Hola! amigos, from our new home in Buenos Aires. (I pray I don't lose this internet connection...) Five days ago when we arrived here, I came down with a bad infection on my left foot. After 2 series of antibiotics & finally another series via an IV, I am happy to report that I am finally on the mend. All this leads up to saying that I had to cancel our trip with the Penguin Poopers 12 hours before we were to leave Buenos Aires for Ushuaia and on to the ship.

I encountered this infection from a blister caused by wearing my WET hiking shoes for 6 hours+ at Iguacu Falls. I spent the next day walking around the Florida shopping district in B.A. with Don, Anne & Gary, having a terrific fun day with the blister exposed to the air. By evening my foot had swelled into a huge problema. Doctor was called to the hotel and told me "The ci-ty has many BAD BUGS - BAD germs in the hot summertime. Must be very careful!!." ICK!!!! MAJOR ICK!!

Anne spent many hours holed up with me in the hotel room (of course, Annie pulls out the vino and we started our own party. That woman is amaZing!) Don and Gary ran off and went shopping to their heart's content. I was very pleased with their purchases = all of the uber-rodent material. Don may make a return visit to that store...We appreciated Anne & Gary's company a great deal.

We had a wonderful evening with the Poopers the evening prior to their departure. (Ngaire, Ken and the whole gang) It was terrific seeing everyone & meeting others for the first time. Peggy & Jerry brought Ngaire a toy penguin that "poops" - you will see it from Ken's photos.

But, don't cry for me (Argentina!)! It hasn't all been bad. I have a lovely hotel suite at the Park Tower Hotel and am waited on hand and FOOT by a mayordomo (butler) every hour or so with new ice and who carefully fills the bag and gently places it on my foot. Don has photos of this extravagence so I can remember the GOOD parts of this experience! (only wish we had a card reader to upload some photos...)

Don't want to forget that I have a lovely latin doctora who is just to die for. Yes, he is one handsome fellow. AND, Don wants me to tell you that the first hospital visit was only $ 52 pesos (US $20 approximately!) Ladies, I think I am on to something with our medical needs.....I think we should fly here once a year for our annual medical check ups. Afterall, the PRICE is right AND the doctoras are certainly worth the price of the flight in looks!!

Better stop - the internet has already hicupped. I've added part of this via an edit so hopefully this will come through. Thanks to so many of you for your help with insurance, advice, and just plain caring. You ALL are the best.
- Michele - ita

Michele I am so sorry this happened to you. Take good care of your foot. I am not surprised Anne was a wonderful companion/helpmate. Here's to your health and your next cruise :hug: :hug:

Michele...you know I'm thinking about you! :hug: :hug: Hope you're on the mend and will get home soon.

OH NO! Michele!

Lo siento para su problema. I hope you have not been in a lot of discomfort - I am sorry that you had this experience. Hoping you can go again soon(maybe on ICE) and that you recover quickly and head home safely.

Glad to hear that Anne was a terrific nurse and entertainer too!

I just edited and tried again to add the LAST HALF of the post (previously didn't work...)

Thanks Joanna. I am much better today.
editing to add: Kathy & Andrea, thanks for the kind strokes.

Michele, this is such yucky news but I am glad you are on the mend! I am sure you will be 100% for FJORDS! Have a safe flight home and get well soon!

Oh, that's horrible! But I am so glad you are on the mend and have appropriate accomodations/service.

Michele, what a bummer, but I am glad you are (and certainly were with Anne!) in such good hands at the hotel, and more importantly, with the excellent medical care you have received. I'm glad you at least got a nice cruise for all that travel, and were able to get to see the gang before they left! Keep getting better, and let us know when you are home. Looks like you are going to have to go on ICE next year, like Kathy said, with the rest of us ROAR'ers!

You take care of yourself and get better. Those infections can be nasty and you're wise to take it easy. Hopefully you'll switch to ICE next year.

Hi Michele,

Alan and I are so terribly sorry to hear about your infection and hospitalization. And, of course, your dissapointment in not being able to go on POOP. You will now have ICE to look forward to.

