Search Results for: Medical Issues

Part 1…An important message for residents and tourists in Marloth Park…

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One of two barn owls in an outdoor cage. Deidre released this own into the wild last night. Here is the video from the release.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

This is the more colorful male of the snake-eating peacocks, happily visiting Wild & Free Rehabilitation grounds.

We met Deidre Joubert-Huyse at “movie night in the bush” on February 25th, shortly after we’d arrived in Marloth Park, which was hosted as a fundraiser for Wild & Free Wildlife Rehabilitation. That post may be found here.

We were interested in the event and the intent of the rehab facility, with its focus on rescuing ill and injured wildlife in Marloth Park and surrounding areas. A few days after the event, we met with Lisa, one of Deidre’s assistants, who’d hosted the event at her home here in the park and who’d rescued several bushbabies with the plan to return them to the wild, which has since been accomplished. That post may be found here.

We drove through a beautiful orange grove to arrive at the Wild & Free Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release facility in Hectorspruit, located about 30 minutes from Marloth Park.

When we think of rescue centers, we often recall visiting various rescue facilities we’ve seen throughout our world travels. Although many of these facilities rescued animals from rehabilitating and releasing them into the wild, many did so only to present them as “zoo” animals. The owners and managers would generate revenue from tourists. 

Although not accurate in many cases, this discovery has been disheartening over these past years of world travel.  We couldn’t avoid feeling that the animals were exploited by leading the public to believe the facility owners’ ultimate intentions were to aid in wildlife conservation when in fact, it was not.

Deidre Joubert Huyse, who developed and ran the rescue facility, met us at a local petrol station, and we followed her to the center. We’d had a hard time finding it without her assistance. For Wild & Free’s Facebook page, please click here.

Thus, when we attended “movie night in the bush” some months ago, we took it with a grain of salt. Was this another case of a few people who love animals, caring for them for their gain and altruistic reasons? How wrong we were! In this case, we loved being wrong!

As the months passed and we’ve become more knowledgeable about the health and well-being of wildlife in Marloth and Kruger National Park and, as we listened to endless conversations revolving around varying opinions on how wildlife health should be handled, Deidre’s name came up over and over again, always with the utmost of regard for her work, skill, and dedication.

We were impressed by the organization, cleanliness, and commitment evidenced in the facility.

Most recently, as mentioned in an earlier post that may be found here, we were inspired by Marloth Park Honorary Rangers Ushie and Evan to write a story on alien invasive plants that impact not only the park but also areas throughout the world.  That post may be found here.

After an orientation of the impact of alien invasive plants, Uschie and Evan gave us an entirely new perspective of plant life and wildlife, particularly here in Marloth Park. For us, it changed everything.

Wild & Free is supported through donations for the facility, medical care, and the feeding of the various wildlife rescued by Deidre and her staff.

Sure, it’s enticing and easy to get caught up in the magic of the visiting wildlife in the park and the “fun” of self-driving through Kruger National Park, sharing photos and receiving “oohs, aahs, and likes” from our worldwide readers when we post photos that appeal to their tastes.

But there’s so much more than that. And, with our vast local and worldwide audience, we are entrenched in the perfect arena to “get a message out” about the protection and preservation of that which surrounds us here in Marloth Park and throughout the world.

The ground surrounding Wild & Free is located on the Crocodile River at the ultimately most exquisite river view we’ve seen anywhere in the world, a perfect environment for rescuing and recovering wildlife by Deidre’s dedication and commitment.

No, we’re not going to become banner-wielding enthusiasts to distract us from the primary intent of our site, living as homeless nomads as we travel the world for as long as we physically can. Our daily posts encompassing the joys we derive from the wildlife we encounter and the scenery we behold will never change.

When Uschi and Evan explained the symptoms and horrors of bovine tuberculosis and how it’s impacting kudus in Marloth Park, we were both heartsick with this information. What could anyone do? Was there something we could do? This story over the next few days will explain everything.

Deidre had to amputate the foot of this Egyptian goose who suffered a severe injury after being tangled in a fishing line. It’s only been three weeks since his surgery, but he’s adapting well and will eventually be able to return to the wild.  For now, he happily stays on the grounds of the facility. 

We left their home with this bit of knowledge, unsure of where to take it from there.  Ironically, the next day, while on our usual almost-daily two-hour drive through the park searching for the unusual, we spotted a kudu with the obvious signs of tuberculosis on her face for the first time. These large bulbous tumors can manifest all over their bodies. (Photos we took of this kudu will follow in tomorrow’s post, Part 2).

Had we not met with Uschie and Evan the previous day, we’d have dismissed these tumor-like structures on her face as some congenital disability or physical anomaly. Instead, we forwarded the photos to Evan, and he reported it to the rangers, who’d have no choice but to find and euthanize the diseased kudu. Bovine TB is highly contagious to other kudus and wildlife (not necessarily spread to humans).

These two genets were soon to be released into the wild.  These two were at the facility due to the urbanization of their natural habitat, and they were separated from their mothers.

From there, in our discussions with others, Deidre’s name kept coming up along with the government vet, Dr. Dawid, who is working with Deidre in an attempt to discover ways to possibly control the spread of this life-taking disease among kudus (and potentially other animals as well) via adequate testing which is in its infancy.

So, here we are, especially after meeting with Deidre yesterday at her amazing facility in Hectorspruit, finding ourselves committed and dedicated to sharing this newfound information with those who may be able to play a role in saving lives of many kudus.

The scenery surrounding the rescue center is so astounding it took our breath away.  It bespeaks a “healing” environment.

Thanks to Deidre and all her hard work and unbridled dedication in aiding in the real and dedicated rescue and release of many species that surround us in magnificent South Africa and in her research and intent to impact Bovine TB. 

A special thanks to  MP Honorary Rangers Ushie and Evan for contributing their time to educating us on these critical issues in Marloth Park. We still have a lot to learn and will continue to seek information from those who teach us so much.

These peacocks are known to kill snakes with the utmost expertise and precision.  Each day, they hang around the rescue center, pecking off seeds and various treats they find on the grounds. These are the females.

Tomorrow, we’ll share how each can play a vital role in reducing the spread of this horrible disease affecting the gorgeous wildlife in Marloth Park. Please check back for more.

Wild & Free Rehabilitation may be reached here for donations.

Photo from one year ago today, June 5, 2017:

Buildings on the grounds of the Butchart’s Gardens. For more photos, please click here.

Health updates…Doctor appointment in Komatipoort, South Africa…

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A giraffe against a blue sky in Kruger National Park.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A goose looking up at the sky while sitting on a tree stump in the Crocodile River.

Some mornings, when I sit down at the big table on the veranda to begin to prepare the day’s post, I’m at a loss for a few minutes. What can I say and show today that will retain the interest of our readers all over the world?

