Thursday, November 15
Vati fell asleep early and was mostly peaceful. Around 11pm he suddenly woke up completely disoriented asking where he was and why he was standing. I had already changed to my PJs so I pulled a chair next to him and sat by him, calming him down. He got progressively more disoriented, insisting he was standing, then claiming he was “on his head”. He wanted to pull the cables around his face and neck off and get off the bed and Mutti and I had a hard time calming him. At one point near midnight Mutti raced to the nurses station and found out he had not received his anti-anxiety medication, something he had been taking for several years to prevent panic attacks. She was massively mad and furiously spoke with the main nurse in charge. They rushed around chasing down a sublingual version of it, since Vati could not swallow a pill. We now had a pretty good explanation for Vati’s anxiety and confusion. Still, it took us on and off until about 2am to get him to sleep for more than a few minutes.
Around four am, when he once again woke up feeling upset and disoriented, Mutti discovered the wound drain had overfilled and spilled out, soiling and wetting the bed and his garments. I woke up to the sound of Mutti and several nurses changing his bedclothes with some difficulty! As you can imagine, she was massively angry at their carelessness!
Vati finally fell asleep around 6am, just in time for the resident medics and their morning rounds…!
Mutti and I made it out of bed by eight am when the main medics made their visits to Vati. One after the other they marched in and checked with him. Vati was in good spirits, not really aware of the rough night we all had had. Mutti complained about the lapse of the anti-anxiety medicine and the carelessness of the nurses that caused the commotion at four am. We were told they'd look into the bad service...
The day went by slowly with all of us taking turns napping and resting. Vati had two visitors - his best friend ever and my Godfather, Rodrigo Paz, and a tennis buddy. Rodrigo was curious to see if Vati had opened his nicely wrapped gift - Vati hadn’t because he had figured out what the present was - the slender cob of an ear of corn. I guess the implication was that Vati could use it to help speed up his recovery… Vati was most good-hearted about it…
Tonight, Mutti and I watched the dispensation of medicine rather carefully!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Day Two - Post Op
Wednesday, November 14
I awoke to find Mutti gone and the time close to 8am. Since I knew visiting hours were from 8-9am, I flew out of bed and raced to get dressed, wondering why Mutti had not woken me. I had slept almost nine hours on top of the long hours in the afternoon!
I found Mutti still in her PJs animatedly talking to someone on the phone. I made the universal signs for "time" and ran into my room to get dressed. She nodded and showed no signs of getting off the phone, so I stopped trying to rush and get ready and checked and answered emails instead. Mutti meanwhile continued her animated talk with my cousin Juan Carlos, who is a doctor and who had, apparently, been clearing a few things up for her.
Once I showered, I found a lovely tray of breakfast vittles in the upstairs sitting room. I ate on and off while I wrote some emails. Shortly after 10am we headed with a taxi and Jesus back to the hospital. I had assumed Mutti would bring her overnight stuff also, and as I was entering the taxi, I realized she was planning on returning later on to bring her things. Since I had already re-packed my bag, I decided to take it with my anyway.
Once we got to the ICU waiting room, we pleaded with the security guard to let my mother go in and see my father. He had been talking with Vati, who was already sitting up and waiting for a room so he’d be able to move upstairs. The guard agreed to let her in and eventually, I also got to see him. He was indeed sitting up and taking in the hustle and bustle of the ICU. He looked tired but overall well. Rosie cheeks, tired eyes, but alert and conversing.
He told me he felt well, had had a “good night”, and showed me the huge scar on his belly, from his lower pelvic area to his breast bone! He complained of having been mishandled when two nursing assistants had helped him go from the bed to the chair. He knew they meant well, yet they had managed to cause him torturous pain when moving his legs. This move kept him for ever trusting anyone to help move him throughout the rest of his hospital stay, trusting only Mutti and me to help him.
We waited and waited until we got word he would be move to room 129. Mutti and I ran to have a quick lunch at Marty’s, a lovely bakery in an adjacent building. We had a most delicious and relaxing lunch and when we headed back to room 129, Vati was already there. He look great for someone so freshly out of surgery!
After a bit, Mutti went home to get her overnight bags and I stayed and kept Vati company. He was tired and sleepy and it was at times hard to understand him, since he had a tube going down his throat and he was too tired to speak loudly and clearly.
Soon Mutti was back in the company of Jesus. She had heard from Klaus that he had a group of German tourists arriving at midnight and he’s be their guide through a city tour and later a trip to nearby Otavalo. We felt bad for his extra long hours that meant he would not be able to visit Vati soon.
We got ready for our first night together post-op. It was to be a long and grueling one for the three of us…
I awoke to find Mutti gone and the time close to 8am. Since I knew visiting hours were from 8-9am, I flew out of bed and raced to get dressed, wondering why Mutti had not woken me. I had slept almost nine hours on top of the long hours in the afternoon!
