Marilyn Stone Broke Her Leg On The Brilliance TA

[6MonthsHere6MonthsThere]

Roger,

Have just come across the thread, so sorry to hear about Marilyn, hope by the time you read this she is well on her way to recovery and Iris has served her penance!!!

Keep us informed on her progress and knowing the both of you we will be seeing you again in the Schooner Bar for Name that Tune;) :) on the Jewel at the end of October.

Give Marilyn our love and we are thinking of you both.

John & Margaret

[dellas1000]

Hi Roger sorry to hear about Marilyn, please send her my best wishes for a speedy recovery. I bet your glad to be home around family.

[stonerb]

For anyone who bookmarked this thread, here is an update.

Marilyn has been in Physical Therapy twice a week since we got home and has progressed very nicely, though not quickly enough for either of us. When we first went to the therapist, I pushed her in in a mini wheelchair. She soon graduated to a walker and then to a cane. She now walks all over the house unassisted and only uses the cane when we go out. That isn't that much different than the way she was before the accident though she has more pain while she is doing it now than before but that gets better everyday. All along, we looked forward to being back on the ships in the fall. Yesterday, RCI had this big sale and we booked two more crossings for 2008. Marilyn's training as a school teacher advises that you must keep doing it until you get it right.

 

Now for the saga of our luggage. While Marilyn was in the clinic in Portugal, the Doctor told her she couldn't leave the building except to go to the airport to go home. Naturally, we wanted to get home as soon as possible. It was decided that we could go home in less than two weeks after the surgery. Marilyn couldn't put any weight on her right leg at that point. I decided that I should concentrate on getting her through the trip and let someone else worry about our luggage. The Port Agent agreed to handle the shipping of our two large suitcases, two duffel bags and a box containing Iris the magic cane. Iris wasn't up to the task of helping Marilyn at that stage. I turned the luggage over to the Port Agent, the morning of May 4th. He arranged for it to be air shipped by SATA, the Azorean airline, to Lisbon and then by Continental Airlines (Cargo Division) to Washington Dulles via Newark. In going from the Azores to Lisbon, SATA "lost" the two duffel bags. That was on May 9th. Continental wouldn't accept an incomplete shipment so SATA kept the remaining three bags in Lisbon until June 14th and we finally got them yesterday. So Iris is finally home and ready to go back to work. Of course her batteries were dead and her ribbons were all crushed but she will be redecorated and ready for the summer season soon. We are busy making a list of the things we lost in the process. Most of what was in one duffel was the gifts we got from the Cruise Director's staff on the ship. Some of you may remember that they gave us two of everything in the "prize locker", bingo dogs, bingo tee-shirts, rock & roll tee-shirts, back packs, golf towels, logo hats and sun visors, etc. and of course, key chains. Whoever stole our bags will be well supplied with RCI logo wear. The other duffel has all the dirty cloths from the trip that turned out to be for three weeks. All of our favorite cruise wear is gone. Our collection of Ship-Shape shirts will have to be replenished and a trip will be needed to the store to replenish our underwear supply. If you see anyone from Portugal advertising RCI logowear on EBay, let us know.

 

The important thing is that Marilyn is recovering and we are ready to head back to sea ASAP. Looking forward to seeing many of you out there. As always, watch for Iris and the flashing lights.

[dellas1000]

Hi there and thanks for keeping us updated. Im glad things are getting better for Marilyn. Its a shame about the bags and does seem crazy that they lost them . Its a shame because SATA is a good company and i found my flights with them and service excellent. You should at least get re imbursed for the loss and also the delay of the other items.

 

Anyway looking forward to seeing you both on the Jewel.

 

P.S. I have heard that Hydrotherapy is good for injuries and maybe it may help Marilyn.

 

Best wishes

 

Philip

[FreewayFortune]

I just stumbled across this thread. I got to meet Marilyn and Iris at the M&M on the Brilliance Panama Canal sailing last March. I was so sorry to hear about her leg, but am very happy that she is almost fully recovered. I'm glad Iris is back with you now too:)

[CruiseKeeper]

Thanks for checking back in Roger. It's nice to know Marilyn is on her way to recovery. We cruised on the Grandeur with you a few years back and enjoyed meeting you, Marilyn and Iris.