Many of our readers are from countries where life is very different from our lives and from what they know. That fact in itself is sufficient to hold their attention for a while but, over the long haul? We hope so!

The marshes along the shore of the Crocodile River.

We never want our readers to grow tired of our stories and photos, especially while we’re here during this extended period in Africa. At the very least, every 90 days, we’ll be off to other African countries to ensure we can return to South Africa, which we’re using as a base. 

In only 24 days, we’ll be leaving South Africa for Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe as we begin to round out our African experiences while complying with immigration laws.

Rapids on the Crocodile River.  No boats are allowed on this dangerous river, a habitat for crocs.

There’s no guaranty we’ll be allowed to leave and re-enter so many times in these remaining 10 months, but we’re hoping to accomplish this lofty plan we set out from the get-go.

In the interim, these 90-day stints in between our travels are filled with such purpose and pleasure that we’re beside ourselves with sheer joy. This morning as I write this at 8:15 am, we’ve already had two zebras, four bushbucks, four kudus, and dozens of Helmeted Guinea Fowl hanging out in the dirt yard in our clear view from the veranda.

Had this branch not been obstructing this elephant, she may have charged us when we suddenly came upon her while driving on the paved road in Kruger.

What a spectacular way to start the day! The first thing I see after heading outdoors after showering and dressing for the day is the wide grin on Tom’s face as he looks back at me from his steady stance at the edge of the veranda with the yellow pellet container in his hand, happy, fulfilled and excited to share what he’s seen so far. 

He gets outdoors well before me each morning. I tend to lounge in bed until 7:00 am or so, reading the world news on my phone. Once I’m up, I can get ready for the day in no time at all, highly motivated to see what’s going on.

Every night, we attempt to take photos of the bushbabies eating from the cup of yogurt we place on their little stand in a tree.

As you long-time readers so well know, we incorporate snippets of a more personal nature in our posts.  Some have asked, “Why post such personal matters?”

The answer to this is simple. There are literally millions of travel-related sites on the web, most extolling the virtues and downfalls of various tourist sites to visit throughout the world often while providing valuable information for travelers.

Tom took this photo that makes me laugh…Mutton Chops on the left and Scar-Face on the right, already on his knees in prime position for eating pellets. Of course, we complied. We love it when these two stop by, often twice a day.

We’re a little different. We include information about places we’ve seen and our experiences, good and bad.  However, we include the realities of who we are, good and bad, what we think and feel, and how we relate to each other and the world around us. 

At times, that information is highly personal; information people don’t necessarily share even when in a group of close friends.  And, here we are, sharing it with the world.

This bushbuck seems a little large to be nursing.  No doubt, mom will send her on her way to fend for herself.

For example, yesterday, we both had doctor appointments with Dr. Theo in Komatipoort, as mentioned in yesterday’s post here. We intended to review our immunization records, which we had with us, and begin updating some vaccinations sooner rather than later.

Also, I wanted to discuss my gastrointestinal issues with Dr. Theo further since the problems had recently returned after a short-term reprieve. I was so hopeful during the two-week period where the discomfort was minimal, thinking that perhaps, now that I was off the PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), which have many side effects, things would improve.

These two male zebras are now regulars, visiting every few days.

Alas, they did not. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been in terrible discomfort, dreading the prospect of having to go to Nelspruit for invasive medical tests. I’m one of those people who totally freak out having to have invasive tests. I suppose most people feel the same way but are braver than I am.

Dr. Theo examined me again and felt confident that I didn’t need invasive tests when he suggested I try another H2 blocker (i.e., Pepcid, Tagamet), which has considerably fewer side effects and may be beneficial for me what he considers to be gastritis. My blood tests results were perfect, much to our relief.

Zebra drinking from the pond after eating pellets.

He also suggested some dietary restrictions, including high in acid, such as coffee, tea, chocolate (don’t eat these anyway), and anything carbonated (there go my sparkling water and diet tonic). I’m busy checking online for highly acidic foods to ensure I avoid them, along with all the other foods and drinks I avoid anyway.

After reviewing our records, he insisted we follow through on several vaccines but only had one available in his office, the rabies vaccine, which he injected in both of us. He wanted us to wait three weeks and return for those that need to be updated, such as typhoid, hepatitis, and a few others he’s going to research for us. I love a doctor who does research rather than sticks to the “old ways’ he already knows!

This morning in the bright sunlight, two females and two babies, regular visitors stopped by for pellets.  In the background is Wart Face, who can be very bossy around the pellets.  Even the aggressive and territorial guinea fowl are scared of him.

Dr. Theo is expecting improvement for my condition within four to five days. Once again, I’m hopeful. I took the first pill last night at bedtime and actually had a great night’s sleep. Whether I can attribute this to the medication or not is questionable at this point.

Today, we’re heading out to lunch with our new neighbors Rina and Cees from The Netherlands to the same restaurant Louise and Danie had taken us to at the Border Country Inn on Easter Sunday. No doubt, we’ll have a pleasant afternoon with our next-door neighbors.

May you have a pleasing day with those near you!

Photo from one year ago today, April 17, 2017:

With the sun shining in Fairlight, Australia, we opened the sliding glass door only to have a visitor come to see what I was cooking. Carnivorous scavengers Magpies are always on the hunt for a tidbit of meat. Three Magpies visit every day to see what morsels we have for the day. Please click here for more.

Health update…Figuring out solutions…

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A kudu was nursing her baby in our yard.

“Sighting of the Day in the Bush”

A White Helmetstrike perching near an unknown species of a blackbird.

Since we settled in South Africa, we’ve had many of our readers inquiring as to how I’ve been feeling after the awful knee injury in Buenos Aires and my continuing gastrointestinal issues. We both appreciate the inquiries and concern, constantly feeling our readers are so kind and in touch with what’s going on with us.

First off, I don’t particularly appreciate sounding like a medical mess. Who does? We all prefer to present a degree of health and wellness when we’ve made a concerted effort to be healthy, taking a certain amount of pride in good results.

One of many in the area, this termite mound s over 2 meters (6 feet) tall.  A variety of animals eat the termites from the mound.

In a perfect world, we can waft into “old age” with a modicum of good health. However, due to heredity, history and past injuries, many of us are plagued with certain conditions that, regardless of how hard we may try, continue to be a presence in our lives. Most of these “conditions” so to speak, only worsen as we age.

Since we began our travels almost 5½ years ago, I’ve been subject to three health situations, that regardless of how hard I tried, had to be dealt with the best way I could:  one, the problem with my gastrointestinal health from eating octopus in Fiji on Christmas Day, 2015; two, the injury to my spine in the pool in Bali which took five months to fully heal (no recurring problems); and three, the injury and subsequent infection in my knee from a fall in Buenos Aires in January, 2018, (since fully healed).

