WE ARE CRUISING AGAIN

PAT AND ALICE ARE CRUISING AGAIN 

AUSTRALIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA ON MAASDAM

JANUARY 1, 2019 TO MARCH 29, 2019

JANUARY 6, 2019 TO FEBRUARY 15, 2019

FEBRUARY 15, 2019 TO MARCH 29, 2019

We are excited to be setting out on this wonderful trip on New Years Day. We will board a Cathay Pacific flight to Perth, Australia via Hong Kong. That first leg will be 16 hours. After a 2 hour layover in Hong Kong airport our second flight will last 8 hours. We will arrive in Perth at 5:00 AM on Thursday after crossing the dateline. The ship will dock in Fremantle, so we will transfer to a hotel in Fremantle for our 3 day stay before departure on the 6th. We enjoyed Fremantle last year, and we are looking forward to experiencing some of the things we missed then. We may take the train to Perth and back for a day trip.

Our bags are packed except for the last minute things, but our preparations were not without some anxious moments. 

In early November my  podiatrist ordered another pair of orthotics for me. This process started in May. The first three pairs all had problems. Well, this pair did not arrive until December 19th. On the 28th we agreed that these are finally OK. I am good to go.

While I was coping with this, Alice went to the dentist for a routine exam and cleaning of her teeth. She mentioned that her bridge felt loose when she chewed. X-rays showed that the tooth at the "loose" end had a cavity. The bridge was removed and repair of the tooth was attempted, but there would not be enough tooth left to anchor the bridge. It had to be extracted. The bridge was modified to cover the other tooth because Alice would get an implant to replace the removed tooth when we get home. This was on December 20th. Alice was scheduled to return on the 29th for removal of the sutures. OK.

Her jaw was sore for a few days as it recovered from the trauma. The tooth had a root canal done several years ago, and the tooth had bonded to the jaw bone. It took significant effort to remove it. The bone was modified in preparation for the later implant. As healing progressed the other tooth became sensitive to hot and cold. The dentist fit us in at 5:30 on Thursday the 26th. It was confirmed that a root canal was necessary. 

The endodontist was available so I waited while the procedure was performed. He drilled through the bridge and succeeded in lining up perfectly with the canal on the first attempt. Great. Then while using a file on the canal after the root had been removed the file broke off in the tooth. It was a long piece but did not protrude enough to allow for removal.The segment was too large to be left in the tooth. After multiple consultations, it was decided to use an ultrasound device to work the piece out. After working for some time, this process succeeded. The canal was sealed and the bridge was closed. Alice was good to go home.

The pain was gone as one would expect with a rootless tooth. Antibiotics to prevent infection are the order of the day. Alice was examined on Saturday and given the go ahead for travel. Did you hear our sighs of relief.

I will post again from Fremantle to update you on our adventure. Happy New Year to you all.