Cruisin' on Vacation Summer 2005
We made passage through the Panama Canal while
doing a West Coast to East Coast repositioning cruise aboard the ship
Disney Magic. Follow us down the west coast of Mexico, through the Canal into
the Caribbean Sea, then North through the Bahamas to Port Canaveral,
Florida.
The
Boarding
Stephanie, Eisley, Lorraine and myself (Kevin), with passports in hand, boarded the Disney Magic at the Port of Los Angeles , California on Saturday, August 20th. We were excited and ready for smooth sailing to our first stop in Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico. We sat docked at the port which is a busy place for a couple of hours. Finally, we were out on the open sea! Pictures.........
Hilary!
No, not Clinton, Hurricane Hilary. Yes, a hurricane along the Central Mexico coast forced the ship to change course. So, instead of stopping at Cabo San Lucas, we continued on, stopping the next day in Manzanillo, Mexico. Although initially disappointed at not stopping at Cabo, Manzanillo turned out to be a delightful respite from Hilary's rough seas. Less often visited by tourists, Manzanillo is a quiet, colorful commercial port town situated about 100 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. Pictures..........
Anybody Want a Chunk of Mexico?
Next stop, Acapulco , Mexico. None of us were exactly enamored with this place! We signed up for a guided city tour and stop at the bay cliffs to watch young men dive into the surf. The city seemed a little unkept, although parts of it were colorfully decorated and one residential section has some fairly impressive homes (owned of course by "Rich and Famous Americans"). Therein lied much of the disappointment with Acapulco. The "Guided Tour" was primarily a sales pitch. We were driven by homes and land for sale while being urged to "buy now before prices go up". With the exception of first visiting an old military fort (walking distance above the port) that has been converted into a museum and the "cliff divers", the tour was a major waste. Pictures..........
The Big Ditch
After four more days at sea, we were finally entering the Panama Canal . The ship weighed anchor just north of Panama City , at the Port of Balboa the night before we started the crossing. We could see many ships lined up awaiting their turn to enter the locks. So, on the morning of August 28th, we began our journey through the Panama Canal. This took about eight hours. The ship was in full 'party mode' as food and drinks were served on deck all day. Disney brought on board a "Panama Canal Crossing Tour Guide" who over the ship's PA system, described the transit in great detail as well as explaining how the locks work, their history and their future expansion plans. He also noted points of historical interest and the canal zone flora and fauna. Pictures.......
Sea Days
Viewing the workings of the Panama Canal and stopping at different ports 'o call was fun and interesting. However, we spent a significant amount of our vacation at sea between ports. This time was not wasted! Onboard entertainment was 'first cabin' and of course the food and drink was delish with plenty of it everywhere on board. Here you will find a few pictures we took while out to sea.
Finally, the Atlantic
Our next 'Port O' Call' came on August 30th, was Willemstad, Curacao . It is definitely a high priced 'tourist trap' kind of place. However, it is clean, very colorful with friendly people and NO sales pitch. In the morning Eisley, Stephanie and I toured the Hato Caves . Later, Lorraine joined us as we took a self guided tour of the downtown shop area. We stopped for cold drinks at an outside table restaurant. Wow, 2 cokes and 2 beers cost us $28! All in all, our day in Curacao was enjoyable. Pictures........
Disney's Private Isle
The last stop on our cruise was spent on Castaway Cay (pronounced "key"), a small island owned by Disney in the Bahamas . There we ate a barbeque lunch, then snorkeled or laid on the beach getting sunburned. Eisley and I took pictures of colorful fish and other strange objects underwater in the lagoon. We would love to show those pictures, except that Eisley dropped his underwater camera which the current took and we were not able to recover it. So sad! Pictures........
