An Update from the USA

It's been nearly a month since my last post... I was emotional and weepy the last time I wrote.  This time I am emotional and weepy.  Some things never change.  It reality, though, quite a lot has changed since we got back to Texas.  We are staying with my parents until our container arrives and our house is vacant.  Savannah, Dynamo and I are bunking with Mom, Dad, and their two dogs, ChiChi the alpha-female chihuahua, and Wiggles, the mentally challenged Yorkie.  Their dogs bark.  A lot.  At nothing and at everything.  My dog is learning some not so great life lessons from these pups.  I am a little leery about taking him to our house at the end of this month.  Sigh.  Savannah and I are getting pretty spoiled by my mom.  She is cooking breakfasts and brewing coffee and packing lunches and making dinners and doing laundry.  It's kind of like being back at the Leela, but with a couple of yappy dogs.  And my dad is driving Savannah around everywhere, which is kind of like having our little Murugesan back, except he speaks English and wants to talk a lot so there's no tuning out and jamming to the music on the phone or staring at Facebook while Dad is driving.  I have to drive myself back and forth to work.  And anywhere else during the week.  It's awful.  I miss Murugesan.  On the weekends, though, I get to hand Michael the keys and hop in the passenger seat, which makes me really happy.  I do not have tea or coffee delivered to my desk twice a day, but I can walk to the coffee machine and get my own whenever I want, which is almost as good.  I am learning lots of great and terrific things about the world of exports and all about the new company that I am working for.  Although still under our AP Moller umbrella, Safmarine has a different flavor and I am really enjoying it.  The team welcomed me with open arms and they are teaching me all kinds of awesome stuff I never knew about the other side of the business.  It's exhilarating and exciting and makes the days go by SO DANG FAST!  Outside of work, I am busy annoying my best friend/wedding coordinator by making as few decisions about our wedding as possible.  She is about ready to throw me off a bridge because she wants to know about the details... and I am SO not the details girl.  My motto has been, "I don't care, just make it pretty. Oh and less expensive.  Make it less expensive."  She might revoke my BFF-ness if I don't watch out.  In other news, Savannah has joined the ranks of the college-bound.  Many thanks to the BFF's mom, Erin, she enrolled in FOUR classes at Lone Star, which is our local community college, for those not familiar.  She will take English, Algebra, Intro to College all on campus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and then Music Appreciation online.  I am really proud of her, as she was only wanting to take 1 or maybe 2 classes, so this is a stretch, but I think it will be really good for her.  She's been having a tough time since we got back home... I have been going non-stop between work and wedding and just having a lot to do and not enough time, and our time together has been lacking.  She feels disconnected and a bit lost with her identity.  Most teens probably go through this after graduation, but I think hers is coupled with being back in the US and seeing some of her friends going off to college while others are readying for their senior year.  She's jumped feet first back into the youth group at our church, which is great, but is still searching for exactly where she fits in these days.  She misses the kids and our church family from India.  She was putting off job hunting because "when I get a job that means India is really over..."  And the only thing I could tell her was that India really WAS over, at least for this season of her life.  If she pursues this teaching degree she is beginning with and winds up overseas to teach English like she says she wants to, then India could be back in her future.  Yes, we had a great time and made some wonderful memories and friends of a lifetime, but for now we are back in Texas and we have to move forward.  There are a lot of great memories and friends to be made here as well.  With that conversation and some tears behind us, we set out to find my girl a part time job.  She has an interview tomorrow afternoon and is babysitting for a friend for a couple weeks in the meantime.  My girl needs structure in her life, so working and school are just what the doctor ordered.  I'll ask for your prayers to help her acclimate back to American living and feeling more at peace with her transition into adulthood.
Hmm what else?  One of the things that is so different to me is the amount of variety.  Too many options.  I needed a refillable cup for my water at work.  I ran into a store to pick up a plastic cup with a lid that won't sweat.  I was overwhelmed and frustrated with all the options.  Every different color lid you can imagine.  Different patterns from colleges to football teams to abstract designs or butterflies or owls or...  well, just about everything.  I just wanted a cup.  Seriously.  Take me back to India where I don't have a choice and I take what I get and it probably leaks.  LOL  I just stood there and looked and looked and looked.  It was like I was frozen in time and could not make a decision.  I ultimately decided on a tall cup with peacock feathers and a light blue lid.  Very Indian, after all was said and done.  Ironic.
And staying with my parents is great, being spoiled and spending some quality time that we missed for two years, but it's lacking the quiet solitude we often had at our flat in Padur.  There is usually a niece or two running around or a dog barking or the TV blaring an old John Wayne or America's Ninja Master or whatever that ridiculous show is that seems to play every.single.night.of.my.life.  I try to find a quiet corner of the bedroom or escape to the porch if it's not too hot out, but sometimes there just isn't an escape and that, too, is overwhelming.  Sometimes I just need quiet time.  If only I enjoyed driving... then I could probably happily drive myself somewhere for the peace of it.  Oh, well...
So, yes, there are some things Savannah and I miss from India.  Biriani.  Our church family and friends. Simplicity.  Peace in the midst of chaos.  Set dinner plans after church and not having to make a decision about where we would go.  Comfort... repetition... the norm.  We have to make a new norm, but it feels as though that is out of our reach at the moment.  The end of this month, while I know it will approach rapidly, seems just past our fingertips and too difficult to imagine just yet. 
I don't know if I will continue to blog or not.  It's been so busy, but I had a lot on my mind, so thought I'd put it out there.  I'll take it one week at a time.  In the meantime, here's a side note - I have been very out of touch - not a lot of Facebook checking on friends or texts or phone calls at all - with all my friends, near and far.  Please know I am just, well, overwhelmed with so much to do and not enough hours in a day.  Know I love you and hope to catch up very soon.  Just need a little time to catch my breath.
Appreciate your love and prayers and support as we transition back to our American way of life and sending love and hugs back to each of you!

