Ayurvedicadventure

Not so fast says my body. Everything was going along swimmingly, I arrived on Friday, and as I said earlier I slept most of that day away! Then Saturday and Sunday I gradually increased my activity to the point that on Sunday I took the hike up to an old temple above the town, not once……but twice as a conditioning exercise. Here are some photos, first from town up to the temple….sorry you are barely able to see it with my 50mm lens, if you look at the roof of the temple, that is it in about the middle of the photograph and then at about 11:00 from that roof you can just make out a small white structure…let’s just say it is a bit of hike!

Here are a few photos, first the path that I took going up and then the view.

So I take the two hikes, go back to the hotel and they have a buffet of Indian food that is really good.  I ate what turned out to be too much of a good thing. I packed my duffel bag and day pack, put the rest of my things in my suitcases; and like Sarah the night before camp I had a hard time going to sleep. Well, I woke up at 3 am feeling really ill, and in no shape to be leaving on the trek. I think I was hit by a double whammy. One, I ate too much of a type of food that is not a consistent part of my diet, and two, I think the exertion of the two trips up to the temple put me over-the-top in terms of altitude sickness. I had been given some Diamox tablets to take as a preventative, but had not taken it regularly as I thought I was doing just fine……wrong!  Anyway I am now taking the Diamox twice a day.

The good news in all of this, one, I do get to join the trek already in motion. On Wednesday I will leave with a driver at 7:00am and we will drive to the village nearest to where the trekkers are, and then will hike in and meet up with them before they set up camp for the night. And two, the altitude sickness hit me while I was in the comfort of the hotel. If I had been out on the trail, that would have been a much more difficult situation!

Thank you all for your well wishes, I am signing off until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week when I can give a full report of the trek!   Alan

Northern Minnesota and India, that is!  Grandma Rose Mary and Jack

Sarah on her bunk at camp!

visited Sarah at camp over the weekend and here are some fun photos from the visit. Jacob was on a canoe trip this year so he missed the visit.

Alan leaves the “grid” so to speak tomorrow morning.  It has been great having him on the same time zone for the last few days.  We have been Skyping, although the internet is not that consistent where Alan is, so connecting has been iffy.

I have a big request for everyone who is following our adventure.  Please pray for Alan’s good health and safety on his trek.

I left Chicago on July 3rd and headed east to Zurich and then on to Delhi. The trip this year seemed easier. Certainly traveling in business class had something to do with it, but in general I think I am getting used to the long plane rides. The layover in Zurich was short and when I arrived in Delhi I had about a six hours before my trip to Leh, in northern India. I found a “nap suite” in the airport with probably the best shower I will experience until we arrive back at home!

I am so glad that the flight to Leh was in daylight. It is a short trip from Delhi, about an hour, and about halfway through the flight we started seeing the Himalayan mountain range. Oh my, is it beautiful! It seemed to stretch forever and there was a patchwork of clouds hanging around it.  It was interesting to see the variation in the height of the mountains that were relatively close together. Some well below the clouds and others reaching up and through them.

Things got interesting as we descended into Leh which is nestled in a mountain valley at about 12,000 feet. Yes, the valley is at 12,000! The airplane had to pick a path through the mountains in order to reach Leh. That meant that we took a number of fairly sharp turns as we made our approach! During the approach there were large brown mountains on either side of us, and then in the small valleys between the mountains, there was a vein of gloriously green cultivated fields. Could not really tell what was being grown but the contrast was stark. The drop down onto the landing field actually felt pretty gradual but once all of the wheels were on the ground the pilot was in full reverse as we decelerated to a stop just at the end of the runway. I thanked the pilot as we were leaving the plane for a job well done!

The airport is small and crowded but I finally pushed through to pick up my luggage on the conveyor and found my driver outside. I am staying in the Hotel Lasermo in Leh and it is actually very nice. It has a great courtyard with umbrellas and chairs where I am sitting now as I write this.  When I arrived at the hotel, they took my name and set my luggage down to the side and whisked me off to the dining room for breakfast. I had not eaten breakfast in Delhi as I was running a bit short on time for check-in (perhaps I napped a little too long!) so it was nice welcome. After breakfast they took me up to my room and I settled in.