I found Mutti still in her PJs animatedly talking to someone on the phone. I made the universal signs for "time" and ran into my room to get dressed. She nodded and showed no signs of getting off the phone, so I stopped trying to rush and get ready and checked and answered emails instead. Mutti meanwhile continued her animated talk with my cousin Juan Carlos, who is a doctor and who had, apparently, been clearing a few things up for her.
Once I showered, I found a lovely tray of breakfast vittles in the upstairs sitting room. I ate on and off while I wrote some emails. Shortly after 10am we headed with a taxi and Jesus back to the hospital. I had assumed Mutti would bring her overnight stuff also, and as I was entering the taxi, I realized she was planning on returning later on to bring her things. Since I had already re-packed my bag, I decided to take it with my anyway.
Once we got to the ICU waiting room, we pleaded with the security guard to let my mother go in and see my father. He had been talking with Vati, who was already sitting up and waiting for a room so he’d be able to move upstairs. The guard agreed to let her in and eventually, I also got to see him. He was indeed sitting up and taking in the hustle and bustle of the ICU. He looked tired but overall well. Rosie cheeks, tired eyes, but alert and conversing.
He told me he felt well, had had a “good night”, and showed me the huge scar on his belly, from his lower pelvic area to his breast bone! He complained of having been mishandled when two nursing assistants had helped him go from the bed to the chair. He knew they meant well, yet they had managed to cause him torturous pain when moving his legs. This move kept him for ever trusting anyone to help move him throughout the rest of his hospital stay, trusting only Mutti and me to help him.
We waited and waited until we got word he would be move to room 129. Mutti and I ran to have a quick lunch at Marty’s, a lovely bakery in an adjacent building. We had a most delicious and relaxing lunch and when we headed back to room 129, Vati was already there. He look great for someone so freshly out of surgery!
After a bit, Mutti went home to get her overnight bags and I stayed and kept Vati company. He was tired and sleepy and it was at times hard to understand him, since he had a tube going down his throat and he was too tired to speak loudly and clearly.
Soon Mutti was back in the company of Jesus. She had heard from Klaus that he had a group of German tourists arriving at midnight and he’s be their guide through a city tour and later a trip to nearby Otavalo. We felt bad for his extra long hours that meant he would not be able to visit Vati soon.
We got ready for our first night together post-op. It was to be a long and grueling one for the three of us…
Surgery... and an unexpected trip home
Tuesday, November 13
We got up around 6am. Vati was in excellent spirits, jovial, feeling good, clear headed and in the best of moods. A nurse came in to shave his belly, then the attendant brought his transport bed. Vati easily hopped out of his bed and onto the transport one. He joked about the superstition of not taking a patient out of the room feet first, so I quickly turned the transport bed around while the attendant was out of the room, so he would be wheeled out head first.
We accompanied him all the way down to the double doors leading to the OR where we were told we could no longer go. We waived good-bye and kissed him and none of us felt even a small twinge of fear or trepidation. What a difference a month makes!! We all felt Vati was in the best possible conditions to undergo this surgery and we expected positive results that would translate into a better quality of life and a longer life.
We quickly packed up a few things and took a taxi home, since Mutti had secured an awesome parking space at the hospital and did not want to lose it. (?) Throughout the morning her cellular kept ringing with various callers asking about Vati. I quickly showered and Mutti ordered my favorite sandwiches from El Espanol for breakfast. When I emerged from the bathroom I found a delicious tray with eggs, my sandwich (which I had for dinner late that night) and a most refreshing and tasty juice from “tree tomatoes”. We were at home far longer than I expected, making it back to the hospital way after 10am. We sent Jesus to the room with our things while we investigated Vati's status. A very friendly security officer informed us Vati was still in the OR. When I challenged him how he’d know that since he did not even know Vati’s name, he showed me the list of patients who had gone onto ICU. Meanwhile, Mutti found a friendly lady medic who slipped her into the pre-OR room, where she clandestinely found out from a compassionate nurse that the main part of the operation had gone well, Vati’s vitals were great and the doctors were still working on “secondary things”.
While Mutti was on her mission, Cecilia Paz arrived. She was on her way to the dermatologist and wanted to know how things were. Mutti came out of the OR area crying, so we both got scared thinking it was bad news. She was crying out of relief… and she did give us a turn of heart!
Shortly thereafter, Ceci left and we sat in one of the waiting rooms, keeping an eagle eye out for the team of medics. I went to the room to get something for Mutti and ran smack into the surgeon on my way back. I immediately asked him if he had spoken with Mutti; he had been looking for her. I brought him to her and he briefly explained that the operation had been a success. He had performed it considering his age and health status to avoid future operations. The intestinal track had been reconnected and there would be no need for a colostomy bag; he did no see any need for any further treatment, such as chemo or radiation. There had been some adhesions among the organs and he had spent an extra hour or so cleaning them up. Vati was soon to wake up from the anesthesia and he would be watched for a while before being taken to the ICU, where he would be for about 24 hours or more, pending how his recovery would go. Dr. Teran had two relieved and grateful women in his arms. I repeatedly told him I could never express how grateful we were for his work and for the way he had handled my father. It was right about noon when we spoke.
