Medical emergency for Russ; Vanessa; Waikiki; Dino U Dee, D.D S. Inc., The Dentist who took me for the ride of my life; Walk with us along the North Shore; North Shore Volcom Pro Pipe Surf competition; Perfect drives to Kailua, Pali, and Ko Olina to Makaha; The winner; Saying goodbye.
Medical emergency for Russ
All through the night during the category 5 Hurricane Evan that struck us December 16 Russ went into slow motion writhing with pain. He’d had this pain for over three weeks, with blood in his urine, and deduced it was a kidney stone that could not pass.
After two visits to the hospital emergency in Lautoka, and calls to the urologist in Suva—who only comes to Lautoka once a month—we decided rather to hop a plane and seek out Yankee professionalism in Honolulu 8 hours away.
No sooner did I book the tickets when we were on Air Pacific headed for the one stop at Christmas Island. Russ was half mast having swallowed pain pills and other prescription meds recommended by our dear friend Christian, per his doctor friend. Add the cough suppressant with codeine I brought along for him so that the passengers weren’t aghast at the hooping, crooping, productive hacking cough. Groan moan, moan groan. SICK. Add a huge dose of flu to the measure of sickness.
Once the plane was ‘searched’ for terrorist paraphernalia at Christmas Island by islanders who don’t know the difference between a terrorist from a coconut (no disrespect, so remote they are), we boarded the little Boeing 737 and lifted off for Honolulu.
Vanessa, our daughter, was there to meet us and stood by us through all our medical needs, which seemed to descend from the well of malady. Without her care and local knowledge and hospitality and support, we would have been hard pressed.
In the end the Yankee doctors rose to the occasion with short notice and little time. They examined, diagnosed, provided options, took action in the most efficient and professional way—beyond expectations—in beautiful clean modern facilities.
Dr. Chinn was a urologist from Chinese descent who gave his all to care for Russ. He came in on his day off to follow up with him so that we could leave knowing all was well, as it could be for the time being.
Dr. Lum was a young Asian cardiologist—gentle and obliging and thorough and emphatic about Russ taking preventive care for his heart.
These doctors found more than they were looking for with Russ and tests and procedures and follow ups and prescriptions descended upon him for—
- A large kidney stone in the urethra, not able to pass through.
Go fishing for it up the urethra. Half goes back into the kidney. Shock the dickens out of that. Monitor that all fragments pass.
Nothing to do about three more stones in right kidney. They should pass in time being small enough. Drink water not beer!!! Good morning! The doctors seriously look at Russ when he talks of beer as if he is a total juvenile. - Anesthesiologist and urologist discover what looks like extensive arterial blockage and a racing heart rate of 109 (normal is 56 to 60) and irregular beat—Atrial Flutter.
- Do a Transesophageal Echocardiography. Sound waves bounce off the heart on a video screen giving clear picture of the heart valves and muscle. Looks good.
- Do a Cardio Inversion—shock the heart into normal rhythm. Success.
- Do a Tread Mill Test—shows how well the heart pumps under stress. Good. But build up of plaque is there.
- EMPHASIZE PREVENTIVE CARE. Blood thinner for a month, exercise, cholesterol meds etc., drink 4 gallons of water a day to get rid of remaining 3 stones. It is his life! Get a grip and do what is good for you Nason.
Vanessa
My rosebud daughter, twin sister of Sarah and younger sister of Ian: how I love her femininity, intuition, uncanny healing qualities, ability to see what most don’t see, able to admonish her reckless father. Always there for her mother, like an angel. She laughs with me, even when things go wrong. She was there for us like a carrot firmly in the ground. Rooted and nurturing.
We had a lot of fun together: swimming at Magic Island, walking the streets of Waikiki, drinking coffee at the Island Coffee Company with lights strung around the palm trees and young Japanese ‘Chic’ travelers enjoying the moment and buying Kona coffee at $30 a lb by the wheelbarrow full.
On my birthday she took me ‘shopping’ for rejuvenating skin cream having noticed I resemble Crocodile Dundee. She gave me encouragement that these expensive creams can have a reverse effects! Ja sure ja betcha!
I was reticent, but urged on: “Mom, we’re going shopping!”
She bought me a large glamorous sun hat that made me look like I’d emerged from Hollywood with Jacky Onassis sun glasses. A hand bag and purse and
organized a massage Sarah paid for.
My glamour birthday hat from Vanessa and sunglasses to give that Jacky Onassis look.Smile.