An Emotional last morning...

I woke up extra early this morning to the rustling sounds of Savannah getting ready for the last service at the Tamil church. I heard the usual "getting ready" noises with a few extra tossed in - the zipping of suitcases & clearance of items from the bathroom as it was her last time to use the luxurious Leela super-huge bathroom.  I dozed back off after she left, but have since gone down to enjoy a nice decaf cappuccino and fresh eggs at the beautiful breakfast buffet. As I sat and waited on the faux caffeine, I began to think about this being our last day in India together and I got a little teary-eyed. Although most of our time was not spent at five star properties like the Leela Palace, we did enjoy our two years here in Chennai. We used the opportunity to grow our mother/daughter relationship. We traveled together. We got on each other's nerves. We encouraged each other. We laughed together. We cried together. We learned beautiful things about a new culture. We learned beautiful things about ourselves and each other. We witnessed racism, and we felt it firsthand for the first time in our lives. We fought battles, big and small. We spent time in an Indian hospital and faced separate health issues.  We made friendships on the basis of being American in India - and we know these friendships will be lifelong because there's a special kind of bond that comes from being away from "home" but connecting with people who share your "home". We found and fell in love with a new church family. We held a beautiful young girl in our arms and in our hearts and then laid her to rest. We helped the other get out of our comfort zones on many occasions.  We made memories to last a lifetime.
I am sure we have done more as a team during this tenure, but any other thoughts escape me at the moment. I will be forever grateful to my girl for joining me on this crazy adventure. As the time comes to leave our Indian home and return back to our native land of the brave, I am overcome with emotion. I have done a pretty good job stuffing it down this week with only a time or two of the tears welling up, but I can tell it won't be that way anymore. The tears welled up at breakfast. Alone.  Which means as soon as someone else is around to enunciate the words "today is your last day," they will come without the ability to keep them under control. But not yet. 
Our last week included packing our apartment into 62 boxes to be shipped back to Houston.  We caught up and had dinners, lunches and coffee or tea with many of our friends and coworkers.  We had a special appreciation ceremony for our driver with Maersk and his company's owner.  We watched the clock and counted the days, with both anticipation and trepidation.  How quickly this week went at times, while other times ticked away ever so slowly.  (I could actually say this for the past two years... not just this week!)  The roller coaster of emotions tends to do that, I suppose.  Speaking of ticking clock, it's about time for me to move from this soft bed and begin my getting ready process for the day.  The last day... at least until Safmarine sends me back, which I look forward to, and softens this leaving scenario in my mind and heart.  It it much easier to say "see ya later" instead of "goodbye."  And with that thought, I will leave you with God's great blessings, hugs, and request for prayers for our safe travels home.  We depart, with Dynamo in tow, at 1:50 AM IST, 3:20 PM CST and will land in Texas on Monday around 1:30 PM.  Thank you in advance and big love & hugs, once more, from Chennai!

April Travels...

The last time I wrote was a month ago.  Savannah and I were preparing for our journey to meet my parents and Michael in Thailand.  What a trip that was – full of beauty and great experiences, such a nice time with the family.  We started out meeting up in Bangkok since we all got in overnight hours.  We spent a few hours sleeping and then took a van to Pattaya, which is a beach area on the Gulf of Thailand, just a couple hours from the city.  We stayed at the gorgeous Amari Ocean Pattaya, which was overlooking the Gulf.  It was perfect.  We spent two nights in Pattaya and loved every minute.  We went to Coral Island for a day, which included parasailing, an underwater walk and a glass bottom boat ride.  We enjoyed traditional Thai seafood and “the best rice ever,” according to my mother.  We lazed by the pool, were pampered with a Thai massage (OH MY GOSH, seriously THIS was the best massage EVER!), spent time shopping at the local markets and rented a moped for a scenic personal tour.  Unfortunately the moped led to a ticket (you tricky Pattaya police department set us up!) but it was only about $12 and Michael took care of it pretty quickly, so I guess it was a fun memory after all.  Speaking of fun memories, something that will always be special to me about Pattaya is that Michael asked me to marry him on the beach after dinner on April 1.  He completely surprised me with the proposal, but I don’t think I quit smiling for the rest of the week.  Or since then, for that matter.  I am very thankful to have such a supportive, encouraging, understanding, loving and persistent fiancée…  The man who encouraged me to listen to God, follow His will around the world and make a life for Savannah and myself in India for two years.  The man who, when it was so difficult a transition and acclimation to Indian life, would not let me give up on the long distance relationship even when I tried so hard.  The man who loves me despite all my craziness, insecurities, confusion, indecisiveness, and so many other lovely qualities I possess.  The man who loves me even it’s not me, but my teenager making it difficult.  We will be married a few months after I come home and we are excited to start this wonderful chapter of our lives together.