Cape Canaveral / Disney World
On September 3rd our cruise ended when the ship docked at Port Canaveral. Our vacation, however, continued for the next two days. While the ladies boarded a Disney bus to the Dolphin Hotel in Disney World, Eisley and I rented a car and headed for The Cape and Kennedy Space Center for the remainder of the day. Both of us are space travel buffs. The next day we spent walking around Disney World before boarding our plane for the long flight home. Pictures........
Stephanie, Eisley, Lorraine and myself (Kevin), with passports in hand, boarded the Disney Magic at the Port of Los Angeles , California on Saturday, August 20th. We were excited and ready for smooth sailing to our first stop in Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico. We sat docked at the port which is a busy place for a couple of hours. Finally, we were out on the open sea! Pictures.........
Hilary!
No, not Clinton, Hurricane Hilary. Yes, a hurricane along the Central Mexico coast forced the ship to change course. So, instead of stopping at Cabo San Lucas, we continued on, stopping the next day in Manzanillo, Mexico. Although initially disappointed at not stopping at Cabo, Manzanillo turned out to be a delightful respite from Hilary's rough seas. Less often visited by tourists, Manzanillo is a quiet, colorful commercial port town situated about 100 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. Pictures..........
Anybody Want a Chunk of Mexico?
Next stop, Acapulco , Mexico. None of us were exactly enamored with this place! We signed up for a guided city tour and stop at the bay cliffs to watch young men dive into the surf. The city seemed a little unkept, although parts of it were colorfully decorated and one residential section has some fairly impressive homes (owned of course by "Rich and Famous Americans"). Therein lied much of the disappointment with Acapulco. The "Guided Tour" was primarily a sales pitch. We were driven by homes and land for sale while being urged to "buy now before prices go up". With the exception of first visiting an old military fort (walking distance above the port) that has been converted into a museum and the "cliff divers", the tour was a major waste. Pictures..........
The Big Ditch
After four more days at sea, we were finally entering the Panama Canal . The ship weighed anchor just north of Panama City , at the Port of Balboa the night before we started the crossing. We could see many ships lined up awaiting their turn to enter the locks. So, on the morning of August 28th, we began our journey through the Panama Canal. This took about eight hours. The ship was in full 'party mode' as food and drinks were served on deck all day. Disney brought on board a "Panama Canal Crossing Tour Guide" who over the ship's PA system, described the transit in great detail as well as explaining how the locks work, their history and their future expansion plans. He also noted points of historical interest and the canal zone flora and fauna. Pictures.......
Sea Days
Viewing the workings of the Panama Canal and stopping at different ports 'o call was fun and interesting. However, we spent a significant amount of our vacation at sea between ports. This time was not wasted! Onboard entertainment was 'first cabin' and of course the food and drink was delish with plenty of it everywhere on board. Here you will find a few pictures we took while out to sea.
Finally, the Atlantic
Our next 'Port O' Call' came on August 30th, was Willemstad, Curacao . It is definitely a high priced 'tourist trap' kind of place. However, it is clean, very colorful with friendly people and NO sales pitch. In the morning Eisley, Stephanie and I toured the Hato Caves . Later, Lorraine joined us as we took a self guided tour of the downtown shop area. We stopped for cold drinks at an outside table restaurant. Wow, 2 cokes and 2 beers cost us $28! All in all, our day in Curacao was enjoyable. Pictures........
Disney's Private Isle
The last stop on our cruise was spent on Castaway Cay (pronounced "key"), a small island owned by Disney in the Bahamas . There we ate a barbeque lunch, then snorkeled or laid on the beach getting sunburned. Eisley and I took pictures of colorful fish and other strange objects underwater in the lagoon. We would love to show those pictures, except that Eisley dropped his underwater camera which the current took and we were not able to recover it. So sad! Pictures........
Cape Canaveral / Disney World
On September 3rd our cruise ended when the ship docked at Port Canaveral. Our vacation, however, continued for the next two days. While the ladies boarded a Disney bus to the Dolphin Hotel in Disney World, Eisley and I rented a car and headed for The Cape and Kennedy Space Center for the remainder of the day. Both of us are space travel buffs. The next day we spent walking around Disney World before boarding our plane for the long flight home. Pictures........