Although tired, I knew I didn’t want to go to sleep. And, having just arrived and not really gotten into relax mode I needed to do something! So I put on some walking shoes and went into town. The main market  is full of shops selling souvenirs, trekking services, trekking gear, food etc. But the most interesting thing I noticed was all of the prayer flags stretching back and forth across the main street of the market. There was a mosque and a temple (buddhist) along the main street and there is a strong presence of Tibetan people in the area.

I ended up walking to the market three times Friday. Once to look around and find the location of my outfitter, Overland Escape. A second to meet the Overland owner and get the final details on the trip. And a third for lunch.  When I got back from lunch I was feeling pretty tired and thought I would lay down for a nap, I didn’t want to sleep too long because I know it is better in terms of getting on the time zone to just push through the first day. The next thing I new it was 9:00pm! I woke up for a bit then decided rather than staying up, it would be better to just take some melatonin and sleep until morning. I woke up a couple of times through the night but really had no problems sleeping and woke up for good about 5:30. I guess the travel, plus the altitude was just a little harder on the body than I thought.  I felt amazingly well after 15 hours of sleep!

The trek begins on Monday and will return the following Monday.  I will be out of touch from the internet during the trek.  When I arrived, I learned that the group had been reduced from 7 hikers to 2!  Evidently, there was  group of 5 that cancelled.  There will be more horses than people on the trip!

Preparing for the clinic was different this time, having been there last year.  As I shopped and packed, I was mindful of bringing things that would make the stay more comfortable and won’t be available in India.  I have the first three seasons of Madman, lots of books and small versions of my favorite personal care items. I relished the ease and quality of our washing machine and dryer at home, knowing what was coming on that front, never really having figured out a good way to handle the laundry at the clinic.

The week before departure, I moved into a sense of profound fear about the trip.  My last flight would land at 3:30 am in Hyderabad, India and the clinic driver was to come get me. Last year he overslept and wasn’t there for one of my pals, so that became my biggest concern. We sent my itinerary to the clinic multiple times, asking for confirmation; yet they are notoriously slow communicators, so I left the US without the pick-up confirmation.  Alan and I both held a positive intention that Murthy, the driver would be there as requested.  As the saying goes; I leaned into that positive intention during my three flights to India.  And just in case, I had armed myself with phone numbers for the clinic and Dr. Raju’s cell phone plus I had arranged with AT&T for a small package of international calls on my cell phone.

I also had concerns about how intense my reactions might be to the various treatments. I realize as I write this, the intensity of my concerns about the pickup was far greater than my thoughts about the treatment reactions.  I recognize this is not rational; a pick up issue would be momentary, while the treatment reaction could be last for days. But then fear is not rational.

I was also experiencing fears about Alan’s trek, praying he would be safe and not get hurt or worse on his adventure.  I have a good case of fear of heights, so I am sure they were mixing in there.  Interestingly, when I shared this fear with Alan, he was shocked as it had not occurred to him to be concerned or that I would be!  I was comforted by his sense of calm and had to remind myself that he is strong, sure footed and not a risk taker.  And I know my relief with be great when I see the whites of his eyes in Hyderabad in two weeks.

I like to think I am a better international traveler this time.  I understood the implications of my choices when talking to the airlines.  I certainly felt more confident on the flights, since I knew what was at the end of travels.  I enjoyed the safe cocoon created within the airplane and felt more comfortable when I was the only white face, on the last flight into India.  I figure it is good for us to experience what it is like to be different, even if it is only within the safety of an airplane ride.

I was delighted when I emerged from Customs to find Murthy waiting.  He helped me with my bags to his new Tata car.  The car is a significant improvement from his old, slow 2 cylinder.  The day light was breaking as he sped through the unlit barren roads.  Between my travel exhaustion, the cars flying by us on the “wrong” side of the road and his great speed in a very small car, I prayed we would arrive safely.  We laughed in a fragmented conversation, due to the language gap, that it would be ironic if he crashed after I had flown so far.  As the streets became more developed and populated, I was again stuck by the endless trash, poverty and numerous wild dogs lining the streets.  I will have to take some photos of street scenes to post this year.

