Finally Discharged

Things finally got under control enough for Ron to come 'home'. I've been staying next door to Brenda and brother Peter at Brenda's aunt Gwyn's in the other half of their duplex. It is ground level, so walking in the house and out to the street will be easier. Thanks to all the staff at VGH for an amazingly comprehensive experience of incredible care. Our health care system is wonderful - if you really need it -it's there right now. Unfortunately, the usual 4-5 day open heart surgery Ron had , took him 28 days with all his complications, so when someone tells you their relative's surgery was cancelled - blame it on Ron and folks like him. Not an easy time. Trust me, the surgeons weren't out golfing. We're leaving our room with the view, our Dr. in the stiletto high heels, no more dress and stockings for Ron.

Downtown Eastside Vancouver

After Chris and the boys, then Mardie and Bill visiting Sunday, which we really enjoyed, Ron had a nap. I drove through Chinatown, where I used to go with Dad to deliver fresh cut flowers to Keefer Wholesale. These brick buildings are really old.



My next stop was the Army and Navy Department store. I haven't been there since the 60's but it is still very similar.








I walked around the corner and there was the old Woodward's store with the large red revolving W up on top. There it was from another view over Pigeon Park at the Cenotaph with Soldier's helmets on top of posts. I love the old granite blocks which are the cobblestones for the original streets.
The Library was my last stop this day. I'd never seen it and it was very interesting. Lots of shops and different spaces to enjoy.

Chris and 2 Boys

Son Chris with Zach and Isaiah came in this morning, very nice to see them. Ron' still getting a diuretic IV and anti-microbial IV 4 times a day. Needs to shed a massive fluid retention problem. Next Mardie and Bill popped in after their 5 km walk for Autism. I said we'd join them next year, something to work toward. Peter and Brenda are home from their Danube river cruise and stopped by so a very interesting day, a nice difference from the usual boring day.

Lunch at the Provence Mediteranian Grill

My friend Penny was in town today babysitting and free at 1 p.m. so I met her at this amazing restaurant up on West 10th. I haven't lived in Vancouver since 1962 when Penny and I graduated from Nurses training at St. Paul's and had never been in this area. What a treat! Instead of sending flowers and a card to Ron, Penny decided I needed a decent meal and she was right. Not fun being on your own for a lengthy time unexpected, in someone else's house although Gwyn's townhouse has been a blessing for me. We shared wild mushroom ravioli and a incredible chicken pannini plus a dessert each. Penny is such a bad influence on me. We walked down the street together and the shops are truly a joy, wool, bike, jewelry, garden, children's toys and here we are in the quilt shop. On the street we hugged goodbye and a young woman said 'you two look so cute in your matching jackets'. We'd bought the same ones together before a cruise and Penny said " Yes, we need to pretend that we're in the same biking club' and the stranger said 'or just best friends' and we both beamed and said yes, that's what it is.
Back to VGH and finally met Dr. Berstein , a woman who has been the Head of the Cardiology Surgical Unit for 12 years. No nonsense here. Ron's going nowhere soon. She put him on a Lasix IV, feet up continuously, and severe fluid restriction. Need to dump some of the overload and reduce the load on the heart. She overrides everyone else, including the younger surgeons. His heart rate is finally at 58, still in atrial fib but more controlled.

Ron's working on it

We thought today would be discharge day but still battling excessive fluid retention - the Cardiac Ward Cardiologist Dr. Bernstein said we can't discharge someone with fat ankles. Back into Atrial fibrillation so changing meds again to try to correct that. This certainly has been an interesting and challenging experience.
I drive a different route to VGH every time and find Vancouver fascinating. I love history and wish I could have all these old houses talk to me.
As I drive up Arbutus St., there is a very old corner grocery store, now with seats out front for coffee. It runs into the back where the house must be 80+ years old. It cracks me up that they added a false front to make it look larger.
Just down the street there is a community garden and they even plant right out to the street with flowers. There is a large old stump in back with 13 brightly painted bird cages on it. I loved it.


The next surprise was very old railway tracks - probably the old 'inter-urban line' my mother often mentioned and I saw at the Burnaby Heritage Village. This looks positively ancient , has a well worn walking path going through it underneath the sign that says No Trespassing. This runs
down Arbutus St., across the road and sidewalk here and is where the "Victory Gardens' of vegetables were planted during WW2 on the right of way in some areas.

Lots of Walking

I park somewhere around the hospital so am walking about 25 - 30 blocks a day. Good exercise. You go across a nice park beside family housing where a little guy is learning to hit the ball and a dry 'pond' where the kids play hockey. In one shady spot, the folks have located their raised garden on the boulevard. Lots of people plant their whole boulevard and there are many beautiful gardens around the city.

Hopefully Some Progess

Back to the hospital at 8:30 a.m. and then son Chris and I walked with Ron while he took his 1st walk, resting 3 times on the way. Two friends visited Ron while I made a quick trip to our campground to get some long pants, starting to freeze here. Still fighting the post op confusion but good news, his chest drainage has minimized so I watched as the drain was removed at 4 p.m. today.
Every day I see something interesting about this city. There are Zipcars and Carstogo. I think these car sharing programs are amazing and you access them when you need. You see them all over the place. These 2 Cars To Go are new to this spot by VGH since we've been here and they only take up 1 parking spot. You point your access card to the white built in computer on the dash and you're off. It's about $7/hour or $64/day, many different plans, gas and insurance included. Brilliant.

