Kmom Live-ish from Carnival Vista April 23-30, 2022

[KmomChicago]

At the site it was a LOT of walking in hot, humid weather. Long walk from the boat to the first building, long walk between buildings. There are really just three big ones excavated. We had another person on the tour with knee trouble flaring up by the time we made it to the first one. 

Carnival calls this Moderate activity level but I would up that.

 

Here are the steps that nearly knocked that guy out to ascend to the site.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Below first temple.

 

 

 

 

Close up of first temple.

Better view of first temple.

Edited May 7, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Walking through rain forest to ball court and second temple.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Second temple.

 

 

[KmomChicago]

Walking through forest to third temple. 

 

 

 

[KmomChicago]

And we arrived at the last temple. This was the only one we could ascend. I didn’t plan to do that but I did go up the lower stairs to the platform where I sat down on a bench. I suddenly was not feeling well at all, leaned over, and my husband caught me as I lost consciousness, dropped the phone and fell forward.

 

 

This was the last photo I took before suddenly feeling too unwell.

Edited May 7, 2022 by KmomChicago

[KmomChicago]

Apparently my eyes were open but I was nonresponsive, being spoken to and not hearing, not answering, not in control of my body. 
 

As it happened, we had a podiatrist in our group who immediately offered assistance and diagnosed the hypoglycemia. Separately we had a nurse in our group who had and offered a pack of glucose gel. I “came to” hearing someone (husband) telling me I had to eat this, sliding the open packet gently in my mouth, feeling and tasting and then swallowing the gel. 
 

Apparently another dark, quiet 60-90 seconds passed before I saw all the people around me and whispered to my husband that I was embarrassed, and what is happening?
 

 

[SenatorsFan]

That must have been so scary!

[KmomChicago]

From that point things improved quickly. The podiatrist started telling me what was going on. I was given water.
 

Yet another Good Samaritan had a blood sugar meter, lancets and strips, so (with my permission) she jabbed me and the doctor said the results were fine given the situation.
 

A little entourage, two of the four tour guides, and about 8 other cruise guests, walked me back, with my husband holding my left hand and one of the guides my right, and the doctor walking backwards in front of me more than halfway back to the boat, monitoring me, keeping me talking, assessing.
 

Gratitude is a daily thing for me, really and truly, especially since the pain of losing Carol 18 years ago changed my whole outlook on life for the better. Her passing truly made me understand the incredible gift of every day on earth, every moment. 
 

And even so, I was deeply touched and grateful for the kindness of all these strangers. I was so sorry to inconvenience everyone and delay the tour, but people were very patient and smiled and clapped a little when we boarded the boat, the last ones aboard, of course. My husband assured me our incident hadn’t cost the excursion more than 15 minutes. 

[KmomChicago]

6 minutes ago, SenatorsFan said:

That must have been so scary!

You know, you’re actually too loony to be scared.  You’re confused more than anything. 

[KmomChicago]

We zoomed back on our wild jet boat ride and it rained some more. We got back to Ayin Ha and had chicken, beans and rice, and fried plantains. Many people looked at me funny or asked how I was feeling or said they were glad I was okay. 
 

We were all drenched-it had actually rained some more while I was being walked back to the boat. I was so glad that I hadn’t needed to be carried. I had brought dry clothes - in a plastic bag in the backpack - and changed into those before another long bus ride back to Belize City. 
 

The doctor had told me I would feel tired and possibly a bit unwell for the rest of the day, maybe two. That was true enough. It was yet another long ride on the tender back to the ship, long loading and unloading processes. I really don’t remember what we did that night but I slept well and felt normal by morning in Cozumel. 
 

I already kinda figured this would be my last Mayan ruins so in spite of it all, I’m grateful to have visited Lamanai as well. I visited Chichen Itza and Tulum on the same land trip to Mexico in the 1990’s, then Uxmal from Progeso with Bill Lawson tours on our 2017 Triumph cruise. 
 

My cup runneth over. 

