APRIL 2024; ROB, CAT, & BELLA

 We had a ton of left over food from PF Chang’s for Rob’s retirement party so on Tuesday, the 2nd we all met over at Marc and Teresa’s to finish it off.  We still went home with some of the rice and salad.  They sure do make good food.

The Doctor from Hawaii called and said the culture on my hand came back and it is not Staph, it is Steph  and that I may be on the wrong medication.  She told me to go back to a doctor and let them know as I may be on the wrong medication .

So I did.  I went back to urgent care in Pahrump.  She kept me on the same doxicycline but added a moxicylin or something to the mix.  She also referred me to Infectious Disease in Las Vegas.  I think there is some sort of sea urchin in there creating havoc.

Most of April was spent with me going back and forth to doctors trying to heal up my hand and figure out what was going on with it.  Infectious Disease sent me to the the emergency room in Pahrump for x-rays and scans.  I also had lab work done about 4 times.  I guess the main thing is to ensure the infection is not throughout my body but contained to my hand.

We had planned to take the boat up the west coast to the Pacific Northwest.  Originally we wanted to sell it and buy a boat on the East Coast so we could do the Great Loop.  When it didn’t sell we thought having it up in the PNW would be a really fun alternative. We could go through the San Juan Islands, parts of Canada and even Alaska.

Unfortunately,  the trip kept getting postponed due to the infection in my hand.  Since no one knows what it is, they didn’t want me getting too far from home and the Doctors who were working with me.  In the mean time, they extended both antibiotics for another 15 days.  So far I’ve been on three rounds of three different antibiotics plus an injection of a 4th.

April 20th they had Reggae in the Desert in Vegas.  It was supposed to start at 11 am and continue until midnight with several bands.  Marc, Teresa and I went to Vegas and checked into a Hilton.  We had an early dinner and then went to see Steel Pulse.  They were like the second to the last band.  We got there in time to see Collie Budz before Steel Pulse.  They were OK

We had a good time.  We spent the night at our hotels in Vegas..

Rob is actually on vacation for the entire month of April.  His official retirement date is May 1st.

The Celebration of Life for Ted and Helyne is April 27 in Lodi and of course we want to be there.  So Infectious disease decided I should get an Antibiotic infusion. I would give me three weeks of antibiotics in one hour.  I am still fighting with my hand.  I went to the center and they started the IV and within 15 min I was weasing and my throat felt like I was trying like hell not to cry to some super emotional event.  I was reacting to the medication.  They stopped the IV, gave me Benadryl and that was that.  In the mean time I had had more blood work done and again it was decided that the infection now being called cellulitus was only in my hand and not through out my body so they put me on another antibiotic and said I could go and live my life and they would check back with me in a month. Seven rounds of 5 different antibiotics and it still is not healed up. But, I’m cleared to travel in car, RV, boat whatever., 

Our original plan was to borrow Marc and Teresa’s Rv and go to Fresno, stay in the Fresno Elks RV park and visit my Mom.  But I had to wait for medication to come in the mail so we missed that.  So we drove from Pahrump to Bakersfield and stayed one night at the Orange grove RV Park.  There we drove to Lodi.  We stayed at the Elks RV This park there.  We were there for the celebration of life for Ted and Helyne.

We actually stayed in the Elks Rv park in Woodbridge, and when we got there there was a huge Rainbow across the sky.  I knew it was Ted and Helyne looking down on us.

We went to the hotel where Marc, Teresa,  Kiki and Brian were staying and helped them arrange the 10 dozen roses into Vases.  Ted was in the Navy so all the vases are wrapped in white ribbon with navy blue stars.  Helyne loved red roses.  So, each table had a vase of red roses with the ribbon around it.

The Celebration was lovely.  First they did a private interment of the ashes with just the children and their spouses and then a luncheon.  Ted Jr. had put together a video of beautiful pictures of the two of them and it was put to the music that the two of them loved and danced to.  It was wonderful. Especially seeing all of the family that we hadn’t seen for awhile, especially Linda and Bob since they moved back to Texas.

SUNDAY, 28 APRIL

From Lodi we drove to Rancheria Casino and RV Park. We are joining up with a bunch of our friends who used to live at Rancho Calif RV Resort and some that still do.  Sally Dunbar, who lives in Nipomo arranges all the activities.  It is a surprise that Rob and I are even coming.  As far as everyone knows, we no longer even have an RV.  But we borrowed Marc and Teresas’

We arrived in our spot and set up.  Soon Leo and Sandy Osterhout pulled in next to us.  We even chatted with Leo while he was setting things up, but he didn’t recognize us.  Finally Sally and Darrell came over to check on us and Sally called Sandy over.  Leo kept saying I thought that looked like you, but I wasn’t sure.  Later in the late afternoon the gang gathered over behind Richard and Darlene’s rig, so we went over there after we were sure everyone was there.  Darlene came undone.  She was sooooo surprised to see us.  OMG she even cried.  

MONDAY, 29 APR

Rob, Darrell, Mo and Al played golf.  The rest of us went into Downtown Jackson to the kitchen store.  It is always fun in there.  The only thing I bought was a pizza cutter.  We went to Cavana’s Pub & Grub for dinner; then back to circling the wagons for cocktails.

ROB took this picture while on the golf course.. Golfers therapist Office;  Dr. Tripp L. bogey!

TUESDAY, 30 APRIL

This was a busy day.  1100 departure for a picnic at Karmere Winery.  We all brought food to share and were able to taste wine if we wanted.  Its a lovely patio

From there we went to Rombaur Winery.  We did some tasting there as well, but we mostly just sat out on their patio as a large group and enjoyed their wine.  It was really fun.

At 4:40 we went back to Jackson to Mei & Fayes Diner for Taco Tuesday. They had an awesome deal on Tacos and margaritas.  It was fun.  At 5:00 pm we all cheered as it was the witching hour.  It was the last chance from Rob to change his mind and go back or officially retire.  We cheered his official retirement.

Believe it or not, (of course you do) we went back to the Ranch, circled the wagons again for more cocktails.