Betty

How wonderful to hear from you. It was so difficult being so far away and not be able to do anything to help. That 1st day after I found out what had happened I thought I would explode just waiting to hear how you were.
I do see some positives in this. You learned about Al's new talents, that you didn't really need 40 pairs of shoes after all AND best of all, you once again have a world cruise in your future.
Actually, the best news is that you are home & feeling better.
Keep us posted. My doorbell just rang, have to go.
More later.

Betty, I'll echo the other Betty and others -- how wonderful to hear from you! As I was reading your message, I thought "This is one fantastic woman!" Your ability to keep up your spirits in the face of such difficulty, and to be grateful for your care rather than grumping through the experience, is truly inspiring. And speaking of fantastic, Al fits the definition also. Thanks so much for taking time to fill us in. All the best to you as you get to feeling better and better every day. Here's to next year's World Cruise for you!

Betty,
from one heart patient to another, I am so happy to read your progress report...it is an ordeal but think of the alternative.
Take good care of yourself and follow Doc's orders! :)

Betty,

We are thrilled to hear from you. You've managed to maintain such a great attitude under such serious circumstances.

So pleased to learn that you are moving in the right direction. Sounds like you were so well taken care of by so many and I am sure that helped sustain you all the way. Your husband, Al, is a gem beyond words.

Please take care, have a full and speedy recovery and keep us informed of your progress. You have lots and lots of friends sending loving thoughts your way and pulling for you.

Denise & Alan

Betty, thank you so much for coming on the board and letting us all know how you are and about your experience. So glad to find you in such good spirits.

Betty - so glad that you're feeling better and everybody took such good care for you! Get better soon and good luck with working on the cardiac rehabilitation!

Masaki

Welcome Home, Betty. We're so glad to hear from you. Thank you for posting and keeping us in the loop. We're grateful to RSSC and the whole team who took care of you. Just do what they tell you and we'll hopefully get to cruise with you soon.

Betty,

So good to read your report. I wish you and family the very best of health.

All on this board have been so worried about you.

Sincerely, JPar

Judith

Betty - soooooo.....glad to hear that you are now at home, with your family, and your own bed and comforts. Thank you for taking the time to post as we have all been thinking about you every single day and praying for you. Your Al sounds like a real winner, so I guess you ought to keep him around for awhile. Ha! And I'm sure those little grandchildren of yours, just seeing them, will be the best medicine of all. Please take care and rest and do whatever to get well soon.

Betty, I am so glad you checked in. It really is good to hear that you are on the mend. In a few months, we do want to hear the insurance outcome. It will help us all make good decisions about our own insurance.

Take care, get some rest, and talk to your doctor about planning your next cruise.

Betty, Wondeful to hear you're recovering, thanks
so much for taking the time to post during such
a difficult time..Al is a role model for us all if
our spouse gets seriously ill....get well soonest
and may you both be on the cruise of your dreams
soon too...r/wess

Betty - I read your post and your are truly an amazing woman with a great attitude and wonderful sense of humor. For all you have been thru and still been able to write with so much detail and humor is incredible. Our paths have never really crossed on this board yet, but I hope to get to know you and share your joy of the next cruise you plan as soon as your are feeling better.

Take good care of yourself,

Dear Graywolf (Betty)

I'm so glad to hear you are home, safe and sound, surrounded by those you love. Certainly, you had the experience of a lifetime and your story certainly has provided all of us a real life event of having insurance for a cruise, especially the longer ones. I don't think any of us can say "ah, what could possibly go wrong??" now. And it is sure reassuring to know that RSSC adds the personal touch and goes the extra mile...wow...

Most of all, your sense of humour is shining, and that is more than half the road to recovery.

And Al...what a sweeheart!!

OUr best wishes for a quick recovery...I'm sure you will want to cruise soon once your condition is stabilized!!

Love,

Peter and Ana Luisa

Hi Betty,

Love your positive attitude and sense of humor! Those things really help a person get through stressful times! Take good care of yourself now and soon you can start planning your next cruise.

Wishing you a speedy recovery -

Ginny

Hi Betty,
Great to hear that you are home safe and sound and on the mend. What an ordeal. That is one shore excursion that we all hope never to do.
I am pleased to read about the great medical staff on ship and the great assistance from Amex , CSA and ofcourse your DH.
Take care and thanks for keeping us posted.
Claudia

Wonderful to hear from you, Betty! We send love, hugs and continued good wishes! :hello1:

Thanks for writing in, Betty. We are delighted you are at home and on the mend. Kudos to Al for his care and newfound abilities! I'm glad the RSSC group were so helpful.

Keep up the rehab and we hope to sail with you when you're up to it in the not-too-distant future. Cheers, Anne

Betty, like the others have said, it was so great checking this thread today and seeing your baby picture and to be able to read a post that you were well enough to write yourself. It sure does sound like you have a wonderful husband and received the best of care from the doctor and nurse on board the ship. I wish you well with your cardiac rehabilitation program.

Betty, glad to hear that you and Al are safe and sound back home. Take good care of yourself now!

Betty,
Thanks so much for checking in! Rest assured we are all still sending positive thoughts and prayers your way. You and Al will have to plan a special Valentines Day celebration cause he sure sounds like a sweetie! However, now that you know of his new found talents, you can never forget them! So glad you were able to keep your sense of humor and positive attitude throughout a very trying ordeal, and that you had good care all along the way!