Just as Mutti went somewhere to see if she could see him, Ceci and Juanito Moncayo showed up. Once I spotted them I started jumping up and down giving them the thumbs up signal, so they right away knew we had good news. We sat for over an hour in the waiting room prior to the ICU, talking and hoping to catch a glimpse of Vati as they wheeled him by. After an hour we found out they had taking him the back way and he was already there.
I went upstairs after they left to get something to drink, and, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with it all, promptly fell asleep. Apparently , I slept from about 2 until shy of 6pm. Ceci Paz had returned and she and Mutti sat in room 104 and talked while I napped. A little of their conversation managed to seep into my dreams… she spoke of her oldest son, my first crush. He apparently was doing worse than ever and had resorted to begging for money outside shopping malls, so he’d have cash for drugs. Somehow, someone was begging in my dreams… Jose Ricardo has always been a sad case and the last time I saw him, many years ago, he was actually talking like a dumb person. I guess one’s brain does indeed deteriorate with long term drug use. A pity, for he was a fun, funny and very handsome young boy…
When I awoke, the room was empty and it was shy of 6pm. I felt sleepy still, but was also anxious to see Vati - ICU visiting hours were from 6-7pm and I did not want to miss a visit. Mutti walked in and we headed downstairs to see him. She was allowed to enter. She was inside for over 45 minutes, and I was OK with the possibility of not seeing him if it meant she was helping him feel better. While I was standing outside I spotted my Godfather, Rodrigo and his secretary, Patricio. We sat in the waiting room and Rodrigo gave me a nicely wrapped small gift to give to Vati. Suddenly Mutti showed up and rushed me to go in and see him, telling me to tell him he’s OK and to try and calm him down.
I was walked in by the guard, who asked me to wash my hands with a special soap. He donned a gown over my clothes and led me to stall #3. Vati was laying in a rolling bed, looking tired, a bit pale and wane. He seemed calm enough as his gave me a weak and tired smile and tried to talk. I kept gently rubbing his hand and arms. He had wires and cables and stuff everywhere and was hooked onto at least three different monitors. While I was with him, his cardio guy showed up, briefly talked with him, asking him how he was doing, then gave his indications for overnight care. I guess it was changing of the guard time, because a new guard came by and asked to leave. I did so a few short minutes later, feeling sad to have to leave him alone and praying for him to have a good and restful night.
When I came out, Mutti was still talking with Rodrigo. I ran upstairs to get something from our room when the head nurse informed me of we had to “check out” of the room immediately, because the room was needed for another patient and it was hospital policy to empty a room when the patient was in ICU. So, completely unprepared for it, we rushed and packed up and headed home around 8pm.
We ended up both sleeping in their bedroom; Mutti convinced me to sleep on Vati’s bed. We had a peaceful night, hoping and praying for Vati to have a peaceful and restful night also, and grateful for his surgery having gone so utterly well.
We got up around 6am. Vati was in excellent spirits, jovial, feeling good, clear headed and in the best of moods. A nurse came in to shave his belly, then the attendant brought his transport bed. Vati easily hopped out of his bed and onto the transport one. He joked about the superstition of not taking a patient out of the room feet first, so I quickly turned the transport bed around while the attendant was out of the room, so he would be wheeled out head first.
We accompanied him all the way down to the double doors leading to the OR where we were told we could no longer go. We waived good-bye and kissed him and none of us felt even a small twinge of fear or trepidation. What a difference a month makes!! We all felt Vati was in the best possible conditions to undergo this surgery and we expected positive results that would translate into a better quality of life and a longer life.
We quickly packed up a few things and took a taxi home, since Mutti had secured an awesome parking space at the hospital and did not want to lose it. (?) Throughout the morning her cellular kept ringing with various callers asking about Vati. I quickly showered and Mutti ordered my favorite sandwiches from El Espanol for breakfast. When I emerged from the bathroom I found a delicious tray with eggs, my sandwich (which I had for dinner late that night) and a most refreshing and tasty juice from “tree tomatoes”. We were at home far longer than I expected, making it back to the hospital way after 10am. We sent Jesus to the room with our things while we investigated Vati's status. A very friendly security officer informed us Vati was still in the OR. When I challenged him how he’d know that since he did not even know Vati’s name, he showed me the list of patients who had gone onto ICU. Meanwhile, Mutti found a friendly lady medic who slipped her into the pre-OR room, where she clandestinely found out from a compassionate nurse that the main part of the operation had gone well, Vati’s vitals were great and the doctors were still working on “secondary things”.
