My journey to India – Susan

My physical journey began last night at Chicago’s O’Hare airport on Royal Jordanian to Amman, Jordan.  I am flying on American frequent flyer points and they recently stopped flying directly to Delhi, so I have taken two flights to get to India.  Alan and I are on different flights because at the current age of our kids, I am one of those parents who choose to fly separately until the kids are older.  Alan is flying non-stop on Air India and prefers his plan because he is able to fly non-stop, even if he riding in coach!  I am equally happy with my plan, as my points have allowed me to fly in business class.  Will be fun to compare our experiences when we meet up on the other side of the world!

Our journey really began in June of 2010 when Alan was diagnosed with melanoma.   You can read in earlier posts (in this blog) why Alan originally came to the clinic in Hyderabad, India and how the treatments work.  We are thrilled that Alan’s health is great and we are returning this time to support his wellness.

I am not only going to have the wonderful experience of having an adventure just for the two of us; I will also be doing the treatment at the clinic.

Through Alan’s experience, we have learned that the clinic is successfully treating people with thyroid disease.   Twenty-five years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Disease.  For some unknown reason, my body has produces antibodies that attack my thyroid.  Upon learning about this at age 30, the doctor said to me, “this is a good disease to have, there is no cure; you will just take a little pill for the rest of your life”.  And I have.  It really didn’t become an issue until about the last 6 or 7 years, when my female hormones started to rock and roll.  I have had quite a challenging time feeling well consistently, as the amount of thyroid hormone my body needs, swings wildly with my ever changing female hormones.

So when Alan and I started to talk about him returning to the clinic to ensure his continued good health, I was all in!  The kids had declared two years ago that this summer they wanted to go to camp for eight weeks, so the timing would be ideal for us to take the time away from home.  Although, some have pointed out that the temperatures in India might not be ideal, we figured we were game.

TRAVEL OBSERVATIONS

When the American Airlines rep suggested using their partner airlines for my itinerary, which would take me through the Middle East, I did have some moments of pause.  Would the carriers be safe?  And would this nice Jewish girl be okay connecting through Arab countries?

My good friend, Lori Kleiman did some fact finding with a business friend who consults with international airlines and found out the airline safety issue was not an issue.   And after chatting with Alan and some pals, I decided I would be fine and in fact, this would be an interesting experience for me.

Everyone on the flight to Jordan was lovely, passengers and staff alike.  And I immediately realized that most of the passengers were Middle Eastern, many living in America and traveling home to visit family for summer vacations.  The Palestine woman sitting next to me had lived in the US for over 35 years.  Her family lives in the West Bank and she must land in Jordan, as she is no longer permitted to land in Tel-Aviv   She also cannot travel through Israel including visiting the beautiful city of Jerusalem.  I was thinking what different lives we are living, until the conversation turned to her story of how her family is dealing with the challenge of her mother’s Alzheimer’s disease.   I was quickly transported to tears as we shared the difficulties of the watching our parents travel through this horrific disease.  Not so different after all!

I am writing this post on the second flight, headed for Delhi.  I have to admit; I was not completely comfortable for the 90 minutes in the airport in Jordan and was pleased my layover had been shortened from my first flight’s delay.  I didn’t understand any of the announcements and was painfully aware of being different.   Although I smiled to myself when I saw the large green sign of Starbucks in both English and Arabic!

I kept to myself and sat quietly until it was time to board the airplane.  This may not have been a totally different experience from how I might spend my time in an American airport, but I certainly noticed (as an extreme extrovert) that I enjoy the option to strike up conversations with those I engage along my travels.  Plus without wireless available, I noticed how much I have come to depend on my phone for entertainment.   I was pleased to return to the comfort of the next airplane with a chatty English speaking seat companion.   Even happier when my seat companion asked for some coaching tips, upon hearing what I did for a living!

I am excited to get to our hotel.  Alan is scheduled to arrive about 12 hours after me, so I will rest and begin the process of letting go of the fast paced life we have been leading and relax into our healing adventure.