Raju Family Clinic

We arrived at the clinic just before 6am.  It was significantly less shocking than seeing it for the first time last year, but I was struck by the simplicity of the structure. Murthy helped me take my bags up to my room.  I was so pleased the travels were behind as I began to unpack and focused on getting settled for the month ahead.

I found two gals in the dining room about to have an early morning walk, so I put on my walking shoes and a long cotton dress for the Indian streets and joined them.

I was happy to have arrived and am ready to see what this visit will bring.

Alan and I are heading back to India this summer for more adventure and healing treatments at the clinic in Hyderabad, India.  I left on July 1 and will be spending a full 28 days at the Raju Family Clinic based on the doctor’s recommendation when I left last summer.  Alan will be leaving on Wednesday, July 3 – his time at the clinic will only be two weeks this summer.  He is travelling to the northern part of the country first to do an organized trek.  He has promised to take many photos and will be blogging his experience, probably after the hiking trip, depending on Wi-Fi access.

The best news from the year is that Alan is very healthy; as they say in the cancer world, he is NED – has “no evidence of disease.”  We are so thankful and appreciate his good health on a daily basis.  There is nothing like a health scare to make you realize what you have and stop sweating the small stuff.

This past April we celebrated our 15^th wedding anniversary and we are so much more connected than when we married.  We don’t spend lots of time thinking or worrying about the melanoma. Alan is very mindful of his well-being.  He continues to meditate often and follows a vegan diet, although he is more relaxed with an occasional sweet.  I am most thankful when I watch him with the kids as they move through new chapters of their lives.

The kids are off on their own adventures with new chapters as well. Sarah is spending the summer at Camp Thunderbird in Northern Minnesota, and already reporting a wonderful time.  She is in the play, riding horses, dancing and learning to wind surf!  Jacob is also at Camp Thunderbird, the highlight for him is a 21-day Canadian canoe trip with some shorter conditioning prep trips including a three day white water school.

Given the variety of adventures we are having, I think most people would choose the camp over the cleansing!  No matter, everyone is excited about their plans.

Many of my friends were very surprised I am returning to the clinic after some of the intense reactions I experienced last year.  The benefits far outweigh the challenges.  The best news is I significantly reduced the amount of thyroid medication I take each day.  My overall well-being is much better and I believe it can be even better.  Last year when I arrived at the clinic, Dr. Raju said I should plan on three visits to deal with my autoimmune thyroid disease.  And I figure after having it for over 25 years, three years seems reasonable.  Actually Alan and I love doing the cleanse, and think in future years when we don’t need the medically oriented cleanse, we could go to Kerala on the Southern Indian coast, where they have beachy resorts that do this type of cleanse for fun.  Supposed to be wonderful, if anyone is game to join us!

I am looking forward to what the doctor says when he listens to my pulse when I get to the Clinic.  More on that front as it unfolds.

Thanks for traveling with us again.  We absolutely love getting comments and emails from family and friends.  The support and interest is wonderful when we are so far from home.  And the benefit of technology certainly makes the globe feel so much smaller.

I am happy to report I have arrived home safely after 28 hours of travel.  I am sitting in my kitchen in the wee hours, as I have not adjusted to the time zones.  I have a load of laundry in and am feeling thankful for our modern machines!

I was pleased to have a final pulse reading with the senior Dr. Raju on my last afternoon.  He was once again visiting from Delhi and made time to check on the patients.  I was first in line, as I had come at the defined time.  Being first was a big deal because now there were 8 Italians who didn’t speak English and each morning they would line up with their translator and it could take a good 45 minutes if you were behind them.

The doctor had read my pulse two weeks ago and was quite impressed with the improvements to my system.  He was so positive and loving, I was greatly comforted by his presence and input.  I did ask him how I could keep my body in good shape upon returning to my fast pace life.  He encouraged me to follow the clinic’s diet and suggested herbs.  He said the herb called Smirti was the most important, I had been instructed to take it each morning upon waking.  We had purchased a large supply, at quite a financial investment, as Alan will be taking it four times a day.  Smirti helps your body remember to do what it is supposed to do, like produce thyroid hormones or cancer killing cells! He said on days when I am under stress, just take an extra spoonful.

