We are in Bad Berka, Germany again for Tom to receive his second Theranostic treatment. We were busy last week with visits with and to our Tom’s local doctors and for his zometa treatment on Wednesday. We attended the Temple on Tuesday and Tom worked the Wednesday evening shift as sealer and I went with him. I made more spiced almonds, did some needed shopping and we prepared and packed to go. On Thursday evening Cindy, Paul, Max and Jack came over to give us both blessings and for us to say goodbye to Max as he will leave for Australia while we are gone and we are uncertain when we will see him again. Tom had a board meeting with Chip Parson and others before we left regarding their medical mission plans for Mongolia.
Paul was to pick us up to drive us to the airport on Friday but called that Cindy and Jack had taken both cars. We quickly called our dear friend and neighbor Jean who was out shopping and she rushed home and kindly drove us out for our flight. We made it with some time to spare and with assistance for Tom at the airport. We were helped again in Frankfurt to and onto the train headed for Weimar. I rushed to pick up a few groceries at the airport train station so we could be better supplied with food on this trip. We also took extra food in our luggage. At Weimar we caught a cab to the Bad Berka ZentralKlinik. When we arrived we were informed that, due to covid, I could only be in the hospital for one hour a day and with no internet and that we could only stay in the hospital for a half hour that night. We quickly messaged our children and had a quick zoom meeting with the Erfurt Elders who had promised to meet with us that evening. They were two cute young men from Utah and Boise. We then retired to our guest room for a small meal and for the night. I felt much better prepared with food this time but was distressed about the direction she had given us concerning my time in the hospital and WiFi use.
We had our sacrament at the guest room Sunday morning and then went up to the hospital to register Tom, where upon receptionist invited me to go upstairs with him. We were shocked. We had expected that I would be rushed out of the hospital but instead we went upstairs together and Tom had his admission testing done and his hospital lunch. We were then able to spend time together in the nearby visitors’ room. The only way he and I can communicate, while he is there and in isolation following his treatments, is by FaceTime and the only way I can connect with the children is but texting or FaceTime and all of that occurs when I have access to WiFi which I can only have in the hospital as the guest room has none. The sever restrictions mentioned the night before didn’t seem to be in effect now and so I carried on with the most recent indicators given us and assumed that the evening receptionist from the night before was being a little too stringent.
Tom had his treatment and Monday afternoon. I arrived at the hospital in the morning and started communicating with him and messaging the children, sitting out of view of the multiple receptionists. I really think it is okay for international patients’ family members to be here. While keeping myself busy, Tom suddenly appeared in his pyjamas in front of me. He had been allowed to come downstairs before he became radioactive and meet with the pharmacist, so we did that together and then took him back upstairs. They gave him his treatment in the early afternoon and he was then on his drinking water excessively regime and a saline IV to flush the radioactivity out of him. I went back to the room to eat lunch and returned in the afternoon. I will continue this routine thru the week to breakup my time in the hospital up a little. I read my scriptures, listen to podcasts, message and FaceTime in the hospital and then listen to downloaded ebooks in the room and watch downloaded movies. It is lonely and Tom and I have a hard time being separated. Each time I walk back to the room, I turn at a certain lamppost and wave at him as he stands in his room window on the third floor and he watches me until I disappear near the forest on the far side of the parking lot.
On Tuesday Max left for Australia to be with Jacqui. They will be married next Monday civilly and hope to return soon for Tom to seal them and the family here to celebrate with them. Cindy arranged for a Christmas celebration for him on this past weekend and they went to the Temple together with Max and Jack early Tuesday before heading to the airport. He is off now on his long journey and new adventure.
Tom is now in isolation and as far as we know things are going well.
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