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Where does this go next?I took Monday off to go to the hospital and see the doctor on call. I
really needed to ask more questions about these medications, their effects and
what were the plans of the Inner Medicine department. I felt Bernd should come
home. It didn't seem that there was much more the hospital was doing that I
could not do at home. Other than taking blood and monitoring his thyroid levels
which I could not do, I could give him medications, take blood pressure. Bernd
came home on Tuesday (11 August).
That day I went to his primary doctor and updated him on what had happened
in the hospital. He had been sent the files and while we met he looked these
over. I wanted to express my concern about some of the medications, ask
questions about the others and make a plan with how to monitor the symptoms he
still exhibited. And still I was concerned about his state of mind. There still
seemed this depression. Was it due to the hospital environment? Could it be
changed with his home atmosphere around him? And was the medications a factor in
this mood?
He has been home nearly a week now. I have stopped all the pain meds. I
wonder if stopping these (the Targin, the oxazepam, the Novalgin) is having some
effects however, progress has been made, small steps. The vomiting has stopped
and he is hungry, eating more. Instead of seven medications I am giving him only
4. Thyroid med, the Pantozol for stomach problems, and the 2 for blood pressure.
When needed, I give him the MCP med for his nausea. Still he has tremors,
sensitivity to cold, muscle weakness and is so tired, always so tired. Is it
this thyroid med? The side effects listed for L-Thyroxine list these. So, Bernd
stopped taking this med over my objects. Four days he did not take it but these
things continued and I was worried that he was going to hurt himself by not
taking it. However, during this time his stomach stopped hurting. Yesterday I
convinced him to take the L-Thyroxine and the stomach pains began again. Today
they are worse.
What is going on?
The doctor is now on holiday for 3 weeks and I am left with researching to
find my answers. Another chapterBernd has now been in hospital for 6
weeks. For the past 2 weeks his condition seems almost the same as when he first
arrived. His tremors continue, physical weakness, stomach pain, nausea and
vomiting, all are what brought him to this hospital. He is taking
medications which I have no idea what they might be and no doctor has asked to
sit down with us to explain anything.
Finally I went to the nursing station and
asked that I have a list of all his medications. I also asked how I may get in
touch with the doctor who is in charge of his case. Could they leave a message
for this doctor that I wish a consultation? Could I get a copy of the pathology
report on his tumor? They were noncommittal on contacting the doctor but they
did give me a hand written list of all meds. I was also told that the doctor
would have to release a copy of the pathology report for the tumor. At least I
had something to work with now that I had a list of his meds.
I got home, as usual after my long stay
with Bernd, and began to work on that list. First one,
L-Thyroxine. That one was easy to decypher. Thyroid med. So,
they determined that he had a thyroid problem. Next, Pantozol.
Found that one on WebMD and it is an ulcer med. Also used for sufferers of GERD.
Yes, Bernd has had that for many years. He was having painful hic-ups while in
hospital and they realized that this condition existed. Next 2 on the list:
Adunbran (oxazepam) and Zoloft. One is an
anxiety med, the other for depression. He had both of those, primarily brought
on by, (my theory) the anesthesia as a side effect. Next,
Atacand and Nebitet. One is for hypertention
(high blood pressure) and second one is a beta blocker. Once again, this high
blood pressure he has been suffering with was brought on by this hospital
'adventure' and can be also called 'white coat syndrome'. Next one,
Novalgin, is an NSAID pain reliever.
Targin: This one is
oxycodon and was being given with Retard, a
Naloxonhydrochloride as an antidote to the narcotic effect of this pain med.
Question in my mind was, why another pain med if he was already taking Novalgin?
I was not feeling like Bernd was in need of this much pain management.
Unless.... unless this teaching hospital was using him in a clinical trial
without his knowledge? My research found that this Targin was not yet approved
in Europe and was seeking this approval. I am not happy with the addictiveness
of this med and want to know what I should do about it once he is home. More
questions for the doctor.
His last med was an injection
of Clexane for the prevention of thrombosis which can
be brought on when one is in bed too much after a surgery.
The one pill that was not on his chart was
this sleeping pill they are giving him. My identification of the pill itself
only revealed that it was made by Boehringer Ingelheim but I could not find it
in their product line. Could this too be addictive? Will Bernd have to be weaned
off of a sleeping aid?
All these meds have side effects to bring
on nausea, vomiting, memory problems and confusion. Which is the illness and
which are side effects!
So many questions to ask and still no
response from any doctor. So... as I am not the type to leave it alone, I
Googled the hospital website, found the name of the head of Inner Medicine and
his phone number, and called. Well, it is August, it is Europe and this means
that most senior doctors will be on VACATION. So I asked what doc was in charge
of my man. I was given that docs office, then and was able to make an
appointment to make a phone call to her when she would be on the floor making
rounds. And this I did. I tried to ask as many questions as I could remember.