Edited May 7, 2022 by KmomChicago

[Saint Greg]

54 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

And we arrived at the last temple. This was the only one we could ascend. I didn’t plan to do that but I did go up the lower stairs to the platform where I sat down on a bench. I suddenly was not feeling well at all, leaned over, and my husband caught me as I lost consciousness, dropped the phone and fell forward.

 

 

This was the last photo I took before suddenly feeling too unwell.

 

Wow it's the mask temple they climb now? Not the high temple?  When I was there in 2018 they had a staircase built behind the high temple to climb on. I wonder if something happened to it.

[KmomChicago]

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Wow it's the mask temple they climb now? Not the high temple?  When I was there in 2018 they had a staircase built behind the high temple to climb on. I wonder if something happened to it.

Yes this was the climbing temple, just on its front side. Here’s the rest of the group all over the thing like a buncha monkeys. 

[Saint Greg]

47 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Yes this was the climbing temple, just on its front side. Here’s the rest of the group all over the thing like a buncha monkeys. 

 

 

Here's a clean one. We couldn't climb that one in 2018.

 

 

But the high temple we climbed.

 

 

And you could see the river from it.

 

[KmomChicago]

I mentioned it very briefly in the review, but the next morning we did the Carnival wave runner excursion in Cozumel. They ask if you have any health conditions and I said Nope!

[ontheweb]

7 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

No, I don’t think they reported it to Carnival. No mention of it to me whatsoever.

I was wondering more if you felt the need to get medical attention when you got back to the ship. That of course was before I read how you lucked out that there were qualified medical persons on the excursion who helped out. Great to hear that in these days when you hear stories of medical people afraid to volunteer due to malpractice concerns and insurance concerns. 

 

Also thanks for the great Lamanai pictures. They bring back great memories.

[KmomChicago]

8 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I was wondering more if you felt the need to get medical attention when you got back to the ship. That of course was before I read how you lucked out that there were qualified medical persons on the excursion who helped out. Great to hear that in these days when you hear stories of medical people afraid to volunteer due to malpractice concerns and insurance concerns. 

 

Also thanks for the great Lamanai pictures. They bring back great memories.

 

Everyone involved asked either my husband's or my permission before they said or did one dang thing. Literally, the first thing the doctor did was tell my husband he was a doctor and ASK my husband if he wanted him to help. 

 

My husband thought I was dying, having a stroke, seriously, so he just said YESSS, please, thank you!  However, he is here with me now and saying the doctor and nurse both said it was up to him whether to give me the glucose gel and they had him do it. So to your point, there is some risk for the pros. 

 

I do remember the doctor making very clear to me once I was coherent, that he is a PODIATRIST. I'm pretty smart so I said, Foot doctor. He said, yes, but I went to medical school, I am a real doctor, we all know basic medicine. Is that okay with you?  I didn't think I was having a stroke, but I think I chuckled a bit. Umm, yes, that will be fine. The only real doctor available in this emergency will be a good enough doctor for now. He looked at my eyes and squeezed my wrist for my pulse and I think did a few other checks of my vitals. 

 

His name was Nate and he was very nice, but it seemed kind of clear he didn't want any further attention once the emergency had passed, and we didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

[KmomChicago]

My husband's favorite venue for libations was, by far, the RedFrog Pub.

 

We are not big drinkers - we have tried Cheers once, just for my husband on Legend when we were in separate rooms so we didn't have to buy two packages - and still found it doesn't work well for us.

 

His preferred drink is double Scotch neat, one or two per day and that's it. Carnival discounts when you make it a double so we have found that to be a good deal. For me, I have zero, one or two cocktails per day on vacation. For many reasons I have no desire for more whatsoever, sometimes no desire for any.

 

We had a slight problem at Alchemy - when he ordered a double Scotch neat, it led to a discussion where the server tried to explain their normal Scotch is larger than one, so we didn't need a double. We repeated about 5 times through an odd conversation that this is what we wanted, but in the end got a single Scotch on the rocks. Needless to say, back to the RedFrog.

