Yes, I made it! Monday around 12 noon Katee dropped me off at the Philadelphia airport, I checked myself in, dropped off my bag and sat down in a wheelchair. A kind young man pushed me and my chair all the way to the gate which was close to some little restaurants and a bathroom. I elevated my leg, had lunch, and watched people. Earlier that morning I had felt so overwhelmed with all the things I needed to do, which is so strange when you think about it: packing my bag does not take more than 15 minutes, a shower takes about 20 minutes until all is said and done. No big deal. Well, when you don't feel up to snuf both those tasks seem like enormous mountains that are very, very difficult to overcome. And I had 2 hours! I cried and cried and cried ~ I felt weak and fragile. Then the crying passed and I was ready on time while I took my time.
When I cancelled all my planned flights for this week and booked a ticket to go from Philadelphia to San Jose, CA, the booking agent put me in first class which was really really nice. I had an aisle seat in the first row which meant that I could elevate my leg because there was a dividing wall between my row and the airplane's kitchen. I was so grateful to have a bit of room to move about and get up and to not bother anybody.
In San Jose, my bag was one of the first on the baggage claim band and my good friend Lorraine was ready to pick me up, put me in the car and drive me home... I was certainly ready for that also!
Tuesday morning, I went to see my doctor who gave me a prescription for Warfarin (or Cumadin ~ same thing) to start taking right away, and a repeat referral for bloodwork. Friday morning I am to have my bloodwork done, then the doctor will get the results Friday afternoon and then he will call me with further instructions on dosage of the Warfarin and on potentially stopping the injections (I can't wait for that!). I was out and about a few times on Tuesday, which was really nice! My friend Bonni and I went to lunch together (after picking up my new pills at the pharmacy) at Taqueria Vallarta because I had a serious hankering for some tasty Mexican food and other than that I was on the couch, going through stacks of mail, reading magazines and watching a little bit of TV. It is strange and good to be home :-)! I don't feel comfortable driving my car yet, so I am asking my friends if they can help me out.
Well, I guess this is the end to Danielle's Adventures for now. I hope that in the future I will be able again to travel and visit and encourage, which means sequels on this blog. I really liked writing about my trip and I am grateful for your encouragement, support, prayers and love!
See you next time, my dear friends!!!
P.S. Edna decided that she was coming home with me even though she had several offers she seriously considered while in Europe. She is sitting in the window sill in my room, being very content with the way things are! I am proud of her!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday PM - Philadelphia, USA
Last night at about 6 o'clock the entire family and myself piled in the car and off we went to adventure! First we drove to a nearby train station where we picked up Bazil, a cousin of Bradley who often comes to spend some time when his studies allow for it. He studies Computer Science at Drexel University in Philadelphia and is a very amiable young man from Kenya. With the car full of lively people we happily drove on through town down the main street and all of a sudden we noticed honking cars, some pulled over, while others just drove by the corner of the street where a man and a woman were fighting, rolling on the street, pulling on a backpack and screaming at each other. Bradley pulled over also, he checked it out for a few seconds and then got out of the car, while Katee in the backseat rolled down the window and yelled: STOP IT! STOP IT! and then she started calling 911! Bradley walked over to the scene and started talking. His voice lowered at least 2 octaves and sounded booming and very intimidating. Another man came out also to help Bradley and they got them off of each other, but they were still yelling and screaming, and then they started walking down the sidewalk. Katee was still on the phone with the 911 dispatcher and gave physical descriptions while 3 police cars came by with sirens on and intercepted the man and woman. They handcuffed the man and made the woman sit down to talk to her. The whole thing did probably not take more than 3 or 4 minutes, but can I just say it was intense?! Really. This is the world that the members of Katee and Bradley's youth group live in and that is very foreign to me. I can assure you that a lot of prayer went up in our car during those few minutes!
Anyhow, we got back on track to the most famous Philly cheesesteak restaurant in Philadelphia: Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is located in a relatively small building that is surrounded by sidewalks and streets. There are steel picknick tables all around the building on the sidewalks on the street side and on the inside of the sidewalk towards the building is the line of people wanting to order food. I am not kidding you, the line went all the way around the building when we got there and it took one hour to get our food on the table. Fortunately we were able to get a table quickly so Katee and I sat down, while Bradley, Bazil and Joshua stood in line. It turned out to be so busy for several reasons: it was a beautiful and balmy evening, the send-off game for the USA soccer team to the World Championships in South Africa had just ended (they played Turkey in Philadelphia!) and lots of fans came to Pat's for some cheesesteak and there had also been some other game for which lots of people had come to town. It was nice sitting there, talking to Katee and watching people! And the food was great!!! I am pretty sure I have seen Pat's King of Steaks restaurant on FoodTV in one of those series where they check out local delicacies... After all was consumed and enjoyed we drove around in the city for a little bit and I saw some historic buildings and the Liberty Bell which was really nice. We were home a little bit before 10 and I was in bed by 11, very tired and also proud and satisfied that I was able to do this little bit!
And I almost forgot: I also walked from the back of the house to the end of the backyard to admire Katee and Bradley's brandnew fenced garden where the tomatoe plants of several varieties and other vegetables are growing. It's so sweet! And of course there are the usual enemies of garden life: govers, groundhogs and bugs. Bradley is determined to eliminate and potentially destroy any and all opposition to the growth of his crop! Yes, they brought me a chair so I could rest before I walked back :-), but I was pretty proud of myself that I did it without too much trouble!
This morning I did not wake up until after 9, which I interpreted such that I was very tired and maybe had overdone the activities a little bit. Today Bradley's sister will get baptized and the entire Wangia clan will come to Katee and Bradley's house for a barbecue after church, so I will get to meet a lot of Bradley's relatives! Very exciting!