The thyroid med, the bp meds, these anxiety and depression meds, where they not
all due only to hospital situations? "Yes" she agreed and they most likely would
be discontinued later. "When would he be released?" "perhaps Monday" was the
answer. Now we wait. Wait until his release, wait for an appointment to his primary doctor and wait to find out how long his recovery will be. Bernd was to be give
an appointment to visit the Krebsforschungzentrum, Tumor center, later this month. She anticipated that Bernd
would be given Chemotherapy as a precaution.
Bernd seems to be doing better and he is
eating a bit more each day with less nausea and vomiting. I am trying to be
positive on this. His surgeons did take a portion of his stomach in an effort
to rid his body of the tumor cells. That is the correct procedure, to take some
healthy parts as a margin of protection. I want to be positive and say 'that got
it all'.
So, we have another chapter in this story
coming up. I will edit this as progress is made. more on the "Bernd" saga Just a very quickie update. Bernd is still in hospital with some slow progress on the healing of his innerds. Nausea, some vomiting and pain are still present. His hands shake so much so that he cannot hold a pen to write but he can and does manage a glass of liquid without spilling. I am not sure what is the cause of that but in my research I have found that the heavier the dose of anesthesia the more difficulties one can have in several areas. One is memory loss, another is cognitive reasoning and another is motor co ordination. He has struggled with all three but over this past week his memory functions and reasonings have returned. I even read a paper which discussed in technical terms the long term effects of anesthesia written by 2 German doctors (http://www.stefan-koelsch.de/papers/Heinke_Koelsch_CurrentOpinionAnaesthesiology2005.pdf ) that verified my research which the doctors in this hospital tried to disagree with. No matter. I know doctors can disdain the opinions of us "lay people" and in many ways I do not blame them. However I do believe in educating myself in what affects me or my loved ones. So, my thoughts are, these symptoms shall pass and I feel that Bernd is just experiencing some slow progress. It is depressing for him to be in this hospital and one can be affected by all the sickness going on around you. I want him home. He is well enough, I believe, to come and lie in his own bed and recuperate with my care. And then I have GOT to get him back in shape! Muscle mass has really disappeared and those 'biker butt' muscles are gone. This may take all of the rest of the summer and fall to build those up! More later.... and more pix and maybe a little video of the Krankenhaus Salem in action. Where in the World IS Barbie!Where in the world is Barbie? Exploring the hospital in Heidelberg, that’s where. No, it is not I that needed care but my man, my friend, my biking and adventure partner, Bernd. It has also given me a unique insight into the social health care system of Germany. Here’s the story.
Back in the beginning of April, just before my son, Sean was scheduled to come for a visit; Bernd developed what we thought to be severe constipation. However he had not only bloating but also nausea and sometimes an elevated temperature. He has no ‘primary’ doctor since he is rarely ill so he went to the Heidelberg University clink’s emergency room. There he received standard emergency care which is; get on a waiting list till someone sees you. Some blood was taken; he was prodded in places to see if he had pain or any lumps then given some laxatives to take. His payment for this was 10€. He took this medication for several days but only achieved some minimal relief for a short time and things proceeded to get worse. He was not able to eat because of the nausea and he feared adding to the blockage. He was becoming weaker each day. He was not fully able to enjoy my son’s visit and did not come with us on many of our tours.
After Sean left he went back to the emergency room to let them know that this laxative medication had not worked. He was given a brush-off by one of the staff and told to ‘see your primary doctor’. So he rode along one of the streets near the center of Heidelberg and found a ‘shingle’ that said this doctor was for inner medicine. He walked in, made an appointment and saw him a day later. Again there was an additional payment of 10€ for the examination. This doctor sent him to a Gastroenterologist not far from where we live. He went to the large and modern set of offices where it was obvious that this was a full service specialist clinic. He was given an appointment to have an endoscopy (colonoscopy?)… which was a MONTH away! He begged to be seen as soon as possible as he was in pain. All they could do was schedule him for an ultrasound and some blood tests. They were looking for signs of infection, which they could not detect. The ultrasound revealed nothing and he waited till June 4th in long agony. He lost weight and lost muscle mass. Then endoscopy revealed an infected blockage (why the blood tests didn’t show this infection is puzzling. Perhaps at first it was only a blockage and then, as time went on it developed into an infection? If so this would certainly show the failure of waiting such a long time). The official diagnosis was sigmoid diverticulitis. He was given a prescription for a very powerful antibiotic. Cost was 5€. He took this medication for 5 days and boy did THAT stuff make him sick! I looked up the stuff he was taking and it gave a