If It Wasn't For Bad Luck

I know I haven't posted in many weeks. At the beginning of the year there was a whirlwind of activity here that included some pretty major oral surgery for me and of course the twins started a new quarter at Strayer which also resulted in Kian getting a less than responsive professor who started giving him zeros for assignments he didn't think were submitted correctly and Cassie traveling and naturally back at work.

All this time and in the months starting back in September I'd noticed a rash on both my hands with bumps that were hard to the touch and thought it was the hard water here and my washing dishes without gloves on. Various friends here recommended lotions and creams and although they felt good, the rash remained. Right about the time of my oral surgery I'd then developed a rash around my lower torso and on my arms which after the surgery spread to my stomach and my face looked like I'd been sunburned. The rashes were very uncomfortable and cause a lot of skin irritation and itching and that in turn started to keep me from sleeping much at night. On February 8th I called the American Hospital here in Paris and got an appointment with a Dermatologist named Louis Zylberberg. He saw me that afternoon and all I can say is that he should never play poker as his face showed alarm and he wanted to take pictures of where all of my rashes were and then sent me to the lab for blood-work which was 13 vials all at once! He wanted me to come back the following day for a biopsy at 10:30. Pretty much immediately after I arrived the next day and entered the small surgery suite Dr. Zylberberg told me that I was very seriously ill and he had to admit me to the hospital now........... It's then that he told me he was pretty certain that I had what is called Dermatomyositis .http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dermatomyositis/DS00335

Of course I had no idea what he was talking about but was pretty freaked out when he told me how sick I was and seeing my level of stress he got his nurse to get me a valium which was VERY welcome........ Then I called Cassie and told her that she needed to come to the hospital as they were admitting me and after that Dr. Zylberberg's nurse accompanied me to the Emergency Room where I was admitted and the tests began which of course was 7 more vials of blood and the backless robe and EKG, full evaluation by the ER physician and then chest X-Ray, Echo Cardiogram, and deep muscle and tissue biopsies under local anesthesia which took an hour and that I'm still sore from 11 days out. A new doctor entered the picture during this named Dr. Khayat who is an Internal Medicine Specialist who would manage my medication treatment and also Dr. Usdin who's a Cardiologist I'd seen previous to my oral surgery.

Of course my diet changed to a low or no salt diet as well as restricted sugar and fat intake and my inpatient saga began. To tell the truth, I'm loath to go into too much detail here so I'll try to condense the schedule of tests and information that kept coming at me while I was there.

While in the hospital over an 8 day period I had:

3 different CT Scans all that included either radioactive injections or injections of something they called "contrast" as well as some kind of oral vaso dilator that would enlarge my aorta during the last CT Scan when they looked at my arterial spaces (which were fine thank you very much....)

1 PET Scan which was a full body scan with more radioactive stuff injected into me which was essentially looking for any kind of obvious Cancer (negative)

2 different radiological scans the title of which I'm still uncertain of that took more pictures of my heart which also included radioactive injection both of which involved me having to lay on my stomach for 25 minutes at a time with my arms over my head. This was one in the morning and another later in the afternoon......

1 MRI which was also a heart exploration with "contrast" injected which was also not fun but at least I got to wear headphones. This one is where the French Radiologist came to me while I was still on the table who told me that they saw something "not so good" on my heart which also freaked me out........

I spent a 24 hour period wearing a small telemetry device that was really a continuous EKG looking for "crazy rhythms" in my heart.

All through this, I was getting to know my doctors which all being French are a whole different animal than Americans. In the US, there is a giant specter of litigation so all doctors and health care professionals are very forthcoming with information about just about everything. Here in Paris, docs order things and patients comply period and so there were surprises for me in the hospital every day to the point that one morning the transportation guy came for me before I even had my pants on and the nurse just shrugged and said you must go for this test.
I lost my temper that morning...............

Overall though through it all, my experience was a very good one and what differences there were had to do with culture more than bad things happening.

11 years ago I suffered some heart disease while we lived in Iowa that almost killed me but I recovered fully after a year. I have a suspicion that some of the findings on my heart here by my medical team are residual from that time period but of course none the new guys had ever looked before so there was some consternation and resultant more "explorations" because of that. I give my medical team an A+ for their continuing efforts on my behalf and I will do everything they tell me to do. I'm not sure if I'll ever beat this auto immune thing but I'll sure as shit deal with it. Count on it.

The last thing that I'll mention here was what I now refer to as the "twofer" which was a colonoscopy/endoscopy that was conducted by Dr. Louis Zylberberg's twin brother Herve' which was disconcerting a bit but that too ended up with a negative report. Go figure, I was treated by twins in the hospital here........*

Of course the American Hospital here is billing Blue Cross back in the states and we had to pay the Doctor's fees which although steep were nothing as high as would have had to pay in the US.