Anyhow, we got back on track to the most famous Philly cheesesteak restaurant in Philadelphia: Pat's King of Steaks. Pat's is located in a relatively small building that is surrounded by sidewalks and streets. There are steel picknick tables all around the building on the sidewalks on the street side and on the inside of the sidewalk towards the building is the line of people wanting to order food. I am not kidding you, the line went all the way around the building when we got there and it took one hour to get our food on the table. Fortunately we were able to get a table quickly so Katee and I sat down, while Bradley, Bazil and Joshua stood in line. It turned out to be so busy for several reasons: it was a beautiful and balmy evening, the send-off game for the USA soccer team to the World Championships in South Africa had just ended (they played Turkey in Philadelphia!) and lots of fans came to Pat's for some cheesesteak and there had also been some other game for which lots of people had come to town. It was nice sitting there, talking to Katee and watching people! And the food was great!!! I am pretty sure I have seen Pat's King of Steaks restaurant on FoodTV in one of those series where they check out local delicacies... After all was consumed and enjoyed we drove around in the city for a little bit and I saw some historic buildings and the Liberty Bell which was really nice. We were home a little bit before 10 and I was in bed by 11, very tired and also proud and satisfied that I was able to do this little bit!
And I almost forgot: I also walked from the back of the house to the end of the backyard to admire Katee and Bradley's brandnew fenced garden where the tomatoe plants of several varieties and other vegetables are growing. It's so sweet! And of course there are the usual enemies of garden life: govers, groundhogs and bugs. Bradley is determined to eliminate and potentially destroy any and all opposition to the growth of his crop! Yes, they brought me a chair so I could rest before I walked back :-), but I was pretty proud of myself that I did it without too much trouble!
This morning I did not wake up until after 9, which I interpreted such that I was very tired and maybe had overdone the activities a little bit. Today Bradley's sister will get baptized and the entire Wangia clan will come to Katee and Bradley's house for a barbecue after church, so I will get to meet a lot of Bradley's relatives! Very exciting!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Part 2 - Switzerland/USA
It's Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, I am showered, injected and dressed and now sitting outside in the Wangia's backyard, recovering from this morning's activity (which are basically the above-mentioned things; they take a lot of energy, believe me). I am able to put some weight on my leg now, which makes me so very happy! That means that walking is a bit easier and I don't need to lean heavily on Katee anymore (I mean that literally) to get around. I try to be smart about what I take where and what I am going to use there, but I also have no problem to ask Katee or Bradley to go get something for me. How strange life is. Katee took Joshua to the pool at the YMCA and Bradley is working on a project in the backyard. Of course, I would have rather gone with Katee to play in the pool with Joshua, but I honestly would not be able to do so. This afternoon after Joshua's nap, we will go do something fun together like yesterday (we drove to and around in Valley Forge which is a National Historic Park close to where the Wangia's live) and had ice cream at Dairy Queen. It was my first outing and I was so proud!
I want to tell you a little bit more about my 48 hour stay in the hospital. You can not be in the hospital to rest. There is a constant flurry of activity in the hallways and in your room. Nurses, nurses aides, student nurses, housekeeping, food delivery people, doctors, lab people, physical therapy people, maintenance people, you name it and they come by your bed to ask if you are ok, if you need anything, if they can take your vitals, if they can draw your blood, if they are treating you well, if you want bacon and eggs for breakfast, if the toilet is flushing well (which you don't know because you have not seen the toilet since you are on involuntary bedrest and need to call for help to use the commode or bedpan), and really: are you ok? Do you need anything? It starts before 6 o'clock in the morning and it lasts until after midnight. You may have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep if you or your roommate do not need to be put on the commode or bedpan, because then the flurry starts back up with 2 people in the room who are awake and working: are you ok, do you need anything, do you want to roll this way or the other way and so on and so forth. The food was quite alright, there was always plenty of ice water on my bedside table and everybody was extraordinarily kind.
Being discharged on Thursday was exciting, but also scary. After 2 days in the flurry of activity, it had also become a safe place, these people were comforting me by not freaking out when I was in a lot of pain and saying that it was normal for this Deep Vein Trombosis blood clot situation and part of the process. Helpful. Very helpful. Don't freak out when you are on your own, injecting yourself with blood thinner. The doctor says you will definitely know when things don't go well. Come back when it gets worse or when you experience shortness of breath. You will be alright to travel on Monday. Go see your doctor immediately. Ok. Alright. I understand. I promise. Katee comes and a volunteer pushes my wheelchair all the way to the curb where I pull myself into Katee's SUV. Painful. Gravity has its way with my blood flow or so it feels. I can't wait to get home and elevate my leg. Katee is my crutch so I can go to the bathroom and up the stairs when it is time for bed. Everything takes a lot of time and energy, and willingness to take the pain. I have also learned that I can not take my trusted Advil PM any more at night to help me sleep, because that interferes with what the blood thinner does. So that is another challenge: will I be able to sleep ok without? I am sure that there are other things out there I could use, but I have to do some research on all that. The nurse told me that I could use Tylenol for mild pain, and the doctor prescribed me something serious for when the pain got severe (he made me promise not to use them if not necessary ~ so far so good).
Anyhow, I woke up Friday morning and things seem to look up a bit. I seemed to be getting around a little bit easier, felt a little bit more confident, and after Joshua woke up from his nap, we decided that it was ok to go on a little road trip and have some icecream. That was really lovely! The weather was nice, the trees and grass were green, and the vanilla ice cream with chocolate topping was delicious! We came home, Katee made dinner, we watched a silly movie and had a great time just hanging out together.