I spoke with Anne earlier and she said that the hotel you stayed in could not have been more attentive to your needs. You could not have had a more capable nurse than dear Nurse Ratchett! She's a tough taskmaster, but she's tough 'cause she loves and cares about ya! And, the cure-all to end-all Dr. Eye Candy! Well now! :hug:

Oh Michele....so sorry :(

You have a wonderful attitude, which guarantees a quick recovery! Get well and hurry home. Maybe you can bring Dr. Eyecandy with you no????

Margo

Michele,
I am so sorry to hear what happened. Glad though, that you are in the care of the good Dr. Eyecandy!
Hope you are all better soon and your trip home is good!

Dear Michele, You have a wonderful outlook! 'You know what' happens and it seems you pulled through....and how lucky to have Nurse Drennan attend your needs! She brings the chicken soup in a bottle!
Thinking of you and wishing a speedy recovery! :hug: :hug:

Michele: If you bring Dr. Eyecandy home with you we want pixs please - it'll be the next best thing to being there - :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Dear Sweet Michelita,

I was so sad to hear this! To be so close and have to miss it, I can't imagine your disapointment... even with Dr. Eyecandy and Nurse Drennan bringing you "chicken soup in a bottle" (funny Susie!!)

How long will you be in BA? Please keep us posted, OK? We are sending good, healthy thoughts your way.

Michele - it's good to see you're back on the board!

Thank god for Skype and 1010-565 so my "call me a nurse" phone support is available 24/7. Hope Dr. Eye Candee continues to get that foot back down to the lovely size 7-1/2 B it was when you arrived in Argentina. We need you back safely in the USA ASAP!

Until then, the hotel must keep the gorgeous Juan Pablo of the "senora, for you, I am jean-paul at your disposal! I would LOVE to stroke your shoes" fame working his magic on your ice packs.

All joking aside, this hotel (Park Tower) really cracked into action to help Michele and Don with this problem. They got the doctor ASAP, kept up the ice supplies, came up with a wheel chair and otherwise did everything possible to make a bad situation a little more tolerable. It's not as convenient a location to the shopping areas as the Four Seasons, but the rooms and service are impeccable.

Now, my dear, one more tip: If you have internet troubles, the very same Juan Pablo will magically appear to clear the congestion from your computer connection. He can hold his own with Dr. Eye Candee.

Editing to add: Oh yea, Dr. Eye Candee authorized all the chicken soup in a bottle Senora Dammeyer requires, so long as she keeps that foot ELEVATED. Oh yea .. I finally learned on this trip what kinds of services a traveler can ask of a butler.

All the best, Nurse Ratchett

Michele, So sorry to hear your foot got worse but you did dodge the Drake Passage. No wonder the Hanseatic bounced back my emails saying you two were not registered guests. Your hotel & staff sound wonderful, just the ticket for a speedy recovery.

Best wishes from the Amazon, Jackie

MIchelle, I'm so sorry to hear about your foot infection and that you were unable to join the Poop group!! I'm so glad that Anne and Gary were there to help you and Don and that you're on the mend.

Best, nancy

Now that the good Senora is on the mend, there is a growing contingent that want to see Michele and Don not make Limonada from their limons, but turn what ended up to be a big pile o'POoP into ICE!!

Hi Michele,

I am so sorry to hear about the unlucky timing of your infection! You have a great attitude!

Regarding your thoughts of maybe organizing medical checkups in BA ... I have friends from South America that live in the US that do just that. They go twice a year to do the various checkups/ tests. With the money they save they more that pay for the travel expenses and shopping! Maybe I should look into if my insurance company would pay for my medical care in BA!

Take care and enjoy being waited on by the assortment of "caballeros guapos"!

Hi Michele,
So sorry about your infected foot. I know you must be disappointed to be missing POOP. Having Anne as nurse and Don and Gary as shoppers must have helped. I am so impressed with your attitude. Nothing's going to get you down. Enjoy the TCL and handsome doc. Hope you are home and feeling better soon.

Hi Michelle,
Am stunned at your news and can imagine how frightened you must have been initially! Great thanks to good friend Anne for all her help; I know she was a great comfort to you.

Wishing you all the best for a very speedy recovery and safe trip home. Antarctica will wait!

