For The Love of Mary

It's true I am more than 1/2 way through!

Today our son turns 8! Happy Birthday Cole Jeffery. He is celebrating by going to a haunted corn maze with Dad, Dana and Jared. Aunt Lorinda and Uncle Ray are stopping by and dinner is with Nanny (Val). When I called him this morning, my time, I told him it was already his birthday in India. He said he wanted to come to India today. Then quickly said "How many days could we celebrate if we traveled around the world?" I told him I wasn't sure but I thought maybe about four days. He said "let's do that".  Think he is my son???

The heart you see was left at my door by a beautiful South African woman! It was her way of saying goodbye. The heart is made out of flower pedals. I hope I will see her again some day. I was very touched.

My treatments continue every day with a new treatment being added about every seven days. One is stopped and another added. They stopped the water torture treatment :) and I started getting Navara. It is boiled red rice, currently in season, put into the cloths I spoke of last time. It is then dipped in hot milk and pounded up and down my body, front and back. It quickly becomes this gooey paste that smells pretty heavenly to me. I think it is my favorite treatment so far. To my knowledge (it could change) I have 10 days of treatment left. I am sad to say that I have lost weight once again but I am looking forward to putting it back on!

Just a few days ago a long festival of 10 days started called Ganesh. The kids are out of school and there are many events/parties around this holiday. I think it is somewhat like Christmas in our country. The park is lit up with lights and there is chanting, over a loud speaker, everyday all day! The women dress in their fancy Sari's and flowers are everywhere. The Raju Family will be hosting some of the celebrations at their house I understand so it all should be interesting. The Italian couple have arrived and have been given permission by a Pundit (like our ministers) to have a wedding on the auspicious day (yes that has meaning) of Oct 25th. We are going to get to see a wedding which is going to be quite the event. It also means good food!

We have had a couple of fun outings with the folks from HSPCA. A few nights ago we went to Samira's moms house had dinner and played TABU. I got to meet the other people that helped get Baby and Indy to the States. I am ever so grateful for having the opportunity to meet them all. They have been such a blessing! We had quite a feast at Priya's (Samira's mom). There were four main dishes, an Arabic dish, a Greek dish, an Indian dish and Cheese Souffle, don't know where that is from! The food was divine and the company delightful. They all speak VERY good English which of course made things much easier for us.

The first day I arrived at the clinic I went over to the building that I see Krishna in and believe it or not I was greeted by a one eyed female dog. No, I am not kidding. Here she is. What do you think the chances of that happening are??? I found her again two weeks later. Her front left leg has been broken and has healed improperly so she walks a bit funny. She is much friendlier than Baby was so she obviously has better experience with the human species. I found it so hard to believe that I had to go find her and take her picture. She looks considerably healthier than Baby did when she was here.

Beth is enjoying herself and finding things to do. Today she was shopping and I know she has a few more of those outings planned. She has fallen in love with a street dog! Shocking isn't it? And guess what? She is bringing her home! As Jeff said, "apples trees grow apples". Well put I think. I am happy she is here with me. It is fun to watch her enjoy this country and who could complain about spending so much time with such a lovely soul.

I am doing fine but ready to be home with my boys and in my own bed. I am sure that also isn't a surprise. Thanks for joining me on my second trip to India.

Happy Halloween to all and much love,
Mary 

Well.... Guess what? India hasn't changed! "How bout that?" as my Nana used to say.

It is however MUCH cooler than last year when I was here. Phew! It makes a huge difference. The food at the clinic is served differently now which means I get more to eat. I am determined to not loss weight this year (though I already have). It was hard to get it back on when I returned home.

Everyone at the clinic, with exception of Beth and I, are members of the Transcendental Meditation Movement so the dynamics are similar to our experience last year. There are more folks from other parts of the world this time, but all Maharishi followers. There are people here from Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, UK and Italy. The people from Italy are getting married here at the clinic which will mean we get to see and participate in an Indian wedding.  Beth and I would love that!