Sat - June 4, 2005
What Happened to Kevin's Leg
or... What the Heck is
Chronic Exertional
Compartment Syndrome?
The
Beginning
About 2 years ago, I began experiencing extreme pain in my lower right leg. It felt like a really bad case of "Shin Splints ". The first time it happened I was trying to jog while on a business trip in Seattle. About ten minutes into the run, I started feeling pain all along my right leg shin, but not at all on the left leg. After stopping, it quickly went away (not what a 'real' shin splint would do). Every time I walked or jogged faster than about 3 miles per hour, the pain would return. I finally just slowly walked back to my hotel room leaving my coworkers wondering where I disappeared to. Since then, the condition has gotten increasingly worse. So bad, that I couldn't even walk around my neighborhood!
The Diagnosis
I spoke with my family doctor several times about this very bothersome situation. He was relatively sure the problem was cardio-vascular in nature. Most likely, Atherosclerosis, where the heart is unable to pump oxygen rich blood fast enough to my extremities due to blockage or hardening of those darn arteries. So, I went to a Cardio Pulmonary Specialist. He wired me up and put me through a typical heart 'Stress test'. Result - "You have a very strong heart for man 49 years old Mr. Deneen". "Excuse me doctor, I'm 59". "Oh! Then that's even better news. You should live a good long time. I found no problem whatsoever with your heart or vascular system"
A few months went by and the condition grew progressively worse. My doctor was still convinced the symptoms pointed to vascular disease. Perhaps it was Claudication, (blockage or narrowing of a major artery) in my leg. After all, I'm 60 years old and have High Blood Pressure. I went to a vascular specialist for testing. Result - Arteries all functioning normal.
Next probable diagnosis: A nerve gets pinched or rubbed when performing certain vigorous exercise causing pain to be felt in my lower leg. Possibly Sciatica. So I went to see a Neurologist. Hey, I broke a couple of vertebrae in my lower back when I was 19. There could be a nerve that's getting pinched and sending pain to my lower leg. More testing. I had an MRI of lower back, hip and leg. As it turned out, I have a small arthritic bone spur where the sciatic nerve passes by my hip to my leg. Neurologist says: "The bone spur is definitely not causing the pain in your lower leg." Gosh, what could the matter be?
In desperation, I suggested to my doctor that I should see a "Sports Medicine" specialist. My doctor says, "Why not, we've tried everyone else. Why don't you make an appointment with Dr. Davidson, he has an excellent reputation and he did the surgery on your wife's knee." So, I go see Dr. Davidson after having "researched" my symptoms on the web. What I found and thought fit my symtoms was a condition called, "Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome ". Note the similarities between the symptoms of Claudication and Compartment Syndrome.
Sure enough, after explaining to Dr. Davidson my experiences while walking, jogging or riding a bike and without any prompting from me, he replies, "You have all the classic signs of 'chronic exertional compartment syndrome'. Then, he drew a picture and explained where and why it was occurring. He also told me this is a very rare condition which is most often seen in long distance runners. Go figure. The longest distance I ever ran (jogged) was ten miles an that was 20 years ago!
Testing and fasciotomy surgery
The left photo is my leg 2 weeks after surgery and after stitches were removed. The two red blotches are the incisions made in order to do endoscopic fasciotomy surgery. Just prior to surgery, the doctor had me run on a tread mill at the hospital until my leg hurt so bad I couldn't continue. Then a nurse assisted me down the hall to the operating room, and helped up on the table. An anesthesiologist put me out, then the doctor stuck a huge needle with a pressure gauge on the top end of it in the anterior muscle compartment of each leg. Normal pressure after exertion should be below 30 mm Hg. My left leg (the one without pain) measured 23 mm Hg. The right leg measured 84 mm Hg! Time to CUT. The leg cross section view shows the Anterior compartment, just to the right of the Tibia. This is were my problem was occurring.
