Kudos to Royal Caribbean and SW airlines

Old Jan 19th, 2017, 01:30 PM
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Kudos to Royal Caribbean and SW airlines

We are booked for next week on RCCL, Independence of the Seas for 5 days out of Ft Lauderdale for our anniversary.
My husband was having chest pains and went to the Doctor. They did a heart catherization and, short story, news not good, and he will have Open Heart Surgery Monday or Tuesday. So, everything cancelled, no flights, no cruise.

SW gave us a 100% voucher good for a year. We fly SW all the time, so that worked out fine.

RCCL, even though we are only a week and 1/2 away from sail date, immediately returned taxes and port charges and the sales rep said if I would hold, she was going to ask if RCCL could do anything at all. I had not purchased their insurance so they really owe us nothing and I did not expect a refund or anything. She returned and said if I send a Doctor's verification, they will send us a 50% voucher towards another cruise. I personally think the 50% voucher is very generous and we will certainly use it, and cruise with RCCL again.

While the medical emergency and trip cancellation is disappointing, the kindness of the airlines and cruise line has made it less so.

We hear so many complaints about Cruise lines not being fair or nice to passengers, I feel it is only right to say when they are nice.
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Old Jan 19th, 2017, 01:49 PM
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Well that is good to hear though of course the most important issue is obviously your hubby.

If he is in otherwise decent health then the CABG surgery is quite successful. Hopefully he will be up and out of the hospital asap and on the road to recovery.

When he comes back immediately from OR he will be attached to lots of tubes and IV's and a breathing machine and this is all quite normal though if you see it for the 1st time it can be overwhelming. Just hang in there! These are the type of patients I took care of for 24 hrs. If all goes normally he could be out of ICU in a day to two.

Email me if you would like.

[email protected].
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Old Jan 19th, 2017, 01:51 PM
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BTW if you email me please let me know here as I seldom look at my gmail acct.
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Old Jan 19th, 2017, 09:55 PM
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Sass, hope all is well and a speedy recovery for your DH. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Glad to hear RCCL offered the 50% even though no insurance was bought. You see the glass half full for the 50% voucher whereas others may see it as half empty and expected a full credit. Good on you!
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Old Jan 20th, 2017, 06:18 AM
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Sass, I am praying for you and your husband.

I know a women who missed her flight and missed the cruise. Carnival refunded her fees and gave her a voucher for the rest of the money paid.

I'm glad Royal Caribbean and Southwest were understanding.
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Old Jan 21st, 2017, 09:13 PM
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Thank you, Tch912 and Eschew.

Larry, I may email when DH is in surgery, but that has been delayed for a couple of days. We won't know exactly when until noon Tuesday. We share an email account. He does not look at Fodors, but sometimes reads emails, and I don't want to worry him. Truth be, I am terrified, but acting cheerful and optimistic and talking about the big trips we will take when he has recovered. For early seventies, he is in reasonably good health, exercises at least three times a week, etc. and no major issues that I know of. I know it is not travel related, sorry, but maybe you know. When the arteries in the heart are blocked, does that in anyway affect thinking or memory, or would the medicines given before the heart catherization affect that for a day or so? He kept getting the name of his Doctor wrong and the information about where blockages were. This worries me a lot too, but He seems OK now, and I will ask the Doctor at some point. Thanks.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2017, 03:32 AM
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Blocked coronaries should not affect his thinking or memory so don't worry about that.

Meds given for the cath are gone by now or metabolized out so that should not a factor either at this point.

I am not sure why he is forgetting some things but could be he is nervous too or maybe doesn't fully grasp his situation yet in so far as to the location of the blockages and in what particular arteries. Maybe he is scared too but wants to be strong for you.

If you email me I can give you my tele and then you delete that email so he won't see it.

Anything you need just let me know.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2017, 07:38 AM
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I mean we can text each other so he doesn't have to know or just talk, the old fashioned way. .
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Old Jan 22nd, 2017, 11:56 AM
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Sass continue to stay positive, make sure you take care of yourself.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2017, 07:30 PM
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Thoughts and prayers for you and your DH, Sassafrass.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 05:07 AM
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Sass, keep us posted. With modern medical technology, surgery like your DH's are common place and all will be well. No need to worry. All he needs is time to recover and will be good as new, maybe even better. We know you will stay positive. God bless!
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Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 08:19 AM
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Thank you all. I am anxious to talk with the surgeon tomorrow and will keep you posted.
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Old Jan 23rd, 2017, 08:28 AM
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Please do. Best of luck. I think he will be fine!
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Old Jan 26th, 2017, 04:41 AM
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Jacket and others,
Sorry to hijack my own thread, and sorry, it is not Travel, but you guys may have quicker answers. DH is scheduled for traditional by-pass surgery tomorrow with a highly recommended Doctor at Johns Hopkins. Last night, I read about the minimally invasive by-pass and now wondering if that is not tons better and we may be taking the wrong route. We didn't know and didn't ask at the meeting with the surgeon. We will ask at the pre-OP this morning, but DH says he could wait to have a heart attack and do more research, or go ahead with the traditional tomorrow. I felt so confident in the surgeon. Now, not as sure.

Basically, DH has large blockages in two major arteries and small blockages in others. They will uses arteries from the chest and veins from the legs, I guess pretty typical. He had an unusual thing, in that two arteries somehow grew connected and allowed some blood flow back and forth and that is the only reason he has not already had a heart attack. At this point, that is not enough, so he absolutely must have surgery.

Is there any reason he should go with traditional and not wait and find a doctor who does the minimally invasive? Our insurance is tied to Johns Hopkins unless they recommend a different Doctor or hospital, and though they do minimally invasive for many heart procedures, they do not do it for heart by-pass. If we wait, it means time to deal with finding another place. However, I want want is best for DH, no matter what. The Doctor we have is supposed to be great, but he is leaving the country next week, and it would be a different Doctor if we wait and still end up with traditional.

Any opinions are so appreciated.
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Old Jan 26th, 2017, 07:45 AM
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Well, back again. Talked at length with PA, who said they do the minimal surgery at JH, but DH is not a good candidate for minimally invasive surgery because of size, number and location of blockages. They were quite thorough, but if I need to, Larry, I will certainly contact you privately.
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Old Jan 26th, 2017, 11:22 AM
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Percy, are you around somewhere? Percy is a MD and he can certainly speak with more authority on the subject matter.

I have a little bit of personal experience and knowledge on the subject matter discussed. Heart arteries connecting on their own to allow for better blood flow (and sometimes a 5th artery will grow and come out of nowhere) are quite common. It seems that humans are very adaptive to survival.

I don't want to make any specific recommendation. We should leave it to the professionals. But I know waiting for a second heart attack to happen is NOT a good option. Preventive is always better than reactive.

I am quite sure your doctors have discussed Angioplasty and they must have felt that it is not an effective solution in this case.

Bypass will take time to heal and recover but I knew quite a few people who had that done and all are doing quite well, my mother in law being one of them. She had her done more than 15 years ago and she is almost 90 now and is still going strong. Worst part is she didn't even change her diet and we are fearful that it will get clogged up again.

Sass, be comfortable with whatever decision you make. I believe the early discovery lessen the risk. Our thoughts and prayers and with you and your family always.
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Old Jan 26th, 2017, 03:15 PM
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Sass let me know. I'll be around.

Take care and be hopeful.

Larry. .
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Old Feb 7th, 2017, 09:57 PM
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Larry, I finally did send you another email. Please check for it.
Sue
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Old Feb 8th, 2017, 04:56 AM
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I read it and replied! hang in there.
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