Update on MiniMc's keepers

MiniMc's been garaged for quite a while and it may be a while yet before she's taken out...Turns out hubby went in for a basic tune up at the doc's office and was referred to a heart specialist for a general ck. up due to his being diabetic...hmmm, doc says...#'s are a bit high - might need a stent...so they do the angiogram...er, uh...sir...you have 97% blockage in the 3 main arteries...you're a walking heart attack! STUNNED took on a whole new meaning !So, surgery was scheduled for 5 days later due to changing some meds....meanwhile, back at the farm, 3 days later Ma's sitting in the recliner when BAM! Tight chest, can't take a deep breath, pain in the neck, pain between the shoulder blades, clammy...Ma thinks she's having a heart attack! So Pa tells Ma "Get up and walk around a bit." Er...NO! Wrong thing to do if it IS a heart attack...ambulance is called - all the neighbors knew Pa was headed to triple bypass surgery so they're thinking it was for him...Nope! Ma comes wheeling out on the gurney and all the neighbors are as stunned as she was when they told her Pa needed bypass surgery. So off to the hospital we go and after several hours it was discovered that it was no heart attack - it's the good old GALL BLADDER! Long story short, I go home, then go back on Monday and get admitted with severe Pancreatitis and Gall Bladder. So, our sons fly in Monday night, they take Pa to the hospital Tuesday morning for his bypass surgery but they come up to my room and say hi/bye before proceeding to the operating room! Ma was on IV antibiotics and pain meds for 3 days, Pa has bypass surgery on Tues. and is in ICU for 7 days total. Turns out he had FIVE blockages, but they only repaired 4 cause they said 4 would do the job and it wasn't necessary to put him through any more pain. And then Ma gets surgery 2 days later (2 wks. ago today) for Gall Bladder removal, gets up and goes home that evening and is back at ICU the next morning taking care of Pa. So now they're both home and worn out. Pa is down for the count for quite a while and we may have a decision to make regarding keeping MiniMc...she may be looking for a new home DANG IT! But this is not an official announcement to that fact...still weighing our options...those Redwoods are still calling....Happy Valentine's Day Ya'll!

 

Bill & Linda sorry to hear about your medical problems.We are praying for the best for you guys.Hope all is well now and you don't have to sell MiniMc's. Anna& Steve

 

Think positive! I know there will be some recovery time required, but certainly by, oh say... September... Just in time for CICO 10 your drs will say 'no problem' for a road trip. Just plan for a 3 or 4 day instead of a 2 day drive!

 

Godspeed and recover well. We are thinking about you.

 

Linda and Bill our thoughts and prayers are with you. My dad went through a quadruple bypass and went on to own two fifth-wheels and travel for many, many years(scared the hell out of us kids). It won't be long and you will both be back out there on the road to the Redwoods. You will look back at what you have been through and it will just be a bump on the road of life.

Jim

 

Linda & Bill praying for complete healing for both of you. Blessings!

 

Thanks everyone! Pat we're in agreement! I did neglect to say regarding Bill's health that an MRI prior to surgery showed that he's had another stroke just prior to the MRI. He had one in 2007 and now one in early Dec. as far as we can tell. I even remember the day it happened- I thought he was exhibiting early stage Alzheimer's, but then he seemed ok...a bit more than a TIA (mini stroke). These strokes have affected his judgement and that's the main reason we probably will have to sell...but we're still thinking on it....gotta get my heart prepared to let'r go...

 

Wow guys, we were wondering where you got to. Sorry to hear about the health issues, our prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery are with you. Hang in there.

 

Linda and Bill, so sorry to hear about all you've been dealing with. You're in our thoughts. Bob and Kathy

 

We have a wedding at the end of April in Tulsa and Bill should be fully recovered from the bypass surgery by then hopefully. I'm trying to figure out a vacation from Tulsa out west to the Redwoods and Yosemite and maybe up to the Gold Country. Need some suggestions asto the best route from Tulsa to Colorado. Will start reviewing campgrounds, state parks along the way. Any thoughts would be appreciated! My western foot itches!

