Thursday, February 26, 2015
Posting photos
I apologize for the lack of photos. In the past I have been able to insert my camera chip into the appropriate slot on the computer and pull the photos I wanted for the blog. Now I am getting an error message saying "lost connection with the server" s I am not sure what is wrong. Probably the wifi is not strong enough. I will keep trying. Meanwhile I am trying to get some photos off my phone which takes pics that are just as good I think.
Thursday Feb 26th, 2015
It's Thursday. Today we start at noon today because we give the evening program. R did her Cactus program for 88 visitors last week. Tonight I give my Desert Tortoise program. The campground numbers and visitation numbers are up by over 25% this year over last year. Part of that is because of rangers spending time at Quartzsite in January and part is because the Good Sam Rally is in Phoenix this month and the Escapee Rally is in Tucson in March. The big reason that visitorship is up and length of stays are increasing is because the park is now fully open. From the time the new Superintendent came last year, he has been pushing to reopen the parts of the park that have been closed to the public for over ten years. He was aiming for July, but the opening finally happened in Sept of 2014. All the roads are open, hiking trails are open, areas of the park that were closed even to staff and volunteers can be visited by anybody. Several areas of the park are even open to backpacking. It is really fun this year working at the visitor center and telling our guests all the activities that are available to them. I hear a lot of "we are going to stay a couple more days" or "we are definitely coming back next year". These are words we love to hear.!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Two Week Check up
Last Friday the 13th was the two week annivesary of my pacemaker. Saw the cardiologoist for maybe 5 minutes. He shook my hand and told me that I definitely needed the device. "If you have any questions, my assistant will answer them for you." as he walked out. Jan came in a few minutes later and did just that. She told me that the device several times since installation. She told me to continue to be careful, not to lift over ten pounds with the left hand and not to lift my left elbow higher than my shoulder. She also said I could resume driving but to stay off bumpy roads ( Ajo Mountain Drive, the road to Quitobaquito for example). Those two roads are pretty bumpy and not only would it be uncomfortable, but the wires in my heart still need more time to "seat" themselves in the muscle.
I have another appointment on April 3rd to have a final checkup and maybe have the pacemaker adjusted. We will be finished with our stint here at ORPI and will stay a couple of nights in Buckeye which is close to the doctor's office. Then we will head north.
I have another appointment on April 3rd to have a final checkup and maybe have the pacemaker adjusted. We will be finished with our stint here at ORPI and will stay a couple of nights in Buckeye which is close to the doctor's office. Then we will head north.
Monday, February 9, 2015
D & L part 3
Saturday Jan 31, 2015
My birthday and my
present was to get out of the hospital which, of course is not a fast
operation. The various parts of the
health care puzzle have to sign off on the deal before they unplug your wires
and let you get dressed. And then it was
“Ok , see yah.” My wife and I walked out
of my room, down the hall, into the elevator, and out the front door. I always thought the wheel chair trip was
mandatory, but I guess not.
Overall, Death and life Day 2
Friday January 30,15
I was awakened at 7am. (As if you get any sleep in the hospital) "Your surgery had been moved up from Noon to 8am" I was picked up at 7:20 and wheeled through what seemed like miles of corridors and an elevator ride to end up in an operating room. I layed there listening to and watching the prep activities around me the nurses and doctor chit-chatted with me. The five hairs on my chest were shaved, my left clavicle was located and the area was painted with something orange. My head was turned to the right and a large blue tarp with a plastic window was placed over me. I felt it being stuck to my chest.
The next thing I remember is waking up in my hospital room at 9am. I had a chest x-ray in bed a few minutes later. Within an hour I had a ultra sound as that sounds my arteries were good and verified that the wire leads were in the proper spots in my heart. A good day, indeed.
I was awakened at 7am. (As if you get any sleep in the hospital) "Your surgery had been moved up from Noon to 8am" I was picked up at 7:20 and wheeled through what seemed like miles of corridors and an elevator ride to end up in an operating room. I layed there listening to and watching the prep activities around me the nurses and doctor chit-chatted with me. The five hairs on my chest were shaved, my left clavicle was located and the area was painted with something orange. My head was turned to the right and a large blue tarp with a plastic window was placed over me. I felt it being stuck to my chest.
The next thing I remember is waking up in my hospital room at 9am. I had a chest x-ray in bed a few minutes later. Within an hour I had a ultra sound as that sounds my arteries were good and verified that the wire leads were in the proper spots in my heart. A good day, indeed.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Life and Death
It is interesting how one day can change your life.
Thursday Jan. 29, 2015
It began as a normal day. Breakfast, walk to the VC. 8:15 group meeting, drive the government van to replace a piece of equiptment, then back to the library at the VC. The next thing I remember is lying on a bed in a helicopter looking out at the desert flowing below my window. Most of the day is pretty much gone, so here is what happened. Bradycardia. Very slow heartbeat leading to very low blood pressure, leading to loss of conciousness - I passed out in the library. A fellow volunteer summoned help, in the form of the head Law Enforcement (LE) Officer who was just down the hall. He and several other LEs came into the room as I was sitting up and then I went out again, this tme my heart STOPPED. All of the LEs are trained EMTs so I was given CPR, 58 compresses. They paused to see if the AED would help. It said "Do not use this device". And while it was saying this I awoke and sat up !! They were amazed. My wife was in the room at the time, so I can't imagine what was going through her mind.
I was put in an ambulance from Ajo, driven to the Ajo airport, put on a helicopter ( I remember a yellow helicopter) and flown to Banner Estrella Hospital in Avondale (sw suburb of Phoenix). My memory begins again in the emergency room of the hospital. I awoke hooked up to lots of wires and found nothing in my pockets ( they had been emptied) but my cell phone was still in the leg packet of my cargo pants. I started sending emails and messages to my sons and calling my wife, but she was on the road to the hospital so I just left messages. She arrived, I got taken to a room, had many tests and told that tomorrow, (Fri) I would be getting a pacemaker.
Thursday Jan. 29, 2015
It began as a normal day. Breakfast, walk to the VC. 8:15 group meeting, drive the government van to replace a piece of equiptment, then back to the library at the VC. The next thing I remember is lying on a bed in a helicopter looking out at the desert flowing below my window. Most of the day is pretty much gone, so here is what happened. Bradycardia. Very slow heartbeat leading to very low blood pressure, leading to loss of conciousness - I passed out in the library. A fellow volunteer summoned help, in the form of the head Law Enforcement (LE) Officer who was just down the hall. He and several other LEs came into the room as I was sitting up and then I went out again, this tme my heart STOPPED. All of the LEs are trained EMTs so I was given CPR, 58 compresses. They paused to see if the AED would help. It said "Do not use this device". And while it was saying this I awoke and sat up !! They were amazed. My wife was in the room at the time, so I can't imagine what was going through her mind.
I was put in an ambulance from Ajo, driven to the Ajo airport, put on a helicopter ( I remember a yellow helicopter) and flown to Banner Estrella Hospital in Avondale (sw suburb of Phoenix). My memory begins again in the emergency room of the hospital. I awoke hooked up to lots of wires and found nothing in my pockets ( they had been emptied) but my cell phone was still in the leg packet of my cargo pants. I started sending emails and messages to my sons and calling my wife, but she was on the road to the hospital so I just left messages. She arrived, I got taken to a room, had many tests and told that tomorrow, (Fri) I would be getting a pacemaker.
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