 

Btw, a pox on those that stole your luggage. :mad:

[NancyK0904]

Roger, thanks for the update. We met Marilyn and you on the Jewel TA last Sept. We were so sorry to hear about the accident but happy Marilyn is progressing and planning to sail again soon. Our best to Marilyn.

Hopefully we will see you on a future cruise.

 

Happy cruising, Nancy and Ken

[cruise182]

Wish all the cruise lines handled situations like RCCL. I have seen some nightmare reports over on the Princess threads.

 

My well wishes to Marilyn

[ILoveScotland]

Great news about Marilyn's recovery even if it's not as swift as you wish it would be. Also glad to hear that Iris is safely home and only needing new duds.

 

The luggage problems are another story, but at least you got a major part of what you'd packed. Just look at it as an opportunity for you both to go shopping!

 

On another note, one which only someone on our Brilliance transatlantic will understand...Harry has also improved greatly. When I brought him home at last in January I had no idea that in six months he would be well enough for me to leave him while I went to a nearby conference for 3 days and nights. He's walking some and hopes to be rid of the wheelchair entirely by the time of our Eastern Med/Black Sea cruise in October.

 

Keep us all posted, and my love to Marilyn.

 

Beth

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Great news about Marilyn's recovery even if it's not as swift as you wish it would be. Also glad to hear that Iris is safely home and only needing new duds.

 

The luggage problems are another story, but at least you got a major part of what you'd packed. Just look at it as an opportunity for you both to go shopping!

 

On another note, one which only someone on our Brilliance transatlantic will understand...Harry has also improved greatly. When I brought him home at last in January I had no idea that in six months he would be well enough for me to leave him while I went to a nearby conference for 3 days and nights. He's walking some and hopes to be rid of the wheelchair entirely by the time of our Eastern Med/Black Sea cruise in October.

 

Keep us all posted, and my love to Marilyn.

 

Beth

 

Beth Totally Off Topic but I wondered how you liked the Diana Gabaldon books. I lost touch of the thread we were on and didn't see a post from you lately.

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Roger, Glad Marilyn is doing well and that Iris is home safe and sound. We'll see you two for sure on Jewel in Sept 2008 if not sooner. Dibs on you for our Trivia team Roger.:D Sheila.

[ILoveScotland]

Beth Totally Off Topic but I wondered how you liked the Diana Gabaldon books. I lost touch of the thread we were on and didn't see a post from you lately.

 

 

Sheila, I haven't started reading the first one yet. It seems I start one thing and another pops up. But it's on my radar.

 

Beth

[stonerb]

For anyone who bookmarked this, here is the full story up to the moment.

 

Another Travel Adventure for Marilyn and Roger, the Rolling Stones

On April 16, 2007, Marilyn & I left very early in the morning to fly to Miami. On arriving in Miami, we boarded the Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas for a Transatlantic crossing. The Brilliance has been our favorite ship recently. We had been aboard a month earlier for 11 days and last November for the westbound crossing. We found quite a number of friends among the crew and even several passengers that we had sailed with before. All went well that day as we settled into our cabin and toured the ship looking for familiar faces.

 

At dinner that night, our tablemates were a very nice group from Germany. Unfortunately, of the four people, only one spoke any English so we were often excluded from the conversation. No problem. We have had this happen before so we simply requested a table assignment change and were able to get changed for the rest of our cruise to our favorite waiter, Mauricio Fica from Chile.

 

The next day, we were up at the crack of dawn to go to the Walk-A-Mile and continued with Sit-To-Be-Fit and then Team Trivia. Of the seven members of the Cruise Director’s Staff, five were people we had cruised with before. For Trivia, we hooked up with some Cruise Critic folks from Delaware and an old Trivia partner, Horace, and we won. Meanwhile, we had found several old friends among the Bar staff, including Susannah from the Phillipines and Dave from Nicaraugua who made us feel very welcome as always. Then, it was off to lunch at the Main Dining Room and then back to the cabin for “cookies & nap”. We knew most of the Head Waiters on duty in the dining room so we had a very nice table with some nice friendly passengers.

