All winter long, we intended to stay in Bonaire until the “last minute”, returning to Curacao to leave the boat and then arriving in Bismarck, North Dakota just in time to celebrate July 4 (Independence Day) with friends and family.  But then we got a call from sister Zona saying that Mom was showing fatigue and shortness of breath.  Doctors were talking about excess fluid around the heart and lungs that was making it difficult to breathe and presumably putting strain on the heart.  Mom’s condition initially improved after getting an antibiotic for what was presumed to be pneumonia.  But then she relapsed, and saw more doctors.  There was talk of congestive heart failure.  She underwent a procedure to remove fluid from around her lungs:  a needle was inserted between her ribs to effect the extraction.  Slight improvement, but still a lot of fluid.  One doctor was advocating surgical installation of a “permanent gate” that could be used to periodically extract fluid.

We panicked, and left on May 17 for Curacao on the same day that Mom was to see a second batch of doctors.  When we arrived in Curacao we learned that the news was good:   a visit to a heart doctor revealed that the problem was not congestive heart failure — the heart is strong and healthy.  The diagnosis was that a virus had settled in around the heart and caused the inflammation that caused the fluid.  The malady is called pericardial edema, and it is not age-related.  A drug was prescribed to help flush the excess fluid, and the prognosis was that in two or three months she would be totally recovered.

So we took a week to get the boat ready to be put on the hard.  We flew out of Curacao on May 25 and arrived in Bismarck to find a chipper Mom regaining her strength and on the mend.

Here are a few pictures Barb took as we arrived at Willemstad.  (More text below pics.)

Getting the boat ready to be left on the hard is always intense, and this year was no exception.  But we found time to walk several times up over the hill to downtown Otrabanda and Punda, the west and east side of Willemstad.  We always enjoy the extensive and colorful fruit and vegetable market, and we had lunch one day with Kim and Doug (Gabrielle), who had proceeded us to Curacao.

In Trinidad TT2 is hauled with a lift, but in Curacao with a trailer.  This year, Pierre was driving the tractor while Rocky was in the water to watch that the lifting pads were correctly positioned.  Pierre either didn’t see Rocky’s signals, or ignored them, because one of the stabilizing fins was damaged by the trailer.  When we left Curacao it was still in the process of being repaired, and TT2 would be moved to the secure yard afterwards.