Recovery

As you all know, I had my surgery on September 4th (so, last week). It went well, albeit longer than anticipated. Mom, Annalea and I drove down to UVA at 4am as I had to check in by 5:30am. We got there, mom and I were taken back fairly quickly, and then we waited. I, of course had to pee and I wasn't allowed go till I was offered a pregnancy test, since I am of child-bearing age. Understandable, but we were so confused as to why I had to wait (and get in my gown first), till it was all cleared up. The 'robe-type-thing' was actually rather comfortable. I don't know if they have a one-size-fits-all or if they just make them larger than needed so they blow out like a balloon when filled with hot air, but it overlapped in the back and had lots of little places to attach the tube for blowing hot air into the gown. I think it's called 'Bear Paws' or something like that.

For those who have been fortunate enough to never "see" the inside of an OR, the reason for this is they have to keep the room chilled - bright lights, clothing layers (for the doctors, nurses, etc) and temperature requirements for certain equipment - so, unconscious, inert body = opportunities for dangerously low core temperatures. Thus, the hot air robe.

Next: The Waiting Game - and IV (I spent most of my time waiting trying to warm up the back of my left hand - I figured, surgery on right side? IV in left hand. And I'm dehydrated, cold and anxious - have fun trying to stick a needle in my veins...). The IV went in the first time, but why numb the hand? It doesn't work. Just say, 'this is going to hurt a little' and get on with it.

Next: 20 Questions (often the same) from multiple people. "When was the last time you ate?" "Drank?" "Took medication?" "What's your name? DOB?" "What surgery are you having done today?"
I saw a regular PACU nurse (recovery room), the anesthesiologist resident (who did most of the explaining of what would happen in the next hour or so), an ENT resident, Dr. Kesser and another ENT resident,  one of two of the OR nurses, and I think that's it.

So, this is what I was told would happen, by the anesthesiologist resident (who's from Germany and who's girlfriend is from France - or at least studied in France). When they get ready to take me back, they would push a 'cocktail' into the IV (my IV had lots of ports to they could 'push' or insert meds without having to stick me again) that would make me feel a bit woozy. Then, they would wheel me back to the OR and get me situated on the table and push the anesthesia. After I was asleep, they would put the breathing tube down my throat and get started.

Dr. Kesser told us he thought the surgery would take about 4 to 4.5 hours. We knew the OR was booked for 6.5 hours just in case (the nurse had told us that earlier).

Well, I remember the 'cocktail' and mom leaving, and vaguely remember them getting my bed ready to roll out of the room, and then __________________________ nothing. Nada. No descriptions of the inside of the OR I'm afraid. Oh, well. It's not like I haven't seen the inside of one before - just been, you know, 11 years.

First memory after surgery:
"Oh sweetie, your really sweating. Do you want to change to a cotton gown?" Head nod and a possible mumbled "yes" but not really sure. Don't remember how she switched gowns, or if there was anyone else in the room. Oh well. "Do you want us to bring your mom and sister back?" "Yeah."
Lots of other conversations happened and apparently I was a lot more talkative than normal, but I don't remember most of it. I do remember hearing my surgery had been 8 hours long. So, just about double the time. Apparently I did really well (mom kept getting updates from the OR nurse every couple of hours) and Dr. Kesser felt he could get all of the Cholesteatoma and do reconstructive surgery all at one go. So, that took a bit more time. Also, he opened up my Mastoid bone area, which is where I had cholesteatoma before, to check it out (it was fine, so Dr. Lee did a good job with the first surgery). That proved a bit more difficult than normal because of the way the blood vessel I have going through there is positioned. So, that took more time.