She walked down to the Shorebird, my choice (a bad one) for lunch—but right on the beach at Waikiki. She had on the sweetest yellow dress and delicate sandals and a big bag of gifts—the above—and Persian Rose candles and lavender goat milk soap from Sarah, all wrapped in gold paper. For once I felt like a princess--remembered, rather than a piece of sea weed dragging behind Zulu.
She bore witness to me buying a whole string of Tahitian pearls. Something I’ve dreamed of having for a long while. We took the necklace out into the sunlight and carefully examined each pearl and its luster and the way the sun caught the peacock sheens. Thumbs up she gave, and off I went feeling like I had the Hope Diamond around my neck.
My dream come true. A string of Tahitian pearls I bought myself for my birthday. They look better on my neck than a table.
She was my soul mate, my friend, my loving daughter—holding my hand as the tears rolled down our cheeks during the movie we went to see--Les Miserable’s. Then walking back through the streets of Waikiki, we’d laugh at the ridiculous.
“Mom, don’t just go with the flow. Design your next steps.” She counseled with regard my life and return to Zulu and the ocean wide. Smile.
Here she is at Magic Island with Diamond Head and Waikiki the backdrop—my
treasure child.
Vanessa, my rosebud girl, with Diamond Head and Waikiki as backdrop—taken from Magic Island, Ala Moana Beach Park.
Waikiki
We found a condo at the Ilikai Marina on the top floor. Waikiki was a stone’s throw away and became my playground. While Russ rested and watched TV and read newspapers, I would walk the beach from the Hilton Rainbow Towers all the way to the Westin Moana Surf Rider.
I would swim in between, have a sun downer at the Rum Fire—with waves lapping up against the walkway and flames dancing torch like toward the twilight skies, and at sunset I’d sit on the wall in front of the Tropicana and watch the people gather at the edge of the ubiquitous beach—cameras in hand—to capture the setting sun. To capture the life force of their being, and slowly turn into silhouettes.
The music would play on and I wished time would disappear—elusive.
Waikiki empties itself of bathers as bright light fades.
People gather at the edge of the ubiquitous beach—cameras in hand—to capture the setting sun, the life force of their being, and slowly turn into silhouettes.
Dino U Dee, D.D S. Inc., The Dentist who took me for the ride of my life
My tooth, two down from top center, was raising a red flag. It had a veneer on it and felt cracked on the inside. I had made an appointment in Fiji twice to see a dentist: Advanced Dental Care. And twice Mr. ‘Advance” did not show up as he was on Fiji Time.
So when in Honolulu, I looked in the yellow pages and found an office within walking distance with an accolade of “Nominated Best Dentist in Hawaii” (2005 I found out later). What more was there to say (the add read)?
On a Friday I called up and the receptionist was more than polite, asked if I had any pain, let me know that the following Monday was a holiday and that she would see what she could do.
“Can you come in at 10 AM today?” she asked. “The doctor will take a look at the problem—in between his other patients—and then make an appointment for the following week. Heads up: “There will be a new patient fee of $130.89. Would that be alright?”
How amazing! No problem. That was fine. I’d be there at 10:00 AM. Off I walked with address in hand looking for street names and cross streets and addresses for—
Smile Saver Dental Center
1441 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1112
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
At one point I was waiting for the light to change and looking around for street numbers and caught my Teva sandal on the pavement edge and went sprawling like a dead duck face down on the pavement. Knee grazed and bleeding. Time out, I need a jolly wheelchair. Winded and wounded I carried on, arriving with instant composure gathered looking like I’d been shot.
Of course the receptionist noticed my bleeding knee and handed me a key on an oversized toothbrush to go to the rest rooms to clean up.
The Smile Saver Dental Center Dr. Dino Dee saw me. He specialized in cosmetic, braces, implants, and general dentistry. He was friendly and focused of Pilipino descent--I guessed—with mask and cap on. I will try to make this short as detail begets guile.
Here is the shocking summary of how he ‘extracted' $3,680.63 from my purse by absolute misleading me: placed a crown on a broken tooth and replaced all my fillings under the guise of cavities! It was highway robbery and I allowed him to sucker me in. That is the embarrassing part. My city smarts have been replaced by too much time snoozing in the sun.
Knowing my situation—limited time and an intended passage on a sail boat from Fiji to New Zealand-- he took an X-ray of the problem tooth and deduced: a root canal, post, and crown needed!
Then with his swift eye for cosmetics, he zoomed in on opportunity at lightning speed and proceeded to name off 5 more teeth—M 1 D 4 etc (I’m making these IDs up)—which he lead me to believe needed ‘work’, insinuating they had cavities.