This morning I am in fairly good shape, considering what it has been. As I said before I can put a little bit more weight on my leg now which makes it a lot easier to walk without having to hold on to anything and everything along the way. It is also easier to inject my medication. I believe now that one day in the (hopefully near) future, I will be able to walk normally again.
This afternoon, Katee and I are going shopping for a maternity shirt for her. Yes, the woman is almost 2 months pregnant and the family is very excited! Joshua cannot hold his mouth shut about being a Big Brother, although he does not entirely get the gender concept. In case the baby is a girl he would be a Big Sister in his mind. Oh well, he is only two and a half, he will get it! And we are going out to dinner! I so enjoy the freedom, ability and mobility!!! And I promise not to overdo; what the nurse told me is really true: my leg tells me what I can do and what not. I need to listen and obey... haven't I heard that before?
I want to tell you a little bit more about my 48 hour stay in the hospital. You can not be in the hospital to rest. There is a constant flurry of activity in the hallways and in your room. Nurses, nurses aides, student nurses, housekeeping, food delivery people, doctors, lab people, physical therapy people, maintenance people, you name it and they come by your bed to ask if you are ok, if you need anything, if they can take your vitals, if they can draw your blood, if they are treating you well, if you want bacon and eggs for breakfast, if the toilet is flushing well (which you don't know because you have not seen the toilet since you are on involuntary bedrest and need to call for help to use the commode or bedpan), and really: are you ok? Do you need anything? It starts before 6 o'clock in the morning and it lasts until after midnight. You may have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep if you or your roommate do not need to be put on the commode or bedpan, because then the flurry starts back up with 2 people in the room who are awake and working: are you ok, do you need anything, do you want to roll this way or the other way and so on and so forth. The food was quite alright, there was always plenty of ice water on my bedside table and everybody was extraordinarily kind.
Being discharged on Thursday was exciting, but also scary. After 2 days in the flurry of activity, it had also become a safe place, these people were comforting me by not freaking out when I was in a lot of pain and saying that it was normal for this Deep Vein Trombosis blood clot situation and part of the process. Helpful. Very helpful. Don't freak out when you are on your own, injecting yourself with blood thinner. The doctor says you will definitely know when things don't go well. Come back when it gets worse or when you experience shortness of breath. You will be alright to travel on Monday. Go see your doctor immediately. Ok. Alright. I understand. I promise. Katee comes and a volunteer pushes my wheelchair all the way to the curb where I pull myself into Katee's SUV. Painful. Gravity has its way with my blood flow or so it feels. I can't wait to get home and elevate my leg. Katee is my crutch so I can go to the bathroom and up the stairs when it is time for bed. Everything takes a lot of time and energy, and willingness to take the pain. I have also learned that I can not take my trusted Advil PM any more at night to help me sleep, because that interferes with what the blood thinner does. So that is another challenge: will I be able to sleep ok without? I am sure that there are other things out there I could use, but I have to do some research on all that. The nurse told me that I could use Tylenol for mild pain, and the doctor prescribed me something serious for when the pain got severe (he made me promise not to use them if not necessary ~ so far so good).
Anyhow, I woke up Friday morning and things seem to look up a bit. I seemed to be getting around a little bit easier, felt a little bit more confident, and after Joshua woke up from his nap, we decided that it was ok to go on a little road trip and have some icecream. That was really lovely! The weather was nice, the trees and grass were green, and the vanilla ice cream with chocolate topping was delicious! We came home, Katee made dinner, we watched a silly movie and had a great time just hanging out together.
This morning I am in fairly good shape, considering what it has been. As I said before I can put a little bit more weight on my leg now which makes it a lot easier to walk without having to hold on to anything and everything along the way. It is also easier to inject my medication. I believe now that one day in the (hopefully near) future, I will be able to walk normally again.
This afternoon, Katee and I are going shopping for a maternity shirt for her. Yes, the woman is almost 2 months pregnant and the family is very excited! Joshua cannot hold his mouth shut about being a Big Brother, although he does not entirely get the gender concept. In case the baby is a girl he would be a Big Sister in his mind. Oh well, he is only two and a half, he will get it! And we are going out to dinner! I so enjoy the freedom, ability and mobility!!! And I promise not to overdo; what the nurse told me is really true: my leg tells me what I can do and what not. I need to listen and obey... haven't I heard that before?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Sunday through Friday - Switzerland/USA
Hi everybody, it's been a trip, what can I say?! I am tired, feel beat up a bit, and also am so grateful for how the Lord covered me, because as they say in Minnesota: "It could 'ave been worse." Here is the latest news: I am out of the hospital since Thursday noon or so, I give myself shots with blood thinner in my belly twice a day, I am allowed to use my leg as much as it allows me, I elevate the leg, I rest it as much as possible but one has to go to the bathroom, I don't use razors any more, I try to not cut or bruise myself, and sometimes there are times that I believe that this pain will never go away. There are other times where I do believe that this will also pass. It occured to me in the hospital, while waiting for the vascular ultrasound and sharing an ER room with 2 other people, that if our very basic bodily functions do not properly do their job, very often everything else is of no importance any longer. I will leave it at that for now. I admire doctors and nurses. I admire them very, very much.