 

Hi, Linda. We did the west to east version of your trip last year (see Adventures & Excursions: KathyBob's Big Trip 2012 posted in October, 2012). Depends on where you wanted to go in Colorado. If you take the southern route US 160, crossing Wolf Creek Pass, you'll go right past the entrance to Mesa Verde NP, then at Cortez, CO, you can take US 491, then US 191 to Canyonlands NP and Arches NP. From there you have to meander your way across Utah and Nevada to get to US 120 which will take you through the Sierra Nevadas to Yosemite.

OR, you can bypass Colorado: from Tulsa, catch I-40 in Oklahoma City and jet across the TX panhandle, NM and AZ and into CA. At Barstow, take CA58 to US 395 north to US 120, then to Yosemite. I-40 can test your tolerance for the desert - you may have already done this! We really enjoyed driving US 395 last March and if you do, be sure to check out the film history museum in Lone Pine, Alabama Hills, and Manzanar. Depending on your time, you can also turn off to Death Valley NP.

From the west side of Yosemite, you've got about 500 miles to the Redwoods. Other forum folks have done a lot more camping there than we have so will leave it to them to advise. CAN tell you, from our experience at IRG4.0, they are phenomenal. But then, everything you'll see on your trip is phenomenal!

Kathy

 

Don't mean to put a damper on it, but 120, a beautiful drive over the Tuolumne Meadows, probably won't be open until the end of May or early June due to snow. California drought aside, there's lots of white stuff up there right now. Go through Southern Utah (a gorgeous ride and we highly recommend it) through Las Vegas to California... just watch out while going through Las Vegas. Hate that road.

If you have time, you can find redwoods at Sequoia National Park, east of Visalia on Hwy 198. These are the Giant Sequoia: the largest trees on earth, but not the tallest (those are the Coastal Redwoods of Humbolt County and the Avenue of the Giants and Big Sur). At Sequoia NP you will find General Sherman, the Lincoln and Grant trees and many, many more. Kings Canyon is right there and a must see also.

From there it's back to 99 and at Fresno catch Hwy 41 to Yosemite. You will also find giant Sequoias there at Wawona: the Grizzly Giant is a short, but arduous hike. It's a little extra goodie to go with all the waterfalls, towering cliffs and Half Dome. Leaving Yosemite, take Hwy 140 west along the Merced River to Mariposa, head north on Hwy 49: Gold Country! This will take through Columbia and Sutter's Mill and all that good stuff.

If you really want to see the tall Redwoods, you need to go to the Avenue of the Giants in Humbolt County, in the northern part of the state (Jim says bypass the SF Bay Area at all costs. Too much traffic and no camping). Make your way over to Hwy 101 and head north. It'll take you right there. Lots of good camping at Burlington Campground at Humbolt Redwood State Park. Acres and acres of uncut virgin forest. Some of the trees are over two thousand years old. Lots of easy strolls to the tallest trees in the world. And we ain't exaggerating. One is over 362 feet tall at last check. The Rockefeller Grove is stunning. You'll love it.

An hour or two north of Humbolt is Redwood National Park, if Humbolt isn't enough to slake your thirst. This area is even more lush than the other. Lots of Roosevelt Elk munching around and stopping traffic and fern forests used in the third Star Wars film... but no Ewok.

Most of these parks are easy access with easy trails. Hope you will be able to make the trip and enjoy these beautiful places.

Camp On,

Sue and Jim

 

Bill and Linda - best wishes for a speedy recovery. Sorry to hear of the troubles, buyt glad you were able to get good care and are on a healthy track. The redwoods will be waiting for you!!

re hwy 120/Tioga Road, seehttp://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm

The earliest it has opened in the past 25 years is May 7, I think. And that is very rare. I don't think it has ever opened in April.

I don't entirely agree with Sue/Jim re "no camping in SF Bay Area" - I feel there is plenty of good camping in the Bay Area. More costly than out in the country, for sure, but there are plenty of good places. And if you don't feel like the longish drive up to Humboldt (which IS awesome), you can find some pretty nice and very accessible redwoods in the Bay Area, at Muir Woods.

I wish you the best for your recovery.

-Al