 

Up again at 4 p.m. for the afternoon Walk-A-Mile and then up to the Schooner Bar for some music. It was formal night and the Captain’s Welcome Aboard party so we waited until the line disappeared and then went through the reception line. Almost everyone in the reception line knew us from previous trips except the Captain. We were personally introduced to him by some of our old friends.

 

Then, it was off to dinner in the little Zephyr Dining Room and the best of service from Mauricio. We had a table for four but the other two assigned people weren’t there that night. After dinner it was back to the Schooner Bar and another pass through the Reception line at the Captain’s party for the second seating passengers. Iris, the magic cane, likes reception lines. Then, we went down to the Centrum to listen to Dave & Allison, The Impromptu Duo. They did our favorite song as soon as we came in.

 

When Dave & Allison finished, Marilyn got up to go to the Rest Room and on the way there, she fell and broke her leg. The fun was over for us at that point. The ship was rolling a little and it did that while Marilyn was passing the elevator bank. She reached out to brace herself against the wall, but just then the elevator doors opened and she fell into it. Iris, the magic cane, just didn’t do her job. One of the bar managers, Radosevic Radomir, came along just then, sent someone for me, and magically made a wheelchair appear to take Marilyn to the ship’s hospital. He and I got her into the wheelchair and had her at the hospital within 5 minutes of her fall. She was in a lot of pain, but the ship’s doctors arranged for x-rays and a sedative to try to make her as comfortable as possible. The x-rays showed that she had a break in her femur, near her hip socket. The break was in a position where she couldn’t be fitted for a cast and the doctors told us that she would have to have orthopedic surgery of a type that couldn’t be done on board.

 

We had a conference with both of the ship’s doctors, the Captain, the Staff Captain, and the Hotel Director. All possible courses of action were considered: turning the ship back to Miami or the Bahamas, taking her off in a Medevac helicopter, trying to get another ship to take her back, or proceeding ahead to the next port of call. We were about 600 miles east of Miami at that point and there was a storm just to the northwest of us that was moving eastward. This essentially ruled out any thought of turning back into the storm and eliminated the possibility of any air evacuation. The next port of call was to be the Azores and we were scheduled to arrive there on Monday, April 23, six days later. Normally, on the Transatlantic crossings, the ship cruises at 18 knots on a single engine to conserve fuel. The Captain decided to proceed to the Azores at the maximum speed of 24 knots so we could get there as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Marilyn was immobilized in the ship’s hospital and treated for the pain and for the possibility of a blood clot occurring due to the inactivity.

 

The doctors were in contact with Marilyn’s Primary Care physician at home and with the orthopedic surgeon in Ponta Delgada, the Azores. Marilyn was the only overnight guest in the ship’s hospital for the whole time so she received very personalized care from the ship’s three nurses and from the two doctors. I served as her room service waiter for the whole time bringing her trays from the Windjammer Cafe for each meal. As the word got around the ship, she had lots of visitors. The cruise director’s staff came several times both individually and in groups. The Cruise Director, Ashley Kerr, came several times herself. Susan Yates, the head purser, is an old friend and she came several times and helped out by getting in contact with our travel insurance company for us. The Hotel Director, Joseph Falceto, came almost every day and so did the Captain. Our special friend, Marcelo Cosentino, the guitar player, also came bringing gifts and conversation. Our favorite waiter, Mauricio, sent flowers. The Cruise Director’s staff cleaned out their “prize closet” and brought us two of everything they had, backpacks, coolers, baseball caps, visors, Rock & Roll T-shirts, bingo T-shirts, Ship Shape T-shirts, key chains, pens, golf towels, and on and on.