I went to the airport hours before my flight because it was scheduled to depart in the middle of the night.  Murty, the clinic’s preferred driver took me, who speaks almost no English.  I sat quietly in the front seat watching and absorbing the street scenes.  This was certainly a different approach than when we arrived, when I chose to bury my head in a book.  The streets were loud, crowded and the traffic was overwhelming.   The car was old and slow (2 cylinder diesel), I prayed he didn’t have an accident or breakdown as we left the crowded streets and then drove for a good thirty minutes in complete darkness through deserted streets on the way to the airport.

I had a reservation at an international lounge at the airport.  I had purchased a four hour package for $35.  The lounge was at the airport on the first floor.  I was shown to my tiny “room”. The room had a modern very small bathroom, a double bed, TV on the wall, internet access and a small walkway, with enough room for my luggage.  The shower was fantastic and the highlight of package.  There was a free buffet dinner, but the food didn’t look appealing and I planned to be really careful on my reentry on eating outside of the clinic.

After my four hour stay, I went into the airport to check in.  One thing that is very noticeable in all Indian airports, there are tons of uniformed military working alongside the airport and airline personnel.  I understand it is partly due to potential terrorism, but also from fat government bureaucracy .

I still had a few more hours, so I went to the business class lounge that was operated by the same company with the same buffet dinner being offered at 2am!   There was one other American waiting, so of course, we got chatting.  Turns out he is a business professor from Northwestern, who had been teaching an executive class for the last week in Hyderabad and has worked on projects with my sister, Sally!  I love these connections and am reminded how small the world can be.

The flight to Abu Dhabi is only three and half hours and delightful as I am sitting in first class due to my business class status.  It is the month of Ramadan, which requires fasting for Muslims from sunrise to sunset; so many of the passengers do not eat.  The Abu Dhabi airport is modern and beautiful.  I follow my new professor friend who knows the territory and find myself in another even more beautiful business class lounge and full of western, international travelers.  In India we have been very careful to not eat anything fresh or not cooked, so I continue with that plan until I get on the plane.

The flight to the US was easy, just a very long for 14 hours.  I found it easier to handle the time zone changes when we left the US in the early evening.   I missed two nights of sleep and started to feel wacky.

I watched several movies to pass the hours, including THE EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL.  I had already seen it, but thought it would be fun after having been in India.   Alan’s approach is certainly like Bill Nighy’s character, in that he is open to the local culture and jumps in with a positive attitude.  I am concerned that I am closer to his uptight English wife who is completely freaked out by the strange and oh so different world.  I confirmed that with Alan when I return and he smiles with confirmation that I had elements of her in my approach!  Oh well, I didn’t leave, even if I gave it much thought!

On the way home from O’Hare again I watch quietly out the window, wondering how an international traveler might find the scenery that we pass often without any thought.  There is so much space and no people in the streets.  The buildings are spotlessly clean and defined, meaning they are set back from the streets without endless rubbish and ruble.

Our dog, Ricki is happy to see me as she would any new guest to our home. Yet she seems to have forgotten who I am, and sticks to Alan’s side like glue.   I guess five weeks is a long time in a dog’s life.

I head to the bathroom for a warm bath as my first activity.  Ah, the joys of clean and hot water!  The cool sheets and bed felt exquisite and was the best thing about my return home!

Friday is my last of 28 days of treatments at the clinic.  My flight leaves Hyderabad at 4am Saturday morning.

At the beginning of this week, I would have said this week was painfully slow, but as we all know time moves at its own pace.  I have counted the days and now I am counting the hours!

I did have two fun outings this week.  I went for a wonderful lunch at the beautiful 5-star hotel, the Taj Falaknuma Palace with Greg from Iowa.  Alan wrote a post called A TRIP TO THE PALACE, if want to see more photos of it.  It was a delight to be out of clinic and enjoy historical tales and great food from the area.  I also went to a local temple one morning for travel blessings with a few other guests.  It made me miss our Friday night services at Lakeside, which I will be attending promptly upon my return!

