DAY TWENTY ONE

Greetings to each of you-

Today we said goodbye to all the friends we made at the clinic, both patients and staff. They're a happy bunch for cancer patients and caregivers. I gather that to go to "the Cross" in Calgary is pretty morbid. Here they laugh and even sing, and optimism is the order of the day. We managed to pack up all the meds (including 45 single use hypodermic needles for the B17 shots - oh joy. We made it across the Mexican/US border without too much trouble  -

just a brief delay to check all my medications.

We are now in beautiful San Diego. I was getting used to Mexico, and we met some delightful people there, but I have to admit to being a bit relieved to be back where people speak a language that I understand. And where you can go out on the street after dark with relative safety. We were lucky to be able to hitch a ride to  SD with a Phillipino couple who live here, but who come to the clinic each day for treatment. They have a special status, and can enter the border crossing in what they call the "medical line", which is a good deal quicker than the rest. On the way we got rear ended by a Tijuana taxi, but no apparent damage was done, and minimal whiplash, so our host and driver just said forget it, and we drove on. 

We had hoped to attend a wedding in Oakland on Saturday, but that now seems a bit optimistic...

so we will have some R&R here before heading home.

To sum up - met some very nice, caring and helpful people - 

got my health on the right track - and in general had a good experience here.This will be the final installment. Thanks for listening, and for the kind thoughts and prayers. It truly is good to have friends, and we love an appreciate you one and all.

See you in snowy Alberta, AND BUENOS NOCHES!

Hoping to successfully attach some pictures we took today....

this and two following pictures from San Diego

And a fitting final photo in conclusion!

DAY TWENTY

Hello all, it's the mysterious guest blogger again. (It's Jackie if you hadn't guessed). I see this is harder than it appears! Grant deals with the technology every day (and I think he does amazingly well for a "senior", don't you?), then I have to remember not to write too much (whoops!) and also to take the pertinent photos...pressure, pressure, pressure! haha
We walked to the nearby grocery store this afternoon and I was thrilled to see a tortilla making machine in the shop window (except there's no window); and also huge, glitzy pinatas for sale, hanging above our heads as we walked down the sidewalk. Wish we could bring one home!

Lady making  tortillas with automated machine

Tonight after dark we heard pop after pop after pop; the noise sounded louder than firecrackers, but not as sharp as gunshots (thank goodness!). After starting laundry on the 4th floor, we went out on the big open air marble patio, I stood up on a chair, and then we could see fireworks going off across the main road. A  lady here told us it was a holiday tomorrow - a big day, Dec. 12th, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I kind of wish we weren't leaving tomorrow - I'd like to see the parades...

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DAY NINETEEN

Good evening all -

Ho-hum, another boring day in Mexico. Both of us had chelation treatments today, then Jacalyn had a dental cleaning and whitening. We also got 4 breakfast burritos from a vendor, who sells them across the street out of the back of a recent model VW station wagon (my, my, how times change). Also got a picture of the street vendor (this one with an actual cart) who slices up and sells bowls of fresh fruit out front every day.

For a thrill we walked to the mall (it's safe to walk there during the daylight hours, not so much at night, so we got a cab back). The mall, like all here, is open air, not enclosed. Lots of Christmas music playing, much of it in English! but thankfully no snow. We took a picture of a mall nativity scene, which I will try to attach.

Also met with Dr. C, who gave me a long list of meds etc that I need to get and bring back. My inflammation level had come down from 26 to 12, which is good. Jacalyn has been doing EmotionCode for me for inflammation, and that no doubt has helped.

Leaving on Wednesday for San Diego, just over the border, and will stay near and attend the beautiful San Diego Temple. We were here with 5 of our kids for the Open House before it was dedicated about 20 years ago. Architecturally it's outstanding - including a stunning "floating staircase" - Google "Mormon Temple San Diego, CA" and you'll see what I mean.

We're planning to stay in San Diego a few days and fly back next Monday.