I spent 4 hours in the recovery room, though it did not feel nearly that long. At first, I did well. Then I started feeling nauseated and dizzy, so they pushed some more pain meds and something to help with the nausea. I wanted to go home, but they did talk about having me stay the night (that's apparently the norm for 8 hour surgeries). I knew the hospital bill would already be a lot and didn't want it to be any more than necessary. And, I didn't want to spend the night in the hospital. I knew I would be more comfortable at home, with mom (who's a nurse). After things settled down a bit, they unhooked everything from me and I dressed (with help) and was wheeled to the bathroom. After successfully navigating the bathroom on my own, my IV port was removed and I was discharged.

Due to my unsettled stomach, we were given some barf bags (ingenious little things) for the car. They are composed of a plastic ring around the top of a long narrow sack, with a little overhanging rim that has little notches cut out of it. So, when you puke, you just twist it off and hook it in a notch and, Tada! Spill proof. I did throw up once in the way home, but thanks to the meds I was given, it wasn't acidic.  That was quite a relief, I must admit.

My first night home, I slept in bed with lots of pillows propping me up. All the other nights and days have been spent in the recliner. Mom took the pressure bandage off from around my head on Friday afternoon. I have a little brush burn line across my forehead from that. Sunday I got my first shower since Wednesday night. Mom helped because I have to keep a cup over my ear to prevent getting my bandages wet. Sunday night was awful. I had been doing a bit better during the day, but had more trouble falling asleep. I did fall asleep sometime after 12am and was awoken by pain around 4:30. I took a pain pill and tried to relax to relieve pressure build-up in my ear and across my cheekbones and ridge of my nose. It didn't work. I tried laying down in bed. Didn't work either. I got a cold, damp washcloth. No help. I tried to cry to relieve the pressure, but physically was unable to cry. I finally knocked on mom's door at 5:45ish and started bawling. That helped quite a bit. Mom stayed on the couch the rest of the night and I finally got some restful sleep.

Yesterday went better again. I'm actually starting to feel bored. And not sleep so long in the mornings after breakfast. I slept in bed last night (with just a little elevation). And now I'm writing this up.

I have an appointment on Friday and will know more after that, but right now, because he was able to do reconstructive surgery, Dr. Kesser believes I may be able to just have a CT scan in 9-12 months rather than a follow-up surgery :) We'll just have to wait and see...

Negligence... Sorry

Well, it's been over two months since my last post - and I apologize for that. Admittedly, though I may not have had time the 10 days or so after Michelle left, I have had time since returning to the States that could have been spent posting here. Oh well. The task seemed daunting and rather than just committing to one post a day, I ignored my blog completely. So, I do still need to finish writing about my travel time with Michelle, but that will have to wait for another day. No, this post is an update about my cholesteatoma.

On July 25th I had an appointment with Dr. Kesser at the ENT clinic with the University of Virgina (or UVA). It went really well. I feel positive about his experience and expertise and hope to make a full recovery. He was able to use my CT scans, which was a great relief, meaning I didn't have to have any more testing done before scheduling a surgery, and I now understand what I'm looking at in the images. Woot! Essentially, the Cholesteatoma is throughout my mastoid bone and has filled the space behind my eardrum, encompassing the three little hearing bones. Thankfully, it looks as if the growth has not spread to my cochlea and there is a nice thick layer of bone between the growth and my brain.

Surgery is set for the 4th and the procedure will be much like my previous one - though a bit more intensive, as the growth is more widespread.

How I understand the process of my surgery:

-incision made behind ear and ear flipped over to the front.
-remove eardrum (which has a puncture anyway)
-clean out cholesteatoma (not sure how all this will be done), avoiding the facial nerve and nerve connected to taste buds if possible
-inspect hearing bones: clean and replace if damage allows, permanently remove if damage too severe
-create a tissue graft from incision behind ear to replace eardrum
- pack ear canal and replace ear, closing off incision
-bandage outer ear

Then, 9-12 months later I'll have a routine follow-up surgery to check for new growth. If there is no new growth, and if the hearing bones had to be removed, Dr. Kesser would perform reconstructive surgery and put in a prosthetic in place of the bones.