So my last post was on Saturday when I was still in Zurich with Silvia and James having a good and quiet time. The three of us went out to dinner in Rapperwil on Sunday evening to a nice Italian restaurant where we sat out on the patio with a view of the Lake of Zurich, and we also walked around a little bit in the beautiful and picturesque old city. At that time I felt a little bit of pain in my right calf but did not think much of it because I thought it was just the same injury as I had in Poland acting up again (I had felt the same thing after I had gotten off the train in Zurich on Friday evening). On Monday morning while walking inside the Zurich airport checking in and getting through security and multiple passport check points, the pain was back and worse than it was before. After the first leg of my trip (nine and a half hours in the plane, right next to a young man, barely aged to be drinking and who took full advantage of the privilege during the flight), I got off the plane in Atlanta in very much pain. Then I walked to and through Immigration, collected my suitcase and went through customs. After all was said and done, my right leg was swollen, sore and tender, and I was crying and in such pain I did not know what to do with myself. And I still was not in Philadelphia (a little over two hours to go). When I got off the plane in Philly, a young airline employee was offering his services with a wheel chair to me. After he said that the baggage claim area was 3 miles away from where the plane was, I gladly accepted his services and he tried every which way to cheer me up; very sweet! Katee and her 2-year old son Joshua met us at the baggage claim while Bradley was driving around in circles in front of the building. I was so very grateful to see familiar faces! Of course I told them about my leg (they already knew about the kidney thing) and in the evening, I elevated my right leg and it felt a tadbit better.
The next morning was pretty much the same, and considering how it had hurt the day before and how unusual the pain felt to me, I figured it would probably be smart to have it checked out. So Katee brought me to the ER at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown, PA, just about a 20-minute drive away from their home in Eagleville. When the ER's first line of defense mentioned the reality of blood clots after listening to what I had been doing in the last 7 weeks, I was shocked. Blood clots? You've got to be kidding me! I can't have blood clots! But ok, we should make sure, I agreed. Next thing I know, I am on a bed in the ER (I called it the bunker) in a room with 2 or 3 other patients who are wheezing and moaning and groaning. My nurse comes and talks to me about my situation: Great, a world traveler; we haven't had many of those lately... the doctor will probably want to make sure that there are no blood clots in that leg... I go: really, do you think that I have a blood clot? I can't believe that... so I mull that over for a while. I can't call anybody because my cell phone does not work in the bunker. The doctor comes and talks to me. Nice young man, good bed side manners. Let's just make sure there are no blood clots in your right leg: a vascular ultrasound of my right leg is coming up. While I am waiting, people next to me are getting ready to leave while an 85-year old man is brought in by ambulance people. He has a lot of pain in his abdomen and after a little bit of Q & A, the doctor decides the man suffers from a bowel obstruction and that can be fixed easily. The people next to me have really left now (bronchitis and urinary tract infection), and in comes a lady who is probably 10 years older than I. She has had diahrea for the last 2 weeks (sorry). When the doctor asked her what she ate and drank during the last 2 weeks, she said: Beer. Honestly.
Anyhow, the wheelchair shows up with a volunteer to bring me over to Radiology to get me to the ultrasound. I tell my story again to the technician, who nods and says: yes it's probably good to check for blood clots. He goes down my right upper leg and all is clear. He goes down the back of my knee and says: I've got something. Yes.
At that moment, I felt very small and frightenend. I told him so and he looked at me with kind eyes. He continued his search down my calf and found a few more clots in the two veins that go down the leg towards my foot. Then we were done, he gave me a preliminary report and I sat back down in the wheel chair and my kind driver came back to take me back to the bunker. Back there, I cried and prayed and did not know what else to do. Then the doctor came and confirmed that the technician found blood clots and he talked to me about the blood thinning treatment, which is mostly preventative to make sure no more blood clots are forming or the existing ones expanding. The blood clots will at some point in time dissolve (nobody committed to giving me any time frame). I have to stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 nights because blood thinning medication need to be watched closely. A male nurse came to draw blood and put an IV line in my arm (just in case). His name was Bob and he thought it was his job to cheerfully poke people and he tried the little bit of German on me that he knew. He was funny, and also very kind to me when I could not hold back my tears. Than another nurse showed up and gave me the first injection with blood thinner in my belly. By this time, the 85-year old was fixed up and ready to go home. I have no idea what was happening to the beer lady (and I will never know). Shortly thereafter my wheelchair showed up again and off we went to room 231 where I had the bed by the door. Around 4 in the afternoon or so, I was situated (well you know, what does it really take when you did not bring anything). In the mean time I had been able to call Katee from the bunker on the telephone behind my bunkerbed which I did not know was there until the nurse kindly handed it to me, so at least she knew what was going on, and she would come and visit and bring some things I wanted to have with me. It was great to see her friendly face before dinner and she brought me some snacks and even dark chocolate! So great!
I am going to publish this post now, and will finish the story later. I also wanted to let you all know that I cancelled all my travel plans for next week, and that I will be coming home on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day). I will be arriving in San Jose, CA at 7:40pm and Lorraine will pick me up. The doctor agreed that I could travel to go home only if I would learn how to do the injections and if I promised to make an appointment to see my doctor the next day after my arrival. I agreed to both for obvious reasons. Overall, I am doing better than Monday and Tuesday. Walking is very painful and giving myself shots is odd and a little freaky. I am glad to be with Katee and Bradley and will tell you more about them later also. Thank you for your support, love and prayers!
So my last post was on Saturday when I was still in Zurich with Silvia and James having a good and quiet time. The three of us went out to dinner in Rapperwil on Sunday evening to a nice Italian restaurant where we sat out on the patio with a view of the Lake of Zurich, and we also walked around a little bit in the beautiful and picturesque old city. At that time I felt a little bit of pain in my right calf but did not think much of it because I thought it was just the same injury as I had in Poland acting up again (I had felt the same thing after I had gotten off the train in Zurich on Friday evening). On Monday morning while walking inside the Zurich airport checking in and getting through security and multiple passport check points, the pain was back and worse than it was before. After the first leg of my trip (nine and a half hours in the plane, right next to a young man, barely aged to be drinking and who took full advantage of the privilege during the flight), I got off the plane in Atlanta in very much pain. Then I walked to and through Immigration, collected my suitcase and went through customs. After all was said and done, my right leg was swollen, sore and tender, and I was crying and in such pain I did not know what to do with myself. And I still was not in Philadelphia (a little over two hours to go). When I got off the plane in Philly, a young airline employee was offering his services with a wheel chair to me. After he said that the baggage claim area was 3 miles away from where the plane was, I gladly accepted his services and he tried every which way to cheer me up; very sweet! Katee and her 2-year old son Joshua met us at the baggage claim while Bradley was driving around in circles in front of the building. I was so very grateful to see familiar faces! Of course I told them about my leg (they already knew about the kidney thing) and in the evening, I elevated my right leg and it felt a tadbit better.