Keeping it short, so good night,

Grant

DAY EIGHTEEN

Jacalyn outside Church

Lead singer from last night in restuarant

Grant said he finds this blog gives him much-needed routine, and he wants to keep a diary of events anyway; but he quickly took me up on my offer to "guest blog" today....
Sunday is the only day no treatments are given at the clinic here, so things were quiet this morning and we got to sleep in a little (a welcome relief to this student who prefers working early morning hours!)
We ate cooked oatmeal for breakfast, as Grant usually does here - mine with hot chocolate instead of milk on top, something I learned to love when we went to an all-inclusive Mexican resort a few years ago...
Then we got ready for church (which started at noon). Grant had ordered up the taxi ahead (Manny was driving again) but when we went to leave, our street was blocked off (we have no idea why); so he had to find an alternate route.
Manny pointed out the long lines on the freeway going to San Diego - he said the wait to cross the border was 6 hours long today - probably because so many people had come here just to visit for the weekend. He confirmed what Alexandria, Dr. Castillo's daughter who picked me up last Friday, had said: in December, people get really grouchy and miserable here when driving! Apparently they're ruder drivers and won't let anyone in line...
I found that interesting, as at home, it seems it's the other way around. When I hit the mall briefly last Thursday before leaving Red Deer, it seemed people were more helpful and cheerful than usual. Hmm, 11 months of grouchiness then one month of good cheer...or 11 months of good cheer ending with one month of grumpiness....kind of a toss up!
I don't find Grant's room here above the clinic too bad- it's quite spacious - thanks for getting this one for him, Evan! There's a perfectly adequate kitchenette, a computer table as well as a kitchen table to eat at, and a view out the east window of a hill completely covered with residences. (At home, the hill would be bare and the houses would be built on flatter land instead). Tijuana has a population of about 3 million; and San Diego, just a short drive away, has another 2 or 3 million; so we're talking numbers we don't see at home.
At church, the people were very friendly, but few spoke English, except for one full-time missionary from Wyoming. The bishop looked to be about 30 years old. They had no one to play piano, so I volunteered - they sang Christmas hymns today, just like at home; but piano was in much better shape than the one in the Bower chapel in Red Deer. (Maybe from lack of use?)
I keep being reminded of CapeTown - the razor wire on the top of fences, the security guards everywhere (Last night Manny, our taxi driver, went home and sent another driver to pick us up when we were done at the restaurant; but Manny had "Juan" dial him on his cellphone and hand it to Grant to personally confirm that's what was really going on, even tho' the restaurant was in a good neighborhood, in a gated compound, etc). The church is also iside a gated compound, in quite a poor neighborhood - we saw a long line-up in a nearby park and asked what it was - seems it was a "soup kitchen" of sorts - food and clothes were being handed out to the poor, Manny said. But at the church, the members' cars weren't locked in during services, unlike CapeTown.
When I got here to the Castillo clinic on Friday, I was pleased to see that Grant walks up and down the 2 flights of stairs several times a day, instead of taking the elevator, so I could tell his energy level was improving. The interior building stairs are beautiful - marble I think - and the table at our restaurant last night was also granite or marble, with no tablecloth on it (and none needed!) Everything is built with cement - very soundproof.

Jacalyn at railing at front door of Clinic

Manuel (Manny), our main cab driver

I cooked veggies and scrambled some eggs for supper; forgot to put the rice on first, so we had toast instead; then organic peppermint tea I'd brought from home. Grant had half-heartedly offered to cook; but I think that secretly he's glad his chief cook and bottle-washer has joined the excursion.. (Grant's added comment: Yes, indeed!). OK, now we'll try again to add photos....

DAY SEVENTEEN

Sorry, folks, this instalment is a bit late. Hmmm, as I write that, I realize that I am probably operating under the mistaken impression that anyone would notice....:-)

OK, so Day 17 was a Saturday, yesterday, as this is being written on Sunday afternoon, and we had a very busy and interesting day. I had a double treatment while Jacalyn worked on her paper (you know, the one that never ends). We will be eternally thankful to Katie Harris-Taylor for helping on the footnotes and APA format (whatever that is...). Then Jacalyn started her chelation treatments to get rid of the mercury poisoning from her dental work.