On an early response to a blog post, friend Karlin said she thought this trip might be about “letting go” for me.  I have come back to that thought so many times over the days.  There are so many levels of letting go.  The first and most pronounced is in response to the entire “India time” thing.  Everything moves here on its own timeline and you might as well let go, or you will burn so much energy being frustrated.  I have been very proud of myself on so many occasions where I would notice my desire to make a suggestion on how to “improve” something.  Then I would practice my ability to just let it go.  In fact, I am doing it as I edit this post.  We were to have a special pulse reading at 4pm this aftermoon, it is 4:45 and no one is in sight!

The way the clinic is run, or better yet not run; is a huge source of frustration and provided much dialogue for many of us.  There have been many opportuntities each day to keep  letting go.  The clinic would certainly would not cut it in terms of cleanliness or efficiency in most countries, but the truth is that is not why we came to the clinic.

We came for the wonderful Dr. Raju and the ayurvedic treatments. They were both outstanding.  So many of us will come again, fully knowing the place needs a really good general manager and chances are there won’t be one.  The clinic has plans to build a wonderful new building and we all pray that dream will happen for them.  But no one expects to see it next year!

I have been incredibly emotional most of this week and have come to realize it is all part of the cleansing process.  I have experienced being terribly homesick, which was so intense and new for me.  I would often tear up on the massage table or when Priya was massaging my feet at night.  Again I would practice letting it go.  I did come to realize that these feelings were more intense when my energy was off, which it has been in this last days.

I will miss Pryia and Sunitha, my treatment techs tremendously.  Words almost can’t describe the wonderful care and love these young women gave me each day.  They were so kind and funny; and the challenge of the language blocks melted away.

The last five days, they have added what they call the “eye treatment” to my mix of daily treatments.  It is the only treatment that I found really unpleasant.  They use the chickpea dough and build walls around your eyes, almost like eye goggles.  Then they put melted ghee (clarified butter) infused with herbs on your eye lids. You are instructed to open and close your eyes.  The treatment lasts for 20-25 minutes and stings!  I would count to ten or fifteen then open my eyes quickly, and then start over to pass the time.  I endured it because I have heard really good results from the treatment, including Alan who completely healed his eye damage from a cancer drug.  I would just like some improvement in my prescription!

Friday morning was my last treatment.  I was given Nasya, which is a nasal treatment, done as the last treatment. First I sat on a small stool over a large pot of boiling water infused with herbs and towels over my head for 20 minutes, breathing the medicated steam into my sinuses.  Then I was moved to the massage table, where the techs brought steaming hot towels for my head and chest in a continuous rotation.  This felt incredible and would be a great addition to American spas.  Finally the doctor arrived and gave me nasal drops.   Resting on the table and then is in your room is required.  You aren’t supposed to wash your head until early evening.  So I wore this fun turban for the day!

I did have a blood test yesterday to check my thyroid levels.  I am doing really well at the lower level of medication and have almost none of the annoying side effects the medication has been plaguing me in the last years.  I am really pleased with how much calmer my system feels.

So far I think this has been a wonderful experiment for my well-being.  It has not been an easy ride; there were many days of not feeling great and frustrations.  I would also say this was probably the hardest alternative healing program I have participated in, yet the most powerful and profound.  I will be curious to see how I feel when I am back in my life. Alan and I will be taking some of their herbs at home and following many of their diet suggestions.  They say the cleansing process continues for three months after the treatments.

I am flying home on another airline that is new to me, Etihad.  I will have a brief layout in Abu Dhabi before flying on to Chicago.  I am so excited to return to the USA and all it’s benefits!  We have a few days before the kids return from the camp at the end of the week!

And by the way, thanks for all those that checked in about the power outage in India.  Hyderabad is in the southern part of India, so we were not affected.    Electric power is a huge issue in this country; the demand is too great from the huge population.  One way they manage the challenge is the electricity goes out every day for about an hour at 7am and noon.  You can set a clock by it.

Thank you for reading the blog and travelling with us on this amazing adventure.  We loved all the comments, side email messages and watching the blog stats.  One day this week we had just over 100 people having a read!  We can see what countries where people are loggin on and have had readers in Germany and Angola!