Thesaurus lists these words as alternatives for the word ‘insinuating’ and how rightly so: clever, cunning, sly, ingenious, devious, crafty, shrewd.
He conveniently vanished—like ether-- after his eagle eye exam and Maggie, his admin assistant , arrived with an estimate on a clip board totaling $3,762.04.
“I won’t charge you for the other x-rays. We only do composite fillings, no metal. Can you pay up front?”
I was stunned. She was not making sense, rather talking fast and adding to the deviousness. How on earth did I get 5 cavities when I saw my dentist of 15 years only 2 years ago and he did not see any cavities? This thought, like a broken record kept looping around my numb brain and I noticed blood running from my knee. But I was suckered into signing/approving work as assessed and paying up front.
I walked out that high rise Smile Saver Dental Center in a stupor with date and time for the next appointment.
The next appointment was a jaw-breaking marathon where 5 teeth were ‘refilled’ with zest. The Tower of London rack would have been a better experience. I could hear the cash register ringing as my jaw went into lock mode.
It is all a blur now. I can’t remember when he decided—after taking the only X-ray up front—that I did not need a root canal or post, just a crown on the ‘live’ tooth. But the temporary crown had come off the day after it was put on, and was re-glued. So he found another tooth with a hair-line crack to refill in lieu of root canal-ing and post-inserting. He had to make hay while the sun shone!
This man should have hooked up with DeBeers in South Africa, so adept he was at finding diamond and gold opportunity in the mouths of weather-beaten sailor women!!!
Oh, by the way Maggie said I was due a refund because I did not have the root canal and post work done. I don’t think she knew Mr. Cosmetic frenetic chose another tooth to drill and fill. I said I would take it right away and got $212.30 credited to my card!
I think Maggie read my face and knew I had been taken for a hell of a ride, so she grabbed a plastic bag and loaded it up with about ten tubes of Crest toothpaste and a few really super duper state-of-the-art techno-wiz-kid toothbrushes—enough to keep all the villages in Fiji up on dental hygiene.
I walked out of the Smile Saver Dental Center feeling like Mohammad Ali had used my mouth for a boxing bag! Fun in the sun. All I could eat was air. This was a Wednesday as I recall. My next appointment was for January 28, a Monday.
On the Sunday before, I had graduated from eating air to a salad and naan bread—very carefully—when I bit into something hard! I stopped real short. And—excuse this next part—cleared the mouthful.
“I’ve swallowed the bloody CROWN.” I thought. But no, I found it in with the olives!
But the BROKEN TOOTH—which was filed down to a ‘V’ Borneo Indian-style—had gone down the tube.
I reverted to parrot language big time. No way in high heaven could my ‘crown-in-waiting’ be glued onto my mini spike! The writing was on the wall. My ride from Dr. Dino U Dee was about to accelerate to Olympic Bobsledding heights gone wrong.
He’s going to put that crown on in any case because he will not have time for a post or bridge, as I was leaving Hawaii the following day (as it turned out we had to extend our stay 2 weeks and he could have worked an alternative—but I would have had to PAY).
Early Monday morning I called and asked for him to see me ASAP. The receptionist said I would have to pay for the appointment.
“I’m not giving Dr. Dee another tickey! Not a PENNY more.”
Some side talk……on hold. “Just keep your 2:00 PM appointment then.” The sweet receptionist appeased me.
At 2:00 PM I sat down in the dental chair LIVID, but ‘contained’. Dr. Dee was unusually cheerful. “I hear you broke your tooth.” He said jauntily. I fumed black smoke thinking: I broke my @!!!!xxx$ tooth because your glue job of the temporary crown fell off the 2nd time!
His assistant said with confidence that they could ‘build’ it up. But there was no building up to do from Dr Smile Saver Dee. Just put the new crown on the undermined tooth.
“I chose a lighter shade crown—it was a lovely crown for sure—so that it can match all the cosmetic work you need to have done. You have a LOT of work and really need to replace that old bridge of yours” he said.
All this in fragments of dental time. When you come back……
“What a !!!@$%!! Joke I thought. Like you’re going to see my pearly yellows again??” I mused. Rude awakening!!
His assistant, as if on cue, flashed a round mirror in front of my face for me to see my new crown, bound to reign the shortest period in tooth history. Then to blow the rest of my mind, she pushed a clipboard under my nose with a form for me to sign!
‘Sign here that you are happy with your coronation, and I will not be responsible if it falls off in 3 minutes.’ I was so disgusted I signed on the dotted line knowing it was a pile of rubbish.
I then asked him to draw me a picture of how much of the tooth broke off, which he did. Also to see the x-rays showing the 5 cavities, as I could not imagine how this could be.