Ms. Warthog rolling around in the hay pile.

The only remaining issue has been gastrointestinal which initially became a case of H. Pylori (Helicobacter Pylori), gastritis and eventually ulcers which have plagued me consistently for over two years.   

The H. Pylori resolved after having had a blood test in Tasmania and being prescribed the usual “triple therapy” of significant doses of two types of antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor (PPI).  In many cases, even after this extensive treatment, one can end up with ulcers, which may require the continuation of a PPI indefinitely.

A  single mongoose gets an egg.  We purchased a container of 60 eggs for this purpose.

As a result, when I stopped taking the PPIs (omeprazole) while we were in Costa Rica I still was experiencing ulcer pain and knew I had to continue them for an extended period which is now over six months ago. 

After reading about serious side effects of taking PPIs long term, I’ve been determined to stop taking them when I wasn’t explicitly feeling any ulcer pain although I still had bouts of bloating, discomfort and other symptoms you can well imagine which can be a result of side effects of the pills. 

These tall cone-shaped structures act as scarecrows to keep birds away from banana trees.

Recently, I decided to stop the PPIs and see what happens. Now, that we’re settled here in South Africa and not traveling until May, this was a good time as any. 

As it turns out, stopping long-term (or short-term) treatment with PPIs causes a “rebound effect.”  The gastrointestinal tract has been signaled by the drugs to stop producing stomach acid. Without adequate stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, HCl) food is difficult to digest, causing bloating, pain and diarrhea,  constipation or both. It’s a catch 22.

With the grounds of our rental consisting mainly of low-lying bush, we don’t expect giraffes to come into the yard unless they wander down the dirt driveway. Giraffes prefer to graze where they don’t have to be continually ducking trees and branches. Subsequently, we drive around Marloth Park to find them.

Two weeks ago yesterday, on March 4th I abruptly stopped the pills. A week passed, no pain, no issues. During the second week, the burning started which I must admit has been almost unbearable. The reason for this is, without the drug, the stomach begins pumping excessive amounts of HCL to compensate for the lack of the drug. With the way the pills are made, there’s no way to taper the dose.  

Eventually, the amazing body will generally correct itself and a normal and adequate amount of acid will be produced, sufficient enough to handle the assimilation and digestion of food. Via comments on many medical sites, this process can take from two to six months to fully resolve.  I’m two weeks in.

Francolins often visit us.  They are shy, run very fast, fly very little and make lots of noise during the day and early evening.

It hasn’t been easy but I have to stick with this. After seeing three doctors for these issues in Tasmania, all with varying opinions and treatment options, I felt getting off this drug is of utmost importance, especially since I no longer feel any specific ulcer pain. 

The burning sensation of the excess acid my body is pumping to compensate for no longer shutting down acid production from the medication, comes and goes throughout the day and night. In the past week, I haven’t slept more than five hours at night and often find myself pacing in an attempt to stop the discomfort.

We may not see them each time we take a drive but we’re always thrilled when we do.

Nothing I eat or drink makes any difference although I am trying a low acid, bland diet within the framework of my usual way of eating. Last night, I had mildly seasoned sauteed liver, onions, mushrooms and steamed vegetables for dinner while Tom enjoyed homemade low carb pizza.  We’ll have leftovers tonight.

Hopefully each day it will become a little easier. I’m hoping it won’t require the two or more months to work itself out. In the interim, we’re staying upbeat and busy with many social events and activities, all of which are a good distraction. 

We’ve only had one wildebeest visitor to date but have seen others in Marloth and Kruger.

No words can describe how much I’m looking forward to being free of this. But there’s no better place to be during this time…loving life in Marloth Park, among our animal and human friends, all of whom provide a plethora of “feel good” hormones that certainly aid in the recovery.

So, there it is dear readers, the answer to the thoughtful inquiries many of you have kindly sent our way, the answers in one fell swoop. Tom, as usual, is lovingly supportive and has the uncanny ability to keep me laughing, living in the moment and looking optimistically to the future.

Vervet monkey are prolific in Marloth Park and are considerably less destructive than baboons.

May each of you enjoy good health and a sense of well-being. As we all know, above all else, nothing is more important than making every effort to maintain good health.

Photo from one year ago today, March 19, 2017:

Cloudy night at the Sydney Opera House when we attended an opera we’d booked well in advance for excellent seats. For more photos, please click here.

Results from appointments with Dr. Candy in Atenas…

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The clinic has an ambulance, ready to go in an emergency.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Once back at the villa, the clouds started rolling in from the mountains.

Yesterday afternoon, with a bit of trepidation, we took a taxi for our appointment with Dr. Candy Midence Noguera, Medico Cirijano Cod, 7620, Consulta Medica – Ninos – Adultos (for children and adults). Phone: 2446-7440 or 2727-6868.

We’re posting the above information if any of our readers visit Atenas and its surrounding areas in the Alajuela Valley, Costa Rica, and need to see a physician. The delightful, bi-lingual Dr. Candy was the perfect choice for our needs. 

The reception desk at Dr. Candy’s office, Linea Vital de CR.

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the quality of service we received from Dr. Candy. She brought both of us (on time) into her office, conducting an exam, and walked through each question on the detailed forms with us. 

The cruise line, Ponant, requires the exam and accompanying documents to be completed anywhere between 40 and 90 days before the cruise date. This worked out perfectly for us when we’re leaving Costa Rica in 19 days. 

The waiting room at the doctor’s office.  A patient came out of an appointment with the doctor with an IV bag attached to her arm.  She sat on this sofa while the IV bag was hung on a small hook attached to the bulletin board.

As of today, we’ll sail on the Antarctica cruise in 82 days. (The upcoming 30-night cruise to South America sails in 21 days, for which we needed no such documentation).

Fortunately, we passed the exams without any issues. Neither of us has any conditions that might prevent a traveler from embarking on such a cruise that travels well outside the scope of air ambulance service while in one of the most remote areas in the world, Antarctica.

As usual, the afternoon sky was cloudy, and rain had begun to fall when we arrived by taxi from the villa. The round trip taxi fare with tip was US $7.03 (CRC 4,000).

Our total doctor bill for both of us was US $120 (CRC 68,297), not covered by our major medical insurance.  Had we been in many other countries, the bill could have been considerably higher. We paid with a credit card and were on our way after big hugs from Dr. Candy.

We now have all the completed documents in hand. Today, we’ll scan and email the medical forms and other forms we had to complete in this time frame, including passport and additional general information. It will be a relief to have this out of the way today, along with all the other “paperwork” we mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Now, during these remaining 20 days in Costa Rica, we only have to scan a pile of receipts, make one more dental appointment for me (something’s wrong with another crown), grocery shop on two more occasions, and of course, pack.

View across the street from the doctor’s office.

