The "You Won't Believe This": Part III - The Recovery" Story

The day of Carol's emergency surgery she was greeted early in the
morning by this banner from Jerry and Just Sue wishing her a
Happy Birthday. Little did she know what was in for her on her birthday!

It was an ordinary day.  Carol's sitting in her favorite lounge chair watching "Dancing with the Stars" and jotting the scores down on her tablet.  Been almost two weeks since she felt the "bubble" in her stomach and after much thought and reasoning decided to have her appendix removed in the National Hospital of Providenciales.  Was a tough call, but one that had to be made since her appendix had increased to just about triple it's size and could have burst.  

Our housekeeper made this special design
for Carol for her birthday.

After returning from the hospital to Ocean Club Resort, Carol spent the next four days recuperating, primarily in our room.  Did manage to eat out a few times and relax by the pool on one occasion, but felt much better when reclining on the bed in our second floor room.  Management at the resort did offer to place us in a first floor room, but Carol said it was much easier for her to climb the steps than have to pack and repack all our belongings.  Soon after we returned to the resort a large fruit basket arrived at our room, compliments of the staff and management of the resort.  Often wondered what would happen if one of us would become ill while on one of the many islands in the Caribbean.  I guess we were lucky that since it did happen, that it happened on an island that had one of the best hospitals available in the Caribbean.  

The waitresses at the resort restaurant sang Happy Birthday
to her.  Wasn't long until she landed in the hospital.

We always purchase travel insurance hoping we will never need it, but when it was needed, it softened the financial consequ- ences that come from medical care. Knowing Carol may have a hard time flying, we made the decision to change our flight to first class.  I'll let you know right now that it was wonderful!  I called our travel agent in Lancaster, PA and she helped us make the change.  I also called the motel we stayed at and where our car was in Baltimore, MD and scheduled an extra night at the motel rather than driving back to Lancaster after two flights.  Amos, our rental car company owner at Scooter Bob's helped us get to the airport with little hassle and American Airlines had a wheelchair available as soon as we arrived at the airport.  Upon arrival in Miami International Airport, another wheelchair greeted Carol as she exited the plane.  

The driver of our cart was joking with Carol as he took
us to our next gate for our final flight home.

Our attendant helped us, as well as our traveling friends Jerry and Just Sue, get through Immigra- tion and Customs as well as get our luggage to be checked in once again, and finally helped us breeze through security.  A cart then took us to our next gate.  After arriving in Baltimore another wheelchair was ready to usher us to our luggage and then wait outside for our shuttle to the motel.  The ride the following day took about an hour and a half, but we returned home safely and our friends loaded their luggage in their car and headed back to State College, PA.  Recovery has gone well with plenty of lap time from our cat Creamsicle and plenty of family visitors and telephone calls wishing her a speedy recovery.  A trip to the surgeon, who treated her with antibiotics the first time she had appendicitis last April, told her that all was well with her incision and well-being.  As we age and continue to travel, we always take the chance that something like this might happen.  Luckily all went well.  Is it time to reconsider more trips.  Nah!  As long as we can get on that plane and head to some of the best beaches in the world, we will do so.  After all, you only live once, so live it to the fullest!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.