 

We arrived in Ponta Delgada on Sunday morning, April 22, a day earlier than scheduled. This made us very popular with the crew since when the ship spends overnight in a port, the crew gets some time off to go ashore. Royal Caribbean had dispatched Joseph Duenas, a corporate Customer Care Specialist, to help us there in Ponta Delgada together with the Port Agent, Martin Lezaola. Between them, they had made all the hospital and doctor arrangements for Marilyn and a hotel and transportation service for me. A local ambulance service came as soon as we docked and took us to a nearby hospital emergency room where we were met by the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Vergilio Pas Ferreira. He took more x-rays and made the necessary measurements so he could order the “repair parts” from Switzerland, a titanium plate and five screws. Meanwhile, Joseph and Martin took me back to get our luggage off the ship and take it to the Hotel. Marilyn was transferred to the Clinica Do Bom Jesus where the surgery would take place and where she would remain until she was able to return home. I caught up to her at the Clinica that afternoon and stayed with her until early evening. The surgery was scheduled for the next evening, Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. This was to allow time for the custom made “repair parts” to be flown in from Switzerland.

 

By special request, I was allowed to return to the ship for the night. I got back there just in time to have dinner at the Windjammer where I sat with Deborah Gorman, the Loyalty Ambassador, and then with our friend, Marcelo Cosentino, the guitar player. After dinner, I went to the Colony Club to listen to Allison & Dave for a while and then to the Hollywood Odyssey when Marcelo came on at 10 p.m. It was great to be there among friends rather than at the hotel ashore where I knew nobody. I saw a number of friends who were anxious to get the latest report on Marilyn’s condition.

 

Up early the next morning and back to the Clinica to be with Marilyn as she was shuttled back and forth to the X-ray room and subjected to any number of other tests in preparation for the surgery that night. We were visited that day by the doctor; Martin, the Port agent; Jeanette Rebert, the US Consular Section Chief; and by Joseph Duenas, the RCI Customer Care Specialist. Joseph stayed with me while Marilyn was in surgery and then escorted me back to the Hotel after we got the report on the surgery from the doctor about midnight.

 

I was back at the hospital early on Tuesday morning and spent the day there with Marilyn as she began her recovery from the surgery. We discovered that there were some disadvantages to being in a Portuguese hospital rather than at home. While the doctors spoke passable English, the nurses spoke none. This made it difficult to know what was happening. They brought pills but we didn’t know what they were for and we didn’t know if they had been told that Marilyn is not to take any Tylenol or related products. She also had an IV and we didn’t know what was in that either. Everyone was very nice but our one word of Portuguese (obrigato) wasn’t sufficient for all our needs. They brought a menu for the day and we tried to decipher it but it wasn’t in English or French so it was a random guess. Hospitals the world over are not noted for their cuisine and this was no exception. The daily soup was “mystery soup” each day and on some days, you would be lucky to find that it was tasteless. Tasteless was a big improvement over the taste on the other days. We soon found out that we shouldn’t order the fish because it smelled very strong and Marilyn couldn’t get it past her nose. After a couple of days, I reverted to being her room service waiter and brought her food from town.

 

After dinner that first day, I went back to the hotel. I spent the evening on the hotel’s computer trying to get our flight from Barcelona home cancelled, getting the cruise we had planned for May 5-19 and the associated flights and hotels cancelled, and getting our claims registered with the travel insurance company for both the April and May cruises. There were several small restaurants near the hotel and I was able to get some good food for myself.

 

Up early again on Wednesday morning and I was able to get a “doggy bag” from the breakfast buffet at the hotel to take to Marilyn. She hadn’t had a very good night and had discovered that no one came when she rang the bell for the nurses. This was a continuing problem during our stay. I guess they didn’t come since our lack of any Portuguese made it difficult to determine what was wanted. It was a busy day with a change of the dressing on the surgical site and a visit from the Physical Therapy department to get her up for the first time since her fall. Again, I stayed with her until the evening, returned to the hotel for dinner, and for some more time on the computer for business matters, and to send a report back to the ship to keep all our friends there informed. I was also in contact with our next door neighbor, David Niemi, to have him intercept our mail and newspapers that would resume on the day of our previously scheduled return. David was also able to get me email addresses for Marilyn’s physician and orthopedic surgeon so I could forward information to them about the surgery. Good neighbors are a blessing.

