Houston - we've got a problem.

November 21, 2013: Before we get to the problem, let’s start off on a happy note.

This is how we are greeted by the sun this morning.  Can you even believe it?  We must be doing something right is all I can say.

The Moose and Caboose in the morning light.  The chairs are still facing west from watching the sun go down last night.

November 25, 2013: Now, down to the nuts and bolts of the matter.

Jack went to bed early on Monday night because he wasn’t feeling well.  Unable to keep anything in his stomach on Tuesday and Wednesday, we figured he had picked up bug when we were wondering around the casino in Laughlin a couple of days earlier.  Thursday he seemed to be feeling a little better.  But, by 12:30 am on Friday morning I knew we had a serious problem.

Before the crack of dawn on Friday, we literally raced west on I-10 heading to the closest hospital – Palo Verde in Blythe, California.  Arriving at the tiny hospital we weren’t sure if we made the right decision to get to the closest hospital, or if we should have driven farther to Yuma and a larger city hospital.  It’s too late to second guess so we entered the ER.

Houston – we have a problem.

Exam and standard tests complete and no idea what was wrong, the ER physician ordered a CT scan.  The scan confirmed a ruptured appendix.  Jack was scheduled for emergency surgery.  Any concerns either of us had regarding the surgeon who would do the procedure were dispelled after a short consultation with Dr. S.  We were duly impressed with his qualifications and experience.  Surgery went well, and Dr. S.’s follow up has been outstanding.  The added bonus has been a physician with a great sense of humor – which you don’t find every day in his line of work.

Now, four days later Jack is still in the hospital with an undetermined release date.  We're hoping to have him back home within another few days.         

A couple final pictures.  It’s a nice little hospital with very competent and friendly staff.

I'm apologize that I don't have any really interesting pictures to share, but I've only seen sunrises and sunsets in my rear view mirror the last few days.  We hope to be back on track shortly, perhaps taking an extra couple of weeks here in Quartzsite for Jack to recoup before we move on to our next destination.  Until next time – be safe and take good care of your loved ones.