After Pattaya, we went back to Bangkok and had a blast at the floating market – seriously, so much fun! – and a tour of the village by water.  We stopped at a Tiger Temple and made a few new friends.  Another day took us on a temple tour, where we visited some huge Buddhas and added learnings of Buddhism to our varied religious palette.  Finally, we visited the Grand Palace.  And “grand” doesn’t do it justice.  Amazingly beautiful architecture, murals, and jewels as far as the eye could see.  Perfectly manicured lawns trimmed with extravagant vases and yard ornaments.  Rich and vibrant colors in architectural styles that mirrored the royal’s appreciation from around the world as it was built through the years at every turn.  Our time went too quickly, but we enjoyed every minute.  And we know it won’t be long until we head back on the other side of the Atlantic and see the family and Michael again.  I told Savannah I was really happy we had such a great holiday, because it was our last here in India before we make our way back to Texas.  Turned out, that wasn’t quite the case.

When we returned, Savannah found out she had holidays for Thursday and Friday the following week.  I am not sure how her school plans for the year, but these last minute holidays seem to pop up every few months.  It’s almost like they don’t realize Good Friday comes around once a year.  Sigh.  Oh, well.  With her having those two days off, I poked around on the internet to see if we could do a quick little trip to fill the time.  We haven’t made Mumbai yet, so I checked that.  Flights were too high, so that was out.  I thought, well, it’s not the right season, but what about Kerala?  So I checked the flights and decided to do it.  After confirming my co-manager wouldn’t murder me for taking off another couple days so close to this holiday, I booked it.  And then worked with a friend whose native is Kerala to plan a terrific trip.  We enjoyed the hill station of Munnar, famous for tea plantations and chill weather.  We found out first hand that hill station means mountain top, and Savannah’s stomach wasn’t a fan of the hairpin twists and turns up the side of the cliffs.  Once we reached our resort and saw the view, though, we both decided it was worth the fear factor.  We spent two nights in Munnar, enjoying a traditional Keralayan fight show, complete with rings of fire and flying men… we dined on traditional meals prepared with coconut oil as the base, which were delicious.  We took an Ayurvedic massage that left us confused, annoyed and frustrated at the outcome – seriously?  This was what all the fuss was about.  Don’t ask.  Waste of time, money and energy LOL.  We enjoyed the peace and quiet of our resort in the evenings by swinging, reading, and watching fireflies.  It was good mommy-daughter time.  And we topped off the Munnar portion with an elephant ride, which is something Savannah’s been dying to do since we got off the plane in Chennai two years ago.  We left Munnar and rode a very long way to Allepy for a houseboat ride through the backwaters.  This is the part of Kerala I was so excited about, although I wasn’t sure if it was going to live up to all the hype.  Happy to say – it was amazing and we had a fabulous time.  We had a captain and a cook, neither of which spoke English, by the way, but they both took great care of us.  The food was simply terrific and the view was just as nice.  I think we were out for nearly 5 hours and we enjoyed every minute.  Our Kerala trip that I thought was not going to happen during our time in India has been fulfilled and I am thankful for our time and opportunity to see “God’s own country” as it is lovingly referred to locally.

I came back to work on Monday and it’s now Friday and I am heading to the airport yet again in a few hours.  I am working on a project under my new position and the first week of meetings  begins Monday in Copenhagen.  I am excited and yet nervous.  I am leaving Savannah in Chennai while I travel, and the great American expats that helped us out last July aren’t available this time!  Talk about a stressed out working mom when I found out that news!  Thankfully, we have some amazing women in our church who have offered to split their time helping out and trekking all the way to the south end of the city to hang with my girl during the week so she can attend classes undisturbed.  So thankful for these fabulous women in our lives!

While we have been all over the place on planes, Dynamo has been on his own sort of holiday.  He spent our Thailand and Kerala time with his new BFF and cousin brother, Patch, who happens to be our friend Paloma’s family’s doggy.  And this week he is going to stay with the Woods family.  He is getting quite the amount of attention and I am not sure if he will ever want to come home.  Such a spoiled boy!

Sorry this went on forever, but it’s been a while.  Here are some pics of our holidays and I’ll write more on some other India-ness soon.  Big love and hugs, thanks for prayers and support for Savannah and me.  We love all our friends from around the world!



Dynamo and his cousin brother, Patch





Moped ride with my man



Michael and his moped ticket




The proposal spot in Pattaya with the same on-looking pups

 



The family in front of a massive Buddha



 

A very large Buddha



Bananas at the floating market, anyone?

On our boat heading to the village

I've got the eye of the tiger

Savannah and her monk & tiger friends

Grand Palace Family shot

Another at the Grand Palace

He humors me :)

A Hindu temple in Thailand

Savannah and I "helping" some fisherman in Kerala



The first Christian church in India, built by the early European settlers



Our lovely view from the cottage in Munnar

A little fire ring action in Kerala

A pretty girl in front of some pretty tea plantations

An elephant in Munnar

Oh, just a couple of Texan Indian Princesses atop a regal ride

This girl knows how to cut a fresh fish



Our view from the houseboat ride on the backwaters of Kerala





Sunset over the backwaters, Allepy, Kerala.



