Vacation details VI, last night in Bangkok

January 19th

The doc says the tachycardia has improved tremendously. This second doctor, who specializes in the electrophysiology of the heart, is 80+ % sure that David has the less serious kind, but still thinks ablation would be a good way to go. He does not pressure at all. He thinks for now David will be okay on Beta Blockers, and the beach we are going has a nice hospital. So we prepare. It was amazingly easy to change our flights and postpone our trip two days. The resort was so helpful (of course we were staying in some of their nicest rooms, they wanted us to come). Our last night in Bangkok we walk down the street to eat Schwarmas on the sidewalk, delicious middle eastern food. One thing we love about Bangkok is the great selection of international cuisine. The hospital caters to a lot of Middle Eastern countries so the Muslim presence is abundant. Many women in full Burkas, some with ornate metal accessories that cover their nose and mouth. In our previous visits David has talked with men from Oman and Yemen. One man told him that their government pays for its citizens to come and get health care here. They are oil rich countries and can afford to do so. Supposedly. I seriously doubt all the citizens make the journey.

After Schwarmas (which everyone loved, and our most economical meal yet at about 2 dollars a plate), Laura, Lee, Poppy, and CC, decide to venture into Nana market, a sidewalk market where the later it gets the grosser the scene. But it was early and there were bargains to be had. We gave a brief recap of how to bargain (go down less than half of what they say, and walk away). They came back with some nice bargains, fake, but nice. And we all pack and prep for the beach, still timid about David's unresolved medical issues, we resolve to relax and enjoy our time together.

vacation details V (video)

January 18th
Another day to enjoy with family, though the monitor still hangs on David's chest. They are really seeing Sophia in action, CC teaches her a new word, which she repeats on cue in her super cute way "awl -right-ee." And as David seems to be doing well, we debate the beach. We have tickets and a nice place to stay on Koh Samui, one of the nicest beaches in Thailand. We are ready for a change, David is too, we just need to weigh the risk and see what the doctor says tomorrow. I hurriedly canceled our flight and called the resort to let them know the situation, as we were already past due there.
Here is a video at the beach of Sophia saying her new word: 'alrighty'

Details IV

January 17th
No new news, but a very timely visit from an old friend Phil T. the night before. Another great Providence of our Father, arranging everything. We were all set to go forward with the study (invasive, catheter, and not without risk). This doctor did these a lot while in the states but does not do them frequently here, that and he would have to wait to gather a team, a colleague currently in Malaysia. We begin to second guess. We decide to wait and see what the Beta Blockers do. They finally let David check out, and cannot answer many of our questions, because in medicine nothing is 100%, of course. David now wears a heart monitor for about 48 hours. His heart feels a lot better, he still feels it some but not nearly as much. It all seems to be under control. But our question is, is it really? Because I really do not want to have to do CPR on my husband, especially returning to our remote town in China. We decide to wait and consult with more docs while letting David get used to/ adjust to the medicine, which seems to be working great.

We finally get out on the town and enjoy some tasty Outback Steakhouse. Yummy….

Vacation details III, Crafts arrive

January 16th

With David indisposed it is my turn to get up early and get Laura and Lee from the airport. We happened to get a most unhelpful and actually downright mean taxi driver. He would not listen to what I said, he was very careless with luggage and I was frustrated with him, he had little idea where he was going. I told them not to judge Thailand by this guy, he is an anomaly, most people are so friendly and helpful. I tell L and L that David is in the hospital and all that is going on. We plan to go to the beach Sunday, but everything is uncertain at this point. The taxi driver accidentally takes us the right way and I point him to our hotel. Finally. Because David really wanted to see Laura and Sophia's meeting, I secretly arrange with Poppy and CC to all meet up in the CCU, such a blessing to all be together, even if it is in a hospital room.

I actually feel awful all day, I think it is pure exhaustion. I have what must be a migraine, and nausea. Laura and Lee immediately serve me by watching Sophia so I can try to rest. We are back and forth to the hospital and meeting with two doctors now. The consensus seems to be that there is a definite circuitry problem in David's heart (which we already knew), the where is the question, that determines its seriousness. And so far, hooked up to all these machines they can't catch it. The doctor tells David about doing an electrical study to find the problem area and 'ablating' or cutting it off if they find it. David has heard this before, just never while lying in a hospital bed. They do put him on meds to lower his heart rate. And watch.

Sophia kissing her reflection (humility needs work eh?), she is boasting her new hair bow and jumper from Lee and Laura


check out my shades, I am ready for the beach


playing with Lee on the balcony, I love Lee, and can say his name so clearly!

Vacation details II, the hospital

January 15th
We are having a great time with Poppy and CC, we are enjoying them enjoying Sophia. It is unusually cool in Bangkok, supposedly a record. Still wonderfully mild compared to NC and our home as well. David and I are excited because we are going on a date, a real date, with a real movie theater and everything. We have really been wanting to see 'Defiance', and no twisting the parent's arms to watch Sophia. About to walk out the door, the phone rings. It is the cardiologist who just now has read David's heart monitor. 'You must come and check into the hospital.' What???? He obviously didn't like what he saw. We are a little in shock but just get stuff together and go to the CCU. When the doc said 'watch you overnight' I was picturing my hospital room after giving birth, cozy, private, couch, etc. Not so in the CCU, and well, I have never been to a Coronary Care unit. It looked like a 'House' episode. The walls were all glass, the nurses station right there, a much scarier place. On the way over I joked to David about him being the youngest patient in there, the nurses would love him. I swallowed hard when we walked in and the first room held a three month old. I swallowed harder as the doctor came and said that his readings of tachycardia were scary, in his office he could tell through ecg that David has a fairly benign form of tachycardia, but after seeing this he could not tell if it was the fatal kind or not. Hence, the hoopla and the hospital gown for our dear David. And the saga begins. The wondering, the praying, the crying, the fear, the hope, the thankfulness, the joy, the wondering, the praying, and on….

Backtracking...

Working backwards, I am trying to give myself a glimpse of the past month and the hoopla it entailed. I will not be deeply reflective here, but more documentary of our time away from home, with family, with lots of doctors, with friends, with more doctors, etc. you get the drift. This will be piece by piece not one long post...

January 13-14th, 2009

We arrive in Bangkok and get settled into a nice 3 bedroom apartment, David will arise very early to get Poppy and CC from the airport. After Poppy and CC arrive and spend great time with their Sofa Loafa, it is off to doctor's appointments for everyone. Here we indeed find out that Sophia has an ear infection (her first ever), and David gets put on a heart monitor for twenty four hours (the history here is his increase in tachycardia, a known condition, that got gradually worse the three weeks before we left, to the point where he was feeling it 40-50 times or more a day and getting winded, this was scary).

Home at last

It has been almost a month since my last post. I really thought I would blog while gone, but so much craziness was happening...I think I will back track and document/journal here what went on, but mainly for my own benefit, redundant to most of you guys. Sorry about that.
But for right now we are home. What did that look like:

Hong Kong, last minute doc appt for Sophia. Ear infection. bad. more meds. stronger antibiotic. Sophia has leaky diarrhea diaper, gets on daddy. The Subway stinks thanks to her. Change clothes. pack up quick. airport. Sophia throws up, gets on daddy. Stroller stinks because of her. Sophia sleeps long. KM city airport KFC dinner. 9 pm flight home. HOME. Pay taxi driver extra to help haul 88 kg of luggage (not pounds kg!). Sophia to bed. Unpack. Sleep by midnight. HOME. Pure thankfulness and joy. Thanks for traveling with us....