October 19, 2016

This will be pretty short today, but I wanted to bring our friends, family and loved ones up to date.  Monday we packed up and traveled down to Wilderness Lakes, from Silent Valley.  We found a nice site near the back of the park and began setting up.  We got the RV set up, and Tony arrived around noon.  He helped Jim nail down the screen room and set out the refrigerator, and chairs.  We had a late lunch and relaxed that afternoon.  The VA hospital called and said Jim would need to be there by 5:45 am the next day.  That was an unhappy shock to us because we had been told he would be the last surgery of the day!  We usually don't drive after dark (or before dawn).  We had to get up at 4 am (Yikes) and leave here at 4:30 am.  Besides being dark outside, it was very foggy!  We got to the VA at 5:38 am.  He was checked in and taken to the short stay unit at 5:45 am. By 6:30 they had started his IV and were giving him eye drops.....3 different drops given 3 times each.  They took him to the surgical suite at 6:35.  I went to the waiting room, where they had a monitor listing all the patients and when their surgery would start and when it ended.  He went into an operating room at 7:40 and surgery began ten minutes later.  He came back to the surgical short stay unit at 8:35, and I was allowed to come see him soon after.  I am reporting the times, to show how efficiently they manage the care of patients at Loma Linda VA hospital.  He was supposed to have to come back today for his first post op visit, but we were told that if we wanted to stay around until 1 pm, he could see the doctor for the visit, and then we wouldn't have to drive back today.  We went up to the Patriot Cafe and had a brunch, and, since Jim had not worn a cap there, I bought him an ARMY vet camouflage baseball cap.   We went out to the car and rested there until about noon.  At that time we went into the eye clinic, and signed in.  He was seen by a technician before 12:30 and the doctor checked him and we were on our way home  BY 1 pm.  Tony had stayed here and took care of our dogs while we were gone.  It was a major relief knowing we didn't have to worry about them for all those hours.  Our dogs love Tony and his dog Woody.  We were exhausted when we got home, but Jim is doing great!  I wish I had taken pictures of Woody, who is about 65 pounds of German Shepherd trying to nap in little Millie's bed!!!  We let Woody sleep in Willie's nice memory foam bed at night, since Willie spent the last two nights beside our bed...and before morning IN our bed.  Tony stayed over again last night, and we were happy about that.  This morning I made pancakes and eggs for breakfast.  We played Mexican Train until lunch time.  After lunch Tony & Woody went back to Oceanside.  I can't thank him enough for helping us while Jim is recovering.  We go back next Wednesday for his next check-up.  Hopefully, we will be able to schedule his next surgery, for the right eye while we are there.  Tony has already offered to come back and take care of the dogs for Jim's second surgery.  We hope that will be around Thanksgiving, so we can be done with it, and he can get fitted for his reading glasses before the end of the year.  If any of you are reading this, and have been told that you need to have cataract surgery, please don't put it off.  Jim can already see much better than before, and when he gets the right eye done, it should be amazing!!!  Take care now.  I'll write more next time...............and include pictures too.  Stay well dear ones.  Keep the rubber side down and travel safe.