While Mutti was on her mission, Cecilia Paz arrived. She was on her way to the dermatologist and wanted to know how things were. Mutti came out of the OR area crying, so we both got scared thinking it was bad news. She was crying out of relief… and she did give us a turn of heart!
Shortly thereafter, Ceci left and we sat in one of the waiting rooms, keeping an eagle eye out for the team of medics. I went to the room to get something for Mutti and ran smack into the surgeon on my way back. I immediately asked him if he had spoken with Mutti; he had been looking for her. I brought him to her and he briefly explained that the operation had been a success. He had performed it considering his age and health status to avoid future operations. The intestinal track had been reconnected and there would be no need for a colostomy bag; he did no see any need for any further treatment, such as chemo or radiation. There had been some adhesions among the organs and he had spent an extra hour or so cleaning them up. Vati was soon to wake up from the anesthesia and he would be watched for a while before being taken to the ICU, where he would be for about 24 hours or more, pending how his recovery would go. Dr. Teran had two relieved and grateful women in his arms. I repeatedly told him I could never express how grateful we were for his work and for the way he had handled my father. It was right about noon when we spoke.
Just as Mutti went somewhere to see if she could see him, Ceci and Juanito Moncayo showed up. Once I spotted them I started jumping up and down giving them the thumbs up signal, so they right away knew we had good news. We sat for over an hour in the waiting room prior to the ICU, talking and hoping to catch a glimpse of Vati as they wheeled him by. After an hour we found out they had taking him the back way and he was already there.
I went upstairs after they left to get something to drink, and, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed with it all, promptly fell asleep. Apparently , I slept from about 2 until shy of 6pm. Ceci Paz had returned and she and Mutti sat in room 104 and talked while I napped. A little of their conversation managed to seep into my dreams… she spoke of her oldest son, my first crush. He apparently was doing worse than ever and had resorted to begging for money outside shopping malls, so he’d have cash for drugs. Somehow, someone was begging in my dreams… Jose Ricardo has always been a sad case and the last time I saw him, many years ago, he was actually talking like a dumb person. I guess one’s brain does indeed deteriorate with long term drug use. A pity, for he was a fun, funny and very handsome young boy…
When I awoke, the room was empty and it was shy of 6pm. I felt sleepy still, but was also anxious to see Vati - ICU visiting hours were from 6-7pm and I did not want to miss a visit. Mutti walked in and we headed downstairs to see him. She was allowed to enter. She was inside for over 45 minutes, and I was OK with the possibility of not seeing him if it meant she was helping him feel better. While I was standing outside I spotted my Godfather, Rodrigo and his secretary, Patricio. We sat in the waiting room and Rodrigo gave me a nicely wrapped small gift to give to Vati. Suddenly Mutti showed up and rushed me to go in and see him, telling me to tell him he’s OK and to try and calm him down.
I was walked in by the guard, who asked me to wash my hands with a special soap. He donned a gown over my clothes and led me to stall #3. Vati was laying in a rolling bed, looking tired, a bit pale and wane. He seemed calm enough as his gave me a weak and tired smile and tried to talk. I kept gently rubbing his hand and arms. He had wires and cables and stuff everywhere and was hooked onto at least three different monitors. While I was with him, his cardio guy showed up, briefly talked with him, asking him how he was doing, then gave his indications for overnight care. I guess it was changing of the guard time, because a new guard came by and asked to leave. I did so a few short minutes later, feeling sad to have to leave him alone and praying for him to have a good and restful night.
When I came out, Mutti was still talking with Rodrigo. I ran upstairs to get something from our room when the head nurse informed me of we had to “check out” of the room immediately, because the room was needed for another patient and it was hospital policy to empty a room when the patient was in ICU. So, completely unprepared for it, we rushed and packed up and headed home around 8pm.
We ended up both sleeping in their bedroom; Mutti convinced me to sleep on Vati’s bed. We had a peaceful night, hoping and praying for Vati to have a peaceful and restful night also, and grateful for his surgery having gone so utterly well.
The long road to Quito
Sunday, November 11
As I envisioned, I got no sleep at all. I did not care - it was just so good to know I’d make it to Quito before Vati’s operation!! Mischelle and Luke arrived shortly before we headed to the airport with a walkie-talkie system, their gift to our parents, designed to make communication between Vati’s upstairs bedroom and the downstairs kitchen area and Jesus (their housekeeper) easier.
I quickly kissed and hugged everyone adieu and Rick and I headed to SFO. Once at the airport, I was once again selected as an “SSSS” passenger, needing much closer security scrutiny. Since my flight had been booked with less than 24 hours in advance of its departure, I was considered a high security risk. No problem!! This time, I knew what to do, which is to sit back and let the security guards do their thing without talking to them and soon I was through security and ready to board the flight to Miami.
