August 27, 2010 (Fri) Englewood, FL (3) high 90s - Yesterday we parked Q in the hospital employee's parking lot during the day while we were in and out of the hospital. Today, in search of more shade, we chose to park in a Publix (supermarket) parking lot across the street from the hospital. Mark stayed in the the motor home when Joy went to visit her mother. When she got there she learned that the hospital was in lock down. There were several police cars around and the lot where we'd parked yesterday was cordoned off with police tape. Apparently someone found a box with wires hanging out of it that could not be explained.
Bom came home this afternoon. Although she is in no pain most of the time (a mystery but also a blessing) she's uncomfortable when she has to move or be moved. Fortunately that doesn't happen very often. We are camped out nearby behind the assisted living home so that Joy can visit her a couple of times a day.
August 28, 2010 (Sat) Englewood, FL (4) 91/98° - The last day of our cell phone rationing! All the calls to Bom's health care insurer and "Human Resources" used up 298 of our 300 allotted minutes. We thought about selling the last 2 minutes on eBay but never got around to it.
Joy and Gail spent nearly 3 hours with the Visiting Nurse nurse this morning giving her Bom's health history and current situation, including general condition, abilities and limitations (broken ankle not withstanding). They spent a couple of hours with Bom in the afternoon and evening but she is mostly sleeping now recovering from the operation and medications. We dined (for the second time) at Mango Bistro, one of the two good places to eat in Englewood.
August 29, 2010 (Sun) Englewood, FL (5) 81/95° - The rain last night cooled things off some but it was still very humid and uncomfortable this morning. Without Gail's car - she's flying back to Seattle today - we decided to get some long overdue exercise. We walked to the Publix to get a New York Times and some milk. It was about 3 miles round trip.
We had a quick downpour this afternoon. It was just long enough to soak Mark as he closed up a chair he'd put out and wet down the areas around and under the windows and vents before they could be closed. Then it stopped. Some threats later but nothing developed.
August 30, 2010 (Mon) Englewood, FL (6) 76/94° - Although it didn't rain during the night, it cooled off enough that we needed cover in the form of a sheet before morning. More importantly, it's dryer. That makes a whole lot of difference in comfort.
The physical therapist came to work with Bom this afternoon. After taking some time to get some history - Bom is going to be very well documented when this has run its course - she put her through as series of simple exercises. Kelli (the therapist) was quit impressed with Bom's strength and condition. And Joy is very happy with the therapist. She's a lovely person, gentle and personable. Bom was tired when she'd finished though and fell asleep soon after the session was finished.
August 31, 2010 (Tue) Englewood, FL (7) 76/97° - It was quite comfortable sleeping again last night - after it cooled off. This morning we went out and did some errands - including laundry. We will be leaving tomorrow and don't want to take the time then when we can get them done today.
Q063281 Jeanne Walton's yard, Englewood, FL (x7)
QC03-03 Hot Florida
QC03-02 Go West or South?
August 23, 2010 (Mon) Fayetteville, NY to Carlisle, PA (469/772 miles) - The rain stopped sometime during the night, although there were some splattering on the roof early this morning - probably from the trees. The sky has been overcast all day. Dave went to work and Shane off to "camp". Jennifer had some work to do so we expected a relatively quiet day. Didn't happen!
We got a call from Bom's doctor mid afternoon. In spite of his beliefs and what he had told us, she will need surgery on her ankle after all. The X-rays revealed that there were some bone fragments that need to be removed and a stabilizing pin inserted. Joy spent some time on the phone with Jeanne (owns assisted living place) and Bom's doctors. We also learned that there is a problem with Bom's secondary health insurance, but by the time we found out it was too late to begin to work on it. Even though Bom has friends and excellent care, we thought she needed family with her for an operation and hospital stay so we loaded up Q - what little there was to load - and started for Florida.
Carlisle, PA is a lot further from Syracuse than we thought. There was a lot of construction areas on I-81 slowing traffic and the concentration of trucks was unnerving to say the least. On two occasions Hildene told us that we were passing wind farms but we didn't see them - too dark. We pulled into the Carlisle Flying J at about 11:15 (way past our bed time) and fell into bed.
Q0626145 Flying J truck stop, Carlisle, PA
August 24, 2010 (Tue) Carlisle, PA to Walterboro, SC (657/1429 miles) - It was fairly quiet during the night - for a truck stop. But then, maybe not. We were exhausted and slept soundly all night. We ate breakfast and got off at about 7:45 (cloudy 63°) and crossed the Potomac River into West Virginia just before 9:00. Phone calls to the insurance company had to be made so we stopped at a rest area. After a 20 to 30 minute phone call during which Mark navigated a long complicated automated menu that insisted on repeating itself and would not tolerate interruptions until he was finally able to reach a human being. He had to again answer identification questions and give out all kinds of authenticating information plus give, in great detail, the reason he was calling. Only then was he told no information would be given to him. None. Nada. Not why she had been turned down in the pre-approval process. Not even if she was a member of their plan, active or inactive. He did learn that there had been no requests for benefits - which indirectly answered a couple of questions. After hearing many, many "I'm sorry sir, I can't give you that information.", or "She has to be on the line for me to answer that, sir, I'm sorry", he was grudging told that the hospital or doctor's office could get the information. OK, That's a start. Joy called the surgeon's office. They said they would get on it and if there were any problems, they'd call.
