“Mom, if you wanted to stay with me longer all you had to do was ask,” said our daughter Stephanie as she and I hovered over Leslie’s bed in the emergency room.
No, we’re not in Costa Rica. There’s been a slight delay and we’re still in San Diego. But while I’m staying in Stephanie’s guest room, Leslie is a patient at Sharp Memorial Hospital on the city’s north side. I’ll try to make a complicated story as concise as possible.
After suffering with abdominal pain all day Monday (Jan. 29), Leslie asked me to take her to Urgent Care on Tuesday morning (Jan. 30), just to make sure she was OK to get on an airplane to Costa Rica the following day. Urgent Care did some tests and sent her to the ER at Sharp Memorial, where she was admitted with acute pancreatitis — probably caused by passing a gallstone Monday (hence the pain) — as well as pneumonia.
Since then they have pumped her full of antibiotics and other meds. As of Friday (Feb. 2) afternoon, her condition has improved to the point where a surgeon may be able to remove her gall bladder Saturday morning, tentatively at 9:30 a.m. The gastroenterologist who treated her in the ER said her gall bladder was “full of sludge” and she might have more stones in the future. We agreed that doing the surgery now will help avoid the possibility of throwing another gallstone while we’re on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!
There are some positives here. First, we’re in San Diego where Stephanie can be with her mom, and where doctors and nurses speak English. Second, Leslie’s room is on the seventh floor of the acute care wing with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. Well, it’s several miles away, but you can see it if you look closely. And the sunsets are super!
We have cancelled the first part of our trip to Costa Rica, the house in Atenas, but everything else is unsettled. We hope to rearrange accommodations in the beach town of Jacó so we can arrive March 1 and leave April 10. That way we can still evaluate Costa Rica as a possible retirement location, but give Leslie plenty of time to heal and still take the cruise to Europe.
More to come…
Ex-pats in Mexico 
My thoughts and prayers are with Leslie and of course Mike. Get better soon! Love you both.
Zdenka
LikeLike
Wow. Prayers for healing and good health very soon
LikeLike
Sorry to hear about this interruption in your plans but glad you are near Stephanie…and in the United States. Prayers for Leslie’s healing.
LikeLike
Praying for your swift healing, Leslie. May the surgery help you feel a whole lot better!
LikeLike
Oh wow that is all so scary! So glad you were still in the States and with Stephanie. Let Leslie know I’m praying for her healing. Keep us posted, Dayna
On Fri, Feb 2, 2018 at 5:26 PM, vagabond retirees wrote:
> vagabondretireesblog posted: “”Mom, if you wanted to stay with me longer > all you had to do was ask,” said our daughter Stephanie as she and I > hovered over Leslie’s bed in the emergency room. No, we’re not in Costa > Rica. There’s been a slight delay and we’re still in San Diego. But wh” >
LikeLike
Thanks everybody! We appreciate your prayers. Updates coming as needed.
LikeLike
So sorry to hear, Mike … am praying for her healing and quick recovery …. Gayle
LikeLike
Thank you, Gayle!
LikeLike
Oh, I hope Leslie gets better soon!!
LikeLike
Thanks, Taylor! She’s better already.
LikeLike
Oh, I hope Leslie is okay soon!!
LikeLike
Get well soo Leslie! David and I both had our gallbladder out this year! His ruptured and was very serious, so we are happy to hear you caught this before that, and especially being in San Diego’s and not some foreign territory.
Heal well. Thanks for the update 🙏🏼🙏🏼
LikeLike
Thanks! Yes, we’re glad to have doctors who speak English!
LikeLike