It was an uneventful flight, as was the stay in Miami. I got a chance to text message with Rick and Christina right upon the time we had boarded the flight to Lima, Peru and had to turn off our cell phones. That was fun!
The flight to Lima also was uneventful. I managed to sleep a little on both flights, still, never making up for the almost 40 hours of waking time I had behind me.
As I drifted to sleep, I kept having a grateful heart for being able to be with my parents over the next days, and a sad heart for missing so many events in my family’s lives: Christina’s performance on the 15th, Hans’ last four performances, both in the Amador Fall Play, Metamorphoses. Not getting a chance to help out as house manager nor helping Ann with concessions. Missing Mark’s football awards ceremony. Missing Ryan’s play with ACT. Missing Veterans Day and the entire week off from school for Thanksgiving, missing Thanksgiving - a first for us. Missing Mark’s end of season party and a chance to publicly thank his awesome coaching team. Missing a chance to interpret for various Spanish-speaking families during parent-teacher conference time. Not being there to hear how the auditions for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” go with Christina. Missing the Gatlin's Christmas party - a tradition the kids and I have maintained for a ton of years as our official start of the Christmas season. Missing tech rehearsals and the first shows of Mark’s performances in James and the Giant Peach and Phantom Tollbooth on Sunday, December 2nd. Not getting a chance to help create the marketing materials for our next season with Dublin Parks and Recs… and these are just “off the top of my head”… yet I also was grateful for the things I did make before the trip - Mark’s last football game and the first two shows of Metamorphoses. And I got a chance to see Linda Tinoco, my little friend who had battled leukemia and was winning, get her dream trip to Disneyworld on Thursday. Plus I was able to get some publicity done for Metamorphoses - I was happy about the notice in the Pleasanton Weekly with a picture from one of the rehearsals.
Overall, I was more grateful than anything, having come so close to not making it there in time to see Vati prior to his surgery…
Monday, November 12
We landed in Lima, Peru shortly before 6am; just a tad late. I took my time exiting the plane. Since the flight attendants had ran out of the customs and immigration paperwork for Peru, I had to make sure I was able to secure the forms before getting into the long line to enter the country. While I was in line, I was grateful for the Mark's iPod - there was a screaming young child who was allowed to simply howl and howl, exasperating the long line of arriving passengers. I gratefully listened to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was in the best of moods. Once in Lima, I got my luggage and headed to the TACA counter. I was seventh in line, however, there was only one counter open, so we barely made progress in the following hour, when two more representatives arrived. Once I got in front of one, a friendly new rep, she was not able to give me a boarding pass. She had no notice of the Lima-Quito portion of my trip, which looked canceled to her. I ended up having to haul all of my luggage upstairs to the American Airlines office, which was closed. Fortunately, I found another door to the interior office and I was again lucky to find a woman willing to help me even though the office did not open until 9am. After a bit, she was able to print my ticket and once again, I was in line at TACA, although this time I went right back to the agent who had tried to help me earlier. I was given a boarding pass and sent on my way to pay my airport tax and head to security and the gate. Upstairs I ordered a nice breakfast and even had a chance to taste Peruvian aji - not bad…
I paid the $30.25 airport tax and was given change in Soles - not particularly useful since I was leaving the country. I gave my change to the only friendly person I encountered outside of the AA and TACA counters - the immigration agent lady who processed my exit from Peru. When passing through security, once again my carry-on had to be opened. A dumb-as a door-nail woman riffled through EVERYTHING in my bag, down to opening every zippered item and looking through it all. She found a couple of Tampax and asked me what they were for. I just stood there, dumbfounded, looking at her. When I explained its use, she seemed astounded by it - and I begun to lose my patience. Ah, she also made me drink my Dr. Pepper or she would have tossed it. The security check at SFO did not even do that!
I walked to the empty gate area for the Quito flight and was almost immediately gone - overcome with sleep and fatigue from the last 48 hours. I laid my head over my luggage and stretched out over three seats. I slept through arriving and departing flight announcements until I woke up 30 minutes shy of our departure time. A bus took us to the tarmac to board the small plane and soon we were airborne, heading to Quito. I think I slept though most of the flight. When we landed, about 20 minutes later than expected, I was refreshed and looking forward to seeing my family. I was able to spot Klaus and Verito going through the newly formed immigration line. In no time I was with them.
They took me home to take a shower and repack my bag to take to the hospital. Klaus and Verito offered me their place to stay, as an alternative to the hospital, but I reminded them I had come to be with Vati and Mutti and help them out, and some of that help included aid at night.
The gas tank that heats the upstairs water was apparently empty, so I had to take a quickie shower in ice cold water - refreshing! Quickly we headed to the hospital where Vati had been admitted to room 104 the night before.
I was so excited to see my parents again! Vati looked amazingly great!! His cheeks were rosy and glowing, his eyes shiny and filled with fun. Mutti too looked great. They both seemed relaxed and content with the prospects ahead, even the cleaning of the bowels did not seem too daunting to Vati. It turns out that went much easier and without much drama this time… no details are necessary...
Klaus and Verito stayed for quite a while; I think I fell asleep for a little bit sometime that evening, while Klaus was at a work-related meeting and Verito and Mutti talked and Vati rested. Eventually we ordered pizzas with salad, etc. from Dominos, which we shared. Soon after the Fielsch left for Cumbaya, we all got ready for bed. We had a peaceful and uneventful night - so vastly different from the nights prior to the scheduled operation a mere five weeks ago, when Mutti and I were filled with dread and fear, thinking Vati might not make it through the operation. My last conscious thoughts prior to sleep were of gratitude for the remarkable turn-around Vati’s health had undergone…
As I envisioned, I got no sleep at all. I did not care - it was just so good to know I’d make it to Quito before Vati’s operation!! Mischelle and Luke arrived shortly before we headed to the airport with a walkie-talkie system, their gift to our parents, designed to make communication between Vati’s upstairs bedroom and the downstairs kitchen area and Jesus (their housekeeper) easier.
I quickly kissed and hugged everyone adieu and Rick and I headed to SFO. Once at the airport, I was once again selected as an “SSSS” passenger, needing much closer security scrutiny. Since my flight had been booked with less than 24 hours in advance of its departure, I was considered a high security risk. No problem!! This time, I knew what to do, which is to sit back and let the security guards do their thing without talking to them and soon I was through security and ready to board the flight to Miami.
It was an uneventful flight, as was the stay in Miami. I got a chance to text message with Rick and Christina right upon the time we had boarded the flight to Lima, Peru and had to turn off our cell phones. That was fun!
The flight to Lima also was uneventful. I managed to sleep a little on both flights, still, never making up for the almost 40 hours of waking time I had behind me.
As I drifted to sleep, I kept having a grateful heart for being able to be with my parents over the next days, and a sad heart for missing so many events in my family’s lives: Christina’s performance on the 15th, Hans’ last four performances, both in the Amador Fall Play, Metamorphoses. Not getting a chance to help out as house manager nor helping Ann with concessions. Missing Mark’s football awards ceremony. Missing Ryan’s play with ACT. Missing Veterans Day and the entire week off from school for Thanksgiving, missing Thanksgiving - a first for us. Missing Mark’s end of season party and a chance to publicly thank his awesome coaching team. Missing a chance to interpret for various Spanish-speaking families during parent-teacher conference time. Not being there to hear how the auditions for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” go with Christina. Missing the Gatlin's Christmas party - a tradition the kids and I have maintained for a ton of years as our official start of the Christmas season. Missing tech rehearsals and the first shows of Mark’s performances in James and the Giant Peach and Phantom Tollbooth on Sunday, December 2nd. Not getting a chance to help create the marketing materials for our next season with Dublin Parks and Recs… and these are just “off the top of my head”… yet I also was grateful for the things I did make before the trip - Mark’s last football game and the first two shows of Metamorphoses. And I got a chance to see Linda Tinoco, my little friend who had battled leukemia and was winning, get her dream trip to Disneyworld on Thursday. Plus I was able to get some publicity done for Metamorphoses - I was happy about the notice in the Pleasanton Weekly with a picture from one of the rehearsals.
Overall, I was more grateful than anything, having come so close to not making it there in time to see Vati prior to his surgery…
Monday, November 12
We landed in Lima, Peru shortly before 6am; just a tad late. I took my time exiting the plane. Since the flight attendants had ran out of the customs and immigration paperwork for Peru, I had to make sure I was able to secure the forms before getting into the long line to enter the country. While I was in line, I was grateful for the Mark's iPod - there was a screaming young child who was allowed to simply howl and howl, exasperating the long line of arriving passengers. I gratefully listened to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was in the best of moods. Once in Lima, I got my luggage and headed to the TACA counter. I was seventh in line, however, there was only one counter open, so we barely made progress in the following hour, when two more representatives arrived. Once I got in front of one, a friendly new rep, she was not able to give me a boarding pass. She had no notice of the Lima-Quito portion of my trip, which looked canceled to her. I ended up having to haul all of my luggage upstairs to the American Airlines office, which was closed. Fortunately, I found another door to the interior office and I was again lucky to find a woman willing to help me even though the office did not open until 9am. After a bit, she was able to print my ticket and once again, I was in line at TACA, although this time I went right back to the agent who had tried to help me earlier. I was given a boarding pass and sent on my way to pay my airport tax and head to security and the gate. Upstairs I ordered a nice breakfast and even had a chance to taste Peruvian aji - not bad…
I paid the $30.25 airport tax and was given change in Soles - not particularly useful since I was leaving the country. I gave my change to the only friendly person I encountered outside of the AA and TACA counters - the immigration agent lady who processed my exit from Peru. When passing through security, once again my carry-on had to be opened. A dumb-as a door-nail woman riffled through EVERYTHING in my bag, down to opening every zippered item and looking through it all. She found a couple of Tampax and asked me what they were for. I just stood there, dumbfounded, looking at her. When I explained its use, she seemed astounded by it - and I begun to lose my patience. Ah, she also made me drink my Dr. Pepper or she would have tossed it. The security check at SFO did not even do that!