[KmomChicago]

It occurred to me to circle back here quickly.  I finally got an A1C test and the result was 5.5 so it seems my hypoglycemic event was indeed triggered by the heat exhaustion of the Lamanai excursion rather than a sign I've developed Type 2 diabetes. 

 

It really was classic rainforest / jungle conditions, hot and swampy air and you're drenched with sweat that is not evaporating at all.  Here in Illinois it's hot and dry this summer, but I am pushing myself a bit less than in the past and sitting down as soon as I feel even the slightest effects of the heat. 

 

@arctickitty incredibly Fighter cat is still with us.  He continues to eat well and to perk up when I love on him, but still has chronic issues and his skin condition worries me. He is really gritty all over no matter what I do for him, wiping, washing, rubbing, brushing, all of which I do gently.  Due to a generous donation we will be moving most of the cats to a new building, hopefully in September, but really we want to focus our work on free and low cost spay/neuter rather than providing a sanctuary for the endless newborns.  As we continue to take in dozens of new kitten litters each year, the supply outpaces the number of loving homes and we HAVE to get it under control in a HUMANE way; otherwise the alternative is unfortunately for some of the cats to suffer in many different possible ways. 

 

Please do not feed stray / outdoor cats UNLESS you trap them and have them altered.  I understand seeing a starving mother cat and wanting to help her and her kittens. That's fine, but please get them inside and if you are willing to pay for the food, be willing to pay for the vet care they need. 

 

[KmomChicago]

I will be posting this on a few of my old reviews and at the Tribe for some kind folks who care about the shelter cats I work with in my spare time. 

 

This is Fighter and I took this today, July 28, 2022. This is after I cleaned up his chronically drooly mouth and stuffy nose. After I gave him a sponge bath and gentle brushing. While he was kneading me with his gunky paws, after barely licking his squishy Sheba pate supper. 
 

At this angle you can’t see the open sores that won’t heal, or the gritty skin that’s hidden by his still-handsome fur. But Fighter is getting tired of fighting. His advanced FIV is winning, as we knew it would eventually, over the antibiotics and pain meds and soft food that have already prolonged his life and comfort for over a year in our care at the rescue. He came to us in spring of 2021 at about 8 or 9 years of age, elderly for an outdoor cat, and has shown us tremendous love and gratitude for providing him with a safe and easy retirement home after those tough years on the streets.
 

I hope he knows I’m as grateful for him as he is for me. And I know if I love him, we have to let him go before his discomfort becomes intolerable. He’s getting a pain shot tonight but regardless, time is now short for my sweet friend. 
 

[KmomChicago]

Fighter held on almost another four months. RIP November 22, 2022.

 

Today at the farm before our ride over to the vet. 

[arctickitty]

KMom , I hadn’t logged into CC for awhile and your post here about Fighter was the only thing in my messages…thank you for the update on him.  Hope you are doing well!

[KmomChicago]

On 12/13/2022 at 1:38 AM, arctickitty said:

KMom , I hadn’t logged into CC for awhile and your post here about Fighter was the only thing in my messages…thank you for the update on him.  Hope you are doing well!

 

Hi, Arctickitty.  Hope you are well also!  Everything is good here; my job is pretty great, my family and I have a lot of non-cruise travel coming up in the next six months and I am very busy at the rescue in my spare time; it's really my only hobby and I get much more out of it than I put in. 

I don't visit CC regularly when I am not actively cruising either. I logged in to mention Fighter because a few folks were so kind and invested with me in his wellbeing.  He had a great last day. It was unseasonably beautiful weather, he had been given extra pain meds, and he briefly ran around outdoors, enjoying himself and acting like a young healthy kitty. It was brutal to take him and hold him and watch him fall asleep and stay that way, and yet I am grateful to have been with him. I am getting better with our hospice kitties, at waiting to grieve until after they are gone, rather than each time I think about what's to come.  With Fighter, I was stronger than usual through the procedure but I woke up crying the next morning and I'm doing it again now writing this. 

[ninjacat123]

Thank you for the Fighter update Kmom.  You're not the only one crying today. 😿

[KmomChicago]

New review