(Once I figure out how to do it, I'll add pictures to all my Europe posts - they're pretty great pictures, so check back!)
Tonight I'm going to write about a 1-day trip we took in England. It was through a tour company; although we planned the Europe vacation on our own, we often went through tour companies for day-long adventures. So this adventure was a day-long ride on a coach - NOT a bus, a coach, insisted the guide - to the towns of Salisbury, Bath, and wherever Stonehenge is.
While on the ride from London to Stonehenge, the guide was talking to everyone over the speaker while the driver kept to himself. She was very funny and made frequent jokes, making the trip more enjoyable. She asked everyone where they were from, and eventually gave up.
"Okay, who on here is from America?"
All but about 4 of us raised our hands.
"That explains a lot!"
We laughed.
So eventually we made it to Salisbury. It was what you'd call a classic English town in the middle of nowhere. The main attraction there is Salisbury Cathedral, which is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! As we were getting off the coach, we were told to be back by a certain time or we'd be left behind.
They meant it... we left a family behind! In the middle of nowhere. With their belongings on the coach. It was quite upsetting when we realized that the guide wasn't joking as she took attendance at the predetermined time, couldn't find that family, and we left anyway.
Next was Stonehenge. Now, I was the only one in the family with a digital camera, and I was pretty good at taking pictures. Photography is the ONLY art form that I'm not hopeless in, and I take those pictures that you have to get into weird positions to take but they end up looking really cool. Anyway, my stepdad's biggest wish on the ENTIRE vacation was to see Stonehenge. Although I didn't really understand why that was the most important, we were each allowed to pick one thing that meant the most to us that we got to do, and that was his. So I had to take plenty of pictures for him.
Stonehenge is cool, but in the end, it's a bunch of rocks.
And I took over 40 pictures of... well... rocks.
They all look the same to me, but hey, if that's what my stepdad wanted, so be it. :-P
I've got to admit, it WAS kind of cool to see how big those stones were and wonder what it was all about. But, in the end, I was happy to be on the coach and on our way to Bath.
So as we're approaching Bath, the tour guide comes on and says, "Look! Look! Over there!"
She pointed to some mountains.
"That is Wales!"
It was cool to see another "country" but be so close yet so far. Looked like America, but hey, it was cool anyway.
As we crossed over the bridge into Bath - the Jane Austen town - there's this bridge that has stores on it. It's like a continuation of any town street, only the stores are on the bridge with the road. I've never seen that before, so I enjoyed it.
Once in Bath, we went to the Roman Baths. There are some ancient ruins there, so it was VERY cool to see the old building foundations and the baths the Romans made. My sister & I fed some pigeons, got yelled at for bringing McDonald's into a nice restaurant where our parents were eating, then took the looooooong ride back to London. It was nearing sunset when we got there, and this was in July so it must've been fairly late.
Once in London, the tour guide came to the back of the bus - sorry, coach - and talked to our family. We'd hung out at the back so we could hear each other talk & play travel games. She asked us about our life in the U.S. and we asked about hers in the U.K., and she informed us that we were "very welcome" for our independence.
Didn't really know how to respond to that!
At the end of the day, we tipped the driver - Mr. Michael. As the tour guide informed us, "This is not a bus, it's a coach. And that makes Mr. Michael a coach driver. And coach drivers are gentlemen." Looking back, I don't know why we thought that was so funny, but my sister & I put it on our list of "Quotable Moments" to look back on. That and the conversation we had with the tour guide when discussing our horse: "You have a horse you can't let outside for fear of it killing itself? Only in America!"
All in all, it was a great day. The ride was kind of boring, but well worth it in the end, as the 3 places we got to see were very lovely. And even though at the time I just thought it was a pile of rocks on a windy & chilly day, I'm glad we went to Stonehenge, just because it's one of those places people talk about, everyone knows what it is, but not everyone gets to go.
Kind of like the Eiffel Tower, or all of France, really, in that I'm glad I went but I'll probably never go back.
