return to business as usual

We arrived back home last Wednesday, after a short hop to LA, a trip to a mall and then the long flight home. We were very pleased to be upgraded to Club class, and snoozed and snacked our way home. I was supposed to fast to reduce jat-lag, but when you're faced with champagne, a printed menu and proper china and cutlery it's difficult to refuse. Caroline's vaccine flask was opened a few times, but allowed through without incident and we arrived at Newcastle to be picked up by Dave. Fortunately I called from Heathrow or we might have been left stranded, Andrew having assumed that as last time he and Caroline were a whole day late, we would not be on time.

The children were quite pleased to see us, Dave was extremely happy and Ollie was delighted. We have both had a few problems sleeping, and although mine have seemed to resolve themselves as my jet-lag has disappeared, Caroline's are more intractable. It's lovely to be cooler again, but the heavy rain we have had is not so welcome. Dad is out of hospital and he and Mum are managing well, although it will be a long haul to get back to his former fitness and mobility. At least it's October and the grass should stop growing.

I have already heard from a few fellow patients, and hope to keep up to date with them all. Pam and Wesley have retrieved my glasses, and will send them back on their return to England.

I have tried to explain about the Oasis of Hope and my life-changing experience to anyone who has asked me about where I've been, but it's extremely difficult. I feel 'alive, refreshed, renewed and re-energised' !  The children and Dave are rather suspicious of the changes they know I want to make to their diet, it'll have to be softly, softly.

leaving for home

I was all excited this morning to be coming home, after breakfast I left Caroline to the doctors for stitches to be removed and port taken out and went for a walk with Jo Ann to the beach. I dipped my feet in the Pacific Ocean, (didn't seem any warmer than the North Sea) and then we had a drink at El Yoghurt and watched the hummingbirds. It was sad to be leaving the hospital and lots of new friends among staff and patients, but I can't wait to be home again.

Spot the hummingbird

We left for the airport a bit later than expected, waiting for Caroline's vaccine and another patient, but got there with no bother. A short hop to LA and a shuttle to the hotel, which is very big with wonderful soft beds. We are tired and have eaten here tonight (Caroline managed to choose the most expensive wine on the menu for us, but only a glass each!) In the morning we will check out, leave the bags here and go shopping before checking in for the flight home. Caroline's removed stitches seem fine and she's hoping for a good night's sleep.

I'm running out of power and the adapter's no good, so bye for now.

the dolphins appear for us

Dr Contreras

Dr Contreras took the Sunday service again today and talked about miracles. One of the patients who has been very poorly with pancreatic cancer and had surgery last week, appeared to lead a hymn with her husband and brother, looking much better. Afterwards I went out with Gay, another companion, to the chocolate shop and the flower stall.  

Llama, giraffe and cowboy pinyattas waiting to be finished

Caroline had a drip this morning and decided to stay here during the afternoon, while I wanted to go on the trip to the artesan's market. Unfortunately the hospital minibus was busy, so 8 of us went in 2 taxis. The market was quiet, very hot and although I found a few bargains, I was ready to come back by 4pm. We walked past a shop making and selling big pinyattas, including life size lamas!

Before supper Caroline and I walked down to the beach, it was just the right temperature for us and the sun was low, some families were leaving, others still on the beach, in the sea or parading along the boardwalk. Lots of dogs: pugs, miniature schnausers and chiuauas, one family had a dog each to carry! We were pleased to see a pod of dolphins very close to the beach, everyone else seemed to have seen them before now except us.

Lots of new patients have arrived today, including one couple Tricia and Andrew, from Milton Keynes. We saw another couple in the nearest BBQ restaurant, a last supper perhaps?

We've both packed up ready to go, Caroline has some medical things to have done tomorrow, the port to be taken out and stitches removed, and I want to go down to the beach for the last time and dip my feet in the Pacific Ocean. Some of the patients say how cold it is, but not compared to the North Sea!

a busy day and a wild night

One ozone IV for Caroline and a nutrition class for me this morning. After lunch we went on a hospital trip to 'the Mall', which was quite small, busy and very hot. Masses of shoe shops, a fantastic frozen yoghurt stall and some bargains to be had in Sears which had a 20% off day. There were too many people for the minibus so Shelley and Bruce sat on chairs in the back, and Caroline and I took their place on the way back. It was a bit weird, felt like the popemobile, but meant that we spotted the Italian bistro on the way back and decided to go for supper. We had a fabulous meal, the restaurant is tiny, seats 14 with a minute kitchen and about 5 staff, spreaking excellent English. They gave us bread with a wonderful oily, tomatoey tapenade, a big salad, delicious pasta and red wine. Bliss!

Caroline's pasta

Afterwards we wandered in the dark down to the bullring, where there is a big free concert tonight, it felt safe as there were so many police about, very friendly, some with fab shiny motorcycle boots and others with semi-automatic guns. We bumped into Andrew, one of the missionaries from the hospital, and when some girls gave us some tickets, walked round and down the boardwalk into the concert.

