Short Stories: Schwieterman Summer Adventure Series - 2022 (Part 1, originally posted 8/2/2022)
When my husband's brother announced his wedding would be celebrated in California, our family had to come up with a travel plan to join the festivities. After a HAST test in the pulmonary clinic confirmed that our daughter would need supplemental oxygen while flying on a plane, and a recent x-ray showed the hyperinflated left lung she had at birth has continued, we opted for ground transportation from OHIO to CALIFORNIA.
We quickly ruled out Amtrak and headed to a RV rental business to pick out our family’s chariot for the 5,000+ mile adventure—a 32-foot motorhome.
Packing for the nearly 3-week vacation with a vent- and trach-dependent child was the first adventure. With my trusty checklist, I began packing all the medical supplies. I also arranged for the DME company to provide a portable oxygen machine, since we were traveling through elevations considerably higher than Ohio’s landscape.
Next was the fun part—choosing which of the endless possible tourist destinations on our route we would visit, which, of course, included a stop to see our Colorado family.
The drive from Ohio to Colorado was, let’s say, unstimulating. I even drove the motorhome for a few hours on the flat terrain. We pushed hard to make it to the World’s Largest Truck Stop—Iowa 80, in Walcott. Although, for us, it was just a place to sleep. We didn’t indulge in the restaurant choices, movie theater, museum, or anything else the stop had to offer—other than a cup of coffee for Mommy. We had a full day of driving ahead of us, so we were back on the road early to get to our destination outside of Denver for a two-day reprieve from the camper as we stayed with my husband's sister and her adorable family.
We would be staying at an elevation of 7,000 feet, so as soon as we hit Denver, I hooked our daughter up to the pulse ox to make sure she was keeping up her blood oxygen levels. 95? We’ll take it! It was incredibly late for us Eastern Time Zone folks as we pulled into their drive. I was temporarily revived from my sleepy state as I took in a deep breath of the pine-scented air. It seriously smelt like a candle was burning! But it wasn’t much after setting foot in the house that my head required a pillow.
The next day was just the relaxation that we needed to prepare our bodies for the next few days of travel. It was a great and long overdue visit! Though, we could have gone without the bagging incident when our girl's trach tube plugged. (Her body took some time adjusting to a dryer climate.)
The following morning, we attended Mass and then made our way through the Rocky Mountains west toward Utah. Being unfamiliar with RVing, I was a nervous wreck as we made our way through the winding roads. It didn’t help that it rained the entire time, complete with lightening and even a short stint of hail. The dazzling views of Glenwood Canyon were a welcome distraction for my anxious mind as we descended from a peak elevation of 10,000 feet (I believe).
The rainy weather was not conducive to photo opportunities, so hopefully the girls looked up from their Gameboys occasionally to take in the scenery.
Let’s call this portion of our adventure Part 1. Next stop: Moab, UT
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