The next morning was pretty much the same, and considering how it had hurt the day before and how unusual the pain felt to me, I figured it would probably be smart to have it checked out. So Katee brought me to the ER at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown, PA, just about a 20-minute drive away from their home in Eagleville. When the ER's first line of defense mentioned the reality of blood clots after listening to what I had been doing in the last 7 weeks, I was shocked. Blood clots? You've got to be kidding me! I can't have blood clots! But ok, we should make sure, I agreed. Next thing I know, I am on a bed in the ER (I called it the bunker) in a room with 2 or 3 other patients who are wheezing and moaning and groaning. My nurse comes and talks to me about my situation: Great, a world traveler; we haven't had many of those lately... the doctor will probably want to make sure that there are no blood clots in that leg... I go: really, do you think that I have a blood clot? I can't believe that... so I mull that over for a while. I can't call anybody because my cell phone does not work in the bunker. The doctor comes and talks to me. Nice young man, good bed side manners. Let's just make sure there are no blood clots in your right leg: a vascular ultrasound of my right leg is coming up. While I am waiting, people next to me are getting ready to leave while an 85-year old man is brought in by ambulance people. He has a lot of pain in his abdomen and after a little bit of Q & A, the doctor decides the man suffers from a bowel obstruction and that can be fixed easily. The people next to me have really left now (bronchitis and urinary tract infection), and in comes a lady who is probably 10 years older than I. She has had diahrea for the last 2 weeks (sorry). When the doctor asked her what she ate and drank during the last 2 weeks, she said: Beer. Honestly.
Anyhow, the wheelchair shows up with a volunteer to bring me over to Radiology to get me to the ultrasound. I tell my story again to the technician, who nods and says: yes it's probably good to check for blood clots. He goes down my right upper leg and all is clear. He goes down the back of my knee and says: I've got something. Yes.
At that moment, I felt very small and frightenend. I told him so and he looked at me with kind eyes. He continued his search down my calf and found a few more clots in the two veins that go down the leg towards my foot. Then we were done, he gave me a preliminary report and I sat back down in the wheel chair and my kind driver came back to take me back to the bunker. Back there, I cried and prayed and did not know what else to do. Then the doctor came and confirmed that the technician found blood clots and he talked to me about the blood thinning treatment, which is mostly preventative to make sure no more blood clots are forming or the existing ones expanding. The blood clots will at some point in time dissolve (nobody committed to giving me any time frame). I have to stay in the hospital for 1 or 2 nights because blood thinning medication need to be watched closely. A male nurse came to draw blood and put an IV line in my arm (just in case). His name was Bob and he thought it was his job to cheerfully poke people and he tried the little bit of German on me that he knew. He was funny, and also very kind to me when I could not hold back my tears. Than another nurse showed up and gave me the first injection with blood thinner in my belly. By this time, the 85-year old was fixed up and ready to go home. I have no idea what was happening to the beer lady (and I will never know). Shortly thereafter my wheelchair showed up again and off we went to room 231 where I had the bed by the door. Around 4 in the afternoon or so, I was situated (well you know, what does it really take when you did not bring anything). In the mean time I had been able to call Katee from the bunker on the telephone behind my bunkerbed which I did not know was there until the nurse kindly handed it to me, so at least she knew what was going on, and she would come and visit and bring some things I wanted to have with me. It was great to see her friendly face before dinner and she brought me some snacks and even dark chocolate! So great!
I am going to publish this post now, and will finish the story later. I also wanted to let you all know that I cancelled all my travel plans for next week, and that I will be coming home on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day). I will be arriving in San Jose, CA at 7:40pm and Lorraine will pick me up. The doctor agreed that I could travel to go home only if I would learn how to do the injections and if I promised to make an appointment to see my doctor the next day after my arrival. I agreed to both for obvious reasons. Overall, I am doing better than Monday and Tuesday. Walking is very painful and giving myself shots is odd and a little freaky. I am glad to be with Katee and Bradley and will tell you more about them later also. Thank you for your support, love and prayers!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Update on Danielle from Lorraine DerMott
Hello to you all. Danielle has asked me to give you a brief update on her health to this day. She is presently in North Town, Pennsylvania, staying in the Montgomery Hospital. When she landed back on US soil on Monday she had severe pain in her right leg. On Tuesday Katee took her to the emergency room and they discovered three blood clots. They are working on thinning her blood and trying to dissolve the clots. She will also be instructed on how to give herself the shots that are needed and at that time she would be able to leave the hospital and be with Katee and her family. She will be monitored closely I am sure, with the goal of being able to travel again on Monday. Please continue to pray for her health and safe travels.
Lorraine
Lorraine
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thursday Through The Next Week Saturday - France/Switzerland
Yes, you are going to get this from the horse's mouth. Today is Saturday, and at the time of this posting I am in the lovely home of my friend Silvia Pflueger (aka Silvia Steiner) who was at Coastlands for an internship and she also was the internship director for a while back in 2002 or so. Silvia is now married to James and they live in a nice apartment in the town of Altendorf, which is about a 45-minute drive from Zurich, Switzerland. But let me tell you how I got here...