All in all, there is a possibility of decreased hearing for 9-12 months but the prognosis is positive and it would not be permanent. Unless the surgery is botched or the growth has spread to the cochlea since the CT scan - then it is a possibility, but not probable with the known evidence.

Venice: Day 5

Today was our last day in Venice :( We've had a great time and are sad to leave, but I think we are happy with our time here as well. We started our day by rising at the crack of dawn to see the sunrise, and though we didn't have the best vantage point, we still saw a different side of Venice. Only people who were up to see the sunrise and those getting ready for the day (restaurant owners, trash collectors, delivery persons, etc) were up and about. All the  shops were closed and it was silently calm. Well worth the early wake-up call. And, of course we went back to bed for a few hours afterwards. When we rose for real, we ate some breakfast and walked around some of the lesser explored parts of Venice before getting ready for our gondola ride and dinner.

We made that into quite the process, just for the pleasure of it. I had looked up directions for both the gondola ride and the restaurant, but that was pointless. Google maps, you let us down... We got lost within the first few minutes because the street we were supposed to turn onto was not located where it was shown... hmmm.... Thankfully, we had our handy-dandy foldout map and  got there with time to spare. Of, course it was at this point that I realized we needed both copies of our voucher (one for the gondola and one for the restaurant) and the second was back at our apartment. So, I walked into the nearest hotel and asked if I could have a photocopy made. The person at the desk gave me an unpromising look and I asked, "Can I pay to have a photocopy made?" He looked over the voucher and took it back to the copier, and didn't charge me a centime.

The gondola ride was lovely. We were in a 'fleet' of 5 gondola's and we had an accordion player and opera singer serenade us (they were on another of the gondola's and once we entered the smaller canals and the acoustics came into play, we were quite glad of this. After the gondola ride we decided to find the restaurant and then walk around a bit. I'm glad we went to the restaurant first because we couldn't find it... for a long time. We finally asked at a hotel and they gave us directions and as soon as we exited, we couldn't agree on what we had been told - so we went the way Michelle thought, then the way I thought it was - we finally found it and it had been right under our noses the Entire time. Figures. Granted, nothing is straight in Venice and is was tucked away a bit.

For this day, we have two videos - and, you may notice some similarities between the two...
So here's our Sunrise and Gondola Ride link and video

And here's our Get ready with us link, but it won't let me embed the video right now - will try again another time.

Venice: Day 4

Today was a 'free' day, aka we didn't have anything scheduled - we just decided what we wanted to do and did it. So, we went up the bell tower on the Island of San Giorgio (rather than the one at San Marco square) at the suggestion of our host, Laura. She had said that the view is better, the line was smaller (uh, non-existent), and it cost less. It was well worth it. We also ended up just sitting on the steps by the water for awhile as well. After taking the water bus back to the main islands of Venice, we made some lunch and got ready to head to Lido and the beach!!! We didn't get there till about 6 (we were waiting for the wrong water bus, but oh well) and stayed till about 8, so the water didn't feel quite so much refreshing as just cold, but we did get in (don't worry - I didn't get my head/ear wet). We had a wonderful time other than when some creeper started bothering us (well, mostly Michelle). We tried to be polite at first and just walked away, but he kept following us. Finally we got out of the water and laid on the beach to dry off. And he came and put is towel down next to Michelle. He proceeded to touch her arm - she said "Hello" and he took his hand back. Moments later he touched her arm again and she said, "Can I help you?" and he left his hand on her towel. I saw this and told him to move his hand - about 10 times. I finally said "Take your hand off her towel" and he finally listened. You'd think that he would get the hint by then, right?... Michelle and I were in the process of discussing what we would do if he touched her again (Michelle said, "You will have to bail me out of Italian jail because I swear I will punch him"), when he touched her arm again. Michelle busted out in her Spanish and was telling him off and he just down-played it saying, "okay, okay. I won't touch you." But he had gone too far long ago. At his point I said, "No, it's not okay. You need to leave." And he continued to say, "okay, okay, I won't touch her. I'll just lay here." We wouldn't have it. I said, "No, you need to get up and leave. Now." He did, but he took his good old time about it. After he left we had a pleasant time walking around, taking pictures and filming.

