Hair and health

Hair: I have had to start cutting off fuzzy stuff - huh! I'm actually quite surprised at how fast it has grown back.

Health: I did a very brave thing - well for me, the wuss, it was brave. I drove myself to my first appointment with an oncologist, here in Jerusalem. AND I only got a teensy bit lost and was able to correct myself without too much delay. Here is the hospital.

 I actually found a parking place. Then I found a directory that I could actually read so I only had to ask a couple of people how to get to Dr. Segal's office! Then the fun began. I took the elevator from the 4th floor [entrance] up to the 7th - oncology.

I checked in at the desk, she sent me back down to where I had just come from - to pay the bill.

Did that.

Then I returned to the 7th floor and she sent me around the corner to the doctor's office. I checked in there and then waited. - That's normal, right??

After awhile the receptionist comes out and asks me if I'm a returning patient - how I got directed to Dr. Segal, etc. Turns out I needed to pay MORE because it was a private visit not a follow up from treatment in their hospital. They wanted me to come back the next day but I think I looked so pitiful that she and the doctor took pity on me and let me keep my appointment. He opened a record for me, did a physical exam - everything is fine!! Then he ordered a blood test and had the receptionist call the breast clinic to schedule a mammogram. Fine. BEFORE I got the blood test they sent me back down to the 4th floor to pay more on my bill then return to the 7th floor to get my blood drawn.

The phlebotomist spoke no English. :) He kept trying to take blood from my right arm, which is a no/no. He finally shrugged his shoulders and started on my left arm. Then he kept asking me something and I kept telling him "I only speak English", which annoys him. Then he says "infusion". I don't know if he means have I had one, which arm do you get it in, do I need one? He finds some guy out in the hall who speaks English and has him come in to explain what he wants. The phlebotomist thinks, logically, that I'm there for a blood test before having chemo - so he wants to prepare the infusion as well. Boy am I grateful for the nice guy in the hall!!!!

Anyway, I get my blood drawn, get the usual cotton with tape on my arm, and he doesn't hand me anything or say anything else, so I leave. 

Skip ahead one day. The hospital calls. Something is wrong with my blood test. PANIC!!! Actually, the lab messed up my blood test and "could I please come back in the following day?" Oh, and by the way, "you didn't pay for the blood test so you need to pay". I'm thrilled!!!!

So, now it is Wednesday. I have my mammogram appointment at the breast clinic AND I'm supposed to go back to the hospital and get my blood drawn again. No problem - I found the hospital. Kent can tell me how to get to the clinic, I'll write it down - I'll be fine.

Well, Kent knows my navigation disability - so he says he is going to come with me. "No", I say, "you've been sick in bed for 5 days - no way!" Well, he was finally feeling better that morning, he really wanted to get out of the apartment, and he really didn't want me getting lost - so he came. We didn't get lost.

Now, this place already has a file on me because they are the ones who did the biopsy last year and diagnosed my cancer. I got right in, they did the mammogram and  . . . . . 2 hours later I finally see the doctor. He does a very thorough ultrasound and a second mammogram on my right side - didn't think that was possible. ;)

I wait another 30 or 40 minutes and finally get the paper work and films to take back to Dr. Segal. Good news - everything looks great!!

I really am grateful that they are so thorough and concientious but I was so frustrated at how long it had taken and that Kent had been sitting around in the car or wandering the streets all that time. I told him I wasn't going to do the blood test until another day.  Nope, he drove us to the hospital.

I'm getting tired just telling all this - I hope you've long ago quit reading if you got bored!!!

Anyway - go to the 7th floor - doctor Segal's receptionist. She has no idea what I'm talking about. She calls the lab and they explain it to her. Doctor Segal is out sick. Receptionist asks 2 other doctors if they can draw my blood. "No". Finds a nurse - who speaks English - yay!!!. She takes my blood, explains where I have to go to pay, and then where to go to turn in the blood sample.

Back down to the 4th floor. 30 minutes later I leave the cashier - who has had to enter all kinds of things into the computer and took lots of extra time because she had to look up each individual code for each individual test to be done on my blood.