The concert stage

The bullring enclosure is huge and even though there were lots of people, felt quite empty. I bought a cup of fruit described as lychees, thinking it looked like the yellow fruit we had years ago in Majorca, but it was disgusting. Boh! We all had one, Caroline said it tasted like sick and Andrew was quite shocked, he thought I knew what I was buying. He won't forget us, the mad English women!

We're safely back in the room, getting ready for bed, and thinking about going home. We called West Fleetham earlier today and Dad answered, home from hospital, and sounding good. The concert's still going strong, so we may need the airline earplugs tonight.

a photo of gorgeous George for mum

Caroline had a late muscle relaxant before we went to sleep last night, administered by George the night nurse, who Mum will remember from last year. It worked very well and her port is not painful today. This morning she had an IV and a meeting with Dr King the follow up doctor, followed by a visit to the pharmacy this afternoon to order her supplements to take home.

I had a companions workshop with Lety the psychologist this morning, and then after lunch we had a cycle rickshaw ride down to the beach. We felt rather sorry for the cyclist, who was a volunteer raising money for a local church project and said we were his lightest passengers!

We're having an early night yet again, it's a movie & popcorn downstairs, but we prefer to come to the room. The nurses have produced a foam mattress topper for me, so I'm looking forward to a comfy night.

News from home is that Dad is walking and probably home from hospital very soon, so he will make it back before us.

last interleukin treatment & keep eating the pasta

Take that needle away from me!

This morning Caroline had the last interleukin treatment, an injection rather than a drip. She had no ill effects, but her port has been painful, we think perhaps after the sedated procedure yesterday, when it might not have been treated as gently as usual. The dr said that her body wants to get rid of the alien object, and they gave her a muscle relaxant and a hot water bottle, (or a baby as Magy calls it), to ease the pain. I went to another lecture this morning, a different dr, suggesting a rather less strict regime of a mediterranean diet with lots of tomatoes, pasta, olive oil and red wine, I'll settle for that. His main message was that a low glycaemic index diet is best, not just for cancer, but heart disease stroke and alzheimers. Oh and you don't have to eat brown pasta, white pasta or noodles have just as low GI.

Lunch was fantastic, stuffed peppers, chicken with white corn, loads of salad and chocolate cake (well nearly). We had a walk after lunch at the beach, and back past the border fence and El Yoghurt, where I bought a bead bracelet for Shelley, one of the patients, whose birthday was today.

Caroline beside the border fence hung with white crosses in memory of Mexicans who died trying to cross the border.

3 pm was my second laughter therapy class with Shary, where we sang 'How much is that doggie in the window?' with appropriate barking and tail wagging actions. Later Caroline and I sat in the courtyard and watched Carol & Clifford leave for Canada after a month here, Clifford holding his chilled vaccine flask and Carol needing lots of tissues.

Shary's laughter therapy class

This evening we stayed in the cafeteria for a sing-a-long with Bruce & Vicky. We knew most of the melodies, but not the words, which have been rewritten with the hospital as the subject. We had an unannounced visit from Willie Nelson (Bruce), who sang 'To all the clinics I've known before'. There are some amazing voices here; some of the hospital staff sang, including one girl who sang a beautiful Cielito Lindo duet with Bruce.

stem cell treatment for caroline - lunch out for me

The stem cell treatment happened today, Caroline was taken down at 9.00am and sedated before they took bone marrow from her right shin. While she slept it off I went to a nutrition lecture with a mad professor type, interesting, but a lot of science and 2 & 1/2 hours. Amongst many other things he talked about the detrimental effects of having too much iron stored in the body. Caroline & I have realised that although  a few years ago she had the same heavy period problem as me, she didn't become anaemic as I did, and must therefore have had much more iron stored away than me.

While she has stayed in the room recovering; and after the stem cells were put back in, had some twinges of pain, I went out for lunch to the hospital recommended 'Le Yoghurt Place' down the road, with other companions. The frozen yoghurt and the hummingbirds outside the window were fantastic, but the cheese wasn't like home.   We're having a quiet evening, hopefully Caroline will be well enough for a walk to the beach tomorrow, she's not been out at all today.

Lunch at El Yoghurt: Andrew & Beatrice, American missionaries at the hospital, Gay from Australia, Doug from Canada, Graham from Australia and Shary the laughter therapist.

Another couple from this floor go home tomorrow, Carol and Clifford (her Dad) from New Brunswick, they are looking forward to it after 28 days here. I think Caroline and I will be keen to come home by next Monday, back to our own beds [clean sheets please ; )] families and dogs. We have been a little spoilt by the service here, clean towels every day, (3 bath, 1 hand and 2 flannels sometimes folded like table napkins) and the room cleaned while we are at breakfast. It's no wonder we sometimes slip up and call the hospital 'the hotel'. Caroline is also hoping that her good sleeping pattern here will continue at home, and that there is a bedroom left after all the banging and hammering we have hearing about.