After I posted my last French blog a week and a half ago, my sister insisted that I rest for at least two days and if I did not get better, she would take me to the doctor. So, after throwing a fit, I came to the conclusion that she was right and I was wrong. I should rest and see what happened. When I woke up on Friday morning, I knew that something definetely was not right. The pain in my back was moving around from left to right and back, there were certain points in my shoulders that were very sore, I could harldy lie down on my back, I was short of breath because of the pain in my back, and we agreed that we should go see a doctor. Hannie got on the phone and made an appointment for Saturday morning at 8:30. In the mean time, I had called Cathy and Martin Jacobi in Geneva that I was sick and was not able to come as planned on Saturday, but hopefully I could make it on Monday depending on what the doctor said.
Saturday morning Hijmen drove Hannie and I to the third village down the river from Le Coulet, it's called Saint Saveur de Montagut, and it has everything you think a French village should have: a bakery, a bar, a church and a grocery store (of course there are a few more things, but you get my drift). We went into the doctor's office and waited a few minutes, until the doctor himself came to get us. No fuss with assistants weighing you, taking your blood pressure and asking why you're there. He sat behind a large dark wooden desk and Hannie and I in nice chairs in front of the desk; behind him was a very large and tall, dark wooden cabinet that divided the room into two: office in front and examination room behind the wooden "wall". Hannie is a very smart woman who knows the language much better than I do, and so she and I had sat down the evening before and she had written down what was wrong with me, where the pain was, how long I had had it (actually that was since I first got to the Netherlands), and that I thought I was all muscle-related due to a messenger bag that I carried with me during my travels and that I hung cross-wise over my head and on my right shoulder. So, the doctor looks at me, raises his eyebrows, says something to the effect of yes, that could be, but is not convinced. Then he calls me back to the examination room where he checks if all my ribs are still attached to my spine, and sure enough they are. No pain there. Then he listens to my breathing, he gets concerned and has me lie down and points a fever pistol at me. Bingo. Fever. Then he takes my blood pressure. Too high. Then he examines the organs in my abdomen and starts making very concerning noises. He thinks I have a kidney infection, with the way my shoulder tendons are hurting and how that is connected to the muscles that are hurting me on the side of my ribcage just below my armpit. Definetely the kidneys. More traveling? CRAZYTALK! He throws his hands up in the air, shakes his head, and tells me: 4 days of bedrest, here and no talking back. He says: you seem very calm, but you are very, very sick! Then I tell him about my other kidney infections and what kind of antibiotic my American doctor prescribes. He writes a list of four medications to take to the pharmacy across the street. He writes referrals for bloodwork and for X-rays of my lungs and abdomen. And while he talks to Hannie, I sort of doze of into lalaland while I realize: I am sick and I better listen.
I pay Monsieur le Docteur 20 euro for his services, and we go to the pharmacy where I get a candybag full of boxes with pills and I pay them 40 euro for the whole kit'nkaboodle. Then we went home and I took the prescribed pills and a long nap. That was pretty much Saturday and Sunday: take the pills and take naps on the couch which was also my bed. And of course I called Geneva again to call off my visit. On Sunday evening I also called Ruth and Volker Heitz in Basel where I was planning to be from Thursday through Sunday morning, and told Ruth about the current events.
So then we arrive at Monday, the day of the hospital visit! My sister's friend Muriel who also lives in Le Coulet (see my earlier posts) had been so kind to make the appointments at the hospital in Valence (closest hospital - 1 hour drive) and she would also come with us because she speaks excellent French. We left Le Coulet at 9:30 in the morning, we stopped at the bank so I could get some more euros (no idea how much that would cost me), and were at the hospital before 10:45 where I first had the bloodwork done by a grandfatherly man with gray hair who was an excellent bloodworker: he got it right in the first try in a rather odd place (inside of my right wrist)... He was obviously glad that Muriel was present, because he did not speak any English. I paid the administrative assistant 32 euro for the bloodwork to check the kidney function. After a cup of coffee and a "pain de chocolat" we go to Radiology, sign up and in for my 11:30 appointment. The lady who takes the X-rays is very concerned because she sees I have trouble breathing deeply, questions about smoking, pneumonia, bronchitis etc etc. Then she sets me up in another examination room where the radiologist himself will do an ultra-sound of my abdomen. Muriel is here also present to great relief of the docteur; he talks, she asks questions and translates. Wonderful arrangment! No kidney stones, all organs look good, just some scar tissue from other infections, no blockages, everything is fine. He dicated a report, I paid 117 euros and within 45 minutes we were done and on our way. The results of the bloodwork would be in the mail on Wednesday. We were back at Le Coulet around 1:30 in the afternoon and after I ate a little bit I slept for two and a half hours. My days consisted of sleeping, resting, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the kitchen table if I felt I could. That was really it. I read a few books and we did crossword puzzles with the three of us, which was really an awful lot of fun. On the second day since I had started taking the antibiotics, we could see some improvement in my condition, and slowly but surely things started clearing up in my head and my body. The results of the bloodwork were indeed in the mail on Wednesday and Hannie made a follow up appointment with the doctor for Thursday. I had already talked to Katthrin in Basel to let her know about my decision to not go to Basel although it was with pain in my heart, because my visit would be at the same time when mission team from Coastlands would be arriving there on Friday for a Fathers-Daughters Camp. It would have been so great to see my friends there!
