2geonomads

Saturday 29th June- Before going to bed on the eve of my departure to LA I started to feel a bit off colour and some fairly severe pains across my chest and shoulders, very reminiscent of the peri-carditis which had flared up about 7 weeks after my op.
Decided that I would sleep on it and assess things the next day.
Watched the Wallabies snatch victory against which helped ease the pain.
Sunday 30th June
Woke up feeling the worse for wear but headed off to airport for flight to LA.
Duly checked in and was in Qantas lounge when symptoms became a bit worse. After discussions with very helpful Qantas staff and first aid guys decision taken that I should go to local GP for assessment before proceeding on my travels.
Excellent GP gave me an ECG which was fine and did the usual checks on BP ( a bit elevated – white coat syndrome?) pulse rate etc.
Conclusion- everything seemed to point to possible new flare up of peri- carditis and residual after effects of having my sternum cut in half. GP could not give me an unequivocal green light to travel without an echo cardio gram but thought it would settle down . In short it was my call.
Rebooked into local motel for one more night and decided to take the plunge.
Qantas staff went way beyond the call of duty to rebook me on flight to LA, albeit via Sydney.

Monday 1st July
4.30 am start from motel on a filthy wet, windy day. What the hell happened to “Queensland- beautiful one day, perfect the next!”
After having taken 4 taxi rides, all with Indian drivers who seemed to have sworn an oath to silence, my driver this morning was from Cyprus and bombarded me with so many questions I was starting to suspect him as being some sort of secret agent left over from the Eoka terrorists of years ago!

Very bumpy flight out of Brisbane but arrived in Sydney to clear blue skies and a spectacular view of one of the world’s great harbours.

Flight out of Sydney about one hour late ( is there ever a flight on time out of Sydney these days) but could not have asked for a better crew or seat.I have to confess that I was in Business Class, courtesy of our long-accumulated Frequent Flyer Points.
Over 6 hours sleep was something of a record for me on a flight so arrived in LA reasonably refreshed. LA as always hazy and polluted. What sort of filter must they use to show clear blue skies in the Hollywood movies!

Had anticipated some problems due to my no show on the previous day’s American Airlines flight to Chicago but managed to do a Bill Clinton ( keep it clean, folks ) on an initially uncooperative AA staff member and sweet-talk her into rebooking my flight a day later without any penalty.

After checking in went through a security check the like of which I have never experienced before. After telling the security girl that I had an artificial knee I was taken on one side by a small African American guy ( is that still the politically correct term?) who explained that he needed to give me a manual body scan. Donning rubber gloves he proceeded to give me the most intimate frisking I have had in years, certainly outside of our marital bedroom. Anyway, he found nothing so after exchanging telephone numbers we went on our merry way!

Now sitting in the AA lounge( no, not Alcoholics Anonymous ) awaiting my flight to Chicago and reunion with my fellow travellers on Route 66, Doug, Mick and Fred.
Hopefully I have put Peri Carditis behind me and can now listen to Perry Como instead as we do the Easy Rider bit across the Us.
Cheers for now

The Obese Ferret