Past Due Update

I have been meaning to sit down and write a blog for a while, but life has gotten in the way. Or maybe just not knowing what to write about.  Probably a little bit of both.  Lots has been going on over here so I will try to give the highlights without boring you with the details, which we all know is not my strong suit.  In any event, let's see what I can do:

• Savannah's SAT test has been delivered to Mom & Dad's house and they will bring it with them to Thailand next week (NEXT WEEK!) and we will bring it back to India.  She will complete the test mid-April so we can send back for scoring.  Please help us pray for the 50% score she needs in order to graduate.
• We are both anxiously counting down to next Monday night, around 10 PM IST, when we board the flight heading to Bangkok & meet the parentals and Michael for a week of fun and relaxation.  My heart is happy with anticipation.
• I am excited to announce that I have accepted a position as a Customer Service Manager with Safmarine Container Lines, which is a sister company to Maersk Line, and within the Maersk Group.  I will be based in the Woodlands (Houston) office when my contract is up here in Chennai. I will transition between my current role with Maersk Line and begin working with the Safmarine team next month.  Praise God for answering prayers for a good position in Houston - doing everything I love - leading a team, working with customers, and being able to use my recently acquired knowledge of working in our Indian service centers!
• Our pastor's family has temporarily relocated to Canada, somewhat unexpectedly.  I told you about their sweet daughter, Prasansha, who passed in November.  They needed a break from India and some family time, so they booked flights home for Christmas to visit with Sheralyn's family in Florida, then Shawn's family in Canada.  Unfortunately, they were met with some obstacles with the local Foreign Registry office regarding their son's guardianship paperwork and had to postpone until they were granted an exit visa... which took several weeks and their attorney petitioning the High Court.  They made the tough decision to stay in Canad until they could get Leroy's citizenship, which could be several months.  Savannah is missing her weekends hanging out at their place, and we are missing their spiritual leadership, not to mention friendship.  Our church leaders have really stepped up and keep the services wonderful, but we all miss the Achesons, even so.  Please continue to pray for the family struggling with all the emotions of losing a daughter, sister, friend.  Savannah, too, while you're at it.  It's been tough on everyone.  We hope they will be able to come back before we leave in July but it seems unlikely at this time. 
• Savannah and I met up with our local RJ (radio jockey) friend, Paloma Rao, for a radio interview on the only English radio channel here, Chennai Live, 104.8.  We met at the new Coffee Day Square and enjoyed some delicious caffeine and good girl talk.  We talked about our experiences in Chennai, my Texas accent, what we will and won't miss come July, and she surprised us with a "rapid fire" round of questions/phrases, which I failed miserably.  We didn't get to hear the end result since we don't have a radio in the car or at home (seriously!), but Paloma said she will send the link to me soon.  I'll post here at some point or another.  We had a good time and it was another neat experience for our memory bank and Chennai-scrapbook.
• We sent a great friend-turned-sister to Savannah back to her Canadian family last week, separate from the Achesons.  Sandra came to Chennai after completing a study at the Impact School of Missions in Bangkok so she could serve in another church's ministry.  God has some slightly different plans, and He used Sandra with the Acheson family during the time they needed someone the most, and she made a great impact with our church. She was a blessing, a friend, a confidant, an organizer, a life-saver and so much more during her six month stay.  She is a godly young woman with a bright future in front of her.  I am so thankful she was here to build a strong friendship with Savannah and share her strength with the church family. 

So that's the latest and greatest here in Chennai.  I have been thinking about writing on the emotional aspects of this move back to the US, but I don't think I am quite ready to deal with all that yet.  Savannah and I are both having some mixed emotions as reality sets in deeper and deeper with every decision we make.  Oh, I forgot to mention we booked our flights home.  July 7, 2014, we will leave India as residents and return to the US.  That's been a big decision we've been grappling with, moving from excitement to sadness to fear to confusion and everything in between.  Anyway, more on that another time.  We send our love and thanks for your continued prayers, cheer leading, and support.  Below are a few pictures and I'll post more when we get back from our upcoming Thai holiday!  Sending thoughts for peace and the love of Christ to each of you!

Our FB post from Paloma's page

My future...

An AWESOME group of folks from the Word of Life, Chennai

Sandra, an honorary Grant girl

December Better get Better REAL Quick-like

So… Indian hospitals.  We took Savannah to the one by our house back in May when she had a month of stomach issues – near daily vomiting after a pretty ugly virus – for an ER visit.  And she swore she wouldn’t go back to that one or any other.  My daughter is a bit of a medical wimp.  She gets it honest, really… I am not much braver.  I still faint when I have blood drawn.  But I am an adult and use logic and know when things need to happen and tests need to be run and so on.  She is a teenager and doesn’t quite understand all that.  Of course nobody WANTS to have blood drawn, injections or hospital stays.  But most people, when feeling bad enough, will concede and let logic take over the fear or emotion involved.  Not my kid.  She is SO hard headed.  She might get that honest, too…   I knew when she called me into her room around 5 AM on Monday that something was wrong.  I found her with a fever, trembling and looking pretty terrible.  I gave her a couple Tylenol, a big cup of water, a cold rag on her neck and lay down with her.  She had been complaining all weekend about knots on her head behind her right ear.  That pain, coupled with the fever was enough for me.  I sent Gideon a message to let him know we needed to get her into the doctor on the same day.  And last time we were there, the doc suggested a hospital stay to do all necessary tests in one shot.  Knowing Savannah well enough, I declined but kept it in the back of my head.  Monday morning I changed my mind.  I had to figure out how to break the news to my anxiety-ridden daughter.  I decided we were going with me sneaking a packed bag into the car and letting the doctor be the mean one.  Yep, I am THAT mom.  And it was a good plan.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to work because all her clothes, for once, were in her room and not out in the wash area (AKA dining area).  Dang it all!  So then I decided we would go with the love and logic route.  After giving myself a pep talk and knowing as long as I keep my emotions in check (have I mentioned I am a crier these days?) and sound positive, loving, and concerned, she will have to understand and agree that the hospital admission is the way to go. Right?  Wrong.  This child used every ounce of her energy, which wasn’t much, to argue, yell, physically get in the way of me packing a bag and then locked herself in the bathroom, refusing to go.  Yep.  My sixteen-year-old turned into a toddler.  And honestly, I expected it.  She’s terrified.  She’s sick.  She’s miserable.  And I was forcing her to do the very thing she was most against.  So after I raised my voice she left the room and let me pack her bag.  That was when she locked herself in the bathroom.  When I told her if she didn’t open the door I would have the maintenance men come by and take it off the hinges (and I was serious), she angrily complied.  I was too stressed to use logic anymore and emotion took over.  I cried when I told her I don’t know what is wrong with her and we can’t figure it out until she gets more tests.  I told her I was sorry she’s already had blood drawn three times and nothing has come back conclusive.  I told her I wish there was another way, but let’s make the best decision and get her admitted, get any and all tests done in one shot and get her well.  I reminded her she has already missed over FOUR weeks of school and if she really wants to graduate this year then she has to get back in there and get caught up.  I reminded her that in less than three weeks we are heading back to Texas for our holiday break and she needs to be healthy enough to travel, not to mention enjoy her time there.  I told her I don’t always know the right or best decision, but I know we need to do this to get her well.  She was still angry, wouldn’t speak to me, but got dressed.