But I had not listened to my body and I had let this infection go on for a very long time, in my determination to do what I had planned to do: I could not get sick! I remember talking with Lorraine before I left if I should take a supply of antibiotics with me, just in case, and I decided not to because "I am not going to get sick". Haha. It's on my list of necessary items now, believe me. And it also makes me think about why I kept going. Of course there are all kinds of considerations: there was no fever like all the other times, I honestly thought it was just muscle pain and spasms, so I took some pain meds to relieve the muscle pain. But those pain meds must have also reduced the fever I was having, and so I did not feel bad enough (I thought) to stop and have a doctor look at it until my big sister took the fire and laid down the law. I am really very grateful that she did. And I also would like to go back to her beautiful little Le Coulet to enjoy it the way it should be enjoyed: walking, eating and drinking, building a decent fire in Jotuul and hanging your laundry on the line to dry. It is truly a beautiful place! www.lecoulet.nl
Anyhow, on Thursday we went back to the doctor and when we walked into the waiting room, he was already there to welcome the patient scheduled to see him before us. He looked at me and said: Oh, you are much better! Which I confirmed gladly! We were called into his office a few minutes later, he looked over the results of the tests and said: You are healed! You can travel all you want now! He shook my hand and shoved us out of his office without wanting any payment at all. Funny people those French men. He did have some interesting things to say about the American health care system though...
So having all things considered, I did not want to catch up with Basel or anything like that, I just wanted to catch up with myself. And knowing that my (long) plane ride from Zurich to Philadelphia was scheduled for Monday, May 24, I figured that if I spread the travel a little bit then I could rest in between. I called Silvia and asked if she could find me a hotel in Zurich for a few nights so I could travel first to Switzerland and rest a few days before getting on the plane. We decided that I would take the train on Friday from Valence to Zurich on Friday, I would stay one night in Zurich and then Saturday morning Silvia would pick me up and bring me to her home in Altendorf where I would be until Monday morning when she will bring me to the Zurich Airport. I thought that was a lovely arrangment and so it happened. H&H brought me to Valence and put me on the right train a little bit after 12 noon, I changed trains in Geneva around 3:30 and got off in Zurich at about 6:40 in the evening or so.
Today is Saturday, May 21, eight o'clock in the evening. The church bells have rung many times this afternoon and evening. This weekend is a holiday weekend in Europe: Pentacost! The promise of Jesus was fulfilled that the Comforter would come after He had left this earth. I need that comfort every minute of every day.
I have just exhausted myself and the battery on my little computer. I will be quiet again on Sunday and traveling on Monday. I hope to post again on Tuesday! I am grateful for your support and prayers, my friends!
After I posted my last French blog a week and a half ago, my sister insisted that I rest for at least two days and if I did not get better, she would take me to the doctor. So, after throwing a fit, I came to the conclusion that she was right and I was wrong. I should rest and see what happened. When I woke up on Friday morning, I knew that something definetely was not right. The pain in my back was moving around from left to right and back, there were certain points in my shoulders that were very sore, I could harldy lie down on my back, I was short of breath because of the pain in my back, and we agreed that we should go see a doctor. Hannie got on the phone and made an appointment for Saturday morning at 8:30. In the mean time, I had called Cathy and Martin Jacobi in Geneva that I was sick and was not able to come as planned on Saturday, but hopefully I could make it on Monday depending on what the doctor said.
Saturday morning Hijmen drove Hannie and I to the third village down the river from Le Coulet, it's called Saint Saveur de Montagut, and it has everything you think a French village should have: a bakery, a bar, a church and a grocery store (of course there are a few more things, but you get my drift). We went into the doctor's office and waited a few minutes, until the doctor himself came to get us. No fuss with assistants weighing you, taking your blood pressure and asking why you're there. He sat behind a large dark wooden desk and Hannie and I in nice chairs in front of the desk; behind him was a very large and tall, dark wooden cabinet that divided the room into two: office in front and examination room behind the wooden "wall". Hannie is a very smart woman who knows the language much better than I do, and so she and I had sat down the evening before and she had written down what was wrong with me, where the pain was, how long I had had it (actually that was since I first got to the Netherlands), and that I thought I was all muscle-related due to a messenger bag that I carried with me during my travels and that I hung cross-wise over my head and on my right shoulder. So, the doctor looks at me, raises his eyebrows, says something to the effect of yes, that could be, but is not convinced. Then he calls me back to the examination room where he checks if all my ribs are still attached to my spine, and sure enough they are. No pain there. Then he listens to my breathing, he gets concerned and has me lie down and points a fever pistol at me. Bingo. Fever. Then he takes my blood pressure. Too high. Then he examines the organs in my abdomen and starts making very concerning noises. He thinks I have a kidney infection, with the way my shoulder tendons are hurting and how that is connected to the muscles that are hurting me on the side of my ribcage just below my armpit. Definetely the kidneys. More traveling? CRAZYTALK! He throws his hands up in the air, shakes his head, and tells me: 4 days of bedrest, here and no talking back. He says: you seem very calm, but you are very, very sick! Then I tell him about my other kidney infections and what kind of antibiotic my American doctor prescribes. He writes a list of four medications to take to the pharmacy across the street. He writes referrals for bloodwork and for X-rays of my lungs and abdomen. And while he talks to Hannie, I sort of doze of into lalaland while I realize: I am sick and I better listen.
I pay Monsieur le Docteur 20 euro for his services, and we go to the pharmacy where I get a candybag full of boxes with pills and I pay them 40 euro for the whole kit'nkaboodle. Then we went home and I took the prescribed pills and a long nap. That was pretty much Saturday and Sunday: take the pills and take naps on the couch which was also my bed. And of course I called Geneva again to call off my visit. On Sunday evening I also called Ruth and Volker Heitz in Basel where I was planning to be from Thursday through Sunday morning, and told Ruth about the current events.