long list of all the possible side affects. He had most of them. It warned to notify your doctor and stop taking it but Bernd continued. He just wanted this infection cleared up so he could get on with his normal life. After a few days off this medication he began to have some feelings of hunger and he began to eat a bit more. He was cautious about what he ate and ate in small portions. His stomach still had a pain in it and there was some light nausea. We attributed that to the residual of the medication. Days passed and the pain in the lower part of his stomach continued to grow. The nausea increased. He had extreme fatigue and he could not hold a glass of water or a pen without shaking. About that time the doctor whose office he had walked into 5 weeks before called to make a follow-up appointment. He asked to see the doctor as soon as possible because he was still in distress. When he saw the doc he did another ultrasound, took blood and scratched his head in puzzlement. He could not find any reason for Bernd’s problems and began to think it was psychosomatic. He wrote him a script to go to the hospital for further tests. I even talked with the doctor when I went to pick up the test results and a copy of the endoscopic tests. The doctor asked me if Bernd was depressed about something, which he was not other than this mystery sickness. He WANTED to get well. The doctor told me that all his tests indicated he was a healthy man. So we checked into Krankenhaus Salem on July 2. I had begun to think that this pain had something to do with his gall bladder, as that was where the pain seemed to be. This hospital is a teaching hospital and connected with the Heidelberg University so we felt very good about getting exceptional care. And strangely, the food quality was also exceptional, a rarity as anyone will say. (Sauerbraten! Yummy!) Bernd brought his own clothes with him and they had good shower facilities. I helped him shower as he was still so weak and shook so much he had to sit on the special chair in the shower. The first tests that were done on him were to try to discover if that was in fact, what the problem was. Perhaps a blockage within the ducts leading from the gall and the pancreas was the culprit. The test found NOTHING and still Bernd felt sicker than ever. He had to lie down as standing seemed to put pressure on the area that hurt. The hospital staff did more tests, which revealed nothing. So they decided to do a Computer Tomography, better known as a CT scan. This was done on 4th of July. Bernd was sent out to the University Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) where these special machines were kept. Bernd called me shortly after the scan had been completed and he was back in his room. “Bring your laptop” he said. “I have a disc we can look at”. I set the computer up and we took the disc he had asked those at the center to make for him of his CT scan. It had its own program to view these fascinating pictures. These were slices of his abdomen from his breastbone to his pelvic bone. We had really no idea what we were looking at but we tried to identify each organ. A few hours passed and we saw the doctors in the hall. I quickly turned on the computer and popped that disc in. As they came into the room we had the CT scan on the screen and we pointed to it as they were greeting us. Their eyes lit up and they immediately went to the computer. The head of the inner medicine department sat trying to manipulate the program. I politely gave some pointers as I had come to know the program well enough. Bernd’s assigned physician stood by watching him then they both looked hard at the screen and began pointing to something. They both stood up then and began to speak rapidly in German. The word ‘tumor’ was mentioned several times and Bernd’s eyes flashed. I am sure mine did too. I tried hard to follow the flow of the conversation. I caught bits of it but did not understand the in depth of it. They left the room. I looked at Bernd. “It’s a tumor that they say is very easy to deal with” he said. What does that mean? ‘Deal with’? I had caught in the converstation, ‘soft tissue’ tumor. That was what I was going to research that night. The doctors left him with this news to chew on for the weekend. My research yielded some positive results with ‘soft tissue tumor’. Most are benign but those that are not are vicious. Later in the week I heard the word GIST tumor and researched that. Oh that one was a baaaaaad one! And it worried me but I said nothing to Bernd. These GIST tumors, however, formed mostly withIN an organ such as the stomach, the intestines or the esophagus. The CT scan clearly revealed this tumor as being outside of any organ, sort of floating on its own. I had to think positive but I also had to try to prepare for the worst. I could not see into the future any longer. I had to live day to day, as did Bernd. So began the worry. There was an operation scheduled. First it was Tuesday, then Wednesday and finally Thursday. Wednesday a young doctor who would be assisting the surgeon visited us. Dr Krammer explained the ‘best case’ and the ‘worse case’. Best would be; tumor is sitting there all by itself not bothering any organs, encased in its own little sack. Or, perhaps it had adhered itself to a part of the stomach in which case then a part of the stomach would have to be removed. “I wont have a stomach?” Bernd suddenly asked. Bernd’s hearing only heard the words “remove” and “Stomach”! The doctor explained calmly that no no, there would be at least one third of the stomach left