The next illustration shows where pressure in the muscle from expanding arteries (bringing more oxygen rich blood), presses against the Fascia, which is not flexible. This activity results in vessels and capillaries being compressed or closed off, which starves the muscle of oxygen, which in turn causes pain. The final illustration shows the procedure for correcting this condition. The doctor made two incisions in my leg, stretched the skin away from the fascia, then went in with long blunt nosed scissors and cut the fascia open all the way along the muscle from knee to ankle. He used a endoscope or fiber-optic viewing tube to guide him around a large nerve. He also saw a vessel that he couldn't get around, so he cut and cauterized it. He showed me the video when I went in to have the stitches removed.
Conclusion
The fascia will scar over closing the wound, but, leaving the compartment larger. This will allow the vessels and capillaries to function properly. I have had 2 physical therapy sessions so far to promote healing and gain back full foot motion. Two more physical therapy sessions and about 4 more weeks of healing before I can actually push myself walking at a fast pace to confirm the diagnosis and benefit of corrective surgery. With luck I'll be back to exercising in July and may even be able to drop a few pounds before our late August Disney cruise. It's been a long two years since this began. This journey reminds me why doctors are sometimes called "Practicing Physicians". Well, I hope everyone at least learned something from my 'rare' condition. I know I have.
About 2 years ago, I began experiencing extreme pain in my lower right leg. It felt like a really bad case of "Shin Splints ". The first time it happened I was trying to jog while on a business trip in Seattle. About ten minutes into the run, I started feeling pain all along my right leg shin, but not at all on the left leg. After stopping, it quickly went away (not what a 'real' shin splint would do). Every time I walked or jogged faster than about 3 miles per hour, the pain would return. I finally just slowly walked back to my hotel room leaving my coworkers wondering where I disappeared to. Since then, the condition has gotten increasingly worse. So bad, that I couldn't even walk around my neighborhood!
The Diagnosis
I spoke with my family doctor several times about this very bothersome situation. He was relatively sure the problem was cardio-vascular in nature. Most likely, Atherosclerosis, where the heart is unable to pump oxygen rich blood fast enough to my extremities due to blockage or hardening of those darn arteries. So, I went to a Cardio Pulmonary Specialist. He wired me up and put me through a typical heart 'Stress test'. Result - "You have a very strong heart for man 49 years old Mr. Deneen". "Excuse me doctor, I'm 59". "Oh! Then that's even better news. You should live a good long time. I found no problem whatsoever with your heart or vascular system"
A few months went by and the condition grew progressively worse. My doctor was still convinced the symptoms pointed to vascular disease. Perhaps it was Claudication, (blockage or narrowing of a major artery) in my leg. After all, I'm 60 years old and have High Blood Pressure. I went to a vascular specialist for testing. Result - Arteries all functioning normal.
Next probable diagnosis: A nerve gets pinched or rubbed when performing certain vigorous exercise causing pain to be felt in my lower leg. Possibly Sciatica. So I went to see a Neurologist. Hey, I broke a couple of vertebrae in my lower back when I was 19. There could be a nerve that's getting pinched and sending pain to my lower leg. More testing. I had an MRI of lower back, hip and leg. As it turned out, I have a small arthritic bone spur where the sciatic nerve passes by my hip to my leg. Neurologist says: "The bone spur is definitely not causing the pain in your lower leg." Gosh, what could the matter be?
In desperation, I suggested to my doctor that I should see a "Sports Medicine" specialist. My doctor says, "Why not, we've tried everyone else. Why don't you make an appointment with Dr. Davidson, he has an excellent reputation and he did the surgery on your wife's knee." So, I go see Dr. Davidson after having "researched" my symptoms on the web. What I found and thought fit my symtoms was a condition called, "Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome ". Note the similarities between the symptoms of Claudication and Compartment Syndrome.