We picked up Gideon on the way and she was silent for the entire car ride.  We met the doctor a little over an hour later.  He was concerned with her high fever, asked a few questions which she refused to answer since she was still in non-speaking teenager mode.  I answered most of the questions, but the doctor wanted to hear from her.  He is a nice man.  He understands her anxiety and spoke to her with compassion.  He explained that the tests already taken do not indicate what is wrong and he wants to do a few more and observe her.  She finally acknowledges him but says she doesn’t want to be admitted.  Ultimately, she was admitted and the first test to be done was a CT scan. 

Monday night passed pretty quickly.  She had quite a few visitors and she was in pretty good spirits (Thank you to those who came and took the heat off mean mom!)  There was no CT scan, though.  I asked at least five times and the nurses all said they were checking or the scan centre was full and would call when it’s time.  They never called.  When I went out at 3 am to ask for a blanket (again) and just stood at the nurse’s station until a blanket came, I asked about the CT scan.  One of the girls told me it was now scheduled for 8 AM and they would come get us.  OK.  Blanket in hand, back to the – oh, let’s call it a “bed” – in the room and a few hours of tossing and turning with a few naps woven in there, 8 AM comes.  Shortly after, I am up and walking to the door to go find out, and a nurse comes in, hands Savannah some hospital issue clothes to change into and a wheelchair for the ride down.  She does the scans for her chest and abdomen after a small wait and heads back to the room.  In the meantime, we snuck a visitor in outside of visiting hours (yes, we are quite the rule-breakers!) and she shared some smiles and laughs with her friend, Sandra, while we waited.  Not too long after Sandra left, Gideon came by to check on the patient.  She was still having the pain behind her ear and the usual no-appetite, but nothing else at the moment.  The nurse came back a bit later and said the scans were clear, which was good news.  But it didn’t tell us what was wrong.  Sigh.  After a couple hours, the doctor called Gideon and said she would stay another night as we wait for a fever.  It was sounding like malaria was the culprit, but it will often only show up during a blood test taken when the infected has a fever.  So, oddly, we were hoping and praying for a fever.  Praying for a fever and a diagnosis and a treatment plan and health.  But no fever came.  Tuesday ended, we are mid-afternoon Wednesday and there’s still no fever.  So it’s about time to start the discharge process, which is fine.  I am over being here.  Savannah is over being here.  There isn’t anything productive going on, no real monitoring of her food, drink or other levels.  Nothing I can’t do in the comfort of our own home, anyway.  Like everything else here, I am sure the discharge process will take time.  I don’t expect to leave before at least two hours pass, probably three.  Maybe they’ll surprise me.  (PS, editing from home and it took a cool 3.5 hours to discharge…)

So the next steps… wait for a fever.  Take her to local clinic and get a blood test if and when it comes back.  Make her eat.  Make her drink.  Pray.  Then, when we get back to Houston, take her to see her regular doctor.  Maybe the comforts of the good ol’ USA will help ease her anxiety and we can complete some tests there.  Suggestions include another blood test (won’t she be thrilled?) and endoscopy (another fun conversation, I am sure) to start.  We will bring all her records with us so he can see everything we have done and get his thoughts…

