the days he was sea sick). Then he developed a horrible cold -- fever for a few hours one night. Finally, he was feeling so bad, and had heard all this stuff about swine flu, that he decided he should get to the infirmary. That's Alan in the top picture at the Infirmary the next to the last day waiting for the doctor to see him. He didn't have swine flu. Just a very, very bad cold. They gave him antibiotics, a decongestant, and something else, and all that cost us only $105. If we had taken him to a US ER it would have cost five times that amount. So, I'm not complaining at all. Thankful for the foresight to get the extra insurance!
Well, we're trekking home now, and my legs are bruised from stem to stern, or is it port to starboard, forward to aft? Anyway, we noticed a number of bruises on my legs from where I was bumping to the wheelchair as I was pushing it. Also have two really neat bruises on my belly where it kept hitting the handles on the back of the chair.
I really had a good time, most of the time, and I walked and walked and walked everyday. I pushed myself because I know I have to do this -- walk, that is, and get those leg muscles stronger and perhaps the pain will lessen? Hopefully, prayerfully, they will.
The end of the trip -- getting off the boat? It was really not a good experience. And I want to talk to my grandchildren about how to be attentive to people with disabilities, obvious disabilities. Both Alan and I had a very disagreeable experience from rude or insensitive college students, older teenagers, and I want my grands to know how to be sensitive to elderly people who are in either a wheelchair, using a cane, or using a walker. We elder persons have a fear of falling, and pushing and shoving is a very frightening experience, and then laughing about it was very insensitive of these people. I was in tears for a long time after the problem because all I could think of was falling and no one helping me to get up.
So, while this seems like a downer entry, it really isn't, because while Alan was miserable for the week, I really wasn't, and I got to see all I wanted to see, and did what I wanted to do.
Today I learned the best news of the trip. I actually LOST 10 pounds!
NOTE: THIS WAS EDITED ON MAY 8.
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1 comment:
I'm sorry the people were rude to you. :-( People ought not to be that way- if for no other reason than it'll come back to bite them someday- and worse than they dished it out!
But, I'm so glad that in spite of everything, you were able to have a good time. I hope you took lots of pictures of the places you went. I'd love to see them- traveling vicariously... that's me. :-)
I love you!!!
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