So, here's the link to our Bell tower and beach day

Florence Day Trip

Today we took a Florence day trip. At first we were a bit worried that we would regret leaving Venice for a day, but I think it was well worth it. So, in the morning we got up and ate breakfast and left about an hour before we needed to be there in case we got lost - and we didn't. In fact, we got there in less time than Google maps said it would take - woot. So, we walked around a bit and then met our contact at the rendez-vous point. After getting our train tickets and bus tour voucher, we got on the train and spent the next two hours traveling to Florence. Once we got there we got on the bus and rode around and up the side of a mountain to a nearby village. Then we got some lunch and hopped on a different line for a slightly different tour. On our last 'hop-off' we got off at the Piazale Michelangelo which has a grand view over Florence. It was amazing. While there we saw a Ferrari that you could pay to test drive... but we didn't do that. One, Michelle can't drive manual and I sure as heck was not going to drive a Ferrari with my limited manual practice. Plus, it was just a tad expensive...

We caught the last bus of the day and got off near the train station with two hours to kill. So... we went into a couple of stores and Michelle found this adorable 'girl' necklace (it's literally a little girl made out of beads, material, and little metal arms and legs) and earings. And I saw one I liked but decided not to get it (I needed to curb my spending a bit) and Michelle offered to get it as a belated birthday present (how sweet)!

We decided it might be best to spend the rest of our time waiting in the train station as we weren't doing so well with just window shopping, which led to an interesting and surprising encounter with a bachelor party from Rome. So, this was all happening behind my back, but Michelle saw it all. A group of guys (who were the epitome of attractive) got off a train and 'pow-wowed.' At this point neither of us knew it was a bachelor party, but she could tell they were a hesitant about what their next move was. She told me that they were all kind of looking around and they looked at her, then at me, then around again, then at her, then at me and at this point zeroed in on me (who knows why). One of the guys walked a bit closer to us then returned to the group and said "I think she speaks English."
So, at this point I see a guy come over to us and squat down next to me (we were sitting on the floor). I knew none of what I just described above, all I saw was a guy coming over with what looked like a packet or clip-board. My first thought was, 'Oh great, he's going to ask me to sign something.' But no. He starts off with, "My friend over there is getting married and we have these pictures we have to destroy," (they were just some photocopies of two people - don't know more than that), "and the way we can destroy one is if a girl gives him a kiss and a hug." I'm taken completely by surprise. I was not expecting this and my first question was, "Like, on the cheek?" and he replied, "Where-ever you want. You are free to kiss him here (he pointed to his neck), here (he pointed to his cheek), or here - but that's usually for funerals so that might not be so good (he pointed to his forehead)." I looked at Michelle and back at him and said, "Ok." So, he took my hand and led me over to his friends - specifically the groom-to-be. And, I was so flustered thinking, "He doesn't know I agreed to a kiss on the cheek. What if he goes in for a kiss on the mouth," that instead of being confident and like, I don't know, offering my hand and saying, "Hi. I'm Krista. Congratulations. So, hug and kiss on the cheek, right?" I just went right in for the hug. - facepalm- It ended up being fine, but gah! So, then he asked if I had any lipstick (which I didn't) so he asked if they could take a picture of me kissing him. I said 'sure'. And they took a picture of me kissing his cheek. He and all his friends were really respectful the entire time, so even though I was flustered and it was quite a new experience for me, it wasn't a bad experience in the least. Huh, who'd a thunk.
Finally it was time to get on the train and return to Venice (yeah!) and we returned to see Venice by night. It was beautiful.