The U.K., however, is VERY high on our list of places to return. We'd like to revisit some of our favorite places & go to some places we either didn't know about, forgot to see, or didn't have time for. Although we took TONS of video in addition to our 450 pictures, we'd like to record some more as well. The only place we REALLY don't want to go back to is France. They say outside Paris, it isn't so anti-American, but as we were only in France for half a week, we spent the whole time in Paris, and HATED it. Not disliked, hated.
I'm glad we went - we saw the Eiffel Tower, Versailles (gorgeous!), the Arc de Triumphe, the Louvre (the museum, don't know how to spell it), and cruised down the river that goes through Paris (Sienne, maybe?), plus we got to ride through the Chunnel - the tunnel under the English Channel. We even drove through the tunnel Princess Diana crashed in. But those are all things that once you've seen them, you've seen them, and we hated the way we were treated in Paris so much that we'll not be going back.
Next Europe post, I'll write about France!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Jade
If you read this post, I PROMISE you will see how a dead British superstar has impacted my life for the better. In her death, perhaps I've gained life. Credit goes to God, of course, for using her... but I want to share this with others so they see the good that came from such a tragedy.
For my American friends, you may not know who Jade Goody was, unless you heard about her death on the news a year ago this weekend. She was a 27-year-old mother of 2 boys, ages 4 & 5 when she died. She shot to fame on a UK reality show, and died of cervical cancer.
Anyway, Jade wrote a book that was published after her death - a diary of sorts, that started with the day she got the news she had cancer. She wrote the entries until about 24 hours before her death. It follows her process of coming to terms with the increasingly worsening prognosis, how she dealt with treatments, and realizing that her boys would grow up without knowing their mum.
I have NEVER cried reading a book. (Well, there was the 9/11 book, but that was more emotion due to remembering those hours of not knowing if I was an orphan while my hometown was under attack, rather than the actual book.) I read this ENTIRE book in just TWO DAYS. For someone who can hardly see straight or hold her eyes open due to meds & pain, that is beyond huge. I hardly put my Kindle down the whole time, I fell asleep holding it last night!
It felt silly to be crying alone in my room, tears streaming down my face & onto the Kindle screen. I had to sit back a few times and just CRY. Not so much for the loss of Jade - although that loss was huge - but for all that it meant. The loss her boys suffered is especially close to my heart.
Don't ask me why - cuz I don't know - but God has a way of leading me to pray for people, and Jade was one of those people. I wanted her to find Jesus, and in the end, I think she did in her own way. I believe God judges the heart, and if you have never been told "This is how you make Jesus your Savior personally," I believe He accepts your following whatever leading He has given you in other ways. Jade was such a person, I think. Anyway, back to why I'm writing.
Throughout the book, Jade goes from "Oh my gosh! Cancer! Ahh!" to "Right, I've got to beat this, I have two young sons to bring up" to "I might not make it" to "Let's start making plans." That is a VERY real progression for me, as I've faced death. For whatever reason, God has chosen to keep me here as of now... but KNOWING that I could go from seemingly normal to in a coma in over just 24 hours' time is SCARY. It means I could go to sleep with a headache and not wake up. It means today could be my last on this earth. And Jade lived that, sharing it with us through her book.
Maybe my tears weren't just for Jade's family, friends, and two precious little sons. Maybe they were for me, too, realizing that I have been given a GIFT in "beating" death so many times. We all die eventually, nobody has ever been able to cheat that except Jesus. But there's a difference between knowing you've lived a full life and knowing that your life "should" be just beginning. Ever since that first doctor wouldn't look me in the eyes in June 2008, I've known I was in for the fight of my life, FOR my life. But so far, I've won. Or, rather, God has given me the chance to live here a bit longer before He takes me Home.
The death of a dream is a hard thing to take. Realizing, for example, that I'd never really do gymnastics again rocked my world. For some that may seem stupid, but pick the most important thing in your life that isn't a person & you might get just a small glimpse of how hard that was. But I'm still here. My parents haven't had to decide where to bury me, my sister isn't an only child, and my friends can reach me 24/7 for any reason. Maybe the loss when someone dies isn't so much for them, but for those left behind.
