Going Home

For the last two weeks we have been in Germany.   We have spent our days trying to get me a little bit stronger to travel home.  I have to say when it's 4 degrees outside all I really want to do is hibernate like a big brown bear.  However, I have a tough task master who although kind and loving to a fault has been tough with me.  Which is just as well because let's face it I totally would have just hibernated!

So, with physio a big fat no at the moment we have just walked.  Some days we have managed to do more than others.  With one day even racking up an impressive 10,000 steps, although the next two days were spent crying in pain and realising that I am not quite up to that yet!  

It's a learning curve, and I am glad that mostly I leave it to Craig to decide what we are doing because he is far more sensible than me.  Between you and me (because we don't want to give him a big head!) on both occasions I have completely overdone it,  he warned me an hour before telling me it was time to go home but I, in my stubbornness pushed on and then bitterly regretted it the next day. 

We didn't really like Dusseldorf if we are honest when we first arrived. Granted the low temperature and biting wind didn't really help! But after a few days of sulking we decided to walk towards Altstadt, meaning the old town.  Suddenly we discovered what all the fuss was about.  

One of our favourite little restaurants

A gorgeous town, full of narrow little streets, with restaurants and cafes as far as the eye can see.  It's a shame we were not here a few days longer as the Christmas markets start the day after we leave.  According to a friend there are many markets, I think seven in all, spread out around Dusseldorf and it is quite a sight to behold.  The preparations are well under way and it looks to be a huge event.

Christmas preparation in Dusseldorf

Knowing Craig had never really left the shores of Australia, let alone ever traveled to Europe I had a small wish list of things I wanted us to do.  Some of it was completely stupid and with the best will in the world was never going to happen.  But there were a few things on there I really wanted to do if we had the chance.  One of them was to visit a stately home or a castle and a Art Gallery.  

Our Fist 'Matisse'

We were lucky enough to do all three, in fact the first wasn't just a stately home it was a palace. Schloss Benrath, is a baroque style palace, a holiday home if you will. It was built for the Elector Palatine Charles Theodor and his wife Elizabeth.  Construction began in 1755 and it took 15 years to complete it. Upon completion the elector and his wife took the two week carriage ride to visit upon which Palatine decided it was entirely too far to travel and never visited again!  

Benrath Palace

As Craig and I stood in the great ball room, it was hard not to be swept up by the romantic feel of the place.  If you closed your eyes you could almost hear the musicians playing and imagine all the fine ladies and gentlemen dancing and talking.  

The Ballroom at Benrath

You could imagine the carriages arriving at the great entrance and the servants rushing in and out of the secret doors with drinks and a feast fit for a King.  

The palace was a lovely hue of pink.  We later found out that only Kings or Queens painted their palaces red, and pink was a colour reserved for those just below royalty.  

We also discovered that during this time pink was considered a boys colour and blue a girls colour.  I wonder what switched this the other way around?

It was so hard not to touch the harpsichord!

Unfortunately, the hotel we were staying in decided we couldn't stay for the last two days of our stay as they had a medical conference on and needed the room unless we wanted to pay quadruple the price, so we had to pack up and leave.  Panicking we scoured Dusseldorf for somewhere to stay, but everything was out of our price range.  With only two days left till we fly out the thought of moving hotels was not ideal but needs must.  I had read about a place outside of Dusseldorf called Solingen that had a medieval castle, which was number two on my wish list of things to show Craig.  

Burg Castle, Solingen

We managed to find a little hotel in the back streets of Solingen, not much to look at from the outside and right next to the railway tracks but it's clean, warm and comfortable.  We had a wonderful driver from Sixt, whom we highly recommend if you need a car to anywhere in Dusselfdorf and surrounding areas.  Marcus our driver even came into the hotel and checked us in, gave us a run down of all the sights and sounds before driving us to a little town near the castle. We couldn't check in until 4pm so I persuaded Craig I was more than up to visiting the castle.  I was having a 'good' day so wanted to make the most of it!

Chair lift up to Burg Castle

We took the chairlift up to the Castle, which was really neat fun.  I thought Craig wouldn't like it much as he is not a fan of heights, but in the end it was me who was a bit wobbly about the experience.  As we disembarked the lift our eyes were met with such beauty, nature at it's absolute finest.  

The view of the Autumnal trees in the valley below us was absolutely stunning, and for a moment we just stood.  I felt Craig's arm's creep around my waist and in that moment everything was perfect for the first time in weeks.  

It was the first time I have felt a sense of peace,  of things improving and a gratitude for getting this far.  Please don't get me wrong I am incredibly grateful that I have been lucky enough to get this surgery and I am so thankful to those who made it possible.  But, it has been mentally, hugely challenging.  The pain I felt before the operation pales into insignificance to the pain afterwards.  And, up until that moment I had regretted the operation completely, wondering if I had made everything worse and that going forwards I would be in more pain than before.  

