A Cloud Followed Us Home

Everything pointed to a satisfactory situation, and we could drive back to Knoxville, confident that my treatment in San Diego was sufficient and successful. A cloud followed us all the way.

Readers may recall that I entered the Navy Medical Center in San Diego for treatment of a perforated appendix. The care was excellent, and the surgeons determined that I didn’t require surgery because the perforation closed and walled itself off.

Our reservation in Coronado Bay ended two days after we left the Medical Center, signaling the time to begin our trip back east. Mortimer reluctantly agreed to leave the beach.

Because I still had some doubts regarding my condition, Helen and I decided that rather than race back to Knoxville, we would take it slow, spending two or more nights at each stop. Most of our reservations for the return were for campgrounds at military bases, where treatment was available should something go awry. I’ll summarize our trip home and include pictures of our stops along the way.

El Centro, CA, was the first stop where the Blue Angels gave us an over-the-top performance of aerial showmanship.

Three nights in Holbrook, AZ, gave us enough time to visit the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert on a delightful day in the sun—no sign of trouble so far.

In Albuquerque, NM, things became unglued a bit. We have camped at Kirtland AFB on every trip we’ve taken to or from the West Coast and have always entered through the Main Gate to the Base. We decided to enter through the back gate on this trip because it is very close to the campground. I approached the entrance, where a young Airman waved me through. I hesitated because the opening seemed a little tight for our truck and trailer.

The Airman continued to wave me on. I heard a loud crunch from the trailer as I passed the pillars holding the overhead sign for Kirtland. I looked through the side mirrors and saw that the meeting of the pillar and our trailer stripped the fender off the driver’s side and an awning arm from the passenger side. The pain I felt at that moment was ten times worse than my attack of appendicitis.

After documenting the accident with the Air Police, we pulled into the campground to lick our wounds. The camper next to us immediately came over and explained that he witnessed the accident and wanted to help. He introduced himself as Wilson, a retired Navy seaman who now camped year-round with his family. I graciously accepted his offer but asked if we could start the repairs the next morning. We had driven for most of the day and were very tired.

“Sure,” he said, “I’ll be over around nine.”

The following day, at eight fifty-five, Wilson stood on a ladder and inspected the mangled awning arm. He told me that he had seen several campers have the same mishap entering the gate since he had arrived several months earlier and knew how to put me back together.

It turned out that Wilson camped in a large motorhome and towed a full-blown tool shed in a trailer behind him. Not only did he have the tools, but he knew how to use them. Before the morning was over, Wilson had returned the awning to a towable position and removed the damaged fender by cutting off the bent metal and leaving a smooth surface. God had sent a Little Angel to rescue us, just as He sent Fred to rescue us in Barstow, CA, when our bedroom slide wouldn’t retract.

I offered to pay Wilson several times, but he refused the money. “Just pay it forward,” he said and walked away. Helen baked a plate of Brownies for Wilson and his family that night. He accepted. Now fully restored to a towable condition, we returned to the road and hopefully will have the trailer repaired when we arrive home.

Next, we camped at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City, OK, and were issued the Prime Spot facing the Big Pond and the setting sun. Tinker is always tricky because it is a small campground and doesn’t accept reservations. Luck was with us here.

After two nights at Tinker, we drove along I-40 to Roland, OK, on the Arkansas border, where we camped in the small campground next to the Cherokee Casino. The five campsites have full hookups, and best of all, there is no charge. Nevertheless, one night in the Casino usually guarantees that the Oklahoma Cherokees get paid in full for their hospitality.

Midway Campground at the Millington (TN) Naval Station is the last stop before home. This campground is nice and clean and very affordable, at $19 a night. Helen, Mortimer, and I drove the eight hours to Knoxville the next day, arriving just in time for the birth of Spring in East Tennessee.

I spent the next three weeks attending many postponed appointments, preparing 2024 taxes for my mom and me, and reacquainting ourselves with our neighbors, friends from my exercise class, and the church congregation. I also saw a surgeon for my appendix, who assured me that I did not need surgery. Next up was an estimate for the repairs for our fifth wheel–I never got there.

On a Tuesday two weeks ago, I noticed an uncomfortable sensation in the area of my appendix. By Wednesday, I knew something wasn’t right. I called the surgeon’s office I consulted earlier. His assistant scheduled me for a CT scan later that day.

I completed the scan and drove home to await the results. I wasn’t ten minutes from the diagnostic center when I received a call from a lady in the lab who told me the radiologist had said to report immediately to the emergency room. My appendix came out that night.

A little over a week later, I have recovered and am moving about freely. By the time this post is published, I expect to declare myself healed except for lifting heavy objects.

I’m grateful for the care I received and the calls from friends, family, and the ministers from our church. The weather is gorgeous here in Knoxville, and I’m ready to be out and about.

Let’s Ease Along–That cloud that followed us is nowhere around.