That probably sounds kind of silly. I mean, of course it's better to be in Heaven. But reading Jade's book, I couldn't help but remember those same feelings of "I never got to do this, I won't be here for that" and so many little things you don't even think about until you know you might be gone soon.
Jade has reminded me that I'm the lucky one. I'm still here. She would've given all the fame & riches she had for just one more day with her kids.
This has reminded me that fame, money, and status mean NOTHING. If you need proof, look at Prince William & Prince Harry! They'll never want for anything, except their mother. And if you asked them, I bet they'd be beggars on the street if they could have her back. Jade's sons will grow up with their father - also a celebrity - and thanks to their mother, even without their father's support, they already have private schools & college paid for before they can even read. They each have a large house! They each get a Porsche! But again, ask them & I bet they'd trade it all if Jade could come back.
God sure did remind me of a lot today. Really got me to think. I'm glad.
For my American friends, you may not know who Jade Goody was, unless you heard about her death on the news a year ago this weekend. She was a 27-year-old mother of 2 boys, ages 4 & 5 when she died. She shot to fame on a UK reality show, and died of cervical cancer.
Anyway, Jade wrote a book that was published after her death - a diary of sorts, that started with the day she got the news she had cancer. She wrote the entries until about 24 hours before her death. It follows her process of coming to terms with the increasingly worsening prognosis, how she dealt with treatments, and realizing that her boys would grow up without knowing their mum.
I have NEVER cried reading a book. (Well, there was the 9/11 book, but that was more emotion due to remembering those hours of not knowing if I was an orphan while my hometown was under attack, rather than the actual book.) I read this ENTIRE book in just TWO DAYS. For someone who can hardly see straight or hold her eyes open due to meds & pain, that is beyond huge. I hardly put my Kindle down the whole time, I fell asleep holding it last night!
It felt silly to be crying alone in my room, tears streaming down my face & onto the Kindle screen. I had to sit back a few times and just CRY. Not so much for the loss of Jade - although that loss was huge - but for all that it meant. The loss her boys suffered is especially close to my heart.
Don't ask me why - cuz I don't know - but God has a way of leading me to pray for people, and Jade was one of those people. I wanted her to find Jesus, and in the end, I think she did in her own way. I believe God judges the heart, and if you have never been told "This is how you make Jesus your Savior personally," I believe He accepts your following whatever leading He has given you in other ways. Jade was such a person, I think. Anyway, back to why I'm writing.
Throughout the book, Jade goes from "Oh my gosh! Cancer! Ahh!" to "Right, I've got to beat this, I have two young sons to bring up" to "I might not make it" to "Let's start making plans." That is a VERY real progression for me, as I've faced death. For whatever reason, God has chosen to keep me here as of now... but KNOWING that I could go from seemingly normal to in a coma in over just 24 hours' time is SCARY. It means I could go to sleep with a headache and not wake up. It means today could be my last on this earth. And Jade lived that, sharing it with us through her book.
Maybe my tears weren't just for Jade's family, friends, and two precious little sons. Maybe they were for me, too, realizing that I have been given a GIFT in "beating" death so many times. We all die eventually, nobody has ever been able to cheat that except Jesus. But there's a difference between knowing you've lived a full life and knowing that your life "should" be just beginning. Ever since that first doctor wouldn't look me in the eyes in June 2008, I've known I was in for the fight of my life, FOR my life. But so far, I've won. Or, rather, God has given me the chance to live here a bit longer before He takes me Home.
The death of a dream is a hard thing to take. Realizing, for example, that I'd never really do gymnastics again rocked my world. For some that may seem stupid, but pick the most important thing in your life that isn't a person & you might get just a small glimpse of how hard that was. But I'm still here. My parents haven't had to decide where to bury me, my sister isn't an only child, and my friends can reach me 24/7 for any reason. Maybe the loss when someone dies isn't so much for them, but for those left behind.
That probably sounds kind of silly. I mean, of course it's better to be in Heaven. But reading Jade's book, I couldn't help but remember those same feelings of "I never got to do this, I won't be here for that" and so many little things you don't even think about until you know you might be gone soon.
Jade has reminded me that I'm the lucky one. I'm still here. She would've given all the fame & riches she had for just one more day with her kids.
