Tuesday, Jun 11 2019
Alberto writes – Bentonville, AL
A couple of nights ago, there we were eating AQ Chicken. Laughing and ribbing each other. The world seemed Wright.
We went to the hotel A Best Western, compliments of Jeff who got us discount acceptable to Chris.
The day being late, I went to bed early… WHY?! I was in for a surprise. Of a sudden I had a terrible stomach ache. Dang!! That stupid greasy chicken. Indigestion? Food poisoning? Any such related illnesses crossed my mind. That night I did not sleep five minutes. I was in serious pain no matter how I lied in bed. In a scale of 1 to 10, I was pulling an easy 11
Based on our programming, yesterday was going to be a short-riding day. Visit the Walton Museum and later the Crystal Museum. And the day after that we’d ride the Ozarks to Beule , in Little Rock.
Two museums for today. The Walton Museum, and the Crystal Museum.
While walking at the Walton museum I was already in a bit of pain, from 11,it had finished to had diminished to 4… but increasing. Not to push my luck i sat while the others toured the museum. The museum is not bad but being in a foul mood, I was in no appreciating frame of mind.
We left Walton heading to the Crystal Museum. Walking the parking lot, I thought, this is bad. At every step my abdomen talks to me… nasty stuff!
I visited as much as could of the Crystal. These guys can already tell… I’m in bad shape.
We went straight back to the hotel wondering as to a course of action for Alberto… Alka-Zeltzer? I had already tried Pepto Bismal to no effect. What if there is a blockage? (from that damn stupid greasy chicken).
The pain is severe enough , better had myself checked at a clinic. Found a vanilla clinic, which inspired no confidence and they did not have x-ray machine. Better go with the big guns, go to a hospital that would have everything! A scanty 1/2 mile from the Hotel.
Northwest Medical Center. At reception I tell the girl I have a stomach ache. “Okay, come this way, we’ll take your vitals, yada, yada, yada. A nurse comes in. A resident doctor comes in. She orders a cat scan. A full blown doctor comes in (bigger and bigger guns are being brought - this ain’t no take an aspirin and call me in the morning) and without much preamble announces: “you have apendicitis”… “you are going into surgery and doing it right-now”. “I have already alerted the surgical suite to get ready. Take all your clothes off, let’s go!”
Wholly mother of Alberto…. before I knew the butcher knives had come out and I was being cut-up for tonight’s dinner!
Just in time.!
Apparently I had been fighting an infection for some time and it all came to a full-blown-argument …. riding the bike. 2,000 miles to ride the Ozarks, not gonna happen now!
The next day, that’s today. I called the boys. We need a plan of action.
Chris ain’t gonna leave me behind. Hell stay with me until I am better or at the morgue. Lester is of the same frame of mind.
No good, boys, I appreciate your sacrifices, but I think “one vacation ruined us enough. I want you all to continue”
Several thoughts, alternatives, proposals all becoming better and better for all.
I stay here, you go today, I follow later. The implementation, after the many alternatives proved satisfactory to all.
Lester arranged for my bike to be stored at a BMW dealership in town. (Compliments of a friend of his who knows the owner of the dealership)
Chris will ride my bike to the dealership and ride back to the hotel with Lester.
Jeff is arranging at the hotel to store my suitcases. He has been working the receptionist overtime… it’s paying off.
I will be dismissed not until tomorrow. As it turns out my blood is too weak and they wanna keep me another day.
Chris, Jeff and Lester will depart for the Ozarks and later Little Rock to meet with Beule. Yes, you can conclude (despite their protestations) … I am being abandoned to my luck, snif, snif.
When I am discharged, sometime tomorrow, I will rent a car and go to the Rally on my own some 500 miles East and join the boys.
So there. I promise myself never to develop apendicitis when riding my bike… NEVER AGAIN!!
I am sure there will be more to tell… for this day… ain’t over yet.
[Note: The pictures that were sent with this report were too small for the web page. They were sent to the SMBC mailing list.]
Later – Hospital… bye, bye
This may be the last report. No pictures, unless you want 20 of them with me in bed with…. nah, better not tell.
Official, if anything is ever official. I will be released from this FANTASTIC facility tomorrow in the morning. Buel, is all set, he will come from Little Rock (really Maumelle 200 miles away) to:
- Pick me up at the hospital
- Get my bags from hotel
- Go get my motorbike at BMW
Buel has a truck and trailer. All is set, all it need is motion.
Awww, no rally for Alberto. From here on I will stay at Buel’s In Maumelle until the 19, provided he does not kick me out sooner - as the saying goes, visiting friends are like fish, after three days they stink. - that means I’ll have to buy a serious bottle of perfume to disguise myself, I will still stink but I bet I’ll fool my host! Well, that is the hope. God dang it, it is beautiful to impose.
From Buel’s I will fly to Denver on the 19th to meet ma’girl and ma’boys and on the 24th fly home. Oh YES! Time for you all to tolerate me again… in person!
Ceanothus, that is Neal to the rest of you, answer to your question: sponge bath, actually was better than that!! Antics with the female staff, I think they will miss me at the Alberto Fan Club, Arkansas chapter. Every time a new nurse came in to “tend me” she’d start with, “ah, you are the guy traveling by Motorcycle”. Blushing, I’d reply, “yes miss, I am he”.
So that you are all appraised. The next sounds disgusting, but not really, they remove my appendix which was gangrenous,. YEACH! The doctor said it was a nasty looking thing, and that I must have been fighting this infection for some time. Yes, Jerry, I was rotten to the core! But no longer…