We’ve accessed the food on hand and what we’ll need to purchase as we’ve scheduled meals on our calendar for each of the remaining days. After I make tomorrow’s pizza (enough for three nights), we’ll only cook dinners for two more weeks. 

This morning it dawned on me that we won’t be cooking for another long stretch, this time from November 23, 2017 (sail away date) until we arrive in South Africa (on or about February 10, 2018), for a total of 80 days. 

This won’t be the most extended period we haven’t cook. When we left New Zealand on April 15, 2016, and eventually ended in Phuket, Thailand, on July 23, 2016, we didn’t cook a single meal for a total of 100 days.

Cows grazing in our gated neighborhood on the return drive from the doctor.

These long stretches seem to trigger my enthusiasm for cooking once we’re settled in a new location and have begun thinking about some of our favorite meals. Years ago, I loved to cook, but once we left the US, my interest seemed to wane due to the difficulty in finding ingredients we use for our cooking style.

Today, we’re hoping the sun will continue to shine long enough for pool-time, after which I’ll get to work on scanning all the documents and receipts. It will be good to have this task off my mind.
Have a peaceful day.

Photo from one year ago today, November 3, 2016:

View one of the 70 islands in the Cumberland group as we sailed by early in the morning. This is one of the main reasons we prefer a balcony cabin. For more photos, please click here.

Exceptional anniversary day…Preparing for tomorrow’s big day…More Managua photos…

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Coconut residue under a tree.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Last night’s view of Atenas from the veranda.

After a wonderful anniversary day with pool time cut short due to rain, we had a delicious dinner and evening lounging in the electricity-restored screening room. The power in the room had gone out before we left for Nicaragua, which was repaired by Julio while we were away.

Street view as we drove through Managua.  There are security guards at every intersection.  If you’re traveling to Managua, Nicaragua, we had a fabulous taxi driver. He has a college degree in “travel” and conducts tours. Jeffrey Ocampo at phone: 7782-3211, email: ocampojeffrey136@gmail.com.
We watched a downloaded episode of Shark Tank, Australia Survivor, on Australia’s TenPlay channel and on Netflix, two episodes of season five MadMen, which series we plan to finish before departing Costa Rica. 
Second-hand clothing shop with cola sign.
Before leaving Costa Rica three weeks from today, we’ll cancel Netflix until we’re settled in South Africa in a little over three months. We use various mediums for entertainment at night when we hunker down after dinner.
Shoes store on the highway during a half-price sale.
I often fall asleep during the last show, but Tom keeps waking me up so I won’t miss anything and also so I’ll sleep better without taking a “nap” at 9:30 pm. Since I awaken at 4:00 to 4:30 most mornings, by 9:00 pm or so, I’m nodding off.
Statues and artifacts at the entrance to a building.
Today, I’m committed to staying up later and sleeping later in the morning. It won’t work for me to be nodding off at the dinner table, dancing at the “silent disco,” or watching productions in the theatre. 
Veterinarian’s office.
Tomorrow is a big day for us. Yesterday, we printed all the necessary documents required for the January 23, 2018 cruise to Antarctica, which includes a litany of medical forms completed by a physician and sent by email to Ponant in the next two weeks.
Tom by the pool at the hotel.
Weeks ago, we booked appointments at 2:00 pm with Dr. Candy, a popular bilingual doctor located close to the center of Atenas. Many ex-pats have recommended her and our property managers, Aad and Marian, and owners, Bev and Sam.
Tom opted for pasta last night at the hotel, knowing he’d be back to healthy eating when we returned to Atenas.
I’m always apprehensive about doctor visits, but this is a must-do.  The forms are long and complicated to ensure we are fit for this expedition cruise, which has no means of evacuating sick passengers from the remote Antarctic.
My side order of sauteed vegetables at The Market Restaurant at the hotel.
Although there will be two doctors and a nurse or two on board, the small ship of only 200 passengers doesn’t have the more comprehensive medical facility found on huge cruise ships. 
As a result, Ponant doesn’t want high-risk patients on the expedition cruise. Also, getting on and off the Zodiac boats may be difficult and subject to injury by passengers with limited mobility.
I ordered grilled salmon on a bed of thinly sliced zucchini with gluten and starch-free sauce. 
We don’t expect any issues to prevent us from getting these documents completed as needed after an exam.  On Friday, we’ll post information as to the exam and the results. 

 Next, we’ll forward the completed forms by email to Ponant along with the “passenger information” forms with copies of our passports, credit card information (for incidentals on the cruise), etc.

 I’m rushing a bit today, so we can get outside in the sunshine before the afternoon clouds roll in and the rain begins to fall. Swimming and lounging in the pool is a favorite daily activity that we’ll miss tomorrow afternoon when we head to the doctor’s office.
Be well, dear readers!  We’ll be back tomorrow!

Photo from one year ago today, November 1, 2016:

One year ago, almost every evening during the 33-night cruise, we played pool at this self-leveling (for rough seas) pool table in The Colony Club.  For more photos, please click here.

Difficulties of travel for some seniors…Aging and endorphins…our bodies own miracle…Want to get high?…Could this be the answer?

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A deer at Zoo Ave.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

Here’s another sad loss of a bird, a Hoffman’s Woodpecker, that hit the glass wall in the veranda. Unfortunately, this one never came back to life.

Regardless of how one may strive to maintain a modicum of good health as we age, there’s only so much we can do. A healthy diet, regular movement and exercise, sufficient sleep, regular small doses of sunlight, and a positive state of mind may seem to be the panacea for long and healthy life. But it’s so much more than that.

We’re subject to heredity and the past ways in which we’ve lived our lives, which at times may not have been the most health-inducing for the long haul, having an impact on how quickly we age.

Did we spend too much time in the sun resulting in creepy hanging skin and the potential for skin cancer? Did we smoke or consume recreational drugs in our youth?  Did we drink alcohol in excess?  Were our lives filled with stress and worry impacting the quality of daily lives and the ability for good sleep? 

A deer lounging in the foliage.

Many of us abused our bodies with too much exercise, or as in many cases, not enough exercise, resulting in bad hips, knees, backs, and joints in general. So when we hear about many of our friends requiring hip and knee replacement surgeries, we wonder if there was something that may have prevented the necessity of these major surgeries. 

Is reliable information available to inspire the young to prevent the need for such surgeries in their later years? Unfortunately, many studies we’ve read seem to contradict one another. 

Thankfully, neither Tom nor I have any concerns over hip or knee surgeries in the imminent future.  However, the necessity of such could quickly stop us “dead in our tracks” for an extended period in continuing our world travels. 

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An Iguana at Zoo Ave. We’ve seen them running across roads at various locations, but they dash. It’s not easy to get a photo while driving.