I also learned a new skill. How to give yourself a needle in the leg. When we go home I have to continue to get B17 shots 3 times a week. As Evan is often in Calgary, and Jacalyn will probably be away at Block Week in January, seemed sensible to learn how to do it myself. Not my favorite, but not as bad as I had imagined.

After that we went over to the little restaurant (lunch place really) and had pancakes and eggs etc. They serve fresh squeezed juices, including grapefruit juice, which makes your eyes water.

When we got back the front desk had a message from Joe (Lehane), and so I phoned back. He met on Saturday at length with a couple of young lawyers who may be interested in joining the firm. That was good news - hope it comes to pass. We have outstanding and loyal staff members, and that would mean they would continue to have a place to work - not at all a sure thing if my health continues to be a bit dodgy. It was, as they say, Good News.  (see "1066 and All That").

We were then trying to decide what to do for dinner, and the rock band next door started up around 5:00 p.m.. As I knew from the last 2 Saturdays that they played until 8:00 p.m., we decided to go out for dinner. We went to a place not far distant which was very nice. The food was great, and interesting (Jacalyn had grilled beets with blue cheese crumbles, and enjoyed it thoroughly). I had a boatload of shrimp, grilled and buttered, with veg etc. Then we shared a wedge of Thousand Layer Cake, with strawberry sauce, which was to die for.

 Then, as we were waiting for our cab to return, 3 guys in overcoats walked in, 2 with guitars, one with a full size bass, came to our table and asked if we wanted them to play us a song. Jacalyn chose "Imagine", and they did a fabulous job - very moving. The main singer has a very good and very strong voice. They aren't paid by the restaurant - they just get whatever you pay them, and we tried to make it worth their while. (Did I mention earlier that the older men who work at bagging groceries and helping you out with them don't get paid by the store either - they just do it for whatever tips they get - no social safety net). Anyway, they sang beautifully, and then moved on and 2 or 3 other tables had them play and sing. It was a perfect end to a really great dining experience. I'm going to try to attach a couple of photo's of the singers, and maybe the food. (great food photography it ain't).

Then we came home and collapsed - hence no blog last night.

God bless you all. We appreciate your love, prayers and support.

Here, I'll try to add photos....

DAY SIXTEEN

Good evening (as Alfred Hitchcock was wont to say - if that doesn't date you, nothing will)

So, the bad news is that Evan is gone. The great news is that Jacalyn is here! She and Evan crossed paths in the San Diego airport, and got to talk to one another for about 20 minutes. If you can believe it, Ev was looking forward to getting back to the snow. Jacalyn, on the other hand, was really happy to see palm trees and warm weather.

The day started out normally, with blood tests, and then IV treatment - just a single treatment today, so I was finished before 10:30, a very rare occurrence. Today I sat beside a couple from Camrose - thye've been coming down once a year for 11  years (for 10 days) and are hale and hearty. They drive down in a truck, and this time brought down furniture from Alberta for their kids, who just bought a house in Arizona.

Jacalyn arrived at about 12:30, in style - a new Mercedes SUV, driven by Dr. Castillo's daughter, who works here part-time. She has a psychology degree and is married and lives in San Diego. She explained to Jacalyn that in Mexico they are much more family oriented than in the States or Canada. As teenagers, they do stuff with their families, not their peers. And families tend to stay closer as they grow up. Sounds good to me!

At 3:00 Jacalyn had an appointment with  Dr. C  - I told her that was close to VIP treatment, as I don't think he usually does first appointments. He's a very nice guy, and very thorough - sort of like Canadian doctors used to be 30 years ago. After the appointment we took a turn around the block, just to get some exercise, and show some local color. It was a very nice day here today, and warm, although a little windy and cooler later in the afternoon.

J. is still putting the finishing touches on her paper for her Master's program. It's like the song that never ends, it just goes on and on and on. (which reminds me of a support group for relatives of people who can't, or won't, stop talking - it's called Onandon.anon) - I knew you'd like that - and know people to whom it applies.

Anyway, after some hairpulling and cussing about Windows and Microsoft Word and the Internet in general, she finally got it wrapped (almost completely), and sent it to Katie (used to be) Harris for some help on the footnotes. Thanks Katie. I'm sorry I forget Katie's husband's name - early onset Alzheimers is my excuse - I notice people aren't contradicting me as much when I say that....