and after a few weeks of recovery he would have no problems other than having to eat smaller portions and more frequently. The next case scenario was that this little bugger might be touching the pancreas. There had been some indication of swelling of a tip of the pancreas so if this were the case this tip would have to be removed. Of course this tip had all those little insulin making ‘islets’ and those would be gone IF this were to happen, which would then leave him a diabetic the rest of his life. The doctor’s demeanor was calm as could be. He was really trying not to alarm us but I could see Bernd was not taking this too well. The doctor had a chart with drawings on it and he had been showing Bernd the details of the cuts that might be made. After giving him the obligatory warnings about infections and dangers of surgery, which he explained quite clearly, Bernd signed the form saying he had understood all this. I must say that this young doctor did indeed take all the time needed to really explain these things. This was not some quick document shoved under Bernd’s nose with a few fast words said from memory preached at him. There seemed to me to be some compassion in his dialog. Bernd was quiet for a few minutes then he wanted to take a walk. He wanted to go to the TV room and find something to take his mind off of all that had been said. We watched the Tour de France, a good piece of entertainment to take him away. About an hour later the chief surgeon, Dr von Frankenberg, came in to the TV room to have a talk with Bernd. He too wanted to explain what he would do. Then he asked Bernd about himself, what he did, what was his discipline for his doctorate. That was good, to establish some level of connection between the two men. The doctor asked if there were any questions then got up to leave. As he headed towards the door I said to him, “I have one request, doctor. Tomorrow is my birthday so I ask you to give me the best birthday gift I could have, your BEST work.” He smiled and turned saying “I will give that to you anyway”. The next day I was getting ready to go to work. I was watching the clock, knowing that Bernd would be going down to the surgical area around 8:30. I was at work by 9 and again I looked at the clock trying to imagine what was happening. I watched the clock all through my morning routine. The operation, if all went very well, should take about 1 to 1.5 hours I had been told. So now I am watching the clock, timing things and figuring out when I might get that phone call to tell me what the results are. I think to myself, ‘if all goes really well I should get a call around 11am.’ My cell phone rings at 11:05am. It is one of the surgical team and he is telling me how very well it went and the tumor looks to be benign. It was not associated with any other organs except for one small part where it was joined to the base of the stomach’s outer lining. They removed a small part of the stomach to avoid any of the tumor’s cells or blood getting into the body. The operation has gone as good as it could have gone. I am asking questions. I am making sure he is saying that this is a success. No need for a quick biopsy because the doctor is feeling very certain this is a simple benign soft tissue tumor. I can come to see Bernd after 3pm. He is in recovery and will be there for at least 3 to 4 hours. I am smiling. I am so elated I cannot work and run off to the back of the building to cry and laugh and jump for joy. My boss is concerned for he doesn’t know if I am crying for sadness or for happiness. I break out in a huge smile and tell him it is the best possible news. It takes me a good 15 minutes to calm down. The ordeal is over and now we can move on … and see a future. Recovery will come; how fast we do not know. But Bernd is a healthy man and has a good immune system from what I have seen. As the days go by I hope to see that recovery progress.
One serious side note:
Emergency surgery took place on Friday night. Blood was leaking into the body cavity. His blood pressure was dropping fast. They called the surgeon in and rushed him to surgery. The surgeon realized that one of the titanium staples they used to close the cut between the stomach and the intestines had failed. They had to make a larger incision to make sure all the leaked blood was removed and then re-staple the incision. Bernd was then placed in ICU where he is currently. The surgeon came to see Bernd today and admitted his error. Bernd forgave him and the surgeon promised to give Bernd the best treatment for the rest of his stay. Bernd is not angry and feels that the surgeon was an honorable man to come to him to admit this error. Could that kind of event happen in the USA? Absolutely not. The lawyers would be called in and they would get rich.
Now my story is at a pause because I do not know exactly how this will end but I feel confident it will have a very happy ending.
Ps: pathology is pending as to what type of soft tissue tumor this was. Results will be mid week.
This operation and hospital stay will not cost Bernd any money.
American BarbecueAmerica's birthday celebration is coming up so I thought this
article I found in our local Herald Post would make good copy material. Living
in Germany these past 6 years I have found that German traditions are firmly
integrated into American traditions. Perhaps that is why I am so comfortable
living here. But then I am the type of person to look for our similarities
rather than our differences when encountering a different culture.
American Barbecue ---> A German
Tradition!