Standing there with Craig in that moment, the breathtaking views caught in my chest, we were both a little overwhelmed.  Glad that the operation was over, and glad that our return to Australia was just days away. Hand in hand, we wandered off and found the most beautiful village with the Castle at the heart of it all.  With the temperature now a few degrees colder due to the altitude we decided lunch and a sit down was next on the agenda.

I have no idea what it was but it was vegetarian and quite delicious!

After a delicious lunch overlooking the stunning valley views, we ventured to the castle.  One of things I have most enjoyed during this trip is Craig's reactions to things.  It is such good fun to travel with someone who hasn't really traveled.  He started out quite timidly in the beginning, worrying about suitcases and flights, worrying about how we would get here and how we would manage this and that.  

But today, once again the big kid in Craig had returned and as we entered the castle that look of wonderment, that I love returned, as he soaked up the history all around him.  He is one of those people who looks at everything and reads everything, he is a joy to go anywhere with.

The village around the castle

This was definitely a day where both of us ended up overdoing things.  I hadn't taken into account stairs and it turns out castles have a fair amount of stairs!  I ended up waiting for Craig in various places as the stairs completely beat me.  Today I am paying the price with very painful legs once more.  That seems to be how this is though, one day is good and the next day is hard, sometimes I even get a couple of good days in a row but for now the hard days still outweigh the good.

I am so glad we made the effort though.  It put Germany on the map for both of us, although for  Switzerland is still our favourite, just saying.

We checked into our hotel and crashed on the bed.  The hotel is nice and the staff really friendly.  We woke this morning and had breakfast which was the normal mix of salads and cold meats that are so popular in this part of the world.  On a side note - I miss marmite more than I thought was possible! 

 
Today, we are resting, because the day has almost finally arrived to fly back to Australia!  I would be lying if I said I was looking forward to the flight.  If I am honest it scares the shit out of me. The thought of 30 odd hours of traveling fills me with fear.  I can't even sit at breakfast for longer than 15 minutes without having to get up and walk around.  Even lying down is difficult and I think back to the flight over and I am terrified. I am just so grateful we are in business class, because I literally would not have made it otherwise.  I think we would have had to stay for at least another month or so to make the journey in economy, upright.  In an ideal world where money was no object I wouldn't leave for at least another month and even then I think it would be a tough journey.

I am keeping in my mind the thought of our bed at home, our lovely comfy bed with our own pillows, as the prize at the end of our journey.  We arrive at 9.30pm into Brisbane airport so by the time we get home it will be bed time.  

The real prize though of finally getting home is giving our precious children and my folks a big hug and not letting go.  We have missed them more than we thought possible and the thought of holding them all close is the only prize I need to get on that plane tomorrow however scared I am.  It is only one day and one night and as I know from the last nine weeks time flies by when you are having fun!  It will be over in a mere heartbeat and by Friday we will be moaning about how hot we are! 

I am a little worried about how we will manage the pain not only on the journey home but back in Australia.  I am almost completely off prescription pain killers now and just using natural pain medication which of course won't be available back in Australia. It seems utterly ridiculous that we are unable to use CBD back at home, but that is the law at the moment.  I just hope that I will be able to cope without having to go back onto the horrific concoction of prescription painkillers I was on before just to get through the day.  It would be a huge step backwards and one I don't want to take, but what else can you do??

Thank you everyone for following our journey, for your support, your love and your messages throughout our trip.  Thanks to those who made the journey to visit us and those who have cared for me during our trip.  I will carry on with updates on my progress once I get home, so that others who are thinking about embarking on this crazy journey might find comfort or clarity in my writings. 

I have had lots of emails from people since I started this blog many years ago but none more so than since I have written about Artificial Disc Replacement and our journey to Switzerland to look for answers.  It seems that I am not alone, in fact far from it, I only have to look at Craig to see another poor soul suffering horribly with back pain. So, if you are embarking on this journey or contemplating it and need someone to chat to, then contact me.  I am happy to answer any questions you have honestly and to the best of my ability.

So Cold!

Well that's it folks, it's time to sign off, finish packing and get on that plane!  Thank you again and look forward to seeing you all soon.  Wish me luck...(I can hear a song coming on!)...as you wave me goodbye!

Love 

Kate & Craig x

4cm Taller

I am so sorry it's been over a week since my last blog.  I could tell you it's because it's been a rough week, or because I have been in too much pain, both of which are absolutely true but mostly it's because I didn't know what to write. Every time I have tried to write this last week it was just too depressing to publish.  I think I have hit a bit of a wall.  My head has let me down a bit, spiraled into a bit of a depression I suppose, that has been hard to pull myself out of.

