S.V. CAMBRIA: April 2009

Poulsbo

Wednesday, April 29, 2009TheCambrians

David spoke to Chris on the phone yesterday and things may finally be looking up. After his first full-night’s sleep in over three months, he woke up Saturday morning feeling like a new man. He’s had two relatively pain-free days, more energy, and is motivated to do things. It’s the best news we’ve heard all year!

Things here are moving along, but we’ve hit a snag or two in recent days. David’s been getting the outboard motors in order for the season and our 8hp decided to spit oil all over the transom of the boat on start-up. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, but it did cost him a day’s work with more to follow.

Home Again (And Again)!

Saturday, April 25, 2009TheCambrians

Chris was released from the hospital yesterday and is doing okay. We're just keeping our fingers crossed that this is it and he can be on his way to a full recovery. Words can't express how difficult this process has been for them, and it's high time they had the opportunity to move on.

As for us, David and I are struggling to get into a cruising state of mind. It's a combination of factors: we spent too much time off the boat over the winter; we don't know the area very well which is leaving us feeling unprepared; but mostly we're worried about Chris. Ready or not, we have to vacate the marina berth Friday morning. We'll most likely anchor nearby for a few days while we tie up a few loose ends before making our way north.

As an aside, we saw our first bald eagle close up this morning. He took up residence atop a mast for about an hour before flying off to find his lunch. Although it sounds like a joke, this was one of the times we were very grateful that Sally isn't a small dog -- apparently they make tasty treats.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Sunday, April 19, 2009TheCambrians

Rather than release Chris from hospital, they decided to bring him in for surgery Friday afternoon to replace the support hardware which was installed during the second surgery because it was too big for his body and likely caused the issue with his aeorta. He was understandably nervous and concerned -- as were we all -- but made it through the procedure without incident. The good news to all of this is that they didn't find any signs of infection while they were in there.

No News Is Good News?

Thursday, April 16, 2009TheCambrians

We're still waiting to hear definitive news about Chris. The latest word is that they're going to keep fighting the infection (although they're not sure if he really has one) and reevaluate the situation once fusion with the original hardware and his spine occurs (which they believe is being slowed down by the infection that may or may not exist). In the meantime, he'll be released to go home to wait it out. And if a sixth surgery is needed to remove the support hardware (that may or may not have caused the infection that may or may not still exist), they'll do it after he returns to work so as not to jeopardize his position.

On a lighter side, yesterday was David's birthday so we took the ferry over to Seattle for the afternoon. It was a cold morning to start (37 degrees), but the fog cleared and we were treated to a beautiful day. Among the highlights of the trip: a subterranean tour of Pioneer Square, lunch at an Irish Pub, and Pike Place Market (more details to follow in our next log entry).

Happy Anniversary

Thursday, April 09, 2009TheCambrians

Today's our fourth wedding anniversary, but neither one of us feels much like celebrating. Chris was readmitted to hospital early Tuesday morning and underwent emergency surgery that evening to repair a ruptured aeorta (for those of you who are counting, that's number five). He's doing fine, but nobody seems to have any answers about what's next. He's been told that they may need to remove some of the hardware in his back because of the infection but, at this point, nothing's definite. His neurosurgeon is out of town until Monday and they need to wait seven to ten days after this latest surgery before they can go in again, so it appears we're at a standstill until then. At this point, we're absolutely gobsmacked and are left wondering when this will end and how much he's going to have to endure before they finally get it right....

Poulsbo

Home At Last!

Saturday, April 04, 2009TheCambrians

We left San Diego yesterday at 9:00 am and began the long trek north stopping off in Medford, Oregon for the night which made for an easy jaunt up to Poulsbo this morning. The drive went well and we appreciated making the trip during daylight hours when we could enjoy the beautiful sites - Mt. Shasta, Mt. St. Helen's, and even Mt. Rainier - and make a proper transition from desert landscape to forest.

It was the first time we'd seen Cambria in over three months and we didn't know what to expect, but she was just as we'd left her! No mold. No mildew. No leaks. And all during the wettest winter on record. That's right. According to locals, we managed to weasel our way out of the worst winter the state of Washington has seen since record keeping began. Not bad!