Have you ever thought about the origins of traditional "all-American" barbecue foods? You'll likely be surprised to know that many foods Americans associate with tailgates, picnics and barbecues actually originated in Germany. Here are the most prominent examples: While the history of the hamburger is somewhat shrouded in mystery and there are several popular version circulating, a popular version traces North America’s favorite fast food back to Germany. The story goes that Otto Kuasw, a cook in Hamburg (hence the name), created a sandwich in 1891 with a thin, fried patty of mild beef sausage. He topped it with a fried egg and placed it all between two slices of buttered bread. This sandwich became popular among the soldiers who visited the port city. And when the soldiers traveled to the New York ports, they told the restaurant owners about their favorite "Deutsches Beefsteak" sandwich. This eventually came to be known as the hamburger. Next up another American favorite: the hot dog. The German forefather to the American hot dog, the Frankfurter, looks back on a long history. It was created in 1487, five years before Christopher Columbus set sail to discover the new world. The name of this mild, finely ground sausage link is attributed to yet another German city, Frankfurt, where it first gained popularity. In the 1860s, German immigrants began selling "franks" with rolls and sauerkraut from pushcarts in New York City. And in 1871, Charles Feltman, a German-American butcher, opened the first Coney Island hot dog stand, putting the links in a long bun. Since that time, hot dogs have become standard fare at summer barbecues and baseball parks across the country. In addition to the hamburger and the hot dog, Germany is very well known for other foods related to the typical summer barbecue, most of which can be found on North American grocery store shelves: With their refreshing taste and crunchy texture pickles complement grilled meats. Germany is one of the leading producers of high quality pickles, with a wide variety of pickled vegetables, from the ubiquitous super-food sauerkraut and gherkins of all sizes to lesser known products like pickled red beets and celery root. Baby gherkins, also well-known by their French designation cornichons, are very popular with German consumers, as are several varieties of mixed pickles, brightly colored medleys of different pickled vegetables. The majority of German pickling companies are small to medium size businesses which are still mostly family owned and have been producing pickles according to well-kept proprietary recipes with secret combinations of herbs and spices. When it comes to condiments, mustard is arguably Germany’s favorite BBQ companion. German consumers can pick from a wide variety of mustards, ranging from sweet to extremely hot varieties, from creamy finely ground to whole grain mustards. Many mustards are unique to a certain region or even city or town. For those who like to add even more spice, horseradish is the way to go. It is frequently used in Germany to give sauces, dips and marinades that extra kick. As far as ketchup goes, Germans have developed a special affinity with curry-flavored (Curryketchup) and a variety flavored with a complex blend of spices (Gewürzketchup). Curryketchup is usually enjoyed on top of a grilled sausage. The dish, called Currywurst, is a combination which started out as an experiment by and quickly gained popularity, first in Berlin only to catch on as a nationally beloved fast food dish. Light and flavorful salads are the most popular side dishes served with grilled foods. An all time favorite is, of course, German potato salad which forgoes mayonnaise in favor of a fresh oil-and-vinegar dressing. Other popular salads include scrumptious noodle salads and different versions of cole slaw (Krautsalat). When it comes to drinks, Germans like to mix it up. In the non-alcoholic category, the extremely popular juice and sparkling water combinations known as “Schorle” (fruit spritzers) are available in every restaurant, café or bar and are even sold premixed. An important note on Germany’s sparkling water is that it is not merely purified drinking water with added carbonation but usually comes from mineral springs all across Germany's famous mountain ranges. Consequently, these waters are high in essential minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium which are especially important for re-hydration during the hot summer months. Not much needs to be said about Germany’s famed beers, so here are just a few fun facts: nearly 5,000 different types of beer are produced in approximately 1,200 German breweries. The diversity of different types of German beer is staggering. Distinct brewing methods and the ratio of the different ingredients result in an impressive palette of beers which differ not only in color but more importantly in flavor. Many breweries have successfully found their way into the North American market and their products can be found at your local supermarkets or liquor stores. This article "stolen" from http://www.germanfoods.org/consumer/facts/barbecue.cfm There are some great pics to go with this article so go there and drool! Musings: Travels of my past lifeI watched, on CNN, Hillary Clinton
give her 'support Barack Obama' speech this morning (Sunday). As she stood in
the majestic atrium of the National Building Museum I was transported back into
my own past of days when my husband, 2 sons and I would visit Washington DC. I
lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (30+ years) and it was a four hour
drive to that city and also on the route to New Jersey where my parents lived.
Every summer I would spend several weeks on the Jersey Shore so my kids could
have some summer fun. But Washington was on the way and there were enough things
to see in our Nation's Capital to give us incentive to make a prolonged stop and
see what we could see.
One such visit came to mind as I
watched Hillary speak her good words.
It was summer, early August I
think, and we determined that we should leave our Riner Virginia home before
first light, ahead of the projected swelter of the summer day. It must have been
near 5am when we got on the road. The drive took less than the usual 4 hours
because there was absolutely no traffic once we reached the normally congested
area surrounding DC. We zipped right in on I66, past the Arlington National
cemetery and that impressive statue of Iwo Jima. We came in past the Lincoln
Memorial. That put us on Constitution Ave. which was nearly empty of traffic at
8am. With Congress out of session for the summer the city at this hour was
nearly empty and the drive around the Mall while we looked for a parking spot
was a breeze. We found a most desirable spot right in front of the Air and Space
Museum where there was a row of tall trees that would provide shade as the sun
climbed and moved from east to west. We had our pick of parking spots at this
hour!
We had come with a specific
purpose this day, to visit the Picasso exhibition at the National Gallery but we
had also intended to visit the National Museum of American History as well,
before we continued our journey north along I95 for an additional 4 hours.
The morning air was cool, the sun
was not yet a powerful force but one could feel its potential. As we
strolled out onto the Mall there were only joggers and walkers of a local
variety taking advantage of this early calm. The air was somewhat still, a veil
of humidity hanging over the Tidal Basin and the city was just beginning to move
with quiet stirrings.