This has reminded me that fame, money, and status mean NOTHING. If you need proof, look at Prince William & Prince Harry! They'll never want for anything, except their mother. And if you asked them, I bet they'd be beggars on the street if they could have her back. Jade's sons will grow up with their father - also a celebrity - and thanks to their mother, even without their father's support, they already have private schools & college paid for before they can even read. They each have a large house! They each get a Porsche! But again, ask them & I bet they'd trade it all if Jade could come back.
God sure did remind me of a lot today. Really got me to think. I'm glad.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Europe 2004: Post 1 - Cambridge
While in England, we decided to take a day-trip to Cambridge. Around London, most transportation is by train (not subway, actual train) if you're going to the surrounding towns. So I'm sure we took a train, but we also took a bus. Anyway, we eventually got there.
As in some major American cities, there were lots of tourism companies that had buses. So we bought All-Day Passes, which means for that day, you can get on & off these buses however many times you want. There's a set route that stops at ALL the major tourist areas of interest, and the buses all run on the same route... so if you want to spend more time at one stop, you can just catch a later bus, and if you don't want to get off at all, you only have to stop long enough to let people off.
Anyway, Cambridge was AMAZING. It's got that classic, small-town English feel to it. It's definitely an older town, established hundreds of years ago. Of course, in the UK, you can drink at 18 and social drinking is almost expected, so we saw the famous pub-crawl streets, where you go from one pub to the next. We didn't get off there. ;-)
There was 1 thing I REALLY wanted to do while in Cambridge: go to the American Military Cemetery. It's basically a piece of land that was given to the U.S. to bury our war dead in World War II, although there may be people from other wars there, I don't remember. That piece of land is, essentially, part of the U.S. and I wanted to go there to pay my respects. Although it is generally expected in modern times that our war dead will be returned home for burial, that wasn't the case before advances in transportation & the way wars were fought.
Imagine going off to war KNOWING that if you die - which was very likely - you probably would NEVER come home, not even in a body bag. Imagine sending your loved one - your son, husband, father, brother - off to war, then getting the dreaded knock. Then imagine being told that you would NEVER be given the chance to bury them, and that only by traveling to Europe would you so much as be able to lay a flower on his grave.
I owed these men & women my freedom, my very way of life. And no matter what it took, if I was anywhere near their resting place, I was going to go & honor them.
So we got off the tour bus at the cemetery, and were told that if we missed our bus in 1 hour, we'd be there for 4 hours, and if we missed that one, we'd be there overnight! Now, this cemetery was in the middle of nowhere - literally - so we had a little under 1 hour. We spent that time walking the aisles of servicemen & women, and spent time at the wall listing the dead, similar to the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. And we spent time in the chapel. I knelt before the cross, and prayed for those who had loved ones buried there, for those fighting at that very SECOND for our freedom, and thanking God for them & their victories. It was somber, too short, but one of the most fulfilling things we did over there. Actually, it was probably the most important.
It beat seeing the ENTIRE Royal Family in person, it beat the castles, palaces, and monuments, it beat the Eiffel Tower, it beat Versailles, and it reminded me that freedom isn't free.
So after we payed our respects & signed the Visitor's Book, we continued our exploration of Cambridge. It was a lovely day, and certainly worth the money, time, and energy. I highly recommend a day-trip to Cambridge if you're in the area! Even just riding on the open second level of the double-decker bus, taking pictures of the area & the University buildings, was lovely!
If I can figure out the whole "watermark" thing, I'll post pictures not just of Cambridge but also of the American Military Cemetery since most of my readers are American. The most humbling thing that day was to read not one, but MANY graves marked this way:
a simple white cross, with the inscription:
"Here Lies In Honored Glory An American Soldier, Known But To God."
More stories to come, most of them funny & interesting rather than "heavy," but I thought it important to share this part of the trip and to remind my fellow Americans that freedom is NEVER free.
As in some major American cities, there were lots of tourism companies that had buses. So we bought All-Day Passes, which means for that day, you can get on & off these buses however many times you want. There's a set route that stops at ALL the major tourist areas of interest, and the buses all run on the same route... so if you want to spend more time at one stop, you can just catch a later bus, and if you don't want to get off at all, you only have to stop long enough to let people off.