I want to get to the point where I look at this whole experience and see it as a good thing and not as a horrible mistake. Although my walking is much better, when the night comes, it brings with it such a lot of pain, it's hard not to find myself wishing I had never done this. My scar looks pretty good at four weeks post operation, although it occurred to me it looks like a sad smiley.

I remember when Mum had her knee done.  She kept saying "If I had of known how much pain it was going to cause me I never would have had it done" I remember saying to her a year on, when we were happily walking round the shopping mall "I bet you are glad you had your knee done now" and she replied "nope, still wouldn't do it".  I now understand what she meant.

Don't get me wrong, I do know it was the right decision and I don't regret it and I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has made it possible.  I know I couldn't have stayed the way I was.  I just didn't realise how hard it was going to be and will be for the next year.  I thought I would be one of the lucky ones who would just get up and walk off into the sunset smiling, I should have known better! Just a bit down in the dumps I suppose.

To be fair I think most of my pain is coming from the SIJ joint.  Sadly only two of the screws could be taken out and it's a pretty angry joint.  I suspect I will be lucky if I am ever pain free in my SIJ.  I think that's where a lot of the depression comes from. Knowing that I never needed it in the first place.  That the disc replacement has been so successful and if only I could have had that done instead of a botched operation, things might be different now.  I know I have to let it go, but it's hard, I am so angry.

You have to speak up at rehab, if it's too much say something.

We left the rehab facility at the weekend and came to Dusseldorf.   I should have been there for two weeks but Craig was getting worried about the state I was in, after two days I couldn't walk. After consultation with the doc and a secret call to my parents he pulled the plug.  Too much too soon was the verdict.  Physio doesn't usually start until the 12 week point, but knowing we had to fly so far we thought it would help, we had also read so many posts about how much it helped. 

For me this couldn't be further from the truth.  This is another one of those occasions where it's different for everyone.  For those thinking of having any sort of ADR surgery I have to seriously warn you, don't overdo it and don't push yourself too hard in those first weeks.  I went to physio with a really positive attitude but all it has done is put me back.  After some advice we were told to just walk, everyday a little further and with it you'll get a little stronger. 

However, I still felt like I was letting everyone down including myself.  That I should carry on regardless, but Craig was right, you have to listen to your body and mine was screaming to stop. 

We were not sorry to see the back of dull Gelsenkirchen!

  So, that's what we have did, we packed our cases and we moved from Gelsenkirchen to Dusseldorf and checked into a basic but comfortable place and started walking.  I didn't for the first two days, I think I slept and moaned (a lot) but as the pain has started to subside we have begun walking. 

Being silly!

In our hearts we just want to come home.  Both of us are very homesick and miss our family.  It's been a long journey and a hard one.  I can see how exhausted my darling Craig is and how much he needs the support of others now too.  I dread the journey ahead of us and I still don't know how we will manage that twenty-six hour trip home.  At the moment I can't even sit for more than ten minutes without needing to get up and walk.  When I lie down I have to constantly roll from one side to another and back again.  It's frightening and scary.  I worry about how poor Craig will manage me and all the luggage, which of course I very inconsiderately added to with vast quantities of packet rosti! He just shrugs it off and says "It'll be fine" but he forgets how well I know him and I can plainly see he is as scared as me.

One of the many churches we walked past yesterday!

We leave on the 18th and day dreaming of the Gold Coast and giving our girls a hug seems to occupy most of my day at the moment.  

We did manage to go for a decent walk yesterday and found ourselves in the first pretty area of Dusseldorf, a sweet row of restaurants along the water, we had the first decent meal for a week, drank tea and coffee, and smiled at each other like a couple of newlyweds and for an hour we forgot everything else....it was bliss.

I persuaded Craig to take me on Dusseldorf's version of the London eye.  Although much to my horror I didn't know he wasn't keen on heights until he turned grey and looked like he was going to throw up over me!  

But as we made conversation with a Romanian family who shared our carriage he relaxed and almost enjoyed it!  It was a pretty perfect day.  On our way home we saw giant mutant ducks, which of course we duly took pictures of!

My mood lifted, my pain eased a little and with a massage and some magic pain killer, I slept well for the first time in weeks.

Tomorrow I am hoping I will be well enough to take Craig to another art gallery.  He enjoyed going so much in Zurich.  There is a 'Munch' exhibition on and I know they have a number of Picasso's and Worhols, I know he would love it.   I know it's easier to walk if your mind is occupied so fingers crossed tomorrow is a 'good' day, or at least a half decent day that I just need a gentle shove to get me going.  It occurred to me with all the fires back home, I suppose walking won't be the easiest thing to do.