When we look back at our lives, is there anything we did “right” to avoid these surgeries?  There’s nothing we can recall. Is it merely a matter of chance? I can’t imagine this is so.

Simply due to the fact we’ve chosen this life of world travel doesn’t make us exempt from age-related health issues. We, too, like many of you, have signs and symptoms commensurate with aging that no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to escape.

We can eat all the low carb, healthy organic, free-range, and grass-fed chemical-free foods we can stuff into our mouths and accomplish a daily goal of 10,000 active steps on the Fitbit, and still, we find ourselves struggling to get enough uninterrupted sleep each night and notice subtle changes in our health as the years pass.

Close up of an Iguana face.

No, we don’t spend time worrying about aging. No, we don’t frequently check the mirror looking for changes in the number of wrinkles, skin changes, and gray hair that comes with aging. 

However, it’s impossible not to notice a new ache, a new pain, or a symptom we may not have experienced in the past. Without a doctor and confused over the varying opinions of doctors and medical professionals worldwide based on fuzzy medical research and protocols, we often have no option but to try to figure out day-to-day issues on our own.

Of course, if we experienced a possibly life-threatening situation or severe injury, we’ll head to the nearest hospital. We’re not foolhardy.

Check out the complexities of this unusual creature.

Oh my gosh, while we’ve had US news here in Costa Rica, we’ve been appalled over the commercials for drugs that hardly seem worth trying, with all the risks of side effects, unless a person has a life-threatening condition and all other options have been exhausted. It’s hard to believe.

Traveling is suitable for aging. The joy, the mental stimulation, and the varied experiences surely must be beneficial for one’s health. We’ve noticed this repeatedly during the past five years of world travel (only nine days until the fifth anniversary of our trips).

The rush of endorphins continually wash over us time and again, whether it’s a result of spotting a little bird alighting on the railing, a cultural experience, or the sighting of a lion in the wild.   Endorphins are described as follows from this site:

“Endorphins: 
(contracted from “endogenous morphine”) are endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones in humans and other animals. They are produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland. The term “endorphins” implies a pharmacological activity (analogous to the activity of the corticosteroid category of biochemicals) instead of a specific chemical formulation. It consists of two parts: endo- and -orphin; these are short forms of the words endogenous and morphine, intended to mean “a morphine-like substance originating from within the body.”The class of endorphins includes three compounds – α-endorphin, β-endorphin, and γ-endorphin – which preferentially bind to μ-opioid receptors. The principal function of endorphins is to inhibit the transmission of pain signals; they may also produce a feeling of euphoria very similar to that produced by other opioids.”

Turtles seem to enjoy hanging out together. Hmmm…kind of like people.

Gee…want to get high? Experience life’s wonders and feel this exceptional sensation of euphoria and well-being produced by our bodies. This has got to be suitable for aging! 

Hardly a day passes where we don’t have an opportunity to experience this indescribable rush.  Perhaps, in essence, this is our choice of “drug” that spurs us on to continue our travels. Maybe this may be the “magic” required to extend our health and the quality of our lives, joy, and purpose.

May each day bring you an endorphin rush!

Photo from one year ago today, October 22, 2016:

On our last night in Bali, we shot this sunset photo from the cabana. For more final photos, please click here.

Forgetfulness and aging…A story from long ago changing our lives…

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Photo of the railroad guys at the train station.  Year unknown.

“Sightings from the Veranda in Costa Rica”

This is a Clay Colored Robin, the national bird of Costa Rica.

Two weeks from today, we leave for Nicaragua for two nights, returning to the villa on the 30th.  The next day, October 31st is our five-year anniversary of traveling the world.

When we first began traveling in 2012, we hadn’t imagined we’d last five years.  At that time, we “qualified” our long-term plans by saying we’d find somewhere along the way where we’d eventually settle down or we’d return to live in the US, location to be determined.

Settling down at some point is no longer a topic of interest or discussion.  We’ve accepted the reality when health fails for either of us (which eventually will), we’ll have to make a decision.  Do we worry that such a sudden decision will overwhelm us especially under the duress of a medical problem? 

Locomotives, back in the day in Atenas.

Not really.  Why worry about a situation over which we have little control other than to take good care of our health and well-being each and every day?  When it happens, it happens.  We’ll figure it out from there.

An important aspect of managing such a situation is predicated on the ability of one of us to be able to make decisions in the event of a medical issue for the other.

In our old lives, at one point, I was concerned about developing memory loss issues as I’ve aged.  Dementia was a common condition on my mother’s side of the family. 

Horn off a locomotive.

Once I hit the age of 50, I found myself becoming forgetful…walking into a room and not remembering why, starting a project and getting sidetracked on another project, forgetting where I’d left off.  These were subtle changes I was embarrassed to mention,  not even to Tom.

In 2011, when I dramatically changed my way of eating from a ‘low fat, low protein, high carb, healthy whole grains” diet to a “high fat, moderate protein, very low carb diet,” not only was I pain-free three months later but over the next several years, my memory improved to an astounding rate, comparable to when I was in my early 20’s.

No longer did I find myself losing things, wondering where I’d left something, or forgetting what I’d done the prior evening.  Was it due to the diet as explained in Dr. David Perlmutter’s book “Grain Brain” or was it due to the fact that in early 2012 I began the 12-hour-a-day process of planning our world travels keeping my brain whirring in a plethora of new knowledge?

Model trains on a shelf.

Dr. Perlmutter included the story of my success with this way of eating on his website as shown in this link here.  We also shared the story in one of our previous posts as indicated here in this link. 

The smidgeon of notoriety I gleaned from this article only mattered to me in that it might inspire one more individual to embark on this way of eating to improve their health as well.  When readers wrote asking questions, it was so rewarding.

No, this way of eating doesn’t make me exempt from injuries (obviously) such as in Bali when I hurt my spine (fully recovered now) or in developing Helicobacter Pylori from tainted food in Fiji from which I’m still recovering. (It may take a few more months).

Toy truck and more trains on a shelf.

However, being pain-free and regaining my memory has truly been an awe-inspiring result which ultimately allowed us to travel the world and recall the most finite details of our lives of travel.

Plus, it’s allowed me to post our daily stories which require a tremendous amount of recall.  Tom, on the other hand, inherited great “memory genes” and does equally well.  Tom’s mother, at 98 years old could recall names, birthdates, and events of her huge family and her life over the prior 11 decades.  Tom’s eldest brother Jerome, at almost 89, has an equally finely tuned memory. 

Ironically, Tom with the greatest of ease, remembers dates of past and upcoming events, places we’ve visited and our numerous cruises while I recall names of places, people, expenses, and miscellaneous oddball items. 

Coin collection at the museum.

