Goliad Morning Cool Rainy Afternoon Sunny 75
We never know what lies around the corner. We certainly didn't think Champ would be undergoing emergency surgery today. Last night we were sitting by the fire enjoying the warm evening, knowing rain was coming over night and today. By 2:30 this afternoon we were driving to the hospital 30 minutes away. At 5:30 Champ was under the knife getting his appendix removed.
When we travel I have always been in the habit of finding out where the preferred hospital is and make sure I know how to get there. Champ has always teased me about being a compulsive planner and control freak. I say it's the Girl Scout in me always being prepared. It paid off today. I knew where to take him and how to get there. This afternoon would have been a lot more stressful if I had not had that knowledge ahead of time.
One thing that is always in the back of the mind of a full-time RV'er is how one will handle a situation like this. Having gotten through the day, I can say it is harrowing to be 1500 miles away from family and deal with a health emergency. But when you camphost there is always a kind of surrogate temporary family of your work partners, in this case the staff at Goliad State Park. They were wonderful today and even though we were far from home, we knew we were not alone. I think it was harder on the kids not being able to come to the hospital like they would have if we were home, than it was for me to navigate the day. In all fairness though, if I had to draw a health emergency out of a hat full of situations, acute appendicitis is a good one to draw. It could have been much worse.
The moral of the day is whether you are a full-time RV person or just on vacation. Seek out the nearest ER when you arrive at your destination. Emergencies don't text you an alert ahead of time, they smack you with a 2x4 while you're doing the dishes.
I am back at the RV now, Champ is resting in the hospital in Victoria 30 miles away. It's weird but I know all is well and he will be back in our little home on wheels with me by this time tomorrow. He said as I left, "I'll leave a little part of me in Texas" His sense of humor is intact even under the cloud of anesthesia. That's a good thing!
Until then...
So sorry champ that happened to you . but I'm glad your sense of humor is still intact and for sure you're leaving a little piece of you in Texas. That has always been in the back of my mind to. But I know you're both very capable of taking care of yourself and know my prayers are are with you recovery.
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