[Rhodes22-list] Apostle Islands High Adventure Trip Cancelled

[Todd Tavares]

Roger,

I'm praying for your improved health and strong recovery.

Todd Tavares

tavares0947 at gmail.com

On Sun, May 30, 2021, 1:46 PM ROGER PIHLAJA <Roger_Pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:

> 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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