 

On Thursday morning, armed with another “doggie bag”, I returned to the hospital. Physical therapy was to begin in earnest that day and toward that end, the catheter she had been using since the night of the fall was removed. This meant that she must make it into the bathroom when ever necessary. The physical therapist brought her a walker and got her started with using it. That afternoon, I tried to make a quick trip into town and while I was gone, she needed to use the bathroom. No one came to help her so she tried to make it on her own. On her way out of the bathroom, she fell and had to crawl over to the door to call for help to get back in bed. Fortunately, the fall did no damage except that she had a new set of bruises to show for the experience. However, I took on the additional duties of night nurse after that and stayed with her all night for the rest of our stay there.

 

The rest of our time was more of the same each day. The physical therapists were quite good and each of them spoke a little English. Marilyn taught them a little more each day and we learned a few more words of Portuguese. The Doctor came to visit each day and I scheduled a trip back to the hotel each afternoon for shower and clean clothes, for business purposes, to have a meal, and to find some “carry-out” to bring back to Marilyn. We had a sufficient supply of books to read for our entertainment, but we tried to watch a little TV in the evenings. The hospital TV had five channels available. In the evenings, three of the channels would carry the same futbol game and the other two channels had the same news program, all in Portuguese of course. We also discovered that the two receptionists that were on duty in the evening spoke English. That solved part of the problem about the menus since Elena, who grew up in Canada, would call each afternoon and guide us through the menus for the next day. She was also very nice and brought flowers from her home garden for Marilyn’s room. The high point of the second week in Ponta Delgada was having a visitor, Ricco Duarte, singer/guitar player and special friend who came through on the Splendour of the Seas and came to the Clinica to spend some time with us. Ricco is from Brazil so he is fluent in Portuguese. He was able to help us some with talking to the nurses.

 

Since we were due to be home on Sunday, April 29, we needed to let our children know that we weren’t going to be there on schedule. I called our daughter, Kristi, on Saturday to inform her and to have her tell the others that there would be an email about our whereabouts and Marilyn’s condition. I also asked that they plan a phone call to talk to Marilyn on Sunday. Our grandson, Josh, has a girl friend who is Brazilian and speaks Portuguese. The family enlisted her help to make the phone call in case the telephone operator spoke no English. That worked out and it helped Marilyn’s spirits to be able to talk to them (in English).

 

The next problem is how to get home. Ponta Delgada is 800 miles west of Lisbon. There is an Azorean airline, SATA, that flies non-stop from Ponta Delgada to Boston on Tuesdays and Fridays with a wide body A310 aircraft. It takes 5.5 hours for the flight. The flight is often fully booked well in advance. We couldn’t make a reservation until the surgeon released Marilyn from the hospital. Martin, the port agent, was able to get us seats on the bulkhead in Business Class for the flight on Friday, May 4. The Business Class bulkhead was needed so that we could get Marilyn into and out of her seat without undue pain. An ambulance came to the Clinica to take Marilyn to the airport and we boarded the plane about 6 p.m. We arrived in Boston too late to continue on to Washington, but I had booked a room at the Airport Hilton for the night. The wheel chair pusher picked us up at the plane and took us all the way to the hotel. The hotel gave us a very nice handicap room. We ordered from room service and settled in to watch a little TV in English.

 

The next morning, we were transported to the United terminal for our flight to Washington Dulles. I asked the wheel chair pusher to take us to the Red Carpet club. We subsequently found out that he didn’t understand a word of English so he took us to the gate. The club was directly across from the gate so we were finally able to get there. The club steward asked him to return, and take us to the gate and he nodded, but never came back. The steward helped me get us to the gate and we boarded, again in the needed Business Class bulkhead seat. The flight home was uneventful and we arrived home about 1 p.m. I had arranged for our daughter Kristi to be at our house to help me get Marilyn inside. She brought Mark, Jr., our oldest grandson with her and the three of us got Marilyn up the front steps and inside. It was great to be home. Our oldest daughter, Kathi, knowing what a poor cook I am, sent over several pre-packaged meals with instructions so we wouldn’t starve while Marilyn was recovering enough to return to the kitchen.