We will put a post from the US with a final update.

It is early Monday morning in India, and early Sunday evening in the US.  Alan is travelling home as I type and I have woken to my first day here without him.  Here is a photo of Alan when he left.  The pundits gave him a travel blessing just before getting into the car for the airport.

Alan looks wonderful; the health retreat and time away from our fast paced life have been great for him.  The doctor gave him a great report when he checked out.  Alan will have an MRI in a few weeks to ensure all is quiet in his head.

I am not wild about being here without him, honestly.  I have done this type of healing in the US several times, so when we talked about me staying a week longer than Alan it didn’t occur to me that being here without him would be an issue.  Of course, I really didn’t think about the implications of being in India!  At least, I know the ropes now.  I leave later on Friday night and I am counting the days (even the hours)!

This time, we know that Alan’s flights will stop in Delhi and Frankfurt, Germany.  It will not be the non-stop flight plane he was promised when he booked the itinerary.  He was able to upgrade to business class, so the return should be more pleasant for him.

BANANAS

Last Wednesday I began the clinic’s unique Banana Treatment to balance my female hormones.  For three mornings I was given a very small piece of banana topped with some secret family herbs.  Again they bless the herbs and then I ask my ancestors for healing before shallowing the small piece of fruit like a pill.   I am permitted to drink a warm glass of milk first thing in the morning and then am given a combination of milk and rice for my two meals each day.  The treatment deeply cleanses the entire body, especially the female reproductive system.  Dr. Raju has said that a single banana treatment has the benefits of two of more intensive PKs (the 23 day cleanse).

I continue to do the massages and other treatments while I am on the banana treatment.  The first thing I notice is that I am incredibly emotional for no reason at all.  It was quite strange, I was almost inconsolable.  Then on the evening of the third night, I became incredibly sick to my stomach.  I assume I must have gotten a parasite, everything comes out and I have incredibly painful cramps for hours on end.  I have been incredibly careful about not allowing any of the local water into my body, so I am quite upset.

It does not occur to me that I am experiencing a very intense cleansing process until the doctors come up the room to check my pulse.  They say my entire system is cleansing, not just my hormores.  I am given a small vile of an Indian liquid medication and told to put a small amount on my palm and lick it every 15 minutes and it will reduce the cramps.  Amazingly it works to decrease the pain over the hours.  I am reminded of being in labor, but there is no baby at the end of this process!

Alan was scheduled to leave the afternoon I have become so ill, and thankfully he was able to change his flight until the next day.  This is no easy feat in India; he took a cab to the Air India office to change the ticket and it takes hours to complete the task.  I am incredibly thankful he was able to remain with me for the additional day, since I was not well and continued to be so emotional!

I will be able to track his flights over the day through the web and will feel better once I know he has landed in Chicago.

FUN STUFF

I did get the clothes I had made at the small tailor at the business center.  Here are photos of one of outfits being made and me wearing them.   I love the materials and style of the black and white one; however it is a bit small for me.  The tailor has promised he can let it out.  The red one fits well and is incredibly comfortable.  It was a fun project, although I don’t think I will be sporting these outfits in Chicago!  At least we will have some fun Halloween outfits this fall!

For the Kolbe fans, I gave my new pal Kim the Kolbe tool last night for fun.   She came out 6293.  I laughed as I always collect wonderful female 9s in QuickStart wherever I go!  Kim is an expert in the enneagram-type personality test, having studied with the originator of it in Brazil for years.  So we had much fun comparing our tools and thoughts about how our insights influence everyone around us!  Kim returns to her home later tonight and I will her company greatly.

Our kids are having a great summer at camp and we have been able to stay in touch through email. The kids write their normal letters, which the camp sends a pdf of them to us.  This works well with Sarah, who writes often.  We have not had a letter from Jacob since we have been in India!  The good news is the counselors send a weekly cabin update and some specifics about the kids.  So we know Jacob has had an amazing summer going on several canoeing and hiking trips.

We will be excited when we are reunited as a family at home!  Our next post should be from Alan stateside.