Changing the subject completely, and while I realize this is really long, I need to let you know that little Prasansha passed away last Thursday.  She was in a lot of pain from the tumors and left us around 2 PM IST.  Indian customs surrounding death are quite different than that of the western world.  Christians in India are buried.  Hindus are cremated.  There’s no crossover or option for this to vary.  And there’s no funeral parlor to come pick up the family member (she passed at their home) and prepare the body for burial.  Generally there is a refrigerated box brought to the home or a place of the family’s choosing in which the deceased is displayed for friends, family and neighbors to come and pay respects.  Or gawk.  Or who knows what else.  The Acheson’s did not want that, so they went with a same-day burial.  Fortunately, another family handled all arrangements when Prasansha first fell sick a few weeks back, so this was possible.  The casket people came to measure her.  Dr. Rajiv from our church came by and helped prepare her little body by cleaning and dressing her.  The service was set for 5:30 PM at a nearby cemetery.  The casket guys came back around 5 ready to pick up and transport her body.  Turned out the little casket was an inch or two too short. As with most things here, proper measurements were not taken and they eye-balled it.  And her little legs were bent at the knees.  Shawn mentioned this was pretty normal for India – “good enough” – but in the US (and Canada, from which they hail), good enough is NOT good enough.  We expect perfection and we expect above and beyond.  Keeping in mind her soul was gone to be with Jesus and it was only her “earthly vessel” – it had to be OK.  (I don’t know what they are called here, so we will keep referring to the casket guys as such.) The casket guys carried her downstairs from the apartment with no lid and put her into a beat up little van.  Again, back home this would not be acceptable.  The departed would be taken by a nice and clean, shiny hearse from one place to another, so this was just overwhelming.  The Acheson house emptied and we all went to the cemetery.  The most crowded cemetery I have ever seen.  Now, I don’t do cemeteries or ghost stories or scary walks around Halloween like some people do.  I don’t like to be scared, so maybe there are crowded cemeteries like this back in the US, but I am ok not knowing this.  We got there as the sun was setting and the casket guys kept telling Shawn and Sheralyn they should have done it earlier to avoid being there after dark.  Thanks for the newsflash.  Things happened as fast as India would let them, and we were all there now.  Sheralyn’s mom was Skyped in for the quick eulogy.  Well, I think it was quick.  I don’t remember a lot.  I didn’t hear what the pastor who was speaking said.  I remember they offered to let everyone walk by the casket, which was already in the shallow grave, before they put the lid on.  I chose not to see her after she passed.  She was very thin last weekend and that was hard enough for me to see.  I know she lost more weight in the next few days.  I wanted to remember her with her little chipmunk cheeks, big smile and sweet fresh head of hair instead of the sickly little girl who came in the last three weeks.  After everyone who wanted to had filed by, they hammered the lid on.  Yes. They hammered the lid on.  Drove the nails in.  Right there.   Man, it was hard to hear.  And to see the kids crying over the loss of their friend.  And sister.  Leroy, her six-year old brother, stayed in Shawn’s arms and cried during most of the service.  Realization that his little buddy had left was setting in.  Mcartney, her 11-year old sister, is more analytical and logical about it.  Or else the reality hasn’t made its way to her yet.  We will miss that sweet girl.  So funny, so happy, and so confident after only a few short months with the Acheson family.  We are blessed to have known her and will always have a little spot on our hearts carved out just for Princess Prasansha of Nepal, adopted by Canadians living in India. 

I am sure I have left out some important parts of the days leading up to and hours during and after and days following her death.  It has been a whirlwind of emotions here the past weeks and days.  I am amazed at the faith and strength Shawn and Sher are able to have during such a difficult time.  They came to visit Savannah Monday.  Less than a week after they buried their baby girl, they were here for us, offering moral, spiritual and support as friends and family.  I don’t understand how they can be at a hospital so quickly, but they are.  They know she is with our Savior, dancing and laughing, in no more pain.  They know she spent her last almost year building her confidence with the love of a family.  They know she died peacefully.  Loved by not only a family, but knowing the love of Jesus Christ.  We should all be so lucky to have that spiritual confidence at any age.  We will miss her.  The Acheson’s will host a celebration of life service next Monday or Tuesday evening so all those who could not attend her burial can help remember Prasansha.

OK.  So this is long enough.  I am hoping the next blog post will be about how Savannah is healed and back to her normal bratty teenager self.  We both thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts as we move through some tougher times here in India.  We are looking forward to a little H-town love from our family and friends in the upcoming few weeks.  And Tex-Mex.  I am pretty sure I’ll feel better after I have some Guadalajara in my belly… after a few big hugs from my parents, brother and family, and Michael, to start.  Again, we appreciate your prayers, warm thoughts and good vibes as we work to figure out what is ailing Savannah and for our safe travels mid-month.  You are all a blessing to us!  Love from Chennai!

November Rain

The last time I blogged I was feeling pretty frustrated and helpless.  I haven't posted anything in the past couple weeks because not a lot has changed and I figure you don't need to hear my whining.  My kiddo has now missed three weeks of school.  We went to a new doctor when the initial blood work came back and was not conclusive but the symptoms stayed.  The original doc said he thinks she is depressed, missing home.  Well, of course she's missing home.  I am, too.  But missing home doesn't give you a pretty steady fever for more than three days and a monthly recurrence of the same fever, usually coupled with vomiting or nausea.  We went to the big international hospital here, Apollo, and met with a senior doc in the Infectious Disease department.  Savannah was repulsed by the department name.  "Oh my gosh, what do they think I have???" 