I'm still a bit whooped from all of this but have been out walking and am on a strict diet now which will result in me looking like a Frenchman before years end. I will however NOT wear pointy toed shoes.........*

Through this all, I received numerous emails, phone calls, and visits from our friends here in Paris and my friends and family in the US. As I've told all of them and for you who might be reading this now, you all lifted me up in what was for all intensive purposes a very scary thing for me and my family. Cassie was magnificent as always as were Kian and Niall who ran the house without us pretty much for 8 days which included grocery shopping, going the library by themselves and basically holding the fort down while there was an upheaval happening. I'm so proud of them and so humbled again to be a part of such an amazing family without who I would most certainly be lost even on the best of days......... Even through all of this, I woke up under a rainbow every morning and continue to do so..........*

I promise to be more in this blog on an almost daily basis as I have a lot of writing to do the rest of this year.

Love to all everywhere..................

Bon journee!

Sid

New Year Tidings 2011

Cassie, Kian, Niall and I brought the New Year in this year like we have for the past10 or so years together with a toast at midnight although there was no ball that dropped here nor anywhere on local French TV although there was a countdown. We had Chinese food New Year's Eve and did our annual New Year's Day Open House but to a very small but quality group of guests and the jambalaya and chili with the bloody marys were all very good.

The guys started a new quarter at Strayer University and from what we're hearing they are on track to make the President's List academically which I think will put them both in the top 5% of students there. Not to belabor a point here but again, what a difference a year makes particularly for Kian who's thriving in the Strayer Model.

Cassie has re-tooled her approach to her job which has left her with far more time to relax and do much of what she loves doing which is GREAT!

AND, on January 12th I underwent oral surgery to have the growth in my mouth removed and several of my teeth worked on and my last 2 wisdom teeth removed. Along with that was a total cessation of any kind of alcohol consumption and restricted diet which has left me losing weight and on which I may remain for a while to drop so more weight while I'm at it. The saga of my mouth is not over yet as I still have some other dental work that will need to be done but my French Doctors have been great and they have my full confidence.

Oh, for those of you who watch, my hair is finally starting to show some gray.

Live is good in Paris.......

Love to all everywhere.....

Sid

Another Day

After taking a jog this afternoon that took me past the Eiffel Tower, I'm enjoying a hot soak with a glass of wine and a good book while the housekeeper cleans my apartment, when it hit me (to steal a phrase from Davy Crockett): You may all go to hell, and as for me, I will go to Paris. Despite another cold, rainy day that left me soaked...another day that the Christmas gifts my sister mailed more than two weeks ago still have not arrived...it was another day that found me amazed to be living where and how I am.

By the way, for those who were wondering, the castrated cock was delicious. I still can't resist referring to the "chapon" or capon that way. He gave well and long: I made a hearty chicken soup that I finished up today. God bless Anthony Bourdain, and my neighborhood boucherie.

Bonne Annee!

Cass

A Christmas Capon

A colleague from a training seminar in British Columbia, Canada, last September is visiting friends and family in Europe for the holidays. We basked in the sparkling splendor of the Eiffel Tower before dinner on Wednesday night. Earlier in the day, Sid and I bought the main course for our first Christmas dinner in Paris. After asking some friends and colleagues here about the traditional Christmas meal, I decided to make Poulet Roti, or roast chicken, using a "chapon" or capon, and following Anthony Bourdain's recipe. We got it from our neighborhood boucherie (butcher). It was in the front window -- feet, feathers, face and all. The butcher doesn't speak any English, but he understood when I dragged a finger across my neck and asked "s'il vous plait." He chopped off the clawed feet, torched off the feathers, and hacked off the head -- the scrawny neck hanging. (And Nora Ephron feels bad about HER neck!) At least he won't be looking at us while we're eating him. Although I've certainly heard of capons, I've never known what they are. Turns out I'll be spending Christmas day cooking a castrated cock. After a few glasses, I'm sure I'll stop giggling about that.

What beautiful Christmassy weather we've been enjoying. Picturesque snow dustings almost everyday. It's made daily shopping excursions that much more festive. Not so festive for travelers, unfortunately. Europe's airports have struggled with the early snowfalls, so much so that de Gaulle airport here in Paris has canceled half its flights because they've run out of de-icing fluid. It's nice not to be visiting here on business and be desperately trying to get home in time. My only rush is to get out of the cold & wet and back to Rue Nic to settle in with a good book and full glass. We may go out and see the lights on the Champs Elysees tonight...or we may not. ;~)

Winter Wonderland In Paris

It's snowing again here this morning and although it's beautiful after living here in Paris for close to year now there are certain things about how things work or don't work here that have really manifested themselves. The foremost recently is the completely lack of any street or sidewalk maintenance during snow events. In the past 3 weeks it's snowed almost every other day with a couple of days generating what they called here the biggest snow event since 1985 which amounted to around 3 inches. The entire city shut down completely and NOTHING was done to clear the streets or most of the sidewalks. I'll never complain about the services in Lynchburg ever again. Cassie did hear from a French colleague last week who told her with a smirk that during the last major snow event the government got so many calls from angry residents of various cities that they were now deploying military troops on the highways to rescue stranded motorists and others waylaid by the storms. For the most part though, France is a lot like other states in the US where no state tax is collected such as South Dakota which just closes the interstate highways when a big storm hits and actually has barricades that come down on all entrance ramps and stiff fines for anyone that is found on the interstates after that happens.

We're in the home stretch here heading towards our very first Christmas in Paris. It's been very pleasant and far less stressful than at home as things for us are just simpler. Even the tree which is reminiscent of Charlie Brown's is actually quite lovely and plans are being made to obtain our own turkey for Christmas this year from a local boucherie. Rest assured we're thinking of all our loved ones, friends and family back in the US.

We miss all of you and wish you could be here to share this with us. We'll post some new photos on Shutterfly today and I'll repost later on with a link for you all.

Joyeux Noel!

Sid

Vernon

An old (literally) friend passed away this week. His name was Vernon and he loved to tell stories, mow the lawn, eat good food, hold his great grand babies, drink good coffee, watch the Atlanta Braves, and everything else a retired fella would love. The cabinet under his bathroom sink was his liquor stash and I never heard him say anything negative about anyone in the too short time that I knew him. He's on the cover of our first CD dressed in a grass skirt while stationed in Pearl Harbor in 1943. We told him we were gonna make him famous.

As Vernon grew older he moved in with his daughter Sharon and her husband Dana who added an addition onto the house they lived in specially for him. His beloved wife Jessie Lou passed a number of years ago and as Vernon got older and older his health issues mounted but he hung in there. A little over a year ago Vernon had to go into an assisted living facility as he'd become weak and couldn't stand without falling a lot. His eye sight and hearing were pretty much gone and his life couldn't have been very much fun but still he hung in there.

This week he ran out of time and entered hospice in a Hampton Roads hospital and peacefully passed away early the other morning. I'm going to miss sitting with him and watching baseball. I'll also miss his stories and his kindness. I learned a lot from him in the time I knew him and I won't ever forget him.

Hopefully he's with Jessie Lou and still trying to keep her away from his liquor under the bathroom sink..........and back mowing the lawn again and working in his shop. Lastly, wherever he is they're gonna be treated to some mighty fine fish fries..........*

Miss ya buddy.........* Fair winds and following seas...........*

Love always,

Sid

Fred And Claudia's New House And Party

What a whirlwind last weekend was. Laura Prisc arrived Friday evening at around 8 PM and we were off to have dinner at Cafe Muette which was lovely and then Cassie and Laura walked up to Trocadero to get pictures of Laura in front of the Tour Eiffel. Then they walked back and stayed up until around 2 AM talking. Laura had to catch an 8 am cab downstairs so I got up at 6:30 to cook her some breakfast and make coffee and Cassie got up to see her out. Then we went back to bed for about an hour or so and Cassie had to get up again to go meet Denise Woernle for lunch and shopping which was in the middle of another beautiful snow storm (see picture included) and she didn't come back until around 5 PM when we all loaded up with back packs and one of my guitars and headed out on the Metro for the suburbs in super packed trains of all kinds for the ride to Fred and Claudia's hood where there was a party planned for around 8 PM.

We were a bit tired but perked right up in the below freezing weather with snow falling as Fred picked us up at the Chatiou Croissey station and we were on the way to their new house.
WOW, what a great space and of course a huge room reminiscent of our pal John Ward's big downstairs man cave/party room with heaps of music gear and lots of space. Kian and Niall disappeared upstairs with Claudia's son David and we got comfortable with Fred and Claudia as they awaited the arrival of 30 plus guests many of who were Brazilian (Claudia is from Brazil) and the rest were old school friends of Fred's. I can't tell you how cool the whole evening was particularly to be surrounded by people speaking Portuguese which is a very very musical language. Then Fred fired up a bunch of Brazilian dance music and that tore the roof off the sucker! Everyone was dancing and drinking champagne. Let's just say that everyone was in a real good mood by then and the party got crazier when Cassie and I and Fred and his friend "Chutt" jammed for about an hour which was followed by more dancing and champagne consumption. Cassie disappeared at around midnight but I hung in until around 3 AM. I don't think we got up until around 11 AM and then helped Claudia clean the house until Fred got up later.

We headed back to the 16th on the Metro and RER and stopped at La Defense for McDonalds and did Xmas the rest of the day and fell into bed early last night and got a great nights sleep.
Today is grocery store and trying to get Xmas lights for our little tree. Pictures of that will be in here as it comes together.

Much love to all everywhere!

Sid