Anyway, Cambridge was AMAZING. It's got that classic, small-town English feel to it. It's definitely an older town, established hundreds of years ago. Of course, in the UK, you can drink at 18 and social drinking is almost expected, so we saw the famous pub-crawl streets, where you go from one pub to the next. We didn't get off there. ;-)
There was 1 thing I REALLY wanted to do while in Cambridge: go to the American Military Cemetery. It's basically a piece of land that was given to the U.S. to bury our war dead in World War II, although there may be people from other wars there, I don't remember. That piece of land is, essentially, part of the U.S. and I wanted to go there to pay my respects. Although it is generally expected in modern times that our war dead will be returned home for burial, that wasn't the case before advances in transportation & the way wars were fought.
Imagine going off to war KNOWING that if you die - which was very likely - you probably would NEVER come home, not even in a body bag. Imagine sending your loved one - your son, husband, father, brother - off to war, then getting the dreaded knock. Then imagine being told that you would NEVER be given the chance to bury them, and that only by traveling to Europe would you so much as be able to lay a flower on his grave.
I owed these men & women my freedom, my very way of life. And no matter what it took, if I was anywhere near their resting place, I was going to go & honor them.
So we got off the tour bus at the cemetery, and were told that if we missed our bus in 1 hour, we'd be there for 4 hours, and if we missed that one, we'd be there overnight! Now, this cemetery was in the middle of nowhere - literally - so we had a little under 1 hour. We spent that time walking the aisles of servicemen & women, and spent time at the wall listing the dead, similar to the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. And we spent time in the chapel. I knelt before the cross, and prayed for those who had loved ones buried there, for those fighting at that very SECOND for our freedom, and thanking God for them & their victories. It was somber, too short, but one of the most fulfilling things we did over there. Actually, it was probably the most important.
It beat seeing the ENTIRE Royal Family in person, it beat the castles, palaces, and monuments, it beat the Eiffel Tower, it beat Versailles, and it reminded me that freedom isn't free.
So after we payed our respects & signed the Visitor's Book, we continued our exploration of Cambridge. It was a lovely day, and certainly worth the money, time, and energy. I highly recommend a day-trip to Cambridge if you're in the area! Even just riding on the open second level of the double-decker bus, taking pictures of the area & the University buildings, was lovely!
If I can figure out the whole "watermark" thing, I'll post pictures not just of Cambridge but also of the American Military Cemetery since most of my readers are American. The most humbling thing that day was to read not one, but MANY graves marked this way:
a simple white cross, with the inscription:
"Here Lies In Honored Glory An American Soldier, Known But To God."
More stories to come, most of them funny & interesting rather than "heavy," but I thought it important to share this part of the trip and to remind my fellow Americans that freedom is NEVER free.
Europe is NOT America.
Pretty obvious, huh? Well, when we went to Europe in the summer of 2004, I was totally clueless. Sure, I'd been out of the country before. But while in Mexico I'd been kidnapped, we were only in the Bahamas for a few hours, and our trip to Puerto Rico was to bury my stepdad's father. Not exactly vacation time.
I'm going to write a few entries about our trip to Europe a few years back. If I can figure out how to watermark pictures, I'll post some - I don't want to sound stuck up, but I got some AMAZING shots of England & Paris! I just don't want them on this blog without something to identify them as mine, as I've had a couple offers for them to be printed & I don't want them stolen.
If you know me in person, you know that I'm as patriotic as they come. I'd die for my country in a second, and have tried to join the military numerous times but I'm too sick. I'm proud to be an American, and will not apologize for that.
But I was COMPLETELY clueless about the difference between patriotism and being stupid.
It was a month after my high school graduation. Starting after 9/11, I wore a "God Bless the USA" bracelet at all times, and once you wear something daily you stop making the decision whether or not to wear it & simply put it on. So, naturally, it was strapped to my wrist when the wheels on the plane were up & we were headed to London.