The Orangeburg, SC Walmart seemed like a good place to stop. It wasn't. When we asked at Customer Service if it would be OK to spend the night, they didn't know. "Check with management, that woman in the Yellow jacket over there." The woman in the yellow jacket looked at us as if she didn't know what we were talking about. She said she'd check with the store manager. She went off and never came back. We left in search of an other Walmart. The atmosphere in the parking lot seemed uncomfortable anyway. And there were no other motor homes parked there for the night. The Walmart at Walterboro, NC is much more what we are use to. There are a couple of other motor homes nearby and several 18 wheelers. We didn't even go in to ask for permission. 13 hours and 657 miles on the road. We were in bed by 9:30 (80°)
Q062802 Camp Walmart, Walterboro, SC
August 25, 2010 (Wed) Walterboro, SC to Englewood, FL (379/1803 miles) - We started the day with a flat tire. Actually we started with showers but when we got back from our courtesy shopping in the Walmart we discovered Q had a flat tire. OK, instead of breakfast in a nice scenic rest area down the road we'd eat while we waited for the road service truck. So we started a rushed no-atmosphere breakfast. The truck came half way through breakfast, 15 minutes after we'd called roadside assistance! The fellow changed the tire for us and we followed him to his home base so he could fix it. It was a bad valve stem (which he fixed for free). Although we got up at 5:00 hoping to see Bom in the hospital at a reasonable hour, we finally got off at 8:37 (74°)
Since we hadn't heard from the doctor's office we assumed the insurance issue was resolved. It wasn't. Thus began a marathon of 5 calls (at least) to the insurance company, with the requisite 15 minutes of menu navigation, personal identification and problem explanation each time, where Mark was reminded yet again (and again) of his inadequacy. "Sorry, sir, we can't give you that information." at least 15 times. "But I need to know why Mrs Annich was refused coverage." or "How can we get the resolved?" "You'll have to get her on the line for us to give you that information." "She's 98 years old and in the hospital for surgery." "I'm sorry sir, I can only give that information to her" "But. . . ." "I'm sorry, sir." "Stop saying you're and work with me. What can I do to get this resolved?" "I'm sorry, sir, I can't help you. It's the law." And so it went. She finally gave up the phone number of "Human Resources" which turned out to be a euphemism for the company handling Bom's (actually her husband's) pension benefits. The number given turned out to be wrong resulting in another call to the insurance company (yup, 15 minutes of garbage before getting to ask for the number again.
The problem is finally being worked out, with no thanks to the insurance company. The system is broken!!!
We got to the Venice hospital about 7:30, saw Bom - she's in good spirits and no pain from her broken ankle - and came on down to Englewood. Another long day!
August 26, 2010 (Thu) Englewood, FL (2) - It rained off and on during the night, sometimes quite heavily. Mark got up when it started and closed the windows. But he neglected to close the bathroom vent. So, a wet bathroom this morning. The soggy rug will take a long time to dry (and smell sweet again) in this humid and rainy weather, expected to last through the weekend.
Bom's operation was a success. She may be able to go home tomorrow or the next day and should be able to walk OK again, a concern up to now, after several weeks of healing. We will stay on a few more days to be sure she is well situated for her convalescence and to follow up on the insurance issues.
Q063281 Jeanne Walton's yard, Englewood, FL
QC03-01 A plan in jeopardy
August 20, 2010 (Fri) Home to Fayetteville, NY (303/303 miles) - We had done most of our packing and loading last night so the last minute chores, this morning, were relatively easy and quick. We got off at exactly 9:00am (clear sunny 79°) and headed for the bagel shop downtown. As much as we wanted to get a couple of bagels each for ourselves - comfort food or the long drive ahead - we resisted. (Joy gets the credit.) Our mission there was to get a couple of bagelboards (bagel boards?) for Dave and Jennifer. They love them and can't get them in the Syracuse area.
About half way up the the Garden State Parkway we passed some kind of official motorcade - several police motorcycles and a couple of state police cars leading a long black limousine with more police cars and motorcycles following. The parkway entrance ramps were blocked by the police and the entourage was going a sedate 50 MPH or so. Southbound traffic was bumper to bumper for miles! We were lucky to be going North!
After a stop in Ho-Ho-Kus to drop off some books for a friend of Joy's we continued on up US17. The trip was uneventful until we got a call from Joy's sister Frannie - their mother had fallen and was with the doctor. Further details had to wait, both because Joy was driving and couldn't take the call and because there weren't many more details to be communicated at that point. Nevertheless we stopped at the next rest area, an hour later, and Joy called her sister back. Bom apparently fractured her leg in a couple of places - probably not serious for a younger person but for one who is 98, maybe. Our trip west maybe in jeopardy. We wait.
August 21, 2010 (Sat) Fayetteville, NY (2) - After several phone calls,we know little more about Bom's fracture except that she experienced a misstep while getting out of the swimming pool. Nor do we know how her quality of life will be affected - whether she will be able to stay in her current assisted living facility or will need a place with more intense care. She sees an orthopedic doctor on Monday. Maybe more answers then. Meanwhile our travel plans are on hold. We'll be staying here in Syracuse an extra day or two then decide whether to head west or south.
August 22, 2010 (Sun) Fayetteville, NY (3) - Woke up to the sound of rain on the roof and proceeded to get wet every time we ventured into the void between motor home and house all day long. We celebrated our anniversary by taking Dave, Jen and Shane out to a place called Zebbs. It's a small chain in western New York State that specializes in hamburgers (and beer) very similar to the Hamms chain in the south. Dave and Shane got hamburgers, Joy got a salad, Mark and Jennifer, Reubens. The atmosphere was noisy but the food was good. And, of course, the company was superb. Even so, lesson learned; stick with the house specialty.
Bowling late in the afternoon. Joy won. Mark scored slightly more than Shane, age 7, who could barely heft the ball. He, Shane, would run as best he could up to the foul line and drop the ball. Then we'd all watch as it slowly rolled down the ally toward the pins. It was amazing how well his technique worked.
It's still raining! Syracuse is looking at more than doubling the record for this date. It's up over 4 inches so far.
Q061873 Dave and Jennifer's Yard
