Yeah, it’s been a bit of a while since my last post here, but not for lack of wanting to – this time.  South Dakota dealt us a pretty major hitch in our git-along. Just headed through, east to west, on the way to Badlands National Park, the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse National Memorial and maybe Sturgis, when straight from left field, and a no-warning major medical emergency.  For Kathy, (and I) some of the “highlights” of the last two months are as follows:

• About 10:30ish PM on August 11th, a sudden onset of acute, unexplained abdominal pain.
• A close to midnight run to the closest ER.  About a 25 minute drive to Mitchell, South Dakota, the nearest town of any size. (The Worlds Only Corn Palace!)
• Several hours of attempting to reduce the pain enough to do x-rays.
• Finally, x-rays showing a torsion twist in the lower bowel, necessitating an emergency helicopter flight to Sioux Falls, SD.,  about an hour and half away, and the nearest hospital capable of the needed surgery.
• Abdominal surgery done by the time I was able to drive the hour and a half, after which she seemed to be doing okay.
• The 3:00am phone call with the news: “I think you should come back down here, she isn’t responding very well and it isn’t looking good.”
• Another emergency surgery to re-check the bowels for additional damage, and removing more damaged bowel.
• Three and a half weeks in the ICU unable to be extubated.
• A very welcome visit (especially for me, gave me time to move the RV closer) from her sister Barbi from California, that she doesn’t remember at all.
• A very welcome visit from our daughter from Washington, that she doesn’t remember at all.
• One “code blue” emergency resuscitation.
• A tracheal intubation surgery.
• A move from ICU to the long term pulmonary wing.
• A move to a different hospital for longer term care due to the tracheal intubation.
• Tracheal intubation finally removed… accidentally in the middle of the night by Kathy.  Just pulled it out in her sleep.
• A move back to the original hospital for orthopedics and physical therapy.
• A surgical procedure to remove scar tissue that developed at the tracheal intubation site. (turns out you aren’t supposed to just pull those out yourself)
• two(ish) weeks of physical and occupational therapy to recover strength and mobility.
• Overall, two full months of hospital stay.  She remembers only about the last two weeks.

For me:

• Multiple hour and a half drives from the original RV spot to the hospital. (couldn’t arrange a move for several days)
• One dreaded, middle of the night, bad news phone call.
• Being there for the “code blue.”  Ugh.
• Finally, moving the RV to Sioux Falls and the hospital RV area.  (Super awesome that they had that)
• Two months of living in the hospital north 40 parking lot.  Packed by day, dead empty at night and weekends.
• 8 – 10 (or more) hours every day of white knuckling in a wide variety of hospital rooms, waiting areas and hallways.

It was tough sledding for a long while, with a few too many scary moments thrown in, but we finally had a last hospital day, a semi-comically shaky move back to the RV, a relatively uneventful beeline back to warm weather and family and friends in Southern Cal.  Still plenty of doctor stuff to follow up with, and plenty of rehab that needs to be kept at, but the highway to the danger zone is in the rear view mirror now.  I expect to be back on track with regular tales from the road and RV life.  We’re both still here, and here’s to keeping it that way.  ( ಠ_ಠ looking at you, South Dakota.  Not saying it’s your fault, but I’m keeping an eye on you anyway.)