No swimming, no hot tubs, no MASCARA --Eye Surgery

When I was in high school, we’d always ask the question, “What two things would you take with you on a deserted island?” My response was always books (or, if the island had electricity- my stereo and collection of albums and 45’s) and mascara! While my response to that question today would probably be more of “a Kindle and my PC” – mascara wouldn’t be one of my first choices. But, it is still one of those things that I count on every day. The Summer of ’09 however, was going to be my “Summer of no mascara”.

About 3 years ago during a routine eye exam, the doctor found some scarring on the cornea and sent me to a specialist in Boston. He diagnosed something called “Saltzmann’s nodular degeneration”. It’s basically the growth of nodules on the surface of the eye – a bit like a callous on skin. The condition isn’t usually treated unless the nodules start to get close to the center of the eye. Last year, I had another visit with Dr Talamo, the specialist, and he gave me the news that it was time to remove the nodules via superficial keratectomy (a Super K).
The procedure: “A superficial keratectomy is usually done under topical anesthesia (drops or ointments that numb the eye) and usually no shots or injections are needed nor is it done under general anesthesia. A special knife is inserted partially through the cornea and a dissection carried out to remove the growth. This leaves a raw spot on the cornea and a bandage contact lens is generally worn for 7-10 days while the tissue heals. Pain varies but usually is not severe and relived with medication.” (http://www.medhelp.org/)

Image courtesy of visionassociates.net
So, after putting off the inevitable as long as possible, we were in Salem/Boston for the summer and it was time for the procedure. No surgical gowns necessary- only little blue shoe covers and a blue cloth “shower cap”, some numbing drops in my eye and it was time. Laying down on the surgical table with my head firmly held in place, they rolled me under a machine with an orange blinking light. The doctor put a patch over my left eye and two pieces of what felt like scotch tape to hold my eyelashes/eyelids open. A few more numbing drops and he said, “You may feel a slight pressure on your eye”. It was almost an out-of-body experience—you knew that there was some hazy silver implement approaching your eye-then a feeling of a light touch. Within minutes, the cut was made and the “callous” was being peeled off and a “bandage contact lens” put on to cover the scraped surface. John was amazed when I walked over to him as he waited in the cafeteria and said, “It’s all done”. The next few days were tough- my eye was constantly tearing and it looked pretty awful, but my vision was relatively clear and there was no pain at all.
One eye down, one to go…

Chloe's Meeting with the Orthopedic Surgeon

It was time for Chloe's visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon... It had been so long since we'd been at Angell Memorial in Boston.. It's always been one of the most highly respected pet hospitals in the country. We were referred to Angell years ago when Sushi was at death's door and our local vet couldn't diagnose the problem. We took her in- literally almost dead- and with no time to do the proper testing, they suggested that it was probably Addison's Disease - and if we were willing, they'd try treating her for it. The next day, she was standing up and eating! It was a miracle! After that experience, it was the only place we'd take our dogs.
Back then, it was an old brick monstrosity--with a small waiting room, tiny examining rooms. We drove up today to see the old brick building still in place- but a new entrance and a huge new attached building.

It was like walking into a state of the art hospital. An impressive check-in desk, a huge Pharmacy, separate waiting rooms for dogs and cats.

We met a young couple in the lobby with their Maltese in a baby carriage- the dog has cancer- and they've spent $20,000 on chemo for her! This place is not for the faint-hearted...or the poverty stricken!

We met Dr Trout (born in Chester, England just outside Liverpool- and wasn't too happy when John called him a Scouser). He checked out Chloe- walking and did an exam. He confirmed that she has MPL (Median Patellar Luxation) in both rear legs and explained the surgical options. At this point, he suggested watching her- making note of any changes in severity or frequency of the skip in her walk or any discomfort. If it gets worse- he'd suggest surgery--with a 6 week recovery period (confined area, no jumping, no running, minimal walking...)

Dinner with the Amish

With my eye surgery delayed, we decided to make our trip north a bit less hectic. We stopped in Lancaster, PA for a visit with the Amish and a bit of family research. We spent a day in Columbia – visiting family gravesites. John spent the day at the Lancaster County Historical Society and unearthed some interesting family tidbits.
On Wednesday evening, we joined a group of Cajun motorhomers for an Amish dinner. We drove for what seemed like ages- passing large Amish farms, driving through towns like Blue Bell and Intercourse – and finally turned into the “Smucker” driveway.

The hostess of our evening was the widowed mother of 10 children- 6 of them still at home. We were ushered into her kitchen/dining room/living room- converted into a dining hall with tables seating 30 people. We got separated from our Cajun group and joined a table of New Jersey-ites – all from the same community in NJ and staying at a nearby B&B. They raved about the food, served family style. The dishes were passed- homemade applesauce and broccoli salad, roast beef and carrots, chicken tenders, sugar snap peas, green beans, mashed potatoes (no gravy- the men weren’t happy), and, of course, bread. It was a bit like a 1950’s suburban Sunday dinner- lots of well cooked food with absolutely no flavor.
The hostess did some table-touching- talking about leasing out their farm land and doing these family style group dinners to get by. Her unmarried daughters work at the local B&B doing house-cleaning and were busy most of the evening- serving food and cleaning plates. Her eldest son, however, sat at the head of the table and ate with the rest of the guests. Guess the feminist movement hasn’t reached the Amish community. After plates and plates of food, we were stuffed and ready to leave—but wait- there was dessert—strawberry and peanut butter pies – with huge bowls of ice cream. We did our patented early exit and headed home. Our first- and last- Amish dinner.