Let me tell you a little about this visit...  This hospital is big, like one of the bigger hospitals in our Houston medical center, to help my Texas friends relate.  And it's filled with different desks and sub-departments because we're in India and that's how we do it over here.  We like to make things as confusing as possible.  I had a hunch this was going to be pretty complicated for my American-self and asked Gideon if he could join us in advance.  Savannah wasn't feeling better.  She was closing out the second full week of being sick, and I was sick at this point, too.  I just had congestion and sinus issues, but enough that I was feeling pretty lousy and thought it best to have an "Indian representative" to help with language barriers and cranky American issues.  Sometimes I make pretty good decisions and this was one of them.  Thank GOD Gideon was with us.  Although Apollo is an internationally recognized hospital, and even has a department JUST FOR foreigners, there was lots of Tamil going on and lots of "go here, fill this, do that, not this, pay here, see him, go there."  Had Gideon not been with us at the start, I can assure you I would have started crying (or gone to Indian jail for assault and battery) about 10 minutes in and he would have wound up there in the end.  Anyway, Saint Gideon helped us through the myriad of desks and departments to finally meet the good doctor.  We were too late, after all the desk hopping, to meet the one he wanted to see, but we were meeting second in charge.  I'll take it.  But first we met with a doctor's assistant.  Super nice guy, listened to everything we had to say about Savannah's symptoms and asked quite a few questions we didn't already cover.  He told us it sounds like Typhoid based on her pattern of fever and vomiting and could be easily treated, not to worry.  To properly diagnose we will get a culture and watch it grow for about a week.  Savannah was on high alert at that point: What kind of culture??  He answered simply, "A blood test.  A prick.  Nothing to worry."  My poor kid.  She really did get a lot of my better qualities, but the anxiety over blood tests and needles is not one of them.  I told her relax, we were still going to talk to the main doctor and maybe he could tell something from the other tests.  There was no calming her down.  Sigh.  So the assistant laughed a bit, ok, a lot, and sent us to see the main guy with his set of notes.  What was the first thing out of Savannah's mouth?  "I am not getting a blood test."  Nice.  Deep Mom sigh.  I smile, tell him I'm sorry, and he smiles.  Nice man.  He reads through the notes and has another discussion, similar to the one we just had.  He's thorough and it's good.  He suspects maybe mononucleosis or even something thyroid-related. There's more talk of blood test.  He knows she is not wanting it, and says to avoid it for now, we can check her temperature at several times a day for four days and then come back to have it done if there's a pattern.  She was shaking her head through the entire conversation, "No, no blood test."  I had to be the mean mom.  I had to be the mom who is looking out for her best interests, and in this case, looking out for her health.  I put on the "don't mess with me" voice and face, and told her we are NOT waiting four more days to get this done.  I reminded her she had already missed two full weeks of school, I had missed several nights of work, we needed to be able to go home with her healthy in a month, and that we have Gideon with us and we are already here, in the city, and we are getting it done. TODAY.  She was not happy.  She argued.  She yelled.  She acted like a toddler.  She embarrassed me utterly and completely. I had a wave of regret when I remembered doing something similar when I needed a tooth-filling when I was about 12 years old.  (I called Mom later the same day and apologized.  She laughed and said, "That's why your dad took you in!") But I stood my ground.  She wanted a friend from church to come give her some moral support.  I told her she had Gideon and me.  She yelled a little more, refused a little more, and then gave up.  She knew it was happening and then went into survival mode.  She was cranky and angry and giving me teen-eyes.  It didn't matter.  She got it done.  And I was thankful.  I refilled her tank and thanked Gideon for his time and support with Costa coffee.  She survived.  And so did I.

Fast forward a week to wait on results...............  Was there anything fast about the past week?  Not really.  It has been exhausting.  She hasn't felt better and I am stressed.  We did get some results on the same day.  Hey! Did I tell you India does pretty much ROCK on getting lab results back super fast?  I should brag about it, because I don't think I brag about much over here. So, yep, some results came same day, AND, bonus! they are available online.  Not that I can read them, other than what's in the "normal range" as provided (again, pretty fancy stuff going on over here providing this detail online!) and what was not in the norm.  So she was on the border with thyroid.  She was negative for blood parasites (sounds gross, glad it was negative).  She was normal for some other stuff.  Then we got back a borderline positive for some monocytes something or other and a borderline positive for Typhus.  OK so we are making progress.  She has SOMETHING.  Is it wrong for me to feel a little relieved that she does HAVE something and look forward to having her treated??  I was relieved, honestly.  So we went to see the head of the Infectious Disease department, another new doctor, at his clinic Tuesday evening, armed with results and hope.  Oh, and Gideon.  This guy was awesome.  Even better than the last assistant and doctor we saw.  Great questions, thorough, great bedside manner.  One small issue...  One lab result was missing.  A major one.  What??  How so?  I printed everything!! Turned out the printout was there, but the results were blank.  My Google diploma of medicine didn't cover what to look for if it came back and was blank.  I just thought the dash meant nothing came back.  Sigh.  Sooooo the doctor said based on everything was able to review at the time, still inconclusive.  But he would get those other results Wednesday morning and call Gideon. Hopefully with a prescription and a plan.  He also suggested we will get a scan of her belly to see if there is an enlarged spleen or kidney that might be causing the issue. 

As of last night we have a prescription and a diagnosis.  We have a strong antibiotic to treat a "light case of Typhoid" and a plan to have her scan done in the next day or two as a precaution.  She has taken one full round of meds since yesterday evening. I have done REALLY WELL since my last blog and stayed off the Googler and have not looked up all the suggestions and possibilities of illnesses.  But I did mention the typhoid possibility to a couple coworkers and they filled me with fear of the dietary restrictions and possible hospital admission for IV fluids and meds that would follow if the diagnois came back as such.  Fortunately, we aren’t quite there.  My daughter would have to NOT eat all the "good American food" she has been craving if she has a full-blown case of Typhoid, according to these guys... who, by the way, have all had Typhoid at some time or another.  Apparently (again, I haven't checked myself!) this is caused only by a bacteria in the water here - go figure - and although we got a vaccine before we left, there are four or five strains and we were only about 70% protected and only against one strain.  Anyway, the doctor said we will see how antibiotics help and talk about dietary restrictions later, only if necessary.  WHEW!  I can make her get her blood drawn, but I can't make her NOT eat when we go home next month.  That is a battle I know I would lose.  My girl likes to eat.  Wonder where she gets that from?  haha 

So that's the latest health update.  I am still praying (and appreciate your prayers!) that she gets better quickly.  We need to get her back to school and caught up on her school-work.  We need to get her feeling better because she is tired of being sick and I am tired of her being sick and we are tired of each other.  She has had a few days that she felt OK, with no fever or vomiting, and we did venture out.  But for the most part, she's been home bound and going stir crazy.