I walked to the empty gate area for the Quito flight and was almost immediately gone - overcome with sleep and fatigue from the last 48 hours. I laid my head over my luggage and stretched out over three seats. I slept through arriving and departing flight announcements until I woke up 30 minutes shy of our departure time. A bus took us to the tarmac to board the small plane and soon we were airborne, heading to Quito. I think I slept though most of the flight. When we landed, about 20 minutes later than expected, I was refreshed and looking forward to seeing my family. I was able to spot Klaus and Verito going through the newly formed immigration line. In no time I was with them.
They took me home to take a shower and repack my bag to take to the hospital. Klaus and Verito offered me their place to stay, as an alternative to the hospital, but I reminded them I had come to be with Vati and Mutti and help them out, and some of that help included aid at night.
The gas tank that heats the upstairs water was apparently empty, so I had to take a quickie shower in ice cold water - refreshing! Quickly we headed to the hospital where Vati had been admitted to room 104 the night before.
I was so excited to see my parents again! Vati looked amazingly great!! His cheeks were rosy and glowing, his eyes shiny and filled with fun. Mutti too looked great. They both seemed relaxed and content with the prospects ahead, even the cleaning of the bowels did not seem too daunting to Vati. It turns out that went much easier and without much drama this time… no details are necessary...
Klaus and Verito stayed for quite a while; I think I fell asleep for a little bit sometime that evening, while Klaus was at a work-related meeting and Verito and Mutti talked and Vati rested. Eventually we ordered pizzas with salad, etc. from Dominos, which we shared. Soon after the Fielsch left for Cumbaya, we all got ready for bed. We had a peaceful and uneventful night - so vastly different from the nights prior to the scheduled operation a mere five weeks ago, when Mutti and I were filled with dread and fear, thinking Vati might not make it through the operation. My last conscious thoughts prior to sleep were of gratitude for the remarkable turn-around Vati’s health had undergone…
Even the best laid plans...
Saturday, November 10
I will not dwell on the craziness of my last full day in Pleasanton. Instead, I will briefly tell you of the highlights of this roller coaster day: I got to see and photograph Mark’s last football game as a 49er. I got to have a private lunch with my husband. And I got to experience the magnificence of the Amador Fall Production Metamorphoses once again. Also, I was amazed by the kind and generous heart of my oldest son, Hans, who so selflessly offered to pass up a chance to celebrate a party with his cast members and instead was willing to go home to help me pack for my trip… and my whole family rallied around me when I had a small emergency half-way through the day. I am a blessed human being indeed!
So, the trip nuttiness… it started with me calling my mother before the game and being told that the airport in Quito was closed due to an accident the evening before. Apparently an Iberia Airbus came down a bit too fast and skidded off the runway, where it still laid. I immediately called AA and was told not to worry - they had information that the airport was scheduled to reopen that evening at 6pm Eastern Time. Relaxing, I went on with my day.
That evening, right before I was to get ready to go to Metamorphoses, I called Quito again and was told the airport remained closed. My brother Klaus had solid information that my flight tomorrow was canceled! Unbelieving, I called AA back and they confirmed the flight cancellation. At the point, the best the agent could do was to place me in Quito late on the 14th. I started crying in frustration, telling her about Vati’s operation the morning of the 13th and how hard I had worked to make sure I would be able to see him off to the OR. While I was on hold with AA, I asked Rick to call my brother Hans, pilot for AA, and ask his help in finding a way to get me to Quito prior to the morning of the 13th. The agent came back with her next best choice - that one still put me in Quito after the operation. I told her to hold my place on the flight for the 14th while I researched other options. I would call her back.
At that point I talked to Hans asking him of the option to fly to our largest port city on the coast, Guayaquil, and continuing to Quito - perhaps via mule? I was desperate. Hans calmed me down and made me see the folly of trying to make it to Quito at all costs. He reminded me I was going there to help ease the burden and worries of my parents, not to add to them. Seeing the sense in what he said, I resigned myself to this change of events and called AA back to confirm the flight on the 14th. At that point I talked with another agent manning their international desk and I went through my sad story once again. She checked into a flight to Guayaquil to see if she could book me onto a continuing flight, and came back empty. With a heavy heart, I agreed to the 14th and, still in tears, rushed to enjoy my last chance to see Metamorphoses. My good friend Deb consoled me, as did Colleen and Kelsey, and soon I was more and more accepting the annoyance of having my plans so rudely changed, all due to something so totally out of my control.
Hans and Stina went to a cast party and Mark, Rick and I headed home. Rick coaxed me to relax on the couch, and put aside the packing I had begun earlier. As I was dozing off, my cellular rang - an 800 number. I had not answered an 800 call earlier, thinking it to be some sort of marketing annoyance. I had a feeling though… so I answered. It was AA. One of the two lady agents told me how she and her colleague had been moved by my plight to be at my father’s side prior to his operation and they had been going round and round, trying to find a way to put me in Quito in time. They thought they had one - would I be willing to leave the next day, travel to Miami, then to Lima, Peru with AA and in Lima continue to Quito with a local airline? I was jumping up and down telling her to go ahead and book the flight, hardly daring to believe my good fortune and unbelieving of how caring these two American Airlines agents had proven to be!
And so it was that instead of sleeping that night, I stayed up packing and doing laundry and other sundry things, grateful as can be for the second chance to make it to Quito in time to see for myself in what condition Vati was prior to his surgery. Of course, it was way too late to call Quito, call my friend Linda and cancel my attendance to Ryan’s play the next day and call my brother Hans and tell him I was heading to Quito on Sunday after all… my email got a lot of work that night…
I will not dwell on the craziness of my last full day in Pleasanton. Instead, I will briefly tell you of the highlights of this roller coaster day: I got to see and photograph Mark’s last football game as a 49er. I got to have a private lunch with my husband. And I got to experience the magnificence of the Amador Fall Production Metamorphoses once again. Also, I was amazed by the kind and generous heart of my oldest son, Hans, who so selflessly offered to pass up a chance to celebrate a party with his cast members and instead was willing to go home to help me pack for my trip… and my whole family rallied around me when I had a small emergency half-way through the day. I am a blessed human being indeed!
So, the trip nuttiness… it started with me calling my mother before the game and being told that the airport in Quito was closed due to an accident the evening before. Apparently an Iberia Airbus came down a bit too fast and skidded off the runway, where it still laid. I immediately called AA and was told not to worry - they had information that the airport was scheduled to reopen that evening at 6pm Eastern Time. Relaxing, I went on with my day.
That evening, right before I was to get ready to go to Metamorphoses, I called Quito again and was told the airport remained closed. My brother Klaus had solid information that my flight tomorrow was canceled! Unbelieving, I called AA back and they confirmed the flight cancellation. At the point, the best the agent could do was to place me in Quito late on the 14th. I started crying in frustration, telling her about Vati’s operation the morning of the 13th and how hard I had worked to make sure I would be able to see him off to the OR. While I was on hold with AA, I asked Rick to call my brother Hans, pilot for AA, and ask his help in finding a way to get me to Quito prior to the morning of the 13th. The agent came back with her next best choice - that one still put me in Quito after the operation. I told her to hold my place on the flight for the 14th while I researched other options. I would call her back.
At that point I talked to Hans asking him of the option to fly to our largest port city on the coast, Guayaquil, and continuing to Quito - perhaps via mule? I was desperate. Hans calmed me down and made me see the folly of trying to make it to Quito at all costs. He reminded me I was going there to help ease the burden and worries of my parents, not to add to them. Seeing the sense in what he said, I resigned myself to this change of events and called AA back to confirm the flight on the 14th. At that point I talked with another agent manning their international desk and I went through my sad story once again. She checked into a flight to Guayaquil to see if she could book me onto a continuing flight, and came back empty. With a heavy heart, I agreed to the 14th and, still in tears, rushed to enjoy my last chance to see Metamorphoses. My good friend Deb consoled me, as did Colleen and Kelsey, and soon I was more and more accepting the annoyance of having my plans so rudely changed, all due to something so totally out of my control.
Hans and Stina went to a cast party and Mark, Rick and I headed home. Rick coaxed me to relax on the couch, and put aside the packing I had begun earlier. As I was dozing off, my cellular rang - an 800 number. I had not answered an 800 call earlier, thinking it to be some sort of marketing annoyance. I had a feeling though… so I answered. It was AA. One of the two lady agents told me how she and her colleague had been moved by my plight to be at my father’s side prior to his operation and they had been going round and round, trying to find a way to put me in Quito in time. They thought they had one - would I be willing to leave the next day, travel to Miami, then to Lima, Peru with AA and in Lima continue to Quito with a local airline? I was jumping up and down telling her to go ahead and book the flight, hardly daring to believe my good fortune and unbelieving of how caring these two American Airlines agents had proven to be!
And so it was that instead of sleeping that night, I stayed up packing and doing laundry and other sundry things, grateful as can be for the second chance to make it to Quito in time to see for myself in what condition Vati was prior to his surgery. Of course, it was way too late to call Quito, call my friend Linda and cancel my attendance to Ryan’s play the next day and call my brother Hans and tell him I was heading to Quito on Sunday after all… my email got a lot of work that night…
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