Judi and I flew out to Europe, stopping in Britain for a couple of weeks to get over jet lag, before my teaching assignment in southern France. Unfortunately, on October 24th, Judi had a chest pains. At the local hospital emergency room, they determined that she had suffered a mild heart attack. Overnight this changed all of our plans. They held her there until they got an opening at Britain’s major heart and lung specialty hospital, the Royal Papworth Hospital. After doing an angiogram, they determined she needed an aortic valve replacement. Once the travel insurance questions were worked out, the hospital performed open-heart surgery and replaced the valve. It took nearly two weeks for her to be discharged from the hospital and two more weeks before she was deemed fit to fly. Once that was determined, we obtained flights and returned straight home to Kona on December 6th. Back in Kona she again spent five days in the Kona Hospital due to a returning irregular heart rate and much fluid on her lungs. She is now home and regaining strength. Our daughter Lisa has flown over to Kona to spend a month to help us during this time.
Judi in the hospital before surgery.
The Royal Papworth Hospital where Judi had surgery
Our granddaughter Eliana visiting Judi in the hospital
Judi’s joy at finally being discharged from the hospital
spending a few days with our son Daniel and his family in Britain before flying home to Kona