Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Those of you who follow this blog are aware of the details surrounding my accident on 11/13/08. I am recovering well and we are laying low at our condominium in Melbourne Beach, FL.
There is one scenario I have to replay for you that will likely brighten your day.

After the initial treatment at Homestead Hospital Emergency Room, I was referred and transferred to the Miami Hand Center. This is a group of 5 hand specialists that seem to be the recipient of most of the hand related ER business in Southern Florida. As you can imagine, the term “busy” does not begin to describe this practice. Southern Florida is in actuality an extension of Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Spanish is spoken nearly exclusively and obviously staffed by folks that have moved here from other countries. Some of the people who worked on me were physicians in Cuba and are now working as technicians here. While my surgeon is an Anglo, I was a bit concerned about my ability to communicate with support staff.
I was in the recovery room post-surgery and had been asked at least 4x in 15” how I was feeling. In retrospect, the staff may have been checking my cognitive status as much as the physical. Now I’m usually a laid back guy…….(Yeah Right!) but after the repeated inquiries I just couldn’t help myself. “I haven’t eaten in 26 hours and had a total of 4 hours sleep last night, what do you think?” I asked. Oooooh! said the nurse who left the room and immediately returned with one of those miniature containers of juice. Well, that lasted all of 3 ½ seconds. Since I inhaled the juice, she disappeared again and this time returned with a piece of cake, from I assume the staff snack area. When I reached with my left hand for the cake, she responded with, “Na-Na, I do” and proceeded to feed me, one spoonful at a time. Talk about humble pie, (cake)! There may have been a language barrier because I only speak English, but the care I received was over the top. For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been in for dressing changes and they have been incredibly gentle and kind. I guess the perceived language barrier isn’t so much of a barrier after all.

The Rose is resting safely at Sombrero Marina in Marathon while Connie and I enjoy Thanksgiving here at the condominium. Thanks again for your good wishes and encouragement, it has made this process a little easier to endure.