TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:)): IT WAS A LOOOOOOONG DAY INVOLVING TWO LONDON HOSPITALS

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

IT WAS A LOOOOOOONG DAY INVOLVING TWO LONDON HOSPITALS

PRETTY FLOWERS IN BAYFIELD THIS MORNING

It turned out to be a long day but it started out with Pheebs and I slipping into Bayfield for a short walk in the cemetery. I consider this to be the best weather day of the year so far and at long last there was finally some wonderful warmth in the air. With my leg doing better I puttered around the yard this morning moving a few more summer ornaments out of the shed.

I THINK THESE MIGHT BE CALLED SNOWDROPS

SOON THIS HARDWOOD FOREST ALONGSIDE THE CEMETERY WILL TURN FROM YELLOWS AND BROWNS TO MANY SHADES OF GREEN

PHEEBS AND I SLOWLY WALK BACK TO THE JEEP

A FRIENDLY WAVE ALONG BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET THIS MORNING

It was 11:25 a.m. and with all three of us in the Subaru we headed off to London's University Hospital where Kelly had a 1 p.m. appointment with a Nephrologist specialist by the name of Dr. Faisal Rehman. As soon as we dropped Kelly off at the front door Pheebs and I headed north out into the countryside with our first pit stop being at a cemetery spot we like.

DROPPING KELLY OFF AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

THIS SPRING CREEK RUNS THROUGH THE CEMETERY

I FOUND TWO MORE INTERESTING SAYINGS ON A COUPLE TOMBSTONES AND YES THAT IS MY REFLECTION IN THE STONE AS I BENT DOWN TO TAKE THE PHOTO

I LIKED THIS FLORAL ARRANGEMENT AND COLORS

From there we headed west on a dusty country road figuring we had an hour or so to put in before picking Kelly up again.

IT WAS JUST AN ABSOLUTELY MIGHTY FINE DAY TO BE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE TODAY

JUST AS I SNAPPED THIS PICTURE GOING BY IT LOOKS LIKE A TWIG HAS SNAGGED THIS FARMER'S HAT RIGHT OFF HIS HEAD

I WONDER IF COLORFUL BEE HIVES MAKE FOR HAPPY BEES

AND PHEEBS IS LOVING THE DAY AS WELL

And then my cell phone rang and our plans went haywire. It was Kelly on the phone saying she was ready to be picked up BUT there was a hitch........Oh-Oh

PICKING UP KELLY AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE TIM HORTONS COFFEE SHOP IS OPEN AGAIN IN THE LOBBY

Her appointment had been for a consultation to see if she was eligible for a treatment called Plasmapheresis. (plasma exchange) She had blood work done and when Dr. Rehman saw the blood work numbers he immediately set up an appointment to begin the first of a two-week treatment plan requiring Kelly to have this done three times a week. This procedure is not done at University Hospital but is done on the other side of London at Victoria Hospital (London Health Sciences Center) When he said he wanted Kelly to start the treatments right away he didn't mean first thing next week, he meant today and within the hour. When I picked up Kelly at University Hospital it was already after 2 o'clock and the appointment was at 3. Off we went Lickety-split with a quick stop at Mr. Submarine for a sub. Luckily, Victoria Hospital in the south end of London is the same hospital I had my radiation treatments for my prostate cancer a few years ago so I knew how to get there. Traffic was heavy of course but we made it with time to spare. But here's the kicker, it was going to be a three-hour treatment so Pheebs and I had to figure out where to go and what to do for 3 hours.

WE DROPPED KELLY OFF AT THIS ENTRANCE AT VICTORIA HOSPITAL

And here's where a piece of luck kicked in. When I drove a Clinton wheel-chair van years ago I was sometimes required to bring folks to the 4 London hospitals for various appointments and treatments. In the wheelchair van days, I had scouted out the Victoria Hospital area and found a great naturalist area about a mile south of the Hospital. In fact this most amazing area is across the road from Victoria Hospital behind Parkwood Hospital. I think this area was once an army base many years ago. Some of the buildings are still there. Well, after dropping Kelly off it took Pheebs and I less than 5 minutes to get ourselves over there walking on a forest trail beside a lake. We actually got two walks in because my leg was doing so good. I did use my cane though and walked carefully slow.

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR PHEEBS AND I TO GET SOME PAWS AND BOOTS ON A FOREST TRAIL

A VERY NICE AREA ALMOST RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF LONDON

YOU CAN SEE PARKWOOD HOSPITAL THROUGH THE TREES

WHILE WAITING IN THE SUBARU I READ PHEEBS SOME DOGGY STORIES

THAT'S THE SUBARU ON THE LEFT

HEADING FOR VICTORIA HOSPITAL ON THE LEFT

It was about two hours later while sitting in the Subaru reading when my cell phone rang with Kelly saying to pick her up in fifteen minutes. So that's what we did. Kelly had a big bandage on her right wrist where they had left a port in for her next treatment coming up in a few days. She was very, very, pleased with Dr. Rehman at University Hospital as well as the staff at the Nephrology Clinic at Victoria Hospital. The Spectra Optia machine Kelly was hooked up to today is an amazing machine with many medical functions. A nurse told Kelly it is not often used for the condition Kelly has but when it has been used it has been highly successful. If all goes well it will stop the terrible itching Kelly has been dealing with. So, it is going to be a very, very, busy couple of weeks coming up with Kelly having a total of eight appointments and me having one. Nine for Kelly if they can fit in an iron infusion too..........It was after 6 o'clock tonight before we got home and Kelly was totally exhausted.