Link to Florence Day Trip

Venice Day 2

Today we went on our Island tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
This tour started near San Marco Square as well. While we were waiting we met a nice couple who we talked with both before and during the tour.
Murano is were the glass-makers live and work. Our tour included an opportunity to watch the glass-makers work. Then we made our way to their gallery - um.... wow. The first floor was amazing and expensive. The second floor was spectacular and EXPENSIVE. After exploring that island for a bit, we got back on the boat and went over to Burano. This is were they create lace. We saw one woman working on a piece and another woman explained the process of creating lace - each person only knows one stitch, so most pieces are created by several people. Again, we got to explore a bit but needed to make our way back to the boat - and we were the last ones - oops. The last Island was really just to walk around. We took some fun pictures and just meandered around a bit. After we returned to Venice, Michelle and I walked around and did some shopping (of course) and eventually made our way back to the apartment for dinner and an evening in again - we didn't want to be up too late because we'll have a big day tomorrow.

Link to Murano and Burano Island Tour

Venice: Day 1

Our first day in Venice was spectacular. We got up slowly and then meandered our way over to where our walking tour started near San Marco Square. This was the first part of our Venice Walking and Boat tour. Our tour guide explained many things - how Venice developed, former governments, and architecture. We also had a tour of the S. Marco Basilica (which is ornate - marble and gold again). After that we walked around some of the less traveled areas of Venice (not the entire 'island' as we only had two hours). Venice is just unique and I love it. After the walking tour ended we had a few hours until our boat tour, so we went back to the apartment for lunch and did some exploring. Finally, it was time to head over for our boat tour and we got a bit lost. We did find our way, but time was running close, so we ran across San Marco square and made it with 5 minutes to spare - and the tour guides weren't even there yet. Whoo - time to catch our breath. The boat tour was just as interesting and beautiful as the walking tour. After, we went back to the apartment for supper and the rest of the evening.

Link for Venice Walking and Boat Tour

Travel Day: Rome to Venice

Today went really well. We were ready to leave in plenty of time and made our way to the train station without incident. There we bought some lunch and waited for our train. Traveling by high speed train is really nice, especially if you enjoy looking out the windows.

Walking out of the train station in Venice was a momentous experience. Rome was nice, but felt a bit constricting (not sure how else to describe it), but Venice was reinvigorating... and relaxing all at the same time. Our host had previously contacted me to explain how to get near to the apartment (we took the water bus line 1 to San Silvestro) and then she met us and took us the rest of the way there. Here is our Venice Apartment. It's location was amazing - we had a grocery store just down the street, were just a 2-3 minute walk from the Grand Canal, and just a 7-10 minute walk from the Rialto Bridge.

We ate out that night, but bought groceries for our other meals.

Here is a link to our Rome Apartment. I've also added it to my first Rome post.

And here is our video Travel day to Venice

Rome Shopping

Today was our shopping day in Rome. We slept in a bit (were still out by 10am) and went to a shopping area we saw on our bus tour. And, I got my purse!!! The style I've been looking for for about a year :)

Michelle had gotten a Fossil Explorer Tote in Espresso and I liked it, but it was just a bit too boxy for me. And the short handles wouldn't fit on my shoulder, which I knew would annoy me. So, I've been shopping around and have found a few in this style, but nothing quite like what I wanted. Till Rome. And, I found one in a dark navy blue (almost black). And I love it :) In case you haven't figure it out yet - It's perfect!

Anywho, we did some shopping, ate lunch and walked around. We had planned to try to go to the Colosseum, but we didn't get around to it. We had driven past it with the bus tour so we felt okay about not getting to it. I think if we had had one more day, we would have but - next time :)

Here's the link to Rome: Shopping Day

Vatican Tour

Today we had our Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica Skip the Line tour. It was only 3 hours but it wiped us out. The Vatican Museums are plural because they are actually collections of different Pope's and influential persons rather than art preserved and displayed for historical documentation. So, we saw several of these collections (but not all - again, it was just a 3 hour tour). Our tour guide explained that back in the time that many of the statues were created, they were dressed in clothing of that time period, were painted to look life-like, including make-up, and some even wore jewelry (pierced ears and everything).