 

When we planned the trip home, I decided that I couldn’t do the best for Marilyn and deal with the luggage, too. I arranged through the port agent to ship our luggage separately. There were five pieces, our two large suitcases, two smaller duffle bags, and a box containing Iris, the magic cane. The shipment was to go by SATA to Lisbon, then transfer to Continental to Newark and on to Washington Dulles. Unfortunately, when the shipment got to Lisbon, the two duffle bags were missing. The Air Waybill said 5 pieces so Continental wouldn’t accept only three pieces. So the three pieces sat there in Lisbon for six weeks while SATA looked for the missing pieces. We finally got the three pieces on June 15. Since then, we have been trying to determine what is missing and to get some information from SATA about placing a claim with them for the missing pieces and for the delay in the other part. We can’t place a claim under our travel insurance until we get a report from SATA as to their responsibility in the matter. That is still an open issue and we haven’t heard anything from SATA in some time.

 

The rest of the story is about Marilyn’s determination to recover. We went on Monday, May 7, to the orthopedic surgeon here for an evaluation of the work done in Portugal, to have the staples removed from the incision, and to get a prescription for physical therapy. Since that time, Marilyn has been attending physical therapy twice a week and has made remarkable progress. She is now able to walk nearly as well as before with her cane, albeit with more pain and a more limited distance. She continues to improve day by day. She is again able to drive the car to go to the therapy sessions and a few other nearby locations.

 

We plan to return to cruising in September and have five cruises booked for this fall and into 2008. Needless to say, we have booked the Travel Insurance for each of those five cruises.

[Lightsluvr]

We look forward to meeting the rolling Stones on the Grandeur in less than 82 days!

 

George & Vicki

(Lightsluvr)

[isujim]

Yep.........Rena and I look forward to meeting you in September as well!:)

[Leeser416]

I just came across your thread...wow!!! I am glad you are home safe and sound.

[willysgrandma]

Sorry about Marilyn's injury but if there ever was a post that tells why you should buy travel insurance, this is it.

 

Too many think insurance is only for those who are sickly - this is exactly why healthy people should have insurance too. This would have cost a fortune if you didn't have insurance.

[Swabb3]

Roger and Marilyn I just came across this thread. SSSSOOOOO SORRY that this has happened to you both. But I am glad to hear that Marilyn has been getting better. Now I wish I were sailing on your next transatlantic instead I'll be following you on the Navigator. And poor Iris please don't take it out on her too much. She's done such a good job for so long.

Same to you Beth. Glad Harry is doing so much better.

[ILoveScotland]

Roger and Marilyn I just came across this thread. SSSSOOOOO SORRY that this has happened to you both. But I am glad to hear that Marilyn has been getting better. Now I wish I were sailing on your next transatlantic instead I'll be following you on the Navigator. And poor Iris please don't take it out on her too much. She's done such a good job for so long.

Same to you Beth. Glad Harry is doing so much better.

 

Hey Lorraine. I found this thread back in May and have kept up with the saga. Marilyn is remarkable to be up and about so soon even with all the problems.

 

I'm in the process of renting a scooter to be delivered to the Galaxy in October. Hugh (as in Leo and Hugh) told me where I could rent one for Harry. He will still need a lot more than a cane or walker so the scooter will work wonders.

 

I envy you having another transatlantic, but I'm also excited about our 4 nights in Rome followed by cruising the Greek Isles and on into the Black Sea. Then it's warm waters in late January and the Norway coast a year from now. But I know there's another transatlantic in my future. There just has to be.

