Let the treatment begin!

Tuesday 10 March

Well the night was horrendous! I should have not panicked last night at Martin’s induced comatose state and actually asked them to do it all night long!! Just as I had settled my nerves into bed he is sitting up on the edge of his bed. He is delirious but insisting that he needs to go to the toilet! He cannot stand up so I have to try and support his weight to the toilet and help him to go. Of course nothing happened – because I don’t think he was really thinking very straight. I helped him back to bed tried to lift his body up into the right position on his pillows and go back to sleep. I am not sure really how much sleep either of us had. He was up and down quite a bit and each time I would need to assist him back into bed. All I could do was hope that it was enough to keep him semi-relaxed!

A family has moved into the room next to us. Oh my!!! I think there must be at least 6 Mexican’s in there – 2 of them young children who like to yell – A LOT! The kids scream, the father yells!! This all begins at 6am! Do they not appreciate that we have been up all night! I cannot handle the thought that this is going to last for the duration of our stay!!

Martin has been told to fast for his cat scan today. It was going to be done around 8-9am. I am not sure if he is allowed to drink water so I ask the nurse who then tells me that he is not booked in for a catscan!

Ok with the screaming Mexican’s and now this, all after a night of no sleep, I cannot take it anymore! I am on the phone to our ‘care representative’ asking firmly but nicely for a new room and a catscan. For Martin’s sake we cannot endure another day of idleness. For the sake of assurance that we have done the right thing we need something to start happening!

Movement – finally something is happening! A kind looking young man was at our door with a wheelchair! It was time for the catscan! Martin leaves, and then returns again fairly quickly. Not long later the same nice looking young man is at our door again... it’s time for Ozone therapy!! Neither of us really know what that actually means at this point but all I know is Martin will be gone for an hour or so. I decide to make the most of the peace!

Today is a cold, wet and windy day in Tijuana. I figure it is the perfect excuse for an indoor pj day! I am not quite so undone that I leave my pyjamas on – but a unglamorous tracksuit will suffice!!

He has returned. He is looking less wounded lion like and a little more in tune. Ozone therapy, it appears, is where they remove 300ml of your blood and infuse it with ozone and oxygen and then re-infuse it into your system via a uv light treatment. It is a pretty trippy thing and I momentarily wonder if we are making all the right moves! Still the science behind it makes sense and if it is illegal in western countries then I am kind of supportive of it!!

Let me take some time out to talk about the food. It is a highly essential part of the program to eat a quasi-vegan diet. I have no idea what the quasi part is, but let’s just say it’s vegan with the exception of occasional fish and chicken produce. I am all for the necessity of people undertaking the program to have to eat this food – but do they not give a thought to the support people! OMG I am going to starve!! I have already talked about breakfast – but that is the good meal of the day! Lunch and dinner consists of unrecognisable substance and the stable safety of brown rice! I am going to have to live on brown rice, an occasional decent soup, lettuce and rockmelon! I tell myself that I am in a health camp and I am currently undergoing detox! Unfortunately for the detox program I have some leftover potato chips in my room and some of my favourite lollies from home! Detox in moderation I say!! I should embrace the 'fat camp' that I have entered and try and think of the benefits! While in LA I tried to find a pair of Levis. I totally enjoyed the moment of realising that I am between an American size 5 and 6 in jeans! I LOVE AMERICA!!! Until my mother kindly reminded me that anything over a Size 2 is socially unacceptable! Nothing like a mother to keep you grounded! With the vision of a Size 2 pair of jeans I slowly shovel in my rice and fold away the packet of potato chips!

We have been moved to a new room which is wonderful as it feels slightly larger and has a more homely outlook. I open the blinds and we are overlooking the hills of Tijuana. The previous room had us looking down into the cafeteria! Apart from my bed making me feel like I am camping and sleeping on a hard floor in a sleeping bag, the room is inviting.

The treatments have been rolling on today and I think it has helped Martin remained focused! He still cannot hold much of a conversation and sits on the edge of the bed looking like he has lost his mental capacities! This is hard for me, as he is usually so mentally strong – even to the point of annoyance at times!! To see him in this state is harder than seeing him physically sick! His face is becoming more and more gaunt, or maybe I should say chiselled! He fitted in nicely while we were in LA – as he looked like he had overdone it on the plastic surgery and had one too many face lifts! If he has any more cheek implants I think he may make his eyeballs fall into the back of his skull!! My kids love Spongebob and there is an episode where Squidward becomes handsome. I joke with Martin that he is taking on a similar appearance! (see picture above!)

The doctor came into the room to discuss how Martin is doing. He is concerned about his mental alertness and is attributing his meltdown yesterday and particularly last night to morphine withdrawals! He wants to give him another day to see if his symptoms change once the morphine is out of his system. The good news that he came with is that Martin’s catscan results were encouraging. It would appear that his tumour in the omentum has not changed since diagnosis and even more importantly his kidneys and his liver are all well and healthy!! He mentioned again the large volume of ascites in his abdomen as well as in his lung, but was not overly concerned with that unless it causes problems. Once we told him about the volume of vomiting he decides that it is probably a good idea to drain him tomorrow! The doctor leaves us by saying that he is surprised at Martin’s results. He thought, after looking at him, that they were going to be a lot worse!!

For now we are happy. I had expected to be told today that his liver was cactus and his omentum was covered! Perhaps there is hope in this oasis after all!!