After we saw the Sistine Chapel. It was magnificent. I can't imagine spending three years straight working on painting a ceiling and then spending another 4 years painting one wall, but the time taken is evident in the quality of the work. Our guide explained the different depictions beforehand as silence is required within the chapel. The purpose really was to help the Cardinals choosing the next Pope remember what their purpose is and the history of Christianity. With that being said, Michelangelo was not interested in being constrained by a conservative mind-set and this is evident in some of the faces of his subjects (different personages bear likenesses of people he both admired and did not admire - to put it nicely). I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the Sistine Chapel, but I was expecting something a bit bigger - probably because I have see so many grand cathedrals - but it's a chapel, not a cathedral. Still, it is very well worth seeing.

Lastly, we saw St. Peter's Basilica. It is an enormous Basilica. The dome is huge. There is writing painted around the inside edge - each letter is 6 feet tall - and it didn't look like they were that tall. Everything was created out of marble, including the pictures. They look like paintings, but they are actually created by minuscule pieces of marble, glass, and gold pieced together in a mosaic. Again, they looked like paintings unless you looked very closely at them.

Afterwards Michelle and I went back to our apartment for lunch and didn't leave. We needed some time to recuperate.

Again, here is the link to our video. I am thinking I won't get pictures posted till much later, possibly even once I return to the States - but don't worry. You'll get to see some pictures too :)

Vatican Tour

Rome City Bus Tour

Success!!! We had a wonderful first full day in Rome. e had planned to get up at 8 and head out by 9:30 but I set the wrong day for our alarm and we didn't get up till 9. But it all worked out and probably  gave us that little bit more of rest we needed to get the most out of our day. We were still out by 10/10:30 and walked over to the Vatican to find the bus stop for our Hop-on Hop-off city bus tour. It took us a few minutes to find the right place, but it worked and we were able to hop on the next bus (perfect timing).
We decided to ride the full tour once and then choose where we wanted to get off, so that's what we did. Michelle took pictures while I took film (link to our second video below), though we switched a few times. It was a bright, hot day - a bit unexpected from the weather forecast, but we had remembered to put our sunscreen on before leaving that morning and were fine. We could have benefited from cooler clothing, but… oh well. After riding the tour for one circuit, we decided to get lunch and ate near the Vatican. Then we walked back to the apartment for a quick recharge (reapply sunscreen, change, etc), gelato (extra dark chocolate and coffee) and headed back to the bus. We had decided to get off at the Fontana di Trevi and Pantheon and that's exactly what we did. Between the two places are lots of little streets full of shops and restaurants and we decided we wanted to come back sometime when we could meander a bit more (the last bus left at 7, so if we wanted to ride it back we had to be at the bus stop in time). Originally we thought we would get off at the Colosseum, but we ran out of time for that and the Colosseum was closed as well.
Riding on the top of a double decker bus is a marvelous way to see a city - unobstructed views, nice breeze, fresh air, and your feet get a break ;)
After we returned to the Vatican stop, we headed back to the apartment (our location really is great - as long as we can find our way back to the Vatican we can find our way to our apartment and it's only about a 7 minute walk - if you speed walk like us) and got gelato again (mango, coconut and mint). Our evening was really nice and relaxing. We prepared dinner, ate, and planned out next day.

Again, here is the link to our second video (on Michelle's vlog) - I'll post pictures at a later time - when I get a chance to sort through them a bit…

Link to Follow me around: Rome, Italy pt. 2

Michelle's Arrival and our first day in Rome

A bit more about Michelle's arrival - I was late!! :( Not by much, but I wanted to be there when she got out and I wasn't. And it was entirely my fault. I didn't leave Blanc quite as early as I had wanted (was scrambling around trying to get things in order the way I wanted - and I got it all done) and then I had to wait 10 minutes for the RER to Charles de Gaulle. Once I got there I had to get on a shuttle to terminal 1 and then figure out which floor the arrivals were on. It wasn't too difficult, but because I already knew I was running late, I felt a bit flustered. Once I found her we got back to the shuttle and the RER and made our way back to the apartment. After dropping off her bags we got some groceries and visited the boulangerie and I sent off some letters and a job application (really is coming to an end here).
We packed, and got everything ready for our departure for Rome the next morning and then went to bed (well, I posted several times first…).