No one at the blood bank window. I go in and finally get someone's attention. She keeps saying something to me in Hebrew. Not sure what. Then a nice man happens to come in and he says "just leave it there on the table." I'm free!

I drive us home - no getting lost! It is now 3:30 pm - we left the apartment at 10:30. No lunch. Kent is actually in a GOOD mood and thanks me for "letting" him come. Me - I'm a curmudgeon!



One swine

Remember the story in Matthew where Jesus casts evil spirits out of a man and into a herd of swine? Well, we went to the traditional site of that event - Kursi - and here is what we saw:

I know, we're weird. ;)

 

This sign goes with the mosaic I posted in yesterday's blog:

 

  

This is how they create a mosaic - they draw it on the cloth first and then insert the little tiles.

You can tell that I love mosaics. These are only a few of the pictures that I took. More Galilee tomorrow! :)

Well, we're back at Ein Gev in Galilee! Here was what was waiting for us in our apartment:

Along with this nice note:

We made one stop on our way - The Good Samaritan Inn which is now a mosaic museum. I'll have to put more on later because the internet is taking FOREVER! :)

Filler

This has been a heck of a week! We arrived home from Turkey at 4:00 am last Sunday, had to prepare for and go on 2 field trips and we leave for Galilee on Monday! I'm really looking forward to being in Galilee - I just don't like getting there. :)
I, of course, have thought much about a year ago at this time. I was diagnosed with cancer on March 15. And now, here I am, back again. Who knew!

I am not going to tell you about Turkey quite yet so I'm filling in with other things. I think I've mentioned that our previous Branch President was also the organist here at the Center. Not only does he play magnificently - he KNOWS organs. He helped install this one hear back in 198?. Before he left to go home, he gave Kent and I a tour of the organ. Here are the pics [only 2].

These are just a few of the hundreds of pipes.

Second filler:
One of our date-nights:

Yes, they deliver! :)

We had planned on eating there - but there was only outdoor seating - and it was WAY too cold for that!!!  We took it home and enjoyed it very much!
Filler number 3 - some of the places I shop:

This is where I shop when I need things in a hurry - it is five minutes from the Center. "In a hurry" is a relative term. :) We call it the 24-hour market, or Wadi Joz - that is the neighborhood it is in.

Across the street is their produce market

When I arrive back at the Center I get a couple of these carts from the "Secret Library" on the 7th floor and take the groceries down to our apartment. 

I probably shop here the most - This is called Super Sol - my kids should remember this place - no more live fish to whack, however! :)

 

 This is a strip mall next to Super Sol. It has a pharmacy, post office, "dollar store", flower shop, etc. etc.

This is in the Old  City - near Herod's Gate - which we've never been able to go in, in the past.

 This is on the street behind the  Center - we can walk there if we need fruit/veggies.

It is right on this corner - known here as "crash" corner. No stop signs in any direction!

Biggest vehicle wins.

 

 This is a candy/snack store that Kent likes to visit when we come up here.

SNOW!

Yes, it snowed in Jerusalem.

 Most of it happened during class - which was 2 hours. During the break between hours a funtime was had by all playing in the snow. We even stood there long enough to get our picture taken while we sang "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow."

Farewells - Number 1

Shari and Mike Ohman have finished their 18 months here. He was the Center organist and our Branch President. Shari was over the concerts and hosting. They were both awesome people!!! They arrived just after we did in September of 2010. We feel cheated that we missed out on half of their stay here. All of the ladies in the Center had a luncheon in Shari's behalf. We ordered pizza from Dominoes and the kitchen staff made us a delicious salad to go along with the pizza.  Here are a few pictures:

This is the lovely setting - provided by our sweet housing sister - Arlene Chapman.

 Here are most of the ladies:   these are amazing, amazing women!!! There are 2 more amazing women who were unable to come to the luncheon.

The evening before the Ohmans left we had a dinner with all of the main staff. Another lovely table.

A special farewell gift from Eran to the Ohmans: We will SO miss you guys!!! Thanks for making our lives richer.