Oh, Michelle, wishing you a speedy recovery. I find your making lemons out of lemonade wonderful....it just fits your wonderful disposition we got to know on ROAR. And to have Anne with you was great luck. I remember how kind she was to me when I got a bad coughing attack on ROAR.

Michele, so sorry to hear about your poor foot! What a disappointment for you and Don. Just get well soon!!! I know what a good nurse Anne was for you!
Here's to a very speedy recovery!!

Michele you poor girl - take care of your foot and hurry back home.

How wonderful that Anne was there to take care of you and left you in the care of a wonderful doctora and butler.

Hope this finds you feeling better, so sorry about your missing Poop. You know there is always another cruise in our future... :)

You all are too kind! Much appreciate your posts & love hearing from each & every one of you! Don eagerly reads them to me as the computer will not reach the bloomin' couch & I have to prop up the foot on a chair to maneuver the desk where the computer is located ....when I spend time at the desk, after 20 minutes I have to get back to the couch to prop up the foot..... PITA PITA PITA!

Don & I spent most of the day working on insurance strategies...Have been warned to not leave without doctoro's and doctora's complete statements, thankfully. Much help from Suzanne, Anne, Jackie, Julie & Linda. I can't thank them enough. I hope to be able to help others with this type of ordeal.
We had our "female" doctora visit me at the hotel and we got her to spend 45 minutes filling out forms. (She was the initial attending physician.) She said, "I thought this requirement of huge amounts of paperwork was only required in Argentina" - we laughed & rolled our eyes..I will be going back to the "Dr. Eye Candy doctoro" on Wednesday....so deep breath, ladies...!

We are trying very hard to get home by Friday morning. Have been told that I need to have bandage completely covering my wound AND to wear long foot stockings to avoid the many BUGS that are present here in the summertime as "we" are not immune to them...

Safe trip home and wrap that wound!!!

Michele continue to keep that foot elevated and be sure you get a pic of Dr Eye Candy (of course for insurance purposes)!

I have you in my prayers for a safe journey back home and a full recovery! :)

Hi Michele,

So good to hear from you! Continue to do what Dr. Eye Candy tells you (anything and everything, of course ;) ) so you're good to go for your flight home.

Take care and please continue to let us know how you're doing!

:hug:

Michelle, this all sounds so very crazy, the bug thing is nuts!

I, too, think you should snap a pic of the good doctor!

Hurry home soon!!

Michelle/Don - so sorry to hear about this hiccup in your plans for POOP! I'm glad that you're taking it all in stride though - get better soon!!

Masaki

Oh my goodness, Michelle, what a story! Glad to hear that you're on the road to recovery with the help of Nurse Ratchett. And we're all waiting for pictures of Dr. Eyecandy!

Good luck with returning home, Michele. You will now be one of the insurance experts on LCT! Waiting for the pic of Dr. Eyecandy, maybe kneeling at your side looking lovingly at you (and your foot) <img border="0" alt="[naughty]" title="" src="graemlins/naughty.gif" />

Oh my, Michele, what an adventure! Hope you are on the mend and make it home soon. I admire your positive attitude - I'm not sure I would be able to remain in such good spirits. Maybe the butler, handsome doctor, Argentinean wine, etc. would help. I hope that you will be able to consider going on ICE next year...

Dena

Just jumped into this thread.......what a story...what an attitude! You're awesome, Michele! :nw:

Any chance your insurance will cover expenses to fly Dr. Eyecandy home for perhaps a permanent job as traveling physican for LCT?!?! ;)

Michelle - you and Don have great attitudes when confronted with problems! I hope you are feeling better and can indeed get home soon. Hope everyone there keeps taking good care of you!

Just catching up with this Michele. So sorry to hear of your experience - but you seem to be making "lemonade out of lemons" as the LCT saying goes. So glad you are recovering and have at least had some pampering and such. Sounds like Anne did a great job, and then your Dr and butler have also taken good care of you.

Hope you get home soon, take care.

Oh, Michele, I've just now seen this. My internet connection does not always do too well. What a huge disappointment that you're missing POOP -- Okay, who can be THAT disappointed to miss poop????? It certainly sounds like you're dealing with it all with the best possible attitude.

I'd like to add our vote tht we'd be thrilled to have you on ICE next year!

Betty & Al

Michele - do you get to come home on Thursday?