Long ago, when we began our travels, we each gravitated toward that which we’d prefer to recall most readily.  Thus, we can always depend on one another to fill in the blanks.  As we all can recall from our schooldays, we tend to recall topics of the most interest to us.

Each day as it comes and goes, with a bit of serendipity thrown in, we’re left with memories we’ll always cherish as part of this wondrous life we’re blessed to live.

May your day be filled with wondrous memories.

_________________________________________


Photo from one year ago today, October 13, 2016:

Workers in the rice fields in Bali.  For more photos, please click here.

Here’s our newspaper story with a video…

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The Lymans
‘This is the main photo in the Chanhassen Villager newspaper about our world travels.

Today, we’re posting the actual story, photos, and video Southwest News and Chanhassen Villager newspapers used to share our story. There’s a limit on how many times it can be viewed from their site, so we posted it here verbatim to ensure it will work in our archives indefinitely.

Here’s the link and also the actual story which we’ve copied from the online newspaper: 

“On Oct. 31, Tom and Jess Lyman mark five years traveling the world, enjoying extended stays in rental homes, and assimilating themselves into other communities and cultures.
It’s an unlikely retirement for these two former Chanhassen residents, who were previously homebodies. Jess had a long career in real estate and retired in 2010. Tom, five years younger, worked 12-hour days for the railroad. Weekends were spent visiting Home Depot for projects around their house, entertaining, and hosting dinner parties. So their decision to sell everything they owned and hit the road to travel was, to some people, madness.
Earlier this summer, the Lymans returned to Minnesota for the first time in five years. They spent six weeks at the Country Inn and Suites in Plymouth, their home base, as they spent time with family, former neighbors, and friends. They even hosted a meet-and-greet for local followers of their website and blog (started in March 2012), www.worldwidewaftage.com.
In January 2012, the couple discussed Tom’s upcoming retirement at the end of October. They considered doing the “snowbird” thing. But it didn’t excite them.
“Snowbirds have two homes,” Tom said. “If you’re in Arizona, you’re still heating a house and paying property taxes in Minnesota, and when you’re back to Minnesota in the spring, you’re worried about the extreme heat in Arizona. You’re always worried about the home you’re not living in. That’s not my idea of retirement.”
So when Jess posed the question, “What should we do?” Tom quipped, “Travel the world.”
Little did he know that his flippant comment set off something in Jess.
For a week, Jess worked on her computer, creating Excel workbook after workbook, and then announced, “We can do it.” “Do what?” Tom asked, not remembering what he’d said in jest.
“Travel the world,” Jess said. “But the way to do it is to have nothing. No storage, no car.”
 They got rid of everything except what they could take on the road.
“I had three closets of off-season clothing, including a closet for the current season,” Jess said. “Now, I have one suitcase for clothes, five pairs of shoes and no handbag. I stopped using a handbag when we were in Kenya and were told that bandits would cut off your arm for your purse.”
MIRACLE
How does a couple, Tom, now 64, and Jess, 69, go from couch potatoes who loved their favorite chairs, comfy bed, and cable TV to two nomadic retirees?
The catalyst was Jess’s health. Before 2012, Jess endured chronic pain due to a spinal condition. Her life changed once she adopted a diet consisting of only meat, vegetables, and a little dairy: no sugar, no starches, no fruit. And, after three months, no pain.
“I thought it might have been a placebo effect,” Jess said. By November, I was still pain-free; in January, we decided to travel the world. I get goosebumps when I think about it.”
BLOG A DAY
Jess started their blog to document their process of preparing for their adventure.
“March 12, 2012, is my favorite-ever post,” Jess said. In it, she lays out the beginning of their story. Nearly five years later, the website is comprehensive and filled with information about living the life of nomads; how they sold their home, all their possessions, the necessary medical and dental checkups, immunizations, medications and antibiotics, their health insurance, the types of passports and visas required to travel to the exotic, off-the-grid areas of the world they wanted to see, and more.
It’s not an exaggeration to call their website an encyclopedia of travel know-how, tips, and workarounds for the many travel inconveniences and snafus that are bound to occur.
And Jess has found that, despite her restricted diet, she can eat well no matter where in the world they have been. They food shop and cook at their rental homes as much as possible to accommodate her diet, save money, and get to know the local area.
CRUISING
No fans of flying. They travel from continent to continent, destination to destination by cruise ship whenever possible. It makes their travel time leisurely and carefree. And Tom gets to indulge his sweet tooth and his craving for french fries.
They blog every day and post photographs, sharing their adventures, delights, and mishaps with their readers, numbering nearly a half-million from around the world. Over the years, people they’ve met have suggested the couple write a book.
“It’s already written,” Jess said with a laugh. “It’s all there on the website. Besides, writing a book would be too much like work. Everything we do is done in a way that lets us be stress and worry-free, and happy.”
24/7
The most frequently asked question the couple is asked is, “How can you spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week together?”
“We have no trouble being together,” Tom said. “Jess’s friend says we’re lucky we found each other years ago and that we can do this together.”
“A big part for us is to travel and be stress-free and happy,” Jess said. “We’ve found that with less stuff, the happier we became … In our naiveté, we started with 15 pieces of luggage. Now we’re down to three pieces, limited to 50 pounds or 23 kilos. We each have a case for clothes, a wheelie duffel bag for miscellaneous stuff, a carry-on with medical supplies, and a backpack for all our electronics.
“All the things we dumped were stuff that we thought we had to have and to prevent discomfort, but once we got to Africa, talk about discomfort,” Jess said. “If you have 100 bugs crawling on your arm, don’t whine or complain. Just brush them off. Whining won’t get rid of them.”
NO END IN SIGHT
From the first, they agreed they’d stop traveling if either one of them said, “Stop.”
“When we first started, we said we might do it for 5-10 years,” Tom said. “But now, we see no end in sight. Our health is a factor. But we have no intention of ever renting or owning a house again.”
“I told Tom, when my time comes, just take me to the Drakensberg in South Africa and kick me off the mountain,” Jess said with a laugh. “Leave me to the lions.”
Their nearly five years of travel have changed them in many ways. They avoid big cities, preferring small towns and out-of-the-way locations. Tom’s philosophy is “the further from tall buildings, the nicer the people.”
BUDGET
While their lifestyle might seem extravagant, they are tightly budgeted.
“We realized that we paid a lot (in our former life) to have stuff,” Jess said. “Now, we have no cable bill, no utilities. If an average homeowner added up what it costs to live, with fuel, snow shoveling, mortgages, car payments, and insurance … we live in the world for that amount. If we did the snowbird thing, we’d pay twice that much.”
“Here’s the thing,” Jess said. “People are curious about it, but very few want to do what we do. In all our travels, we’ve never met a couple that is as free of stuff as we are. Most have an apartment or condo, or they have storage or treasures. We have no storage.
“To do this, you have to have the mind of an accountant,” Jess said. “I enter everything we spend on a spreadsheet. If I buy a water bottle from the vending machine for $2.50, I have to write that down. We have a budget that we stay in.  And, based on what we’re doing, we can continue until we die.”
Surely, our regular readers have heard this story repeatedly during the past five years since our first post on March 15, 2012. Please bear with the repetition as we are excited to share this with many others throughout the Southwest Suburbs of Minneapolis and now, here on our site, throughout the world.
If you know anyone who may enjoy the continuing saga of our day-to-day lives on the move without a home, storage, and only one suitcase each of clothing, please pass on our link:  www.worldwidewaftage.com or send today’s link for this story specifically.
Here’s the link to the video that our reporter, Unsie, shot during our three-hour interview two weeks ago today:
http://www.swnewsmedia.com/jess-tom-lyman/youtube_15977986-26ee-54db-84f7-63734ec5f127.html
We never intended to be the topic of any such publication and do not, in any manner, pursue publicity for our story. But, we’ve surprisingly discovered that many people glean some pleasure reading about the details of the ups and downs of living such a life throughout the world. 
For some, they recall their former lives of travel. Many that travel now finds morsels of information that may enhance their experiences in the future. And, for the many others, they revel in the prospect of travels yet to come. 
Of course, we also appreciate those who read merely out of curiosity being able to peer inside the intimate details of a senior couple who’ve stepped outside the box of traditional senior living to chose a life of uncertainty and adventure. 
Regardless of the motivations of our readers, we appreciate every one of you and hope you’ll continue to enjoy our experiences as we continue.  Our heartfelt thanks to all of you and SW News Media for sharing our story.
Enjoy your weekend!
Photo from one year ago today, July 14, 2016:
Selling crickets for consumption is a big business in Cambodia.  These lighted (at night) plastic bags attract the crickets overnight, which are later collected and often sold to other countries worldwide. Due to wi-fi issues in Cambodia, there was no post on this date one year ago. Here is the link from the date of this photo.

