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Published: August 13th 2008
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Monterrico Paddling
A friend took this months prior. Hi All!
Sorry it’s been so long since we posted anything. Our life got kind of crazy the past few months. Many of you already know we are back in Washington. I think it was sometime in May when Natalie started having some intestinal difficulties as it were. This of course didn’t come as surprise as it’s a normal occurrence in less developed countries with poor sanitation and water quality etc. Anyway, Natalie was also working very hard to overcome some behavioral challenges with her class, and I was working very hard to keep up with the ever frantic guiding business. The visits to the clinic just added to our already hectic lifestyle. So, needless to say, this was a trying time for us.
Natalie’s symptoms were not improving though. The symptoms were and are varied and could be related to a variety of problems. Initially doctors thought it was an intestinal infection and treated her with Cipro. She completed the treatment and the symptoms didn’t retreat. So, after a couple more visits a Dr.
concluded that Natalie had Giardia, which if you don’t know is a nasty protazoal parasite. She took the treatment for that and reacted very strongly
Ruby
Hangin' with Teddy in Guate to it. It was nauseating and basically wiped her out for a few days. When the symptoms did not reside Natalie decided that she needed to eliminate the stress of work. She had been out for nearly a week and just the thought of going back was stress that she didn’t need to worry about when her health was suffering as a result. So, out of respect for her employer she essentially resigned to allow the school to look for a replacement considering she had no clue how long her recovery
was going to be. Further, it lifted the burden from her head and allowed her to begin focusing on healing.
Natalie’s pain and symptoms continued and with the Dr. certain that she didn’t need another Giardia treatment, we were at a loss for what to do next. The Dr. who we really trusted most and who we could communicate best with was out of options and was willing to chalk it up as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We didn’t trust that assessment and Natalie had growing abdominal pain. Around that time we decided it would be best for her to return home to pursue treatment. We also agreed that I
Moon over Fuego
Brita and were treated to this view one morning would stay and tie up loose ends and entertain all the guests we had coming to visit. Natalie flew out and headed to her parents in Spokane while I stayed and worked and took care of our puppy Ruby.
We don’t regret that decision for me to stay there but we did realize quickly that it may not have been the best decision; although, had I not stayed we wouldn’t have had the means to bring Ruby home. However, it was silly to think that taxing our relationship more in the middle of such a trying time would be a good option. We weathered it well and are stronger for it but needless to stay the original plan for me to stay until early September quickly went by the wayside. I flew into Seattle on the 25th of August. We passed through Chelan briefly to help my folks prepare for their departure to Guatemala. For lack of me being there I rented our house in Antigua until mid August so the family could have a place to stay and a kitchen etc. My mom, dad and brother have now been there for over a week.
Similarly, the day
Dinner At Hectors
Brita (my cousin on the right) me and a friend we met at Lake Atitlan. after Natalie flew out my cousin Brita flew in. Natalie and Brita were going to go to Honduras together but instead Brita got stuck with ole Timmy. We had a fun time and despite my working my regular schedule I managed to show Brita a good chunk of the country and I think she had a pretty fun time. I did too for that matter. Brita also got to meet some new friends and I think got a refreshed excitement for the international life and culture. She went to design school in London and is definitely the worldly type who needed a little excitement, and couldn’t get enough.
While my family is exploring all that we spent so much time in we are laboring away with the slow Medical system in the ever so warm North. Antigua was very mild temperature wise compared to the nineties here in Spokane. Doctors here have yet to find an answer for Natalie but we are ever so slowly making headway. Natalie says she understands why they call them patient(ce)s Natalie has made incredible efforts on her own to nurture herself mentally, emotionally and physically. Thus far her relaxation techniques, homeopathic treatments, healthy
Natalie and the Chuchos
that's Guatemalan for strays diet choices and positive thinking have yielded some results. Recently a Dr. recommended the book How Doctors Think which has provided lots of insight, we also recommend it for any patients. The abdominal pain has subsided some and she’s beginning to have some more energy. It’s a testament to her will and fortitude if nothing else.
The doctors she’s been seeing have done a multitude of tests and have ruled out a wide variety of parasites, diseases, immune problems/diseases and are now referring her on to more specialized doctors like infectious disease specialists and if necessary to immunologists. It may be a month until the next visit so in the meantime we’ll be working to get ourselves back to Bellingham. That’s right, Natalie would like to get back to the region where she has some friends in the Holistic health field to “take advantage of!” :0) Furthermore, we both dig the region and the biking is up to my standards so it’s okay with me. Mount Baker has acceptable skiing for me too… what can I say; I’m easy! So by next week we should be bumming around b’ham pursuing housing, work and doctors.
In the meantime I’ve
More Strays
Ruby and Mocha (Nat's parents dog) included a mishmash of photos for your viewing pleasure and will look forward to posting again when we have some answers about Natalie’s health. I will say I’ve included most everything we know about her health now so you can withhold your questions. It’s been challenging not knowing what to tell people but this is looking to be a long process of diagnosis and we will try and keep everyone up to date as we learn more.
On a side note our good friend Singer the black dog found herself a porcupine this week. I had no idea there were so many in this region north of Spokane. Poor Singer found one and got a mouthful to say the least. She had hundreds of Quills in her mouth to where she couldn’t close her mouth. She had them in her tongue, gums, roof of her mouth, chin, nose everywhere. I had to wrap her up in a blanket and hold her down while a neighbor pulled quills out with pliers. We spent a good hour pulling and Singer, amazing as always let us yank away. I guess most dogs never let you do that. The next morning I pulled
Sisters
Ruby and Singer (my best old friend and my new other best friend) four more out of her chin that had worked their way through from the inside of her mouth. She was also coughing and choking on occasion so, by the second morning after I took her to the vet. They ended up sedating her and apparently the found over 100 more tiny quills embedded throughout her mouth and she did have one in her soft palate near the back of her throat. That apparently is what was making her cough and choke. She left the vet in much higher spirits. She is now recovering well and getting back to normal.
…and that’s the news from Lake Wobegon!
Love Tim and Nat
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Judy
non-member comment
Thanks for the update!
I'm sorry that you still don't have any answers, Nat, but it was great to be updated all the same! Good luck in Bellingham, I know how much you love it over there. Don't be a stranger! Take care and keep in touch. Love ya!