He got flustered and called to his assistant to bring the X-rays and then deterred my attention, because there were NO X-rays showing any cavities—he had not taken any--just those after he had replaced all my metal fillings with composite. (No wonder Maggie said I would not have to pay for more X-rays).
“I ‘replaced’ your old fillings because there were bacteria underneath them.” WOW! The truth shall reveal itself.
I burned bright red at his audacity as he walked away—leaving me in his Dental Chair of Deceit-- out of my life with $3,680.63 in his pocket and with me crowned Cinderella! I had just been taken for the ride of my dental life!
Perfect drives to Kailua, Pali, and Ko Olina to Makaha
Vanessa’s friend, Mike Olsen was thoughtful enough to include Russ and I on some perfect drives. He rented a Mustang convertible and with Ness navigating—by pointing her index finger right or left—we drove to lookouts on the east side before the renowned Makapu beach, Kailua, across the Pali, to Ko Olina beach and the end of Highway 93 beyond Makaha on the west side, and lastly to the North Shore, respectively. This sounds like Hawaiian 101.
Lookout off Highway 72: We hopped a stone wall onto flat, layered pancake rocks to look across the Pacific breaking hard against the rock shore—short of the renowned Makapu big-wave beach and found solitude.
On Oahu’s east side with Ness, before the renowned big-wave Makapu beach—geology formed from time everlasting.
Vanessa finding solitude.
Kailua: We strolled Kailua and Lanikai beaches with Popoia and Mokulua islands not without reach on a kayak. Ness took us to a quiet finger of white sand for some yoga practice and meditation. We each found our own paths along the sand picking up on the locals celebrating an event, walking hand in hand, having fun in the sun.
The restaurant Ness recommended was too full, so we went to Whole Foods—a First World food gold mine—for sensory delight. I was satiated before even eating anything, and overwhelmed by choice. The quality and variety and quantity were beyond imagination after scrounging around markets on small islands in the South Pacific.
My vegetarian food hey day: curried Tempe with currants, cashews, and fresh herbs; steamed beets and pumpkin with feta cheese; Mediterranean salad; and a fresh orange and blueberry smoothie. WOW.
Russ had a bowl of pulled pork and succumbed to a smoothie like mine. Ness had a turkey avocado wrap and peach tea and Mike had a wrap and tea too. We all got to heaven in a hurry.
Mike Olsen at Kailua Bay beach.
Pali: The afternoon was coming to an end, but Mike—squeezing as much beauty into the day as possible--pulled off at the Nu’uanu Pali State overlook, where the Battle of Nu’uanu took place. It is a powerful vista with sheer drops into the valley below.
In the late 1700s Kamehameha I wanted to unite the Hawaiian Islands. Ten years previous, Oahu was defeated by Maui forces and the battle fought here, too, overwhelmed Oahu.
In 1795 Kamehameh’s forces arrived in Oahu. They drove the battle to the Nu’uanu Valley to this beautiful spot fighting with spears and firearms. The battle was called Kaleleka’anae (leaping of the ‘anae fish), as warriors were forced off the cliff to their deaths. About 400 warriors died and Kamehameha’s cannons brought the final blow to Oahu.
Agreement for uniting the Hawaiian islands were made with Kaumuali of Kuaui, who became the first king of Hawaii.
On the return trip to Honolulu, Mike played a composition called 'Aloha', words of which touched our souls and lifited our spirits as we wound our way down the Pali into Honolulu in time to witness the great ball of setting sun drop into the sea and cast an apricot glow on the glass sky rises.
This is where the battle of Kaleleka’anae was fought to unite the Hawaiian Islands. It is off the Pali overlooking the Nu’uanu valley-- a beautiful, but treacherous spot.
Battle of Nu’uanu to unite the islands: Kamehameha I—from the Big Island of Hawaii—won the battle over Oahu with his cannons here in 1795. Over 400 warriors died and many were forced over the cliffs, the incident now referred to as—leaping of the ‘anae fish.
Paradise Cove at Ko Olina: Although tucked between the Disney Vacation Club villas, this jewel of a beach was the perfect spot for a picnic. Russ ignoring all rules, as usual, pulled down the rope barrier that separated picnic tables and lawn from the beach. No sooner had he done that than a big beefy 6-ft-plus native Hawaiian security guard quietly squared up to him--dwarfing him--and threatened to throw him off the Pali. No, quietly reminded him that he was on private Mickey Mouse property.