J. is generally pretty healthy, but had a bad experience with a dentist about 8 years ago, and has had mercury poisoning since then, so she's going to have some chelation while she's here, to remove the heavy metals.

What I notice about the people here in general is that they are happy, and not burdened down with a lot of worries and troubles. They have worries and troubles, no doubt, probably lots more than we do, but they have a better outlook on life, and they just don't seem to fret as much. And they're friendly, a big plus.

Well, time to hit the hay (have you ever noticed how much we speak in idioms? - we sort of tuned into that a few years ago when Jacalyn volunteered to teach English to some Korean folks at the Library - take out the idioms and our vocab goes down significantly.

Speaking of vocab, and at the risk of being accused of being a doting grandfather..... Jacalyn was as McDonald's with Joshua, DaveandLisa's son who barely turned three a couple of weeks ago. They were eating chicken nuggets, and Jacalyn said "Where did yours go, Joshua"?. He didn't reply immediately, so she said "Must have gone down the hatch" - pointing to his throat. And he replied "Actually, Grandma, that's my esophagus". Gotta love these superbabies - if you know anyone who's pregnant, get them taking EMPower vitamins - the Moms do very well, and the babies are incredibly bright.

Anyway, I'm going to try to attach a picture, which is self-explanatory. I'll follow Ev's instructions, and hope it works...

All the best to you all.

Yes, it worked! Night all...

DAYS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN

You know that story that kids tell when they don't have their homework done - "My computer ate it"? Well, last night it ate my blog. Admittedly the blog was short and no heck, but I resented losing it all the same. No amount of fussing and cussing could recover it either. So I'll try to cover the highlights of the last two days tonight.

Yesterday - actually was quite a full day. Started with a blood test (I'm so used to getting needles now I hardly cry at all :-). Then a double treatment on IV. Then a visit with the dentist, in the early afternoon.

Then an appointment with Dr. Castillo. He said the partial results of the blood test were good, but he didn't have all of them. I was concerned mainly about the level of inflammation, which was 24, and that was part of what he didn't have yet. He said check tomorrow with Dr. Espinoza. Evan asked him why the 4 cancer marker tests showed no cancer, and he said they don't work for everyone. Apparently I'm "special" - think Bevy Warren, for those of you who know Innisfail. I asked him why the bleeding had not ceased or diminished, and he said that the longer you have it before you arrive here, the longer it takes to heal. Kinda  hard to argue with that reasoning. Still don't like it much.

Then a bit of a break, and an extended dental appointment. The fellow's name is Jesus, pronounced in the Mexican way of course. His English is impeccable (altho' he says his wife doesn't think so...). His kids (2) go to a Catholic school in Chula Vista, which is just north of the border, part of San Diego. Very nice guy, and his office is state of the art. He has stuff I've never seen in a Canadian dental office (and I've seen too many of those). Guess it's a little early to tell, but he seems very competent. Let you know in 6 months....

THEN TODAY..

Much the same. Three hour dental appointment to start, then 3 hours of IV, then 2 shots in the butt (apparently I have to learn to give those to myself before departing, as the shots go on). Only you give them to yourself in the leg, the butt being notoriously hard to reach with a needle.

Christmas has arrived in Tijuana. There's a huge (real) Christmas tree in the lobby, and another one on our (3rd) floor. No snow tho'. Took a pic of the one downstairs, and I'll ask Ev to put that on. He leaves tomorrow, so pictures on the blog might be scarce, as I don't know the drill.

Ev in front of the new christmas tree!

I'll be really sad to see Evan go. He really is a great travelling companion, and much sharper than I.  And stronger, which means he totes and carries the really heavy stuff. On the other hand, it will be really nice to have Jacalyn down here. I really miss her, and am really looking forward to her arrival on Friday.

(Did I tell you about the executive that was looking for a one armed consultant at his office - he was really tired of hearing them say "On the other hand...".) Lame, I know. I got a million of "em. Ask Evan - he's groaned thru many of them in the time we've spent together.

Well, time for bed. Thank for tuning in. Love you all,

Grant