LAST NIGHT AT TT PEACE RIVER

We pack up tomorrow (February 27) and move to TT Orlando for two weeks. Today Ken made his famous Chili Soup. We invited Sally and Stan and Pat and John to join us for dinner, since it was our last night at the campground. Sally brought Lime Pie for dessert. You can see remnants in some of the pictures.

While we were having dinner, Bob (Silly Willy the Clown) stopped over and brought balloon toys for the girls!! Thanks, Bob, for the fun!!

Pat and John brought their new game, Catch Phrase, an electronic “brain” game where one person gives clues and others on his team must guess the word or phrase he is describing. Notice the expressions it takes to come up with just the right clues!! It was lots of fun!!

MINIATURE GOLF TOURNAMENT

Every Wednesday, Stan directs a Miniature Golf Tournament at TT Peace River. The participants are divided into smaller groups of four or five golfers who played two rounds of the golf course for prizes.

I could not get pictures of all participants while they were playing – I was too busy putting!! But to no avail. They did not give a prize for high score – only the lowest scores. Who knew??? Just kidding!!

Our foursome: Wayne, Karen, Ken and me.

Pat, Sally and John were in the threesome behind us.

Stan collects their scores. Guess he had to double-check it!!

Another foursome.


Still another foursome: Catherine, Philip, Rozanne, and Joe

Joe and opponent in playoff for scopes of soft-serve! Joe won!!

MEDICAL UPDATES

Medical updates for Faye and Ken. See the following two articles.

AVASCULAR NECROSIS OF THE FEMORAL HEAD

What the heck is that??? I don’t know, but an MRI revealed that is what’s wrong with my right hip!! A “Dead Head” is what my Orthopedic doctor, Robert Massam, in Sebring said when I saw him on January 05. He likened it to a golf ball. When the ball is new, it remains firm when you squeeze it. But when the ball is worn out, it collapses easily under light pressure. That’s my hip. The femoral head is deteriorating.

Dr. Massam said they used to try to correct the problem in various ways. He even wrote some papers on that very thing, but that was year ago (I read some of his works on line). Now, he said they have determined the only treatment is full hip replacement!!! BAD NEWS!! But it is not urgent at this time. In the meantime, he gave me a steroid shot in my hip. That did help the pain somewhat, but my hip is still bothers me a lot.

What to do?? I plan to seek a second opinion when we get back to Richmond in the Spring. Surely don’t look forward to hip replacement surgery!!!

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

What’s the latest with Ken? He continues to recover from his left Hip Repair Surgery that was done last Halloween. Progress is good. But there is still the problem with the right knee that was scheduled to be replaced in mid-October. That scheduled surgery lost out to the hip repair surgery when his hip popped out of place. The knee is still a problem. What to do about it? Ken still has not made up his mind. He will make a decision about knee replacement surgery when we get back to Richmond in the Spring.

All of that took a back seat recently when Ken’s left wrist and hand became swollen and extremely painful, and a big lump appeared on his inner wrist. Before we left Richmond to come to Florida, Ken’s thumb had been bothering him so he saw a Hand Specialist. The doctor gave him a shot in his thumb and gave him a thumb and wrist brace. Ken dug out the brace and wore it for about week. It helped some, but the pain was still excruciating.

We had noticed there was a Hand Specialist in the office next to my hip doctor in Sebring. We called my doctor’s office and got the number for Diana Carr and set up an appointment to see her on Friday, February 13, as we were moving from TT Orlando to TT Peace River. She examined Ken’s hand and wrist, wiggled his thumb and poked the big knot – all of this to diagnose Ken’s problem as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The knot was a Ganglion Cyst.









Dr. Carr arranged for Ken to have a Nerve Test on Monday morning, and if the test confirmed Carpal Tunnel, she would operate on his hand on Tuesday. She could remove the Ganglion Cyst at the same time. In the meantime, she prescribed an anti-inflammatory which worked like a miracle! The swelling went down, the knot disappeared, and most of the pain was gone.

The nerve tests confirmed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Surgery was scheduled for Tuesday, February 17. Everything went like clock-work, and Ken is now recovering from Carpal Tunnel Surgery.

One funny note in all of this (well, maybe not so funny). When we first went to Dr. Carr’s office, they asked for our Florida address. We told them we were staying at Thousand Trails in Wauchula. Dr. Carr said that was where her morning patient who broke her wrist was staying. Ken asked, “Was she playing Pickleball?” “Yes, she was. She fell on the Pickleball court.” On Monday, when Ken went to see Dr. Carr following the nerve tests, Karen (that’s her name), was there. On Tuesday, when Ken went for surgery, Karen was in the next bed for the pre-op. When Ken went to see Dr. Carr to have the bandage removed on Wednesday, Karen was there. Ken presented Karen with a pickle pin right there in the doctor’s office!!! She was thrilled!!

UP A LAZY RIVER!!!

Today, Tuesday, a group of us went on a Canoe trip down the Peace River which runs through our campground. We all gathered at the ranger station for sign-up, etc. and a moment for pictures.

Stan, Sally, Ken, Faye, Pat, John, Dennis, and our Guide, Tom.

We car-pooled to a public boat ramp in Wauchula; launched the canoes and off we went! We left at about 11:25 AM, and arrived at our destination at the TT Peace River Canoe Ramp at about 2 PM. A great time was had by all!!!

At the launch: Ken, John, Stan, Pat,Sally, and another couple on the trip.

Good Friends, Pat and John.

Good Friends, Sally and Stan.

Faye and Ken.

Sally and Stan took a spill along the way! Sally blamed the incident on Pat because she started the splashing battle that caused Sally and Stan to capsize!!! Sally is playfully trying to dump Pat and John in revenge!!

After Sally and Stan had a shower (HA HA), we all went to the China Buffet for dinner. A great way to end the day!

Ken, Faye, Pat, John, Sally and Stan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE!!

Friend Jane recently celebrated a birthday. For those who don’t know Jane, she is a Pickleball Player, of course. She also does line dancing with me. But her main claim to fame is that she takes people to look for fossils in the Peace River. They have found some amazing items.

Jane’s husband, Jim, and friends, Chris and Mark, planned a surprise get-together for her. Chris went shopping with Jane to get her away from the camp site while friends gathered. Chris and Mark brought a birthday cake, and Travis provided the ice cream. A great time was had by all!!

Stan's shoe sings, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANE!!"