The buildings surrounding the Mall
were those elegant and stately architectural giants, giving a most benevolent,
secure air to our Nation's Capitol. The simple act of walking across the grassy
field that is the Mall gave us a grand feeling of history, pride and also calm.
We headed towards the National Gallery. It was closed at this hour and we took
note of the opening time of 10:30. We then walked out onto Pennsylvania Ave and
I found the site of the empty street most fascinating. We were only a few blocks
from the National Building Museum. At the divide, where Constitution Ave and
Pennsylvania Ave diverge there are statues (if memory serves me right) of
massive horses on either side of a triangle-shaped building. (one must
remember, I am recalling this purely from a memory that is more than 20 years
old so this may be a faulty vision - however I do remember massive horses
somewhere in that area) I was just so taken with this view of Pennsylvania Ave
so desolate, it made a lasting impression. I had taken a picture with some
camera now forgotten and where that picture is, I can only imagine. In a
smallish triangle of a park, there was a large circular fountain with water
cascading over the large dish. Its design created a clear sheet of crystal water
with no break or ripple until gravity created a ruffled skirt just before the
water hit the pool. Perhaps my sons played with the water, running their hands
through the pool as children will do. I can't remember.
We continued our walk along the
avenue till we reached the Old Post Office which had, at this time ( early
1980's) recently been turned into a large indoor shopping area. It was an
impressive and grand site. There were small boutique-ish eateries and given the
early morning hour, the smell of fresh coffee and bakery items was fragrant in
the air making us all a bit peckish. I cannot recall if we purchased anything. I
do, however, remember that everything was expensive. We were a young family so
it is possible that we did not lay out the geld to satisfy our hunger. I was a
frugal mother and almost always made sandwiches on long trips. It is entirely
possible that we left the elegance of the Old Post Office and went off to the
Mall near the National American Museum where there is a children's park, covered
with trees and shade, to have an early lunch. There are also street vendors
along Constitution Ave with vans full of food, drink and souvenirs.
By this time the sun had made its
power known and it was becoming the normal August day, hot, but still a slight
coolness lingering just beneath the lines of trees along the avenue. We walked
towards the National Gallery where a line was beginning to form as it was just
10am.
I remember going into the Gallery
where my first view was a massive and most impressive mobile sculpture by
Alexander Calder. It turned gently in the cathedral vault of the white space
above us. Oh, how I love museums, not just the exhibits but the buildings
themselves. We headed straight for the Picasso exhibit as our time was limited.
I do not remember how my children viewed these wonderful paintings. I remember
only sneaking a few photo shots of the paintings as we walked through. We spent
only an hour or so there. Time for this visit had to be kept short and we wanted
to visit the American Museum.
There, in that museum was a
exhibition of the sets from the TV show, M*A*S*H. That was fun and my sons
enjoyed that one. We saw Dorothy's ruby slippers, Mr. Rodgers' sweater, the
Howdy Doody puppet, Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet, Kermit the Frog, train engines
and a large statue of a nearly naked George Washington.
It was nearing the time when we
had to boogie on out of there as we had another 4 hours to the Jersey Shore and
the ride would now be a hot one. My old 67 Chevy Biscayne didn't have AC.
The Mall was now alive with
tourists like us and we made our way across the hot expanse of grass towards the
Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden for a quick visit. Our tree-shaded car was now
surrounded buy other parked cars and as we entered the cool of our car we got
the feeling that our soon-to-be vacant spot was being eyed by others.
Off we went to find our way out of
the city and back on the interstate towards our goal of the Jersey
Shore.
Pleasant memories and now I
wish I had those pictures to complete this winsome thought of my past.
Barbie makes changes Barbie gets a new computer. My old Toshiba is still lost somewhere in the US Postal system. No one wants to admit there is a problem here, not the German postal system (and their customs laws) nor the US post office. No amount of numbers on reciepts seem to point to where it is. I aint done yet, in my long search but 10 weeks later and I still will not give up. So, I bid on ebay for a newer model Toshiba computer, one with Windows XP Pro cause I do NOT want Vista! That is the reason for a used ... not NEW computer. It should arrive in a few days. Then begins the task of restoring my old files (using a 2 month old back-up) and reloading programs. Then I can stop borrowing a computer! I have added a little module to my Space here, one the 'links' to an online album. I created a Picasa album so my son and my family can view the photos my son and I took over his 2 week visit. I have been having one HECK of a time with Spaces and the lack of cooperation with this MSN photo uploader. I have spent too much time trying to upload a few pix. Now with just a click on the module with the picture, it will take the viewer to the Picasa website where all my pictures are stored. And the viewer can zoom in on each picture or just use the slideshow feature. Spaces needs to grow and it hasn't so I am making it use outside sources. I stay with this online 'blog' of mine only for the connection to the friends I have made over these past years. I hope you will take the time to enjoy the photos of my son and myself. It was a wonderful 2 weeks and the memories are embedded in those photos. Thanks for viewing! My Son visits!Update on the computer... near as I can tell having talked with a US
Customs agent, a German customs advisor (employed by the military garrison) and
the postmaster of Heidelberg, it is somewhere in the APO system, most likely
traveling to the USA and back to Europe. If it were gathering frequent flyer
miles it would have enough for a free first class ticket by now! The US Customs
agent believes it could take another 2 to 3 weeks before it reaches me.