Sure enough, after explaining to Dr. Davidson my experiences while walking, jogging or riding a bike and without any prompting from me, he replies, "You have all the classic signs of 'chronic exertional compartment syndrome'. Then, he drew a picture and explained where and why it was occurring. He also told me this is a very rare condition which is most often seen in long distance runners. Go figure. The longest distance I ever ran (jogged) was ten miles an that was 20 years ago!
Testing and fasciotomy surgery
The left photo is my leg 2 weeks after surgery and after stitches were removed. The two red blotches are the incisions made in order to do endoscopic fasciotomy surgery. Just prior to surgery, the doctor had me run on a tread mill at the hospital until my leg hurt so bad I couldn't continue. Then a nurse assisted me down the hall to the operating room, and helped up on the table. An anesthesiologist put me out, then the doctor stuck a huge needle with a pressure gauge on the top end of it in the anterior muscle compartment of each leg. Normal pressure after exertion should be below 30 mm Hg. My left leg (the one without pain) measured 23 mm Hg. The right leg measured 84 mm Hg! Time to CUT. The leg cross section view shows the Anterior compartment, just to the right of the Tibia. This is were my problem was occurring.
The next illustration shows where pressure in the muscle from expanding arteries (bringing more oxygen rich blood), presses against the Fascia, which is not flexible. This activity results in vessels and capillaries being compressed or closed off, which starves the muscle of oxygen, which in turn causes pain. The final illustration shows the procedure for correcting this condition. The doctor made two incisions in my leg, stretched the skin away from the fascia, then went in with long blunt nosed scissors and cut the fascia open all the way along the muscle from knee to ankle. He used a endoscope or fiber-optic viewing tube to guide him around a large nerve. He also saw a vessel that he couldn't get around, so he cut and cauterized it. He showed me the video when I went in to have the stitches removed.
Conclusion
The fascia will scar over closing the wound, but, leaving the compartment larger. This will allow the vessels and capillaries to function properly. I have had 2 physical therapy sessions so far to promote healing and gain back full foot motion. Two more physical therapy sessions and about 4 more weeks of healing before I can actually push myself walking at a fast pace to confirm the diagnosis and benefit of corrective surgery. With luck I'll be back to exercising in July and may even be able to drop a few pounds before our late August Disney cruise. It's been a long two years since this began. This journey reminds me why doctors are sometimes called "Practicing Physicians". Well, I hope everyone at least learned something from my 'rare' condition. I know I have.
Posted at 12:26 AM
Wed - October 22, 2003
Frueh Album
I finally got some pictures from Mom's "Frueh
Family Photo Album" up on my Apple Web site. I have plenty more to post, so keep
looking. Here is the link: Kevin's Web
site
Posted at 11:23 PM
Sun - October 12, 2003
The Frueh Family Photo Album
Well, it's been quite a while since I started
this project. Over the past several months, I've scanned in all 64 pages of the
album. Thanks, Mom, for loaning me the album. I am now in the process of
'cropping' out individual photos. Each page has anywhere from 1 to 10 photos. I
open each page in Photoshop Elements software, then crop out and save each photo
separately. Next, I straighten the photo and attempt to clean up damage (spills,
cracks, chips, etc). Then I do the best I can to correct lighting, contrast,
color cast and focus. This software is really amazing! This will again take
several months to get all the photos done. I hope everyone likes the results.
I'll be posting selected photos from the collection as I go through them. Also, when complete, I'll provide copies to those family members who request a set via CD-ROM.
Here is 'teaser'.........
I'll be posting selected photos from the collection as I go through them. Also, when complete, I'll provide copies to those family members who request a set via CD-ROM.
Here is 'teaser'.........
Posted at 01:25 PM
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Published On: Oct 28, 2005 10:15 PM
Published On: Oct 28, 2005 10:15 PM