Thursday, June 22, 2006

Some views of India, explained

Couldn't figure out how to combine words and text, so here's about the pictures below: Margi on the roof of Ashoka Indian Restaurant, Mcleodganj; Margi on the trail to Bhagsu waterfall, leaving me in the dust; Margi and hydrotherapy in the stream that leads to the waterfall (she liked lying on this rock because she had water flowing on both sides, so complete auditory immersion, as well as cold water flowing over hands and feet and stimulating sensation); Margi and Vinod Shanti, who made us great chai and meals at Angus' house in Dharamkot, above Mcleodganj; Margi and Brian, the computer genius and music/film maven, who with his wonderful wife Sonia brought us movies and meals and took us on trips around the countryside; the hat girls. Margi took the last picture, with my camera upside down out at arm's length, on a rectangular rock where we picnicked above Bhagsu waterfall. I was tempted to post it as taken, inverted.

Some views of India, May-June










Tuesday, June 13, 2006

chemo #6 almost

hello,
well, actually, there hasn't been a chemo #6 yet, since Margi's WBC (white blood count) was too low for them to safely give the chemo. so she had an extra night in the hospital and was given some IV solutions to help boost her system and then will have the chemo today, pending results from the lab.

it is surprising that her count was low, since she seems to be doing ok (no fever, no diarrhea). she did have a couple of tougher days this past time in D'sala with some diarrhea and a short-lived fever, but that had seemed to pass without incident, so it leaves us all a bit perplexed. Margi was thinking that the insecticide spray at the hotel might have contributed to her not feeling so well....just too much for her system to handle with chemo and everything else.

they did a chest xray yesterday, but that was clear. she has been feeling more lightheaded these past couple of weeks, but that doesn't seem to be related to the low WBC count, according to the doctors. when i spoke to her this morning, she was feeling better, so the IV has done something good.

Margi is entertaining herself at the hospital while i am running around trying to do the last minute things before i leave. thank goodness Deane is coming so that Margi will have someone to be with her when i leave! their train tickets have been changed to Sunday night to accomodate the chemo schedule. it will be a hot couple of days for Deane, but there is AC to retreat so i'm sure she'll be entertained with all that is around here.

i've contacted her friends here in Delhi, so they know that she might need some support in the next few days before she leaves for D'sala. and Brian has been alerted as well. so all support is in line!!!! hurray.

it is hard for me to leave at such a point. i was really intending to see her through the last and final chemo and make sure all things were good before leaving. but the wheels are in motion, and i have to get going. i'm glad that i know she is in good hands though, so it will be ok. the Hotel is a wonderful place for her, we have been so lucky.

i will be stateside by the end of June. yikes. i've been in the "Margi bubble" for awhile now, the US will be another shock again.

so now i will be one of the blog watchers waiting for updates and info!
until then,
cm

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Leaving the mountains

Tomorrow Margi and I will leave Dharamsala for Delhi - me to prepare to fly back to California on Friday, Margi to get ready for chemo #6, scheduled for Monday. Carolyn will join us in Delhi, and will be with Margi through chemo #6 and just after; another California friend, Deane, will join Margi the night of June 14, then train back to Dharamsala with her on June 15, the same night Carolyn flies back to the U.S. It was serendipitous (and very kind) of Deane to reschedule her arrival from June 19 to June 14, to connect with Margi in time to travel with her back to the mountains.

It's been a lovely and rich time for me here. I will think about these three weeks for a long time. Here's a poem written in the first few days of being at Pema Thang Guesthouse. It's based on a partial fallacy (if you look really, really hard, you can see that the blue prayerflags on the horizon actually do still have some words on them, albeit very faded), but I stand by my false premise.

PEMA THANG

All the words have drained
from blue prayerflags
encircling the guesthouse.

Faded by wind and rain,
they move beyond description.
Line ends tethered to the roof peak

suspend pink yellow green
sheets still wearing pleas,
but on horizon line

turquoise pages float
blank and eloquent
before pines, misty valley.