We spread out under the shade of a tree on the sand like the rest of the ‘reasonable’ party intended, and enjoyed a scrumptious picnic: cheeses, crackers, salami, hummus, cherry tomatoes, crunchy baguette, and strawberries and wine. Yum!!
As usual the sea called me and in I went. Are those rocks or turtles? Two swam right up to me—one without a flipper—and the encounter was endearing. Human-turtle rendezvous. Ness and Mike came in, too.
Paradise cove at Ko Olina—nestled in between the Disney Vacation club Villas—a gem where rocks suddenly emerge as turtles. The human-turtle rendezvous was a highlight. Especially endearing was one with only one flipper. Look carefully and you will find him.
Walk with us along the North Shore
Vanessa, her friend Mike from Seattle, and Russ walk the sands of the North Shore. Vanessa and Mike converse in friendship, Russ ever in a world of his own, and I photograph wave after wave after rolling wave—none of which I have heart to delete. Some more powerful than others, they purify me and help me find a still, calm center.
I hope you are soothed and humbled by their beauty and power, as I am. Always the ocean waves pound the shores of life and bring a sense of reckless reality and finality—a sense of new beginnings, new chances, new opportunities as they rise in swell and crash against the reefs and shore. The waves help empty my mind of clutter and repetitive thinking. They purify me so that I find quiet.
Take some time to walk with us and look at each set of waves breaking: enormous, powerful, beautiful, awesome along this stretch of North Shore beach in winter.
Vanessa, Mike Olsen from Seattle, and Russ walk the North Shore, while I photograph wave after wave after rolling wave—none of which I have heart to delete. Some more powerful than others, they purify me and help me find a still, calm center.
2013 Volcom Pipe Pro Surf Competition
North Shore stretches about 7 miles around the top end of the island of Oahu. Its winter waves rise like giants and curl into perfection to break like liquid glass and sometimes dangerous chaos. It has been a surf Mecca forever, and draws surfers from around the world to compete with one another, and with themselves in riding the glass green pipes of joy of up to 30 feet!
We walk into the 2013 Volcom Pipe Pro competition and uninformed about who is who just take in the scene—very laid back—except for the adrenalin spurts the surfers face in taking that first step into the white breaking surf to find their glass green walls of water, the faces of which to ride down and out through the pipe’s opening into camera lenses and binocular views and the eyes of beach onlookers.
Oh to be young and fit and in form for some ultimate balancing water acts in a place as perfect and powerful as the North Shore in winter.
See the winner—John John Florence at the end of my unprofessional point-and-shoot-from-the-beach waves. So sweet he is.
2013 Volcom Pipe Pro surf competition: beach scene, surfers, and waves-of-the-day taken from the beach with my small Cannon point-and-shoot camera.
The winner
John John Florence, 20 years old, won the Volcom Pro Pipe surf competition—for a THIRD CONSECUTIVE TIME!
He stayed ‘back’ waiting for 15 minutes in this 2013 competition for his mentors to have first choice of waves—out of respect for them. Then was lucky enough to slip into the faces of some beautiful glass green waves and ride them through the pipes to championship.
WOW! How fantastic. Out of a purse $130,000 he lined his sweet young pocket with $20,000.
He is a 'local boy', born in Hawaii and lives on the North Shore with his parents and three brothers.Super day for John John, and more of these days to come.
Here he is below with some of the waves taken by professionals at the competition.
Local cool cat 20-year-old John John Florence from the North Shore wins the 2013 Volcom Pro Pipe competition taking $20,000 winnings! Selective waves of the days taken by the professionals!
Saying goodbye
Friday, February 15 barely dawned and we crept around in the darkness of Vanessa’s apartment trying not to waken her, with Russ hooping and crooping and hacking still.
Ness snuggled up in her quilt on her couch in the arms of deep sleep. At last the weight of parent malady would lift from her sweet shoulders. Quiet and normality would return.
We slipped out of the door with Aston, her friend, who kindly drove us to the airport for our 6 AM arrival time.
Oahu had been good to us with professional care for Russ’ medical needs. We’d stayed at the top of a high rise in Waikiki, celebrated my birthday with lunch by the sea and hats and pearls, seen the tourists at play, Japanese weddings by the sea by the virtual dozens, locals at work, homeless in tents strung along King Street pavement, the rich houses perched up high, been taken for a ride by Dr. Dee, taken perfect drives and swims and walks, seen pro surfers ride big waves, and drank in Whole Foods in dazzling displays. There were sunsets, laughter, and tears with my treasured daughter—my soul mate. It was all good.
The time had come for us to say goodbye to all who welcomed us to the island of Oahu. To all who gave--Aloha and Mahalo.
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