I can't say Germany has thrilled me as a country, although Autumn is a pretty time of the year.  I much prefer Switzerland.  Mind you the cold weather doesn't help you like the place.  It hit a chilly 5 degrees tonight and frankly the days are not much warmer.  It's so awful looking at the news here, seeing our beloved Gold Coast in flames. The fire fighters working round the clock to keep us all safe, you are truly amazing people.  They called it 'catastrophic' on the news here, the worst since records began? Schools were shutting, and they were telling everyone to stay inside. It will be very strange going from such biting cold weather to scorching hot. I just hope it doesn't start effecting flights.  Stay safe everyone, especially all those fighting the fires.

Finally, I do have one bit of news I don't think I have shared yet. At rehab I had my height measured and I excitedly rang Charlotte to tell her. (I should preface this by telling you, that she grew taller than me about a year ago, she was 164 whilst I was left at 160cm)  When I rang I made her get Dad to measure her height with his tape measure.  "165cm" she announces to me, smiling.  "Are you kidding?! Are you kidding me right now?!" I demand.  "I go away for eight weeks, go through a horrible operation, gain 4cm, get all excited about coming home and being taller than you and you decide to grow a whole cm in 8 weeks!  That's not fair!" So, alas although I have grown 4cm and my trousers are all now too short, I am still 1cm shorter than my daughter!

We only went out for a short stroll today.  We found a launderette and did our washing (I know very dull!).  Suddenly, Christmas is everywhere, decorations are going up and the advent calender's are in the shops, which I have to say are far more beautiful than the cheap shit we sell.  If I could get anything else in our suitcases I would be bringing one each for the girls.  It's funny to think Christmas is nearly upon us once more, seeing all the facebook posts of Christmas trees going up seems crazy right now.  I do love the idea of the long school holidays stretching in front of us though, and time with the girls, now there's something to look forward to.

Love Kate x



 

From Zurich with Love to Gelsenkirchen with Vomit!

Craig and I woke before the alarm went off the day we left Zurich.  He looked at me nervously and smiled "It'll be fine, I got you" but I could see from the look in his eyes he was as shit scared as me!  

We were originally going to fly but had to cancel the flight as I wasn't well enough to leave. Everything we have read says planes and surgery don't go together, in fact in the study I read just yesterday by John Hopkins Institute said short domestic flights no sooner than six weeks and 12 weeks after surgery for anything longer than 5 hours!!!  We weighed up all the pros and cons, do we re-book our flight or catch the train.  We already knew the trains were comfy plus I could walk to my hearts content, so we booked it.  

Suddenly it is the day we are leaving, and it has crept up on us like a thief in the night!  I kept panicking about how the bloody hell Craig would manage five bags, it was four but I accidentally bought too much rosti to bring home....but that's another story! 

We checked the flat a hundred times, did we forget anything, but, really I think it was that we didn't want to leave.   This place had actually begun to feel like home.  The familiarity so comforting on days that were hard or painful, we just cuddled up under the covers in our little loft and ignored the world.  (I will put in a link in case anyone else is looking for accommodation in Zurich as it is literally opposite Dr Rischke's rooms where you have appointments and physio and just a six minute walk from hospital!) A perfect place for two people plus it has a lift. Link to accommodation in Zurich.

The train journey was to take a rather long 7 hours, we past through some really pretty places.  It became particularly pretty as we hit the Rhine river, we must have seen at least fifteen castles. 

The pain kicked in about 5 hours into the journey and I have to say I was impressed the CBD covered me so long.  But suddenly the predicament I had been dreading, what do I do about pain now?  I am on a train....I lasted an hour more before the pain got so bad I was in tears and sadly had to take morphine.  I am sorry but the more I travel this road, the more I realise just how ridiculous it is that this substance is not readily available around the world, what is it? Big pharma can't make money from it?  Is that it?  All I know is it gets rid of pain but doesn't take me with it.  I get to be level headed and pain free, it was joyous.  Sorry I digress, that's for another post, another time.

We arrived in Gelsenkirchen at around 6pm and headed straight to the hotel.  The town we arrived in was very pretty but as we drove on and on we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of absolutely nowhere, I was actually starting to wonder if we had been kidnapped, and we were being taken off somewhere (just kidding!).  I reckon the hotel is a 30 minute walk from any shop of any kind though.

Upon Checking into the Marriot Auf Shalke it looked to be quite nice. We were met with courtesy and given a key card.  We struggled up to the room with our cases, or rather Craig struggled up to the room with the cases and I watched, the whole time cursing my large rosti purchase.  Strange, I would have thought a four star Marriot would have had someone to help but that's okay, not the end of the world, well for me anyway, poor Craig looked knackered.

We collapsed on the bed.....Oh no, my worst fear about changing accommodation, the bed was literally like a house brick, as if the mattress was missing altogether. On their website they say and I quote "Luxury bedