Sometimes you fool yourself. You believe that you are invincible. You know that bad things happen to good people. You know that they have even happened to you. But time and time again we are caught off guard reminded of the wisdom of Monty Python’s idiom: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.
If I had had more experience traveling I might not have made the mistakes that may very nearly have cost me my life this past week. I thought that by focusing my first visit to South Africa to longer stays in two areas, I would limit my travel time. But instead I ended up with long plane flights and interminable bus trips. Next time, and I definitely hope there is a next time – *the hematologist looks at me askance* – I hope to take longer and fly between major centres once I get to South Africa. The buses have a certain charm and I definitely got to meet and talk to people in a way I might not have otherwise, but to top off my three week excursion with a three leg flight home with very short turnarounds was a major miscalculation on my part. It sounded great. But I had no idea exactly how tight a three hour stop over is, especially if you have to clear customs. Longer stop overs would have helped. Baby asprins, compression stockings. Everyone has recommendations now.
Yet although I was tired and swollen upon my return, it would take a few weeks before my journey caught up with me. Last Sunday night, or rather, early Monday morning, two and half weeks after I returned home, all swelling and fatigue seemingly gone, I suffered a pulmonary embolism. Well actually, it was not clear what had happened at first. I have very little memory of that day or an evening event I had been to with friends. My 25 year-old son, a creative, troubled but wonderful soul, heard me moaning. Thomas came upstairs to find me disoriented. He called Emergency and started chest compressions.
The kid saved my life. In one of those odd ironies, or twists of fate, toward the end of my time away, Thomas had suffered a couple of acute panic attacks so severe that he twice was taken to the hospital. In the second situation he was referred on to a psychiatric nurse he liked and she suggested a 4 week outpatient program he had just started. Mind you my little detour has interrupted his plans but they will contact him as soon as there is a good point for him to join back in. Me, I will be in the hospital for at least another week, but the more “functional” I am, the more I can spend time reading.
So good with the bad. Who knows? Maybe the two truly are bound more tightly than we realize.
roughghosts 
That’s one hell of a scary experience. Yiur son showed great presence of mind, Glad to know you are on the mend and able to talk about it, do you think it was connected with the flights
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We will know for sure whether there is an indication of any other cause before I leave the hospital and I will be followed. It is a long haul between where I live and S Africa. But I so loved the experience of being there. As you know, it is an amazing place to visit!
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Hope they can tell you soon. It’s the not knowing that can be hard
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Wow – that was a close call and thank goodness your son was around. Take care of yourself and get well soon.
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Thanks. I am proud and grateful for both of my kids. As an unconventional single parent I always worried I was selling them short but love is amazing!
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I cannot even begin to imagine how frightening this must have been for you and your family. Glad to hear you are in recovery – wishing you all the best over the forthcoming weeks.
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Thanks Jacqui. The magnitude of the event and the ease at which it could have been otherwise are just settling in. Lots of time to read though at the lightening pace of a page or two a day. Company takes priority though… I have awesome friends at home and around the world, more than I ever appreciated!
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Happy you are up to writing posts again. Sorry it was your trip that triggered this. You will come back to South Africa but gently and slowly. Take care.
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We need to send him disprin and surgical support hose for Xmas 😀
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Thanks Penny. Of course I’ll be back. I still have to make it to Durban!
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I’m glad you’re recovering, and I hope hospital’s not too terrible.
Good luck getting better.
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Thanks Max. It’s the oldest tower in the oldest hospital still standing here during a heatwave. Just grand but at the moment I am not ready to go anywhere else!
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Omg what a scare. I hope you are ok and on the full mend now. It’s scareybthat it can happen anywhere anytime. You have our thoughts and blessings… Stay safe and stay well
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I wish you a very speedy recovery! I too have anxiety and panic attacks and they are not fun. I hope your son gets treatment soon as well.
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Not the best way to end a holiday – poor you! Glad to hear you’re recovering!
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Good mixed with bad indeed – and you weren’t to know you were at risk of deep vein thrombosis or whatever from travelling. And your kid is good people, I wanted to hug him when I got his mail. Of course I want to hug you too, but at least we have some hug-memories to draw from. So now you’re emerging from your fugue state, I can say, you asshole, do not do that shit again, it’s way worse than the goddamn meatloaf incident and you know how serious that makes it. (that’s what they call Irish love and, well, you know my surname) AND you made my eyes leak, what kind of a dude does that to a butch dyke!? Thank fuck for the kid, thank fuck you’re coming right. Asshole.
❤
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Love you too darling.
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Oh my! What an experience I hope you continue to recover and feel better soon!
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Hope you feel much better by now. I think you do, having read a couple of blog post after this scary experience.
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Thanks Bert, being home helps, but there is a long recovery ahead. Something like this is such a shock, especially when you are otherwise healthy.
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Catching up, and wow, I am so glad you are ok! A very good son you have!
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Yes, I hope he can believe that.
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