Ahhhhh.......
But the good news is and was, my son Sean
came for a visit 2 weeks ago. I got to show him my 'home town' of Heidelberg. We
walked through the castle and the surrounding gardens and visited the largest
wine cask in Europe within the castle 'lower reaches'.
I took him to Karlsruhe to see the palace
gardens there and to meet my friends for dinner. They were so taken with him
they wanted to meet again on May 1st (a holiday in Germany). We all took a long
day drive into the Pfalz which are the mountains and wine region between Germany
and France. The Winestrasse is there and we rode along most of that route south
to the French town of Wissemborg. We had a lovely local meal in Rhodt in the
Pfalz, sampling that areas' food specialties (pigs stomach!) and wines. Then in
Wissemborg we had pflammenkuchen, a pizza of sorts. Thin crust covered in a
creme frache (mild sour cream) and crispy bits of smoked ham and onions, baked
in an oak wood fired oven. More wine topped it all off.
I also took Sean on a Rhine River Cruise
from Rüdesheim to Koblenz. My friend, Juris drove the distance from Karlsruhe to
Bingen, crossing the river on a ferry to Rüdesheim. This curise is one of the
best ways to see the countryside of western Germany. The wonderful castles sit
high on the moutains while we enjoy a relaxing wine or beer on the deck and
watch the traffic on this river highway.
I was also able to take him to the
fabulous palace gardens of Schwetzingen early in the morning when the air was
fresh and fragrant with the many flowers.
Two weeks are not enough but we did see a
lot. Most of all we got to just enjoy each other's company. We walked through
the old streets of Heidelberg and with coblestones beneith our feet, just
talked. We talked about the past the future and happiness. We laughed, we hugged
and we told each other how we loved one another.
I saw him off at Frankfurt airport May 3
very early in the morning. I had tears in my eyes as I hugged him one last time
and watched him walk through into the labrinth of the airport gates.
He waved one last time. A sad turn of events One March afternoon I was minding my own business, working quietly on my computer, just checking emails when suddenly I got..... THE BLUE SCREEN It made some allusion to an application error and instructed me to restart my computer if this was the first time I had gotten this nasty blue screen. So I did. And it restarted and that blue screen flashed then the screen went black. Then the computer rebooted then 'flash'-- that blue screen zipped by again, then black screen then reboot...... And that was all it would do. I tried every thing I knew - having done some computer work in my past life. It would not boot into SAFE MODE. I tried booting it with a bootable virus scanner and the program could not find my C drive! I tried reloading my operating system and the error message from the disc said the files were too corrupted to reload. So, what does a Barbie do? As I was contemplating reformating my harddrive (and loosing all my data! ... yes I have a backup but it was a few months old) A good friend asked me to send it to him in Berlin. He said he could revive it or at least suck all the data off the drive if it was unusable. So I packed it up and sent it out via the US military post offiice here in Heidelberg. TWO WEEKS LATER----- I am wondering where the HELL it is! NOT one person at the post office can answer that question! So here I am off line, using some strange computer to write my sad tale of woe. It is out there in limbo! Is it in the German customs hands and are the pawing over my computer? I must wait. I must be patient and I will hope for the best. If all fails I will make my insurance claim for the 1K I insured it for. But I would much rather have my computer back!!! Stay tuned for the next chapter..... Finding The Joy of WinterWinter is half over or Spring is only 6
weeks away. Either way you look at it, it brings joy to my heart. Sure there are
certain things about winter that I like, some I don't mind but most of the time
I find winter a bit depressing.
Some good things about
winter:
It is a time to get indoor things
done. Write letters. Clean closets. Mend those little clothing
tears.
Good time to read that long novel.
Start a good book and as the day grows dark so early you have more time to
read.
SNOW. That is one thing I do love ...
and hate. I love a good snowfall. It is so beautiful and peaceful. But after a
few days it turns dirty, slushy, refreezes into big chunks and gets in your way.
Shoveling it is a pain. Post office wont deliver to your box if he cant get
close to it. Snow plow comes by and ruins all the hard work you did to shovel
out your drive.
The last and best thing I love about
winter.... Spring comes right after it. Yeah, winter makes Spring all the
sweeter.
We haven't experienced too much snow here
in Heidelberg this year. Our coldest time was right around the holidays with a
nice covering of snow which didn't stay long. So, we decided last weekend to go
looking for some snow.
What is so great about Germany is
distances are not that great. Here in this part of Germany we have the Black
Forest only 40 miles away (70 kilometers). The Schwarzwald has its own unique
beauty with its dark green Norway spruce towering against the dark sky. Our own
Appalachian forests are a mix of trees and have a completely different feel.