A typical day looks like this: I get up, take my herbs and go down to the dining hall to call Jeff and Cole before Cole goes to bed. I have to go to the dining hall because the wifi doesn't work in my room. :( Not terribly private. I then go see the good Doctor for my pulse check. I return to the dining hall for breakfast and then it is off to treatment. The first treatment I always get is called Abyanga. Much like what we would call a message. From then on the treatments change. Sometimes I get Patra Bodli, which is called the "pounding" treatment by the patients. It is eucalyptus leafs sauteed just a bit in oil, wrapped in thin burlap sheets, heated over and over and then pounded up and down the body. This lasts for about 1 hr. Other times I get Shari Shek, which I call water torture. It consists of herbs boiled in water and then poured over the body, for again about 1 hr. I am then released :) to return to the clinic for lunch. We all get about 2 hrs for lunch. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day which is unfortunate as I can't eat a big meal at lunch and then go lay on a wooden slab for the rest of the afternoon. After lunch I get 2 or 3 more treatments. A facial mud pack with honey and rose water in it. Basti's which are placed over your lower back or on your stomach and heart. They fashion what looks like an uncooked doughnut and put it on your skin. They put pearls (yes, pearls) in the doughnuts and then fill the doughnut with warm oil. When the oil cools they sponge it out and pour more warm oil in. This process lasts about 45 min. Then I have Taka dara. It is buttermilk boiled with herbs, cooled and then drizzled over the forehead for an hour. Again I am released to come back to the house for the evening but treatments are not over. Around 8 pm a technician shows up to rub oil into your feet and into the soft spot on your head. Then treatment is over for the day unless you are having a Basti. Different than the one mentioned above and TMI so I won't go into details. Before the night is over I attempt to call my boys again. Then I do it all over again the next day and the next and the next.....

Beth is off seeing the city today, accompanied by Murtuza of HSPCA (the folks that rescued the dogs). I am sure she will have stories to tell. The good folks from HSPCA have bent over backwards to make our stay more comfortable. They picked us up at the airport, got me a refrigerator for my meds, got us an Indian phone so that Beth has access to the clinic when out, have arranged drivers and are checking on us regularly. It makes me feel MUCH better knowing if I need something that there is someone here that will make sure it gets done. We owe them a great deal of thanks as they are all very busy. They all have jobs and in their spare time rescue animals from horrendous circumstances! They are looking for land to start a shelter. Please check out their website at hspca.in. Bless them a million times over.

If you didn't know, when in India, you never wear your shoes into a home. They are always left out by the door. Last night I was in the cafeteria talking with Jeff and I heard a rustle at the door and thought a dog had come to the door. Because I was talking to Jeff I ignored it. I know a few of you are surprised and it was a MISTAKE. I left to come to my room and one of my FAVORITE flip flops was missing. Initially I thought ok, someone is messing with me. Then I thought oooohhhh the dog  that came to the door took it! It is something Baby would do! I looked around a bit to no avail. When I got to treatment this am I told the Tech's that a dog took my shoe. They told me "yes, they take   many patient shoes". I later told Dr. Ganga and she said yes and don't leave your laundry out either. Just recently a dog went up to the 4th floor took a shoe, a blouse and tore all the laundry from the line! My theory is the dogs are exacting revenge on the humans due to the treatment they receive. Or they could just be playing. Either way my flip flop is gone.

To keep my mind busy, sort of, I am attempting to learn Telagu, the language spoken here. The Tech's teach a new word or two every day. They say the word, I attempt to repeat it, they laugh and we try again. I am sure they are laughing with me. Then when I go in to see the good Doc I practice my Telagu. He laughs to! I tried to tell the men that came to fix the Internet (which is spotty at best) thank you in Telagu. They didn't understand me. I repeated it several times before a staff member had the decency to translate for me. One of the men laughed so hard his face turned red. I am undeterred. Today I told the Tech's if I am going to learn Telagu they are going to learn Sign Language so when they teach me a word in Telagu I teach them the same word in Sign Language. They are very good sports.

I have some pictures to share but Beth is gone and I don't know how to do it! I will save them for the next post.

It is easier being here this time though I would still rather be at home with my boys. I am going to live vicariously through Beth's adventures. Next Sat or Sunday Murtuza is going to come and get us and we are going to meet their dog, go the lake with the Buddha in the middle of it and have a meal. I have been out a few times with fellow patients and ridden in Rickshaw's. Those are adventures not to be missed or for the faint of heart. This afternoon we are going to a textile bizarre when we finish treatment. It is fabric from all regions of India. We are excited and I image it will be spectacular. We are going in a "proper car" as our Australian friend says.

The mosquito's are enjoying me and Beth to no end!

Angie everyone has asked about you!

Dreaming of sushi & steak.....

My love,
Mary

HI HO HI HO its back to India I go......

I am NOT relishing the thought of returning to India but the latest tests results are hard to argue with, on top of the fact, that I feel better than I have in over three years. My mind has come back (mostly), I can track conversations better and actually accomplish a thing or two! We will take more of all of the above!