Getting to Orly airport was pretty easy. I had never gone there by RER before so wasn't sure how smoothly it would go, but it was really easy. And finding our check in point wasn't too difficult. Then we sat down and waited to board out plane. Once on the plane, I passed out and woke up about 40 minutes before landing (it was only an hour and forty minute flight). Waiting for our checked bag took awhile and then we had to figure out how to get to our apartment. It was fairly direct, but as we are unfamiliar with the train system in Italy  and the owner was waiting for us at the apartment if felt like it took awhile, but we got there and had a grand old time settling in.

Link to our Rome Apartment.

I'll post pictures as some point, but right now there is a link below to Michelle's vlog with a video of our  first day in Rome.

Follow me around: France, Italy, UK and Switzerland pt. 1

Strep throat??? Really?!!

As I stated, I had an ear test on Friday. It went as expected - good sign it's not worse and it indicated that the cholesteatoma has not affected my inner ear yet. On Saturday I went to Jill and Patrick's and got to see Annina and Anna again!!! Annina was visiting for the weekend, so we did some shopping on Saturday (it was raining, so we scrapped some of out other ideas) and went to Hillsong for church on Sunday. After that we walked around the Latin Quarter for a bit, but it was getting late and we were getting tired, so we headed back. Plus, it was raining off and on all day - 10 to 20 minutes of pouring rain and then an hour of bright sun, then the rain again - interesting weather.

On Sunday I woke up with a sore throat but thought it would pass. It didn't. It just got worse and Monday I was starting to get worried. Monday evening I saw white spots... and I had been running a fever. Crap daggers. Probably strep throat, right? Never had it before in my life and I get it in France. So, Tuesday morning I called the doctor (on my own, in French) and went to the doctor's (on my own, in French) and got some antibiotics and steroids. I was feeling pretty awful on Tuesday - I would hold my spit in my mouth as long as possible before swallowing (sometimes opting to just spit it out) because every time I swallowed, my whole body would clench up from the pain. The my throat was beet red, I had white spots going down the back, the skin around my eyes was red, the back of my eyes itched, my ears hurt, my neck was warm to the touch and tender - I could even turn my head without it hurting. But, my lymph nodes weren't swollen. Interesting. The doctor decided I had strep without running any tests (for which I was grateful because I just wanted meds and didn't want to have to go to a lab to get the test done and go back for the results later). I was in pretty bad shape - talking was nearly out of the question (and really was if I had a choice). The doctor's office was literally the building next to Jill and Patrick's and the pharmacy was the next one and just the little walking that took (and waiting in the doctor's office) I was wiped. Just over an hour of activity and I took over a 4 hour nap. I had intended to go back up to Blanc that day, but that didn't happen. In fact, Jill asked me what I was planning to do and when I said I didn't think I could make it back up she said, "Good, I was going to say if you have to go back up, ok, but if not I wouldn't let you leave because you look absolutely miserable." And then she made me jello :) Thanks Jill!!!

But...

The next day was a whole other story. I felt much better, not normal, still sore, icky, etc. but I was able to take public transport to Mimi so she could take me to the surgeon to give him my hearing results. And that didn't wipe me out - I was tired, but not wiped. He checked me out too, and thought that it might not be strep since my lymph nodes weren't swollen, but I've noticed over the past many years that they don't really swell. So, perhaps I've only had viral infections for the past 10 or so years. Or, perhaps the bacterial infections haven't been too serious. Or, maybe my lymph nodes don't function correctly... Who knows, all I care about is the fact that today I feel nearly back to normal. Which is good, since Michelle is here and we start our grand adventure tomorrow. Italy, here we come!