Although we took off on July 3rd, we intentionally chose an overnight flight (BIG MISTAKE!) and landed in England, of all places, on the Fourth of July. Yeah. Got a lot of weird looks. We're wearing shirts with American flags, reminding the British all around us that they lost. If I could do that over again, I probably would, just to be respectful. ;-) We actually had a tour guide tell us that we were "Very welcome" for our freedom - as if they just said, "Hey, you can go off on your own, we won't fight you!" :-P
Now, I expected the things that the UK is known for - you know, monarchy, tea, double-decker buses, stuff like that. But other than that, I thought it'd be just like the US.
Laugh.Out.Loud.
As mentioned, we chose an overnight flight. The logic was that we'd stay up all day packing, sleep overnight on the plane, and make full use of our first day in the United Kingdom. None of us has EVER fallen asleep on a plane for more than a few minutes so I don't know why we thought we would this time, but whatever.
Somewhere over the Atlantic, we were told to close the blinds & turn off lights so those that wanted to could sleep. JUST as I fell asleep, I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder. I pulled the British Airways-supplied eye mask off, and was greeted by the dark image of a smiling flight attendant.
In his British accent, in the middle of the night, after they'd TOLD us to go to sleep, I heard, "Morning, Miss! Would you like a cup of tea?"
You MUST. BE. KIDDING.
"No, I'm good, thanks." It was all I could mumble before I felt the frustration rising. I pulled the mask back down, pulled my blanket up, and tried to fall back to sleep. Didn't work.
Our first day in London was spent sleeping. We finally woke up at dinner time UK time, and went sightseeing til midnight (the buses are empty that late!) and had a great time. But NOTHING was as I expected.
Over the next few days, I'll share our memories & experiences. Why? I dunno, really. After my brain surgeries, I had some damage to my brain, and aside from short-term memory issues (my long-term memory is almost fully unharmed), I had some cognitive difficulties. My typing, reading, writing, etc. was damaged, so typing & making coherent sentences is good for me - AND it will get me to use my memory.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as I take you on a trip through Memory Lane. From our home in the D.C. suburbs to London, Cambridge, Bath, Eton, Windsor, Stonehenge, the Chunnel, and Paris, I hope you enjoy reading about the memories we made. They may not mean much to you, and they are for my "therapy" in healing from my brain surgeries, but I hope that they provide some level of entertainment. :-)
I'm going to write a few entries about our trip to Europe a few years back. If I can figure out how to watermark pictures, I'll post some - I don't want to sound stuck up, but I got some AMAZING shots of England & Paris! I just don't want them on this blog without something to identify them as mine, as I've had a couple offers for them to be printed & I don't want them stolen.
If you know me in person, you know that I'm as patriotic as they come. I'd die for my country in a second, and have tried to join the military numerous times but I'm too sick. I'm proud to be an American, and will not apologize for that.
But I was COMPLETELY clueless about the difference between patriotism and being stupid.
It was a month after my high school graduation. Starting after 9/11, I wore a "God Bless the USA" bracelet at all times, and once you wear something daily you stop making the decision whether or not to wear it & simply put it on. So, naturally, it was strapped to my wrist when the wheels on the plane were up & we were headed to London.
Although we took off on July 3rd, we intentionally chose an overnight flight (BIG MISTAKE!) and landed in England, of all places, on the Fourth of July. Yeah. Got a lot of weird looks. We're wearing shirts with American flags, reminding the British all around us that they lost. If I could do that over again, I probably would, just to be respectful. ;-) We actually had a tour guide tell us that we were "Very welcome" for our freedom - as if they just said, "Hey, you can go off on your own, we won't fight you!" :-P
Now, I expected the things that the UK is known for - you know, monarchy, tea, double-decker buses, stuff like that. But other than that, I thought it'd be just like the US.
Laugh.Out.Loud.
As mentioned, we chose an overnight flight. The logic was that we'd stay up all day packing, sleep overnight on the plane, and make full use of our first day in the United Kingdom. None of us has EVER fallen asleep on a plane for more than a few minutes so I don't know why we thought we would this time, but whatever.