So I know this has been long... But I have more to tell you.  Do I keep going?  I will.  You go take a break.  Stretch your legs or whatever you need to do and come back later.  I'll still be here. 

Two Thursdays ago we got some very sad news.  Savannah is very close with our friends from church, Pastor Shawn and his wife, Sheralyn and their kids, Mcartney (11), Leroy (6) and Prasansha (4).  This is where she spends most of her weekends and she LOVES LOVES LOVES those babies. And they adore her as much as she loves them.  Shawn and Sher adopted all three kiddos - Mcartney in the US when she was a baby, Leroy here in India when he was a baby, and Pransansha just shortly after Savannah & I began attending Word of Life.  Pransansha's biological father attends the Word of Life Nepali church (they are from Nepal) at our same building and was a single dad.  His family had not been supportive and helpful with him working and trying to provide for her.  He met the Acheson family and after a while asked them to adopt her.  They had been praying for another child and know this was God's answer, especially because Shawn joked he didn't want another one in diapers.  Win/Win.  But Pransansha was battling cancer, which is part of the reason her Nepali family was not supportive and helpful - she was too much work.  She had been rejected over and over, so the Acheson family took her in and became her family just seven months ago.  She spoke no English when she joined them, but within about three months of living with them, she was really good.  And now she's terrific.  Her biological father is still part of her life, but he is Papa and Shawn is Daddy.  She lives, of course, with Shawn and Sher and they are finalizing paperwork, but everything in India is slow.  A couple months ago she had her last chemo and was cleared - cancer free.  Her hair has grown back and she's just a doll.  Joyful, sweet, hilarious and loving.  Savannah was there the weekend before (as usual) and Pransansha was coughing a lot and vomited a time or two.  Sav took care of her so Sher could get some rest...  Pransansha was OK most of Sunday, just laid down during dinner and was low energy.  Sher said that Monday they went to the mall and she was fine, played at the play land and full of spirit.  Tuesday night she was not feeling well and Sher noticed her belly swelling.  She made an appointment for a scan at the cancer hospital for Wednesday.  Shawn left for Nepal on Wednesday late morning with our Nepali pastor to go help plant churches up there.  The scan results came back to Sheralyn and they were not good.  Pransansha's cancer is back.  And it's aggressive.  She's been through several rounds of chemo and a surgery one which took a kidney just one year ago.  The doctor told Sher the fact that it came back within a year, and so aggressively, gives her only a 10% chance of beating it.  And chemo would be very, very hard on her little body and organs.  The tumors in her tummy are pressing on her left lung, which has already collapsed under the pressure.  She is in a lot of pain.  Sher and Shawn have decided they will not treat it and put her through further pain for such slim chances.  The doctors gave her only a few days.  They put her in the care of a hospital owned and run by a Christian family, one of a doctor from our church. They took care of her, made her as comfortable as possible. Shawn came back from Nepal and made it in late that first Friday night.  Savannah and I have spent a lot of time with them in the last two weeks.  I know Savannah's heart and I knew as soon as I spoke to Sher that we would be going, regardless of how she was feeling (yes, she was sick some of the times).  Last Wednesday they did a scan of Pransansha's tummy and it showed the tumors had stopped growing.  It was amazing news!  Pransansha has left the hospital to be comfortable at home.  They were able to give her pain patches to help with that transition, but Tuesday and Wednesday it seems the pain is coming back.  The doctor is looking into what else can be done for her pain.  Poor baby girl.  We will ask your help to please pray for the Acheson family.  They are SUCH a huge blessing for Savannah and me.  We would not be surviving here without them.  Savannah is their "foster kid" and even Dynamo has made his way over there for a weekend visit.  We love them and pray for Pransansha's comfort and peace.  We pray for no more pain.  We pray for a miracle from God to completely eradicate the tumors – cancer be gone!  And we know it can happen.  Should God's will be to take her to His Kingdom, we pray for strength and comfort and love for the family.  We pray for her brother and sister who love her so much.  We pray for her biological father, who loved her enough to want her to have a family who could and would love her and give her the life he could not.  We pray for Shawn and Sheralyn, who opened their hearts and their home, bringing love and joy to Princess Pransansha.  We pray for the kids in our church who love her smile and laugh and for understanding for them.  I pray for Savannah who also opened her heart and made a great connection with this sweet little girl.  So many prayers, but mostly God's love and comfort to all in this very sad situation.

And with that, I'll be done.  Sorry for the long stories, but know we appreciate your warm thoughts, prayers and love shown to us.  When times are hard, as they have been during the second half of this year, I am so thankful for your kind words and notes that keep me motivated and feeling loved.  We are will be home about this time next month to spend the holidays with our family and loved ones.  We are looking forward to it, and I am hoping the next four weeks will be a healthy four weeks!  Love to you all!