So then we arrive at Monday, the day of the hospital visit! My sister's friend Muriel who also lives in Le Coulet (see my earlier posts) had been so kind to make the appointments at the hospital in Valence (closest hospital - 1 hour drive) and she would also come with us because she speaks excellent French. We left Le Coulet at 9:30 in the morning, we stopped at the bank so I could get some more euros (no idea how much that would cost me), and were at the hospital before 10:45 where I first had the bloodwork done by a grandfatherly man with gray hair who was an excellent bloodworker: he got it right in the first try in a rather odd place (inside of my right wrist)... He was obviously glad that Muriel was present, because he did not speak any English. I paid the administrative assistant 32 euro for the bloodwork to check the kidney function. After a cup of coffee and a "pain de chocolat" we go to Radiology, sign up and in for my 11:30 appointment. The lady who takes the X-rays is very concerned because she sees I have trouble breathing deeply, questions about smoking, pneumonia, bronchitis etc etc. Then she sets me up in another examination room where the radiologist himself will do an ultra-sound of my abdomen. Muriel is here also present to great relief of the docteur; he talks, she asks questions and translates. Wonderful arrangment! No kidney stones, all organs look good, just some scar tissue from other infections, no blockages, everything is fine. He dicated a report, I paid 117 euros and within 45 minutes we were done and on our way. The results of the bloodwork would be in the mail on Wednesday. We were back at Le Coulet around 1:30 in the afternoon and after I ate a little bit I slept for two and a half hours. My days consisted of sleeping, resting, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the kitchen table if I felt I could. That was really it. I read a few books and we did crossword puzzles with the three of us, which was really an awful lot of fun. On the second day since I had started taking the antibiotics, we could see some improvement in my condition, and slowly but surely things started clearing up in my head and my body. The results of the bloodwork were indeed in the mail on Wednesday and Hannie made a follow up appointment with the doctor for Thursday. I had already talked to Katthrin in Basel to let her know about my decision to not go to Basel although it was with pain in my heart, because my visit would be at the same time when mission team from Coastlands would be arriving there on Friday for a Fathers-Daughters Camp. It would have been so great to see my friends there!
But I had not listened to my body and I had let this infection go on for a very long time, in my determination to do what I had planned to do: I could not get sick! I remember talking with Lorraine before I left if I should take a supply of antibiotics with me, just in case, and I decided not to because "I am not going to get sick". Haha. It's on my list of necessary items now, believe me. And it also makes me think about why I kept going. Of course there are all kinds of considerations: there was no fever like all the other times, I honestly thought it was just muscle pain and spasms, so I took some pain meds to relieve the muscle pain. But those pain meds must have also reduced the fever I was having, and so I did not feel bad enough (I thought) to stop and have a doctor look at it until my big sister took the fire and laid down the law. I am really very grateful that she did. And I also would like to go back to her beautiful little Le Coulet to enjoy it the way it should be enjoyed: walking, eating and drinking, building a decent fire in Jotuul and hanging your laundry on the line to dry. It is truly a beautiful place! www.lecoulet.nl
Anyhow, on Thursday we went back to the doctor and when we walked into the waiting room, he was already there to welcome the patient scheduled to see him before us. He looked at me and said: Oh, you are much better! Which I confirmed gladly! We were called into his office a few minutes later, he looked over the results of the tests and said: You are healed! You can travel all you want now! He shook my hand and shoved us out of his office without wanting any payment at all. Funny people those French men. He did have some interesting things to say about the American health care system though...
So having all things considered, I did not want to catch up with Basel or anything like that, I just wanted to catch up with myself. And knowing that my (long) plane ride from Zurich to Philadelphia was scheduled for Monday, May 24, I figured that if I spread the travel a little bit then I could rest in between. I called Silvia and asked if she could find me a hotel in Zurich for a few nights so I could travel first to Switzerland and rest a few days before getting on the plane. We decided that I would take the train on Friday from Valence to Zurich on Friday, I would stay one night in Zurich and then Saturday morning Silvia would pick me up and bring me to her home in Altendorf where I would be until Monday morning when she will bring me to the Zurich Airport. I thought that was a lovely arrangment and so it happened. H&H brought me to Valence and put me on the right train a little bit after 12 noon, I changed trains in Geneva around 3:30 and got off in Zurich at about 6:40 in the evening or so.
Today is Saturday, May 21, eight o'clock in the evening. The church bells have rung many times this afternoon and evening. This weekend is a holiday weekend in Europe: Pentacost! The promise of Jesus was fulfilled that the Comforter would come after He had left this earth. I need that comfort every minute of every day.
I have just exhausted myself and the battery on my little computer. I will be quiet again on Sunday and traveling on Monday. I hope to post again on Tuesday! I am grateful for your support and prayers, my friends!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
YOU'RE INVITED TO OUR THANK YOU RECEPTION
That’s right they are both back! Danielle is home from her trip around Europe and the FatherKids camp team is home from an adventure packed week in Switzerland!
Come and enjoy a BBQ lunch with them as they share testimonies and pictures from their trips.
For questions contact meghan@coastlands.org or call 831 688 5775 ext. 227
Danielle Mueller
FatherKids Camp: Peter & Blanca Otvos, Dave & Alisa Detter, Eric & Makena Wetzel
What: Thank You Reception
BBQ Style
When: Sunday, June 13 From 2-4pm
Where: Otvos Home
431 Quinta
Watsonville, CA 95076
The Coastlands - 280 State Park Dr - Aptos, CA 95003
Come and enjoy a BBQ lunch with them as they share testimonies and pictures from their trips.
For questions contact meghan@coastlands.org or call 831 688 5775 ext. 227
Danielle Mueller
FatherKids Camp: Peter & Blanca Otvos, Dave & Alisa Detter, Eric & Makena Wetzel
What: Thank You Reception
BBQ Style
When: Sunday, June 13 From 2-4pm
Where: Otvos Home
431 Quinta
Watsonville, CA 95076
The Coastlands - 280 State Park Dr - Aptos, CA 95003
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