Somewhere over the Atlantic, we were told to close the blinds & turn off lights so those that wanted to could sleep. JUST as I fell asleep, I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder. I pulled the British Airways-supplied eye mask off, and was greeted by the dark image of a smiling flight attendant.
In his British accent, in the middle of the night, after they'd TOLD us to go to sleep, I heard, "Morning, Miss! Would you like a cup of tea?"
You MUST. BE. KIDDING.
"No, I'm good, thanks." It was all I could mumble before I felt the frustration rising. I pulled the mask back down, pulled my blanket up, and tried to fall back to sleep. Didn't work.
Our first day in London was spent sleeping. We finally woke up at dinner time UK time, and went sightseeing til midnight (the buses are empty that late!) and had a great time. But NOTHING was as I expected.
Over the next few days, I'll share our memories & experiences. Why? I dunno, really. After my brain surgeries, I had some damage to my brain, and aside from short-term memory issues (my long-term memory is almost fully unharmed), I had some cognitive difficulties. My typing, reading, writing, etc. was damaged, so typing & making coherent sentences is good for me - AND it will get me to use my memory.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as I take you on a trip through Memory Lane. From our home in the D.C. suburbs to London, Cambridge, Bath, Eton, Windsor, Stonehenge, the Chunnel, and Paris, I hope you enjoy reading about the memories we made. They may not mean much to you, and they are for my "therapy" in healing from my brain surgeries, but I hope that they provide some level of entertainment. :-)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Turn for the worse...
My condition has taken a turn for the worse.
As a result, a second procedure has been scheduled for Friday, my upcoming surgery has been bumped forward, and my doctors are focusing on making me as comfortable as possible.
Starting today, I'll be wearing a patch that releases pain medication into my system 24/7. This is the same medication used for people who have cancer or AIDS and need extremely strong pain relief around-the-clock. I've also got medication to take on an "as needed" basis for breakthrough pain.
On Friday, I will have a repeat of the procedure done a week & a half ago. If this is a success as it was the first time, we will be going back to Johns Hopkins to meet with the specialist to determine which surgery to go forward with to make the effects of these procedures permanent. Most likely will be a surgery to implant a device in my brain to control certain nerves.
This is all as a result of my increasing pain levels and, unfortunately, my tolerance to pain medications. I reached my breaking point, where I couldn't handle the incredible amount of pain I've been in, taking so much medication that I'm destroying my body and not even having those medications give me much pain relief at all. This is why we're trying to just focus on pain control right now. The ultimate goal is to have less pain while taking less medication and allowing me to become more active.
Please pray... for pain management, my mental/emotional ability to deal with the pain & procedures, for wisdom for my doctors, for the success of this procedure on Friday, and for everything to go smoothly in planning for the upcoming surgery, as well as for my parents & family as they both care for me & help me make decisions and help take care of the logistics of everything.
I'll update when I can.
As a result, a second procedure has been scheduled for Friday, my upcoming surgery has been bumped forward, and my doctors are focusing on making me as comfortable as possible.
Starting today, I'll be wearing a patch that releases pain medication into my system 24/7. This is the same medication used for people who have cancer or AIDS and need extremely strong pain relief around-the-clock. I've also got medication to take on an "as needed" basis for breakthrough pain.
On Friday, I will have a repeat of the procedure done a week & a half ago. If this is a success as it was the first time, we will be going back to Johns Hopkins to meet with the specialist to determine which surgery to go forward with to make the effects of these procedures permanent. Most likely will be a surgery to implant a device in my brain to control certain nerves.
This is all as a result of my increasing pain levels and, unfortunately, my tolerance to pain medications. I reached my breaking point, where I couldn't handle the incredible amount of pain I've been in, taking so much medication that I'm destroying my body and not even having those medications give me much pain relief at all. This is why we're trying to just focus on pain control right now. The ultimate goal is to have less pain while taking less medication and allowing me to become more active.
Please pray... for pain management, my mental/emotional ability to deal with the pain & procedures, for wisdom for my doctors, for the success of this procedure on Friday, and for everything to go smoothly in planning for the upcoming surgery, as well as for my parents & family as they both care for me & help me make decisions and help take care of the logistics of everything.
I'll update when I can.
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