Easter Monday here in Australia, a national holiday…Sunday’s menu at “our” home…Recipe…Five days and counting…

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Our Sunday roast: organic grass-fed pork roast, Kransky (cheese-filled) gluten-free sausages, Portabella mushrooms, onions, and organic carrots. I cut the roast open during the last 30 minutes to ensure it was cooked properly.

It was a pleasant Easter Sunday. I spent a few hours preparing the meal after I’d completed the day’s post leaving plenty of time for us to vacuum and wash the floor, tidy up the apartment and eventually watch a movie until Bob arrived.

As it turned out, Bob’s friend Eddie wasn’t able to come for dinner, but he’s kindly offered to drive us to the cruise terminal on Saturday. We can hardly believe this will transpire in a mere five days.

There is a mushroom flan on the small plates; coleslaw, the roasted vegetables, sausages, sliced pork roast with biscuits on the side.

With excellent leftovers for today’s main meal, I’m considering organizing my clothes and perhaps begin a bit of packing. Today continues with the long weekend national holiday of Easter Monday, where many shops and businesses are closed, reopening tomorrow.

Last week, I stumbled across this delicious recipe for asparagus, prosciutto, and cream cheese in one of those demonstration-type videos on Facebook.

Tomorrow, we’ll head out for a few items for the cruise, returning later in the day to make our last three-day meal which will take us right to the end since we’re heading to dinner with Christine and Colin on Thursday evening.

After baking these roll-ups in a moderate oven for 25 minutes, they were perfectly cooked. The leftovers are great served cold.

With plenty of photos left to share over the next few days, we’ll soon begin working on the final expenses after tomorrow’s short shopping trip. On Saturday (perhaps your Friday), we’ll post the “favorite photos” from our 40-night stay in Fairlight and, of course, the “final expenses.”

Easy to make, these Low Carb Coconut Flour Drop Biscuits (see recipe at the end of the post) are a decent bread-like-feel addition to any meal. For example, I may use one of these to make a sandwich using Easter dinner leftovers.

Over these years, we developed several “routines” relative to our site, which we hope our readers continue to enjoy, such as the “year ago photos,”; the “favorite photos,”; and the “final expenses” which we post on the final day of any location where we’ve stayed along the way.

If you have any suggestions for added features, please don’t hesitate to write. We love hearing suggestions from our readers, whether they’re relative to travel, our site,  health, technology, or any other topic you’d like to share. 

Sunset last night.

After yesterday’s meal, I felt as if I’d turned a corner with my digestive issues when, after eating, I didn’t feel any major amount of intestinal distress. Of course, I still can’t drink iced tea, coffee, or hot tea, but I could eat a normal-sized meal for the first time in months.

I’ve begun to think that I developed ulcers from the awful case of H. Pylori, a common outcome of the bacterial infection, especially if it lasted for an extended period.
On Saturday, Bob arranged for the pawpaw trees to be removed to enhance the bay view.  Doing so made a world of difference.

I find I can be symptom-free for short periods if I follow a strict regime of avoiding certain foods or eating large amounts in any one sitting and in taking a round of supplements including mastic gum, DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice, taken 20 minutes before eating), powerful refrigerated probiotics, zinc, magnesium, and digestive enzymes. 

(Please see your physician if you have gastrointestinal issues. The regime I am using may not be appropriate for you. I am not a medical professional and do not intend to dispense suggestions for health).

Bob’s landscaper wasted no time in removing the tree.


Some of the above items arrived in the package from the US almost two weeks ago but won’t last until we get to the US. I began taking them immediately and have seen such an improvement. I need to find more but have been unable to do so at any of the local health stores we’ve visited so far. It was too late to place an online order. 

Hopefully, when we arrive in Honolulu by cruise ship on May 9th, we can take a bus to the Ala Moana shopping center, where there’s a Vitamin Shoppe. I’m planning to call the Honolulu location tomorrow to ensure they have what I need.

Deceiving scene. The house across the road is being remodeled with its roof tiles removed.

Ah, the challenges of travel. In “normal” life, we’d have a doctor, preferably specializing in integrative medicine, who’d be helpful in this process. But, we’ve discovered along the way that no doctors get too involved with one-time patients such as us. So we’re on our own.

We hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter weekend.  Back at you soon!

Here’s the recipe for the low carb, grain, and sugar-free biscuits:

Low Carb Coconut Flour Drop Biscuits
(Please keep in mind these won’t be quite as moist as a regular biscuit. A good-sized dollop of grass-fed butter will solve the issue).

8 eggs

½ cup butter or coconut oil

2 T sweetener of your choice
½ tsp salt
2/3 sifted coconut flour
½ tsp. baking powder
 

Preheat oven to 375.  Blend all ingredients, mixing well.

Line a baking pan with parchment and drop by spoonful
Bake for 15 minutes until lightly brown.

