[Rhodes22-list] Apostle Islands High Adventure Trip Cancelled

[Jay Friedland]

Roger,
All our prayers for a successful surgery and a quick, solid recovery after your tough decision. 

Jay
S/V Wanderlust ‘97



> On Jun 1, 2021, at 11:02 AM, Michael D. Weisner <mweisner at ebsmed.com> wrote:
> 
> Roger,
> 
> Your are in our thoughts for a total and speedy recovery.
> 
> I am sure that you will return to full sail (and paddling) again soon.
> 
> Mike
> s/v Wind Lass ('91)
> Nissequogue River, NY
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> On Behalf Of ROGER
> PIHLAJA
> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2021 1:47 PM
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Apostle Islands High Adventure Trip Cancelled
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> As many of you know; my two sons, brother-in-law, and I were going to take a
> grand circle tour of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in July, 2021.
> This was going to be a sailing/beach camping/sea kayaking trip.  We were
> going to use our Rhodes 22 as the mother ship and tow the 4 sea kayaks in
> order to cover the miles between islands.  The sea kayaks would be used to
> explore the sea caves, sea stacks, and sea arches on the many uninhabited
> islands in the Apostle Islands archipelago.  We were going to back country
> beach camp on 3 different uninhabited islands.  These High Adventure Trips
> are a family tradition dating back almost 22 years.  We do something
> different every year.  There is an article in the Rhodes 22 archives about
> another High Adventure Sailing Trip to Garden Island in the middle of Lake
> Michigan many years ago.
> 
> I had my second cardiac ablation in February, 2021 and was working hard on
> my cardiac rehab.  Unfortunately, my cardiac issues are not getting better.
> I recently spent most of a day in A-Fib and tachycardia (rapid heat beat).
> Apparently, my cardiac arrhythmia medication, Metoprolol, isn't working for
> me anymore.  So, on June 1st, I'm scheduled for a 3 day stay in the Cardiac
> Unit at Midland Hospital.  They are going to hook me up to cardiac monitors
> and try a new drug called Tikosyn.  They will try to establish an
> appropriate dose for me that stops the A-Fib without stopping my heart.
> 
> Then, on June 10th, I'm scheduled to go back to the Invasive Procedures Unit
> at the Midland Hospital for a cardiac catheterization procedure.  This is
> another procedure wherein you are put under and they make an incision in the
> right groin.  They insert a catheter-like probe into the large vein in the
> groin and snake it back up the circulatory system into the heart.  They also
> insert an X-Ray emitting probe down the windpipe to where the bronchial
> tubes split off to each lung.  On the operating table, you are lying on top
> of a solid state X-Ray imaging plate.  This gives the surgical team a real
> time image of the heart so they can tell where their probe is inside the
> heart.  Inside the heart, the surgical team will search for any congenital
> defects like a hole between the chambers, heart valve problems, plaque
> build-up in the arteries, infection of the heart muscle, and even malignant
> tumors.  The probe also has a sensitive pressure sensor which they will use
> to map the performance of each chamber of the heart as it beats.  Some of
> these high tech medical procedures sound like overhauling your car engine
> while it's in the car and running!  Some issues they can fix immediately and
> other issues will require open heart surgery, which would have to be
> scheduled in the future.  This is supposed to be a 1 day in & out procedure.
> But, during the February cardiac ablation, which is a similar laparoscopic
> procedure, the X-Ray probe tore my windpipe causing them to keep me
> overnight.  I was coughing up blood for a week!  So, in a nutshell, this is
> going to be experimental surgery to try to figure out what's wrong with me.
> It will be a different doctor, which I requested in order to get a second
> opinion.  It wasn't easy to get our medical insurance to approve this; but,
> I insisted.
> 
> in my present condition, I just don't feel comfortable going to a remote
> area like the Apostle Islands.  I would need to be able to paddle my sea
> kayak 3-4 miles on Lake Superior without passing out and I'm not confident
> in my ability to do that.  Emergency medical care, if it could be summoned
> at all, would be hours away.   We all still have those days in July off.  If
> I'm feeling better by then, we may try to do something less strenuous and
> closer to home.  Everyone is really disappointed; but, they completely
> support my decision.  There's always next year, right?
> 
> I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day holiday weekend.  I had a
> COVID-19 test on Friday and Deb & I are quarantined until I go into the
> hospital next Tuesday.  Stay tuned.  Please keep me in your prayers.
> 
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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