Betty:

So glad to read that you are home and on the road to recovery. That is some story! I echo what others have written about your positive atitude. Inspiring.

Be well.

OH MY GOODNESS Betty, what an ordeal!!! My mother would call that an "adwenture", which is what she, and now I, call any ordeal that you are able to look back on with humor.

I am so happy to hear that it all turned out so well!

A bit of advice, that I am sure I don't need to give....HANG ON TO THAT HUBBY!! You got a good one!! :)

Sheri

Deleted to remove too many typos - see below

Betty,
THANK YOU so very much for posting on here.
I think this might be the most uplifting post that has ever been made on LCT!

I sure hope to see you on a future cruise!
Gil

Betty, I KNOW how grateful you must be to be home. I suffered a severe heart attack 3-9-04 a few days after my 54th birthday. I had a 100% blockage of my main artery and was rushed to the cath lab where they were able to put a stent in. I spent 4 nights in intensive care a another in intermediate care. I went through 3 months of the cardiac rehab. Actually, I didn't mind going the 3 days a week; met some nice patients got so much stronger. I went back to work 3 months after my "event". I happen to work in a huge ER. Six months post heart attack, I was standing in Red Square in Moscow! I felt great. Exercise is so important to recovery and not getting too discouraged. I had the nuc stress test and passed with flying colors. The test was another story; for 3 mins on the treadmill they induce this medicine adension to stress your heart. To me, it felt like I was being kicked in the chest. But it was over in 3 mins and the pain goes away as soon as they stop the medicine. Then you go back and lay in a machine simular to a cat scan where they look at the vessels for any further blockages. I was pretty tired also at first and tried to do too much. You must rest when you are tired. We are both blessed to be alive. I take alot of meds too. But one thing, it won't stop our traveling. Istanbul this fall and a river cruise in '06; be the good Lord willing. Judy

Judy and Betty,

You are women of tremendous inspiration and strength. I admire you both!

Judy,

Thanks so much for the 'words of the experienced'! I do fully expect to go again -- we're already signed up for ROAR next year and certainly intend to make the trip. But I also know I need to do all the rehab until then -- I'm actually looking forward to getting started.

I really am taking it easy -- and just in case I forget I have my kids (and especially my DILs!) to remind me, constantly... The good news is that our seven large suitcases from the WC are now empty and most everything put away. Laundry is done. These things have been done slowly, and Al has done a lot of it -- who KNOWS where I'll find things???

Right now I can't even bear to read Marcie's posts from the WC -- I'm just terribly disappointed not to be there. But we'll do it again, hopefully. Maybe in two years.

To all of you, thanks SO much for all your kind words and concern. I apologize for not replying to each one individually. The brain is still not focusing at its best. OK, maybe it never DID focus well, but now I can pretend this is an excuse!!!

Based on Judy's timetable, I should be planning a big trip for July!

Betty

Betty,

You could plan to join us on MUSH to Alaska. We'll have a great time, you'll have very little travel to do and think about the special treatment we'd all bestow upon you while you were sailing!

Yea Betty

So glad to hear from you again. Now lady, you just take it easy for as long as you need to. If Al is like Clay, and he unpacked & put everything away, I would still be looking for some things a year from now.
And yes, you will do the WC trip. Just not this year. But it is in your future and that would be a wonderful thought for me. And now you can start planning you ROAR wardrobe. This time you won't have all those shoe decisions. All you can think a about is luggage weight.
I hope you will continue to post when you feel up to it.
All my best.

Betty,

Great to hear from you again. So glad you are still doing well. Do take it easy!

Betty

Betty...want to return to Nuka Hiva and Tahiti with us in November? 26 Days on the Navigator - lots of sea days for resting!

I'm so glad to hear you're recovering. We're all so grateful to know things are going well.

Betty,

So glad to hear from you; so admire your spirit and wish you all the best! And the same to Al!

Great to hear from you again, Betty!

Focusing on future plans and goals will help you through your rehab. Keep the faith!

Our best to you and your dear husband, Al!
Denise & Alan

Betty, it was good to read your message. I know from personal experience that focusing on future plans and keeping an upbeat frame of mind is the best medicine for a fast rehabilitation. Be well. Judith

Nice to hear from you again, Betty. You 'sound' like you feel okay. I hope that's true.

I trust you'll be back out there in no time flat.

Gee, Margo -- thanks for the invite. However I hope you'll understand if Nuka Hiva and Tahiti are not currently at the top of my list! I think I'll look for someplace to produce new, good memories rather than remind me of old, not-so-good ones.

Has anyone looked at the 'Top of the World' cruise on Navigator?

Betty

Yes Betty, I understand....I was hoping we might give you a chance to really visit these places again with a better view than a stretcher. Tahiti from a horizontal perspective is probably not a good memory.

The 'Top of the World' sounds like a great alternative.

Hope you're feeling better - your sense of humor seems to still be intact.

Betty - so glad you'll be joining in the ROAR fun. I'm getting some needed rehab on a pesky shoulder. I'll pace my exercises with you each day; that way, we both get better sooner. Heck, I'll even throw in Gary's rehab for his pesky LEFT shoulder. Anyone else want to join in rehab support? Cheers, Anne

Betty, I don't know you (yet), but want to echo what everyone else has said. I know there are great things for you in your future. Take the time to heal and plan those next cruises.