Photo from one year ago today, April 17, 2016:

The photo was taken at night one year ago today as our ship left the port—Luna Park in Sydney, close to the Harbor Bridge. For more photos, please click here.

Best birthday gift ever!…I got a diagnosis and hopefully good solution!…Happy day…

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Tasmanians seem to place various means of transportation atop buildings, as shown in several of our past photos.

Yesterday morning, while working on the post, I stopped for a moment to check my email. Since it was my birthday, it was fun to see how many email messages I received from family and friends, along with a variety of adorable online cards.

When I noticed a message from the doctor’s office I visited in Geeveston as recommended by Anne, I was shocked to see another blood test result had come in indicating it was positive. I was instructed to return to the office of Dr. Angela Retchford for a new prescription.

Yesterday, while at the pharmacy in Geeveston, we noticed this antique wagon atop the bakery/restaurant.

Honesty, I was thrilled. Who’s ever thrilled to get a positive test result? I was. After almost three months of suffering from an awful gastrointestinal issue that didn’t improve regardless of what I ate or what remedies I tried, I was excited to have a diagnosis.

Maybe now, with the new medication, I could improve. So last Tuesday, the doctor prescribed a PPI (proton pump inhibitor), which I was to take for 60 days, stop, and head to a gastroenterologist in Sydney if not improved. 

It was raining with the sun shining.  In South Africa, Okee Dokee taught us the Afrikaans expression, “Jackals trou met wolf se vrou.” In Afrikaans, this phenomenon, i.e., when it rains, and the sun shines, is referred to as Jakkals trou met wolf se vrou, meaning ‘Jackal marries wolf’s wife.”

With our plans to leave Sydney for the US on April 22nd, the 60 days will end about one week before we were scheduled to sail away, leaving little time for more tests and doctor appointments.

When the prior blood tests came in only two days after blood was drawn, with only one anomaly I’ll deal with later in the US when I have the test repeated; I assumed we were done until the doctor explained at my second visit that one test was outstanding. Then, after nearly a week had passed and I hadn’t heard a word, I assumed all was well. 

The doctor and receptionist explained that “negative” results on a test wouldn’t require communication with us, saving them time and money when avoiding contacting patients when all was well with tests. But, of course, with no local phone number, I asked for all communication to be accomplished via email.

The Pie Shoppe in Geeveston.  We avoided it.

As soon as I uploaded the post, Tom and I jumped in the rental car and headed directly to the doctor’s office, Geeveston Medical Centre found at this link, to discover the blood test resulted in a “positive” diagnoses of Helicobactor Pylori, aka, H. Pylori is a gastrointestinal bacterial infection as follows from this site:

“What Is H. pylori

H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) are spiral-shaped bacteria. H. pylori bacteria are unique because they produce the enzyme urease that allows the bacteria to live in the harsh environment of the stomach. The urease enzyme it produces reacts with urea to form ammonia that neutralizes enough of the stomach’s acid to allow the organisms to survive in the tissues.”

This is one of the possible conditions I’d researched online. In speaking with Tom over and over again, trying to figure out when in fact, the symptoms may have begun, we realized it was in Bali when I’d complained of bloating, which prompted me to stop drinking coffee, iced tea, and hot tea. Why was I getting bloated from drinking liquids?

In thinking back to our total four months in Bali, I’m now certain the symptoms began there. Not in control over the most sanitary of conditions under which I prepare meals, and with ants crawling all over the kitchen counters and dishware, I could easily have picked up the condition while there. 

“The Bears Went Over the Mountain” is a Geeveston boutique hotel with a cafe and tapas bar.  Click here for details. 

I was often in the kitchen wiping up when the girls weren’t there preparing meals, tossing out dirty-looking sponges and rags, and often concerned when food was left out longer than safe. During that period in Bali, I contracted an awful bacterial infection from eating squid.

Also, during this period, I took Aleve daily for the back injury, only exacerbating a potential breeding ground for H. Pylori. Thus, it was the right combination of circumstances to make me vulnerable for the full-blown infection, which was later exacerbated by drinking the wine on the ship.

After we left Bali the first time, we headed to Vietnam and Cambodia for the Mekong River cruise after a two-month stay, including multiple hotel stays. Unfortunately, we never ate anything off the street but could easily have made the situation worse, eating in various restaurants/hotels along the way. As a result, the bloating continued to worsen.

View of a farm on the Huon River.

I’d always joked that I had such a tough stomach that I could digest my shoe if I ate it. No longer is that the case. Traveling the world makes us all the more vulnerable to a wide variety of conditions and infections. Also, over the past few years, I contracted other infections requiring a few rounds of antibiotics.

By the time we got on the ship for the 33-night cruise, the infection must have been full-blown when I suffered from worsening bloating and the associated discomfort day after day, never connecting it with anything I was doing other than perhaps drinking too much liquid. 

I’d never had this problem in the past. Was it an “old age” thing I didn’t want to face? I’d noticed a lot of people my age with a distended abdomen, both women and men. 

Even driving along the roads in Tasmania is scenic.

I’d never discussed this with a doctor or even a friend. But, wouldn’t my “grain-free” lifestyle prevent me from a “Wheat Belly” when most of my life I’ve had a relatively flat stomach?

Now I know. What a relief! H. Pylori, a bacteria most of us carry harmlessly in our intestinal tract, was “brought to life” due to these myriad circumstances. With a prescription pack to treat the condition, which included two antibiotics and a smaller dose, I was taking a PPI to be administered once every 12 hours. 

This morning I took the first dose recommended by the pharmacist (since I’d already taken the PPI early yesterday morning). One day before our leaving from Sydney, I will have completed the one-week dosing. Then, in four weeks, it’s suggested I have another test to ensure the infection is gone. We’ll do this in Sydney during the 40 nights we’ll spend in Manly.

River views through the trees on a sunny day.

Need I say, this was indeed a divine birthday gift. Not knowing what was making it nearly impossible to eat without awful discomfort for the next five or six hours, I’d begun losing weight when finally I succumbed and started eating tiny meals, leaving me hungry all the time. 

It was a good birthday. Finally, finally, I’ve returned to my “old” (now older) cheerful self. Now, I must be patient and give the medication time to eat tiny portions to avoid discomfort in the interim.

So there it is, folks, hopefully, the culmination of my continuing health problems beginning this past June, almost eight months ago. We hope this resolves the problem and I can become more active while embracing the many exciting adventures yet to come. 

Thank you for all the kind and thoughtful wishes for good health and my birthday. You, our dear readers, be well, too!


Photo from one year ago today, February 21, 2016:

The cook at the Orangery in New Plymouth, NZ, fired up Tom’s Steak Diane Flambé using Pernot and white wine while taking this shot during my birthday dinner one year ago. For more photos, please click here.