2nd Surgery

This photo was when Glen came by Friday for some crib and Ron really enjoyed his company. Unfortunately Ron's White Blood Count went up Wed, so not discharged, up more Thur so being treated for pneumonia after chest X Rays. Thur night I pointed out the tennis ball size red area on his chest wall at the bottom of the sternum to Dr. Kearns, his resident Dr. and they did a Cat Scan on the Ron's lungs Friday morning revealing loose chest wires. As I finally walked out of the hospital Friday night before his 2nd surgery, there was no one around but I heard a piano playing and they've rigged this baby grand as a player piano and the beautiful songs were very comforting. He was taken to the OR at 9:45 last night and finished at 2 a.m. when Dr. Kearns phoned me to say all had gone well. Luckily there wasn't any infection, just inflammation from the steel sutures that were unraveling with each cough. So they flushed out his chest, popped in a drain and rewired him twice inside and put about 80 staples outside. Despite all this he was up in the chair when I went in at 8:30 this morning. Now we'll just wade our way through atrial fib 133, post op confusion and getting him back on his feet and out of there. Thanks for all your emails, prayers and love, they've really helped me. I feel I need to be there to guard him from himself all day and then I talk to you at night when I get 'home'.

First Company

Glen and Leah came in yesterday and Ron was delighted to see them. He's been improving well since coming out of CSICU but got into artial fibrillation today so had lots of meds reorganized. He's running 136 and just plain exhausted. The occupational therapist had me rush to the Red Cross today for a walker etc as Ron was supposed to be discharged today but that had to be postponed.
Driving through the streets of Vancouver it's like a canopy with all the trees overhead. I think I'm going to drive in here in October and see if there is anything but thousands of leaves on the roads. It is amazing to drive down the side streets. It is wall to wall parked cars. You have to pull into a driveway or empty spot to let the oncoming car go through and then resume your course as far as you can before you repeat the procedure.

Museum of Anthropology

I have always wanted to see MOA where thousands of objects tell thousands of stories. The current exhibit is Inuit Prints with a Japanese Insiration, very interesting.



The Bill Reid Rotunda displays The Raven and the First Men with his other works in gold, silver, argillite and wood.




The Great Hall is home to totem poles and large carvings.










Outside there are two Haida Houses with several contemporary poles.



The Koerner European Ceramics gallery houses 600 pieces of 16th-19th ceramics. Most intriguing.

I will go back one day and would like to spent a whole day there with a break for a leisurely lunch. This is a world class amazing place.

Gastown

I walked through Gastown Sunday afternoon on my hour out. It was fun to see, after about 30 years, when Ron brought me here when we were dating. I love the history, old brick and granite streets and Heritage buildings, black fake hitching posts and chains, the old steam clock, the triangular building where 2 streets meet at a point and of course Gassy Jack where his old saloon used to be. There are many tourist stores with jade, silver, Indian carvings and crafts, Canadiana memorabilia, art galleries, interior furnishings. It was fun. I complimented 2 young women who were the most professional and smartly dressed shopkeepers I met all day. Then it was back to help Ron.

Sunday Outing

Ron really enjoyed his visit with sons Chris and Paul Sat. afternoon. When he was busy Sunday, I headed down to Gastown for an hour. On my way I stopped at the huge Via Train Station on Terminal Ave. My mother's Irish father used to work on the trains here and we had come here. The front of the train station is all under wraps with a restoration but the inside takes you back many years. The old brass clock could tell many stories and the marble floors are completely worn away in spots. It is now called Pacific Central not Pacific National RR.
There is a large park in front with very tall trees.
In it is a circle of bricks with many women's names engraved and 14 benches. This Monument celebrates the lives of the 14 women massacred in Montreal and missing women from downtown East Side. It is commemorated with a silver abstract statue of a women and dedicated to stopping the war of violence against women. It was very touching.

Gran Fondo 2011

I joined Suzanne and family at cousin Dave and Beth's in West Vanc yesterday afternoon where we saw our 96 yr old Uncle Ken also. James stayed there to start the big bike race from Vancouver to Whistler Sunday. At last year's Inaugural they had 4000 but increased it to 7000 racers this year. When James got off the sea bus and cycled to the start at 6:30 a.m. this morning, the road was filled plus the sidewalks, before they even reached to start line.

S, kids and I went up to Blackcomb Lodge yesterday right in the village and walked over to Olympic Medals Pavilion where there was live music, a great play center and a movie. There are thousands of people here.

Saturday,we were on the street by 10:13 a.m. when the first racers started arriving in 3 hours and 13 minutes. What excitement!!!! Everyone was cheering every single rider, yelling and ringing cowbells. This is a 122 km race up the Sea to Sky Highway. It was fabulous to see James cross the finish line. He was just under 6 hours I think. I'd still be riding. I was back to VGH by 5:30 to be with Ron but must admit it was nice getting out of the hospital into the sunshine for a break.

A Room with a View

Ron is finally out of the Cardiac Surgery ICU and moved to Centennial Pavilion, 1042, the Cardiac ward. Still lots of tubes etc but he walked 6 feet today with assistance. Got to build up those muscles. Progress!!!