Alsace

Just two days after my excursion to Mont St Michel, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and stay with a lovely family in Saverne - just outside of Strasbourg. I took a train and Agnés met me and drove me to her house and proceeded to take me around Alsace and Strasbourg for the next two days. But I get a bit ahead of myself. I'm not sure that I ever mentioned this before, but way back in the fall, at the General Assembly meeting I attended for Grain de Blé (les Semailles) I met Agnés and she invited me to come to her place if it would work for Grain de Blé. I was still taking classes, so it wasn't a possibility then, but I thought about the invitation many times and hoped something would come of it. I didn't hear anything for many months, and finally I decided to start asking some questions - which led to my emailing her and asking if I could still take her up on her invitation. I do so wish that I could have been able to stay with them a bit longer - they are a lovely family and Alsace is such a beautiful place, but I'm glad that I had the courage to ask and the opportunity to go, even just for a couple of days.

Agnés is an artist (specifically a weaver), and it is evident from the moment you walk into her house.

My first evening there, Emmy, her daughter, invited me to a Zumba class - my first time in about 2 years, and I did really well. I guess trekking across Paris with my suitcase has done more for my physical health than I realized. I was pretty amazed at how well I kept up...

The next morning, Agnés and I visited a monastery, of Saint Odile, and then drove around to these quaint little villages that are scattered around everywhere. it was lovely. I didn't take many pictures because I was just soaking it in, but here are a few from the monastery...

Not at the monastery, but a artists village

Looking out over the valley

The next day we went into Strasbourg. She drove me around and explained the architecture. Then we walked a bit, went to the Notre Dame de Strasbourg, ate some lunch and took a boat tour. Again, a lovely day.

Notre Dame - Gothic style, but the intricate stage

The organ

The Pulpit

Steps of the pulpit

Astrological Clock

Pillar of Angels

Side of Notre Dame

We were on a covered boat, so there are some reflections...

I returned to Mimi's on Thursday for my hearing test - and my time in Alsace came to an end...

Mont St Michel

Saturday, May 3rd I took a day trip to Mont St Michel. I took a chartered bus with 40 some other people (along with a second bus which had the same number of people) and rode through the French countryside for about 4 hours to Mont St Michel. It was a pleasant ride - the views were nice and the guides gave us the history of the different areas we passed, especially in Normandy.

And as we approached Mont St Michel

 Before taking a shuttle over to the island, we had lunch, and I met two lovely ladies from Singapore. They were just finishing up their two week vacation time (some time in England and some in Paris) and this was their second to last day. It was enjoyable to get to know them a bit and after our guided tour (we were in the same group) we walked through the little town (if you can call it that) and back to the mainland together.

At the Mont St Michel, the monks lived in the highest level - built in the Gothic style - the VIP pilgrims (kings, dukes, etc.) spent most of their time in the second level - built in the Romanesque style - and the normal pilgrims stayed in what would have been the original structure - the first level. The abbey is magnificent, but I enjoyed it much more  than I would have had I not had a guide - I could get some of the history and culture that I never would have otherwise. One random, yet interesting fact, is that due to a dyke being built out to the island, silt has build up creating flatland that has to be dug out. So, they are in the process of building a bridge so they can destroy  the dyke and hopefully restore the bay to what it once was: a place where the tides rushed in as fast as a galloping horse...

Walking down the dyke - bridge to the right

Looking back toward the mainland - the bridge and dyke side by side and all the flat land around it. You can take guided  walking tours of the bay, but as there are areas of quicksand, you are not supposed to walk out on your own.

Looking down over the 'village'

Entrance to the now Gothic style chapel

A large wheel used to help hoist up rocks to build the abbey - men would walk inside the wheel (like mice or hamsters in their little wheels) to turn it and bring the stones to the upper level.