So, up the mountain passes we went not
knowing what we would find. We approached the thermals springs town of Bad
Herrenalb and there was a smattering of snow covering greening lawns and tiled
roves. More snow appeared the higher we ascended and we got deeper into the
forest. The tall spires of spruce created a cathedral around us, their
dark branches sculpted in layers of snow. At every turn there was a fantastic
picture opportunity so I just kept snapping away.
Our friend, Juris who was doing
the driving was now in the traditional German mode for "Kaffee und Kuchen" and
was on a mission to find a bakery. Of course we found one, there are usually
several in any town in Germany. We sat near a large window with a view of the
snow covered hillside sipping our rich, strong coffee and eating... what else?
Schwarzwalderkisch BLACK FOREST CAKE. After this much needed ritual we resumed
our journey up into the mountains. The road twisted along the dark and snowy
faces of the mountains, the sun periodically shinning, then becoming obscured by
a dark snow cloud. The contrasts were startling and inspiring.
Eventually we reached one of many little
ski lift resorts that are nestled in these mountains. This one was called
Ruhestein. It was filled with people taking advantage of the perfect snow and
the perfect day. Bernd got a wild hair and took out his big blue trash bag,
trudged up the slope to a copse of trees and slid down the hill on his butt, a
small skier taking advantage of the nicely packed snow path he made to ski down
behind him. Bernd's snow follies! He is a child at heart.
The air was cold and clear. The blue sky
on one side, a gray snow sky on the other created a back-drop for our video and
our mood of finding the joy of winter.
We continued up the mountain on snowy
roads and found the little mountain lake of Mummelsee. We were on the not-so
sunny side of the mountain and there was a hoarfrost created by what must have
been an early morning fog which coated most of the structures around the lake.
The lake was frozen but snow covered and boat docks emerged from the white snow
covered with crystalline frost. The green of the trees were tempered with this
frost creating a shadowy ghostlike image as we walked along the fences and
through the covered gate. It was decidedly colder there, I would guess below 20
degrees. We crunched through the snow picking up handfuls and letting the dry
snow sift through our fingers. Here we were on one of the highest points of the
Schwarzwald and there were some excellent views down into to the valley below.
More picture taking opportunities.
We left the mountain top and made our way
along the dark ribbon of road watching as the snow got thinner and thinner till
we were in the gray-green valley once again.
We found our winter joy and now I am
waiting on signs of Spring. New Years CelebrationsThe coming of the New Year is something that happens to everyone whether they want it or not. If you have to benefit to be with friends and family so much the better but it happens even if you are alone. I was fortunate enough to have friends with whom to enjoy this evening and enjoy we did. It was not filled with exertion to try to have fun but came with conversations and reflections about the year past. Our adventures together were topics such as our Sorento Italy trip in 2004.
We spent this time together for who knows what 2008 will bring. New adventures, I am sure but there is change in the future for us all. New Years Food TraditionsSeems that this time of year always produces within me a craving for certain types of food. I revert to my family training where, as a child I was presented with foods that were 'tradition' to be eaten. New Years seemed to be a major time for these traditions. My grandmother, who was born in Hungary of Eastern Prussian/German parents, always presented these foods and 'must be eaten' to ensure a good New Year. One was lentil soup, hearty with lots of carrots, celery, bayleaf, onion, garlic and meaty pork hocks; cooked long and slow till thick. I love it. The other was herring, pickled, with onion and sour cream. As a child I hated it. It was sour and looked horrible to this child but I was told to eat just a bite, to ensure this good luck for the coming year.
Now I can't help myself. I love the stuff and get a yen for herring every year at this time. I made up a nice platter of Bismark herring, which is easy to come by here in Germany as it is a staple of the German palate and treated myself to a feast. I will have to ask my sons if they too desire lentils and herring. I know that my father, who is one hundred percent Italian, gets the same yen as I do, having been married to my mother for 47 years and ate as we all did, this traditional feast. Winter magic Heidelberg and the entire German Chirstmas culture is on display at this time of year. The Weihnachtsmarkt is in full bloom in every small town and city throughout this land. I have visited only a few; Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Baden Baden and a few of the small dorfs that surround the Heidelberg area. I am glad I have had this experience for it gives an insight into many of the traditions that Americans who do celebrate this holiday carry with them. And the festival of lights and food that surround this season tend to brighten the cold and dark days that prevail this far north as it is totally dark before 5pm. Long winter nights are mollified as we approach the Winter Solstice. Next here in Heidelberg is the celebration of the New Year. Germans love a party and there will be plenty of that coming soon. I wish you all Peace, Love, Comfort and Health in 2008. Homeward Bound... for 5 weeksOctober 2 I flew to the US of A. After 18 months I had a | |||||||||||||||||||||||
