We were up way too early Sunday morning (May 28) in order to depart the ship at 5:30 am. Because it was so early, we had to manage our own luggage which wasn’t an issue. There was mass confusion as to which exit ramp to take, and we were sent three different places before finding the correct one. We arrived at the airport, passed through Italy’s Passport Check and Customs without a hitch. The plane from Rome to DFW was a bit late, but the delay was more than made up as we arrived at DFW an hour and half early. And then it was off to Little Rock, then home, arriving some 24 hours after getting out of bed!

Sleep came easily in our own bed, but we were up at 2 am on Memorial Day, in concert with our body time. Kay was not feeling well, and tested positive for COVID, the first time for either of us. She rested throughout the day and much of the week, beginning to feel better on Friday. Meanwhile, on Tuesday I received a call to schedule surgery to repair a rotator cuff and bicep tear in my right shoulder. Anticipating a 6 to 8 week waiting period, the surgeon’s office surprised me with a June 7 surgery date. They knew I wanted to have the surgery as soon as possible, and kept the early date open for me.

The days leading up to surgery were a whirlwind, what with Kay testing positive again, and then negative, and our preparing for shoulder surgery.

The next week, the second week of June, was all about shoulder surgery. Arriving at the outpatient clinic at CHI in Hot Springs on the morning of June 7, I was prepped, then taken into the OR, “waking up” an hour later in Recovery with a bandage and cooling pad on my shoulder, and my arm nestled in a sling. With the nerve block still effective, I felt no pain.

We returned home about three hours later, and the recliner became my home for the next week. Everything was coming along just fine, and then the nerve block began wearing off the day after surgery, and the pain began, intensifying almost every minute. Despite the oxycodone the pain was about 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. To supplement the opioid I took two Tylenol and an Advil, and repeated the three medications every 6 hours. After the first six hours, the pain began receding, hovering about “6” for another few hours—tolerable. The pain quickly receded and I felt no discomfort at all. And no more pain medicine.

I spent the first seven days after surgery taking it easy, and not putting the shoulder in any kind of motion or bind. Regretfully, Kay again tested positive for Covid. Though she didn’t feel terribly bad, it really neutered her always busy schedule. On Day 7 after surgery, we visited the surgeon’s office where the stitches and bandages were removed, and the surgeon gave instructions for the next five weeks. (Note: The surgeon was Dr. Cari Cordell; she and all of her staff get a 5-star rating in all categories from us.)

The following week, the second week after surgery, Kay returned to her two mornings of pickleball and one morning of golf. I continued taking it easy and began physical therapy.

The next week, the third week after surgery and the last full week of June, Kay continued with pickleball, golf, and a few other social activities while I continued the recovery and rehabilitation process. I did venture out to take a few photos.

I spent a lot of time at the computer learning new software, and creating a YouTube channel, DunnGone Travels.

The next few days, those at the end of June, was a continuation of the last three weeks. This is going to be a long, hot and humid summer!