The short version of the test results are: "The results are confusing" says Matt (oncologist). One test says one thing and the other says EXACTLY the opposite. How does that happen? They can't explain it. The oncology radiologist went to get Matt when she read the scans because they just didn't make sense to her. This all made me smile! Western medicine hasn't been confused about anything since this all started so I see it as a good sign. I have a theory about what is happening but it is simply a theory at this point. I ran it by Matt and he said it's possible. One scan is a nuclear medicine scan, highly sophisticated and measures only carcinoid cancer. It says the tumors are shrinking slightly and there is less nuclear activity in the tumors. The other scan is an MRI. It doesn't distinguish between benign or cancerous, it just sees size and location.  The MRI says three tumors have grown slightly and there is one new one! If I were a betting woman and I AM, I am going to go with the nuclear medicine results. I can explain that if your interested but won't bore you with the details here. The results can only point us back to India.

I leave Sept 24th and return Nov 6th. My oldest niece, Beth, will be accompanying me this year. I had fully planned on going alone this time. When Beth offered to come I tried to talk her out of it, as she is a student at the UW and will have to take a quarter off. She, in her very loving, sweet way informed me that a quarter off from school isn't going to change her job opportunities, her income or her future but when would she EVER get to spend a month with me! She had saved some of her financial aid last year so she could pay for her airfare.... You can clear your throat here, as I did, because what do you say to that? Shut me right up and as most of you know that is not an easy task. Beth is coming with. It suddenly got a lot easier to start making plans to go. Jeff and I are both relieved to have her with me. She has traveled the world, by herself and India won't be as hard on her as it would most people. She will be a wonderful companion. Bless her adorable soul!!

I am not looking forward to going back to India for a whole host of reasons, not the least of which is, I am away from Jeff and Cole for a LONG time. I will miss my sons birthday this year!! UUHH... It is not a comfortable journey and the conditions for this spoiled American are tough. May I just say "I am tired of being a terminal cancer patient. I want to be cured and to have my life back!" That is why I am going back to India.

As for the rest of the family! Cole started 2nd grade today. Val asked him yesterday if he was looking forward to going back to school and he said "no, not with a bone in my body". Well, that's clear! He was up this morning and ready to go without difficulty however. He also seems to be growing like a weed. The top of his head reaches my neck and he will be 8 in Oct. YIKES.

Jeff started a job in January. He went back to work for a company he had worked for out of HS and into college. I guess there is truth to the saying "you can't go back".  It wasn't a good fit. He quit in May and is in the process of starting his own company. I am really proud of him for quitting because I know he wasn't happy. I also know it had to be hard for him given our circumstances. However if this cancer experience has taught us ANYTHING it is Life is to short to spend it doing something you don't like!

Aunt G, Angie graduated from Bastyr Univ. in May, HOOT HOOT and congrats. She moved into her own place this last weekend. :(  While I am sure it is good for her I will miss her. She has been such a blessing for us these last four years and is a beautiful being. We love you G! Oh, and thank you.

For those of you not on FaceBook I have to tell you I got my one eyed dog home from India. It was a long arduous task (UNDERSTATEMENT) but on New Years eve Baby arrived with one puppy in tow. We easily adopted her puppy, named Indy, to family friends and both dogs are doing VERY well.  I was able to find an organization in India, through a good friend here (bless you Joyce), that quickly went and rescued Baby and her pup. The people in the org are amazingly dedicated and REALLY know the meaning of rowing upstream. The group is called HSPCA.in. Check them out. One of the nice surprises to this adventure is I have made new, lifelong friends. Beth is going to volunteer with them while we are in Hyderabad so she has something to do. I am looking VERY forward to meeting these dedicated people. They are picking us up at the airport and taking us to the clinic!!!

For those of you that always ask "What can I do to help?" There is a video campaign on Indiegogo at  http://www.indiegogo.com and search for For the love of Mary that will answer the question for you. It will be posted to my FaceBook page and I will send out an email with the link. If some of you could check and make sure that Jeff and Cole are eating while I am gone I would be grateful. Jeff will need a break now and then to! Ha, Cole may need one to for that matter.

One more thing, if you go looking for the website "fortheloveofmary.org" you won't find it. A slime ball organization scooped up the domain name the minute it became available and wanted to charge us to use it!!! There is a special place for them. We REFUSED to pay them so the website is now 4theloveofmary.org

As always, thank you for your continued love and support. The last 3 3/4 yrs (but whose counting) have been made MUCH more bearable with you traveling with us. 

My love,
Mary