Lightning Strikes and Motorhomes!

We learned a hard lesson after our lightning stike in Florida. The lightning didn't directly strike our motorhome--but hit about 2 feet from our coach and the campground power. John saw the strike - and Chloe and I heard it - you'll never forget the sound - it was like an explosion(Poor Chloe- she's not been the same since- terrified when she hears thunder or sees lightning).

We were fortunate that we had our surge protector attached to the campground post- but didn't realize what damage a close lightning strike could do to our coach. One of the engine ECM's (computer modules) was destroyed, our backup camera was damaged, our front step motor failed....a very costly strike, to say the least.

We've been amazed that after all of our FMCA and Spartan rallies and all of our research on motorhomes, we had never heard anyone talking about what to do during a lightning storm. So, we decided to do a bit of research to find out how to avoid the disaster that we had just lived through. We hope that this will prevent someone else from living through this horrible experience..

Here's what we found at the South East Trek Fun Club web site: (the entire article can be found at: http://www.setrekclub.com/Lightening%20&%20RV

"…treat lightning like a snake: if you see it or hear it take evasive measures…

The short version of the paper is If parked and a lightning storm is nearby, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are disconnected and stored.

In the USA, central Florida experiences some 10-15 lightning strikes per sq. km./yr. Over the entire year, the highest frequency of cloud-to-ground lightning is in Florida between Tampa and Orlando. This is due to the presence, on many days during the year, of large moisture content in the atmosphere at low levels (below 5,000 feet), as well as high surface temperatures that produce strong sea breezes along the Florida coasts. The Rocky Mountain west has about two-thirds this activity. Half of the casualties of lightning strikes occur in open fields. The most common situation for a lightning death or injury in Florida was found NOT to be in the heaviest rain area with lots of flashes, but after or before the time when rain and lightning was the most intense. Essentially, the most dangerous times occur from a weak storm without too many flashes, at the edge of a larger storm, or early or late in the life of a storm. Much of a storm's lightning remains within the clouds, leaping from the negatively charged bottom of the clouds to the positively charged top. When an object on the ground, such as a tree, building or an RV, becomes positively charged, the lightning sparks to the ground. A bolt of lightning can be as great as 15 million volts.


Recreation Vehicles and Lightning What happens when lightning strikes a recreation vehicle? The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "nothing" to "Wow ! What a mess. . . my RV is a disaster." I have determined that few, if any, RVs get struck while mobile. They are mostly vulnerable when connected to shore power and/or when they have their jacks deployed without at least five inches of wood or some other insulator between the jacks and ground. I have noted that RVs are more susceptible to damage from induced lightning surges when connected to shore power and lightning hits nearby transformers. According to the NLSI, lightning's median amplitude is assumed to be about 20,000 Amps. Typically, a metal plate 3/16 inch thick will not be penetrated by that high of a current.


Some general recommendations for RV users include: If parked, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are stored and disconnected. Do not store your power cable under your RV. Retract and store all deployed antenna. Disconnect external TV/Satellite antenna wiring. Reported incidents and related injuries make it clear that a person inside a fully enclosed metal vehicle must not be touching metallic objects connected to the outside of the vehicle. Door and window handles, radio dials, CB microphones, gearshifts, steering wheels and other inside-to-outside metal objects should be left alone during close-in lightning events. I suggest pulling off to the side of the road in a safe manner, turning on the emergency blinkers, turning off the engine, putting one's hands in one's lap, and waiting out the storm. Do not wash hands or take a shower during a storm. Do not get close to electrical appliances such as the TV or plug in laptop PCs. In no circumstances, during close-in lightning, should the passengers attempt to step off the RV to the ground in an attempt to find another shelter. Very dangerous Step Voltage and Touch Voltage situations are created when a "dual pathway to ground" is created. Lightning voltages will attempt to equalize and they may go through a person in order to do so. Do not get on the roof of your RV when a storm is nearby! Don't be an isolated tall object, and don't be connected to anything that may be an isolated tall object.
To further lower your odds, don't park your RV near the tallest trees or utility poles. Rubber tires provide zero safety from lightning. After all, lightning has traveled for miles through the sky: four or five inches of rubber are no insulation whatsoever. People should get into a safe shelter. If not possible, make sure all windows are closed and the "hands on laps" rule is observed. If you can't get to a safer location, avoid the most dangerous locations and activities. Avoid higher elevations, wide-open areas, tall isolated objects, and water-related activities. Avoid unprotected open structures like picnic pavilions, and rain shelters."

We hope that you take away some helpful information - thanks to the South East Trek Fun Club for this info from their web site...