 

Beth

[Swabb3]

Beth, Glad Harry is doing so well. And I totally agree with the scooter idea. My mom used on in Disney (she has heart problems making walking long distances tough for her) and absolutely loved it. She came with us everywhere and it even got us to the front of the line at times.:D Check into having someone meet you in the airport as well with at least a wheelchair that they push for you. They may ask you about needing assistance when you book the tickets or at the very least when you check in. DO NOT let yoursel get. I'm sure Harry won't like the idea too much but just remind him that getting too tired at the beginning of the trip will make the rest of the trip harder for him. And another benefit is getting through security easier.

Enjoy Greece. Been there once over 15 years ago maybe time to go back.

[stonerb]

Marilyn's recovery from the accident on the Brilliance was going well until August 3rd when she went into the hospital to have the 90% blockage in her left carotid artery removed. That operation was successful but she had a small heart attack as she was coming out of the anesthetic. Then it was decided that she needed open heart surgery and she had a triple bypass operation on August 14th. She came home on August 17th and is working on the recovery from all that now. She is determined to make all the cruises we have planned as shown in the signature below. With all that improved blood flow to her brain and heart, she should be even more dangerous at the Trivia quiz and she will probably beat me at the Walk-A-Mile.

[FreewayFortune]

Marilyn's recovery from the accident on the Brilliance was going well until August 3rd when she went into the hospital to have the 90% blockage in her left carotid artery removed. That operation was successful but she had a small heart attack as she was coming out of the anesthetic. Then it was decided that she needed open heart surgery and she had a triple bypass operation on August 14th. She came home on August 17th and is working on the recovery from all that now. She is determined to make all the cruises we have planned as shown in the signature below. With all that improved blood flow to her brain and heart, she should be even more dangerous at the Trivia quiz and she will probably beat me at the Walk-A-Mile.

 

 

Oh my goodness, my prayers are with you and Marilyn. I hope everything goes well and that you really can make your cruises.

[Mahya]

Marilyn's recovery from the accident on the Brilliance was going well until August 3rd when she went into the hospital to have the 90% blockage in her left carotid artery removed. That operation was successful but she had a small heart attack as she was coming out of the anesthetic. Then it was decided that she needed open heart surgery and she had a triple bypass operation on August 14th. She came home on August 17th and is working on the recovery from all that now. She is determined to make all the cruises we have planned as shown in the signature below. With all that improved blood flow to her brain and heart, she should be even more dangerous at the Trivia quiz and she will probably beat me at the Walk-A-Mile.

 

Hi Stoner,

I was on the Brilliance with you and we were all so concerned about Marilyn - but when we asked if we could visit we were told that we would not be allowed into the "sickbay" - it's good to hear about her recovery from the surgery, but so sad to hear about her further trials...please tell her she's in my thoughts and I send my heartfelt wishes for full and speedy recovery.

Mahya

[stonerb]

Marilyn has now gotten through 3 months with no more surgery. We have been on two cruise in that period, 9 days on the Grandeur out of Baltimore, and 12 days for the Jewel TA. When we are at home, some doctor or physical therapist demands her presence almost every weekday so going on a cruise probably saves money for Medicare/Medigap. I am trying to figure out how to get them to pay for it. She walks very carefully when passing the Centrum elevators now.

We will be returning to the Brilliance on December 2 for the return repo and to see those of the wonderful crew that took such good care of us last spring. We hope to see some familiar faces among the passengers as well

[dramaqueen4lyfe]

Marilyn has now gotten through 3 months with no more surgery. We have been on two cruise in that period, 9 days on the Grandeur out of Baltimore, and 12 days for the Jewel TA. When we are at home, some doctor or physical therapist demands her presence almost every weekday so going on a cruise probably saves money for Medicare/Medigap. I am trying to figure out how to get them to pay for it. She walks very carefully when passing the Centrum elevators now.

We will be returning to the Brilliance on December 2 for the return repo and to see those of the wonderful crew that took such good care of us last spring. We hope to see some familiar faces among the passengers as well

 

Roger have agreat cruise on Brilliance. Our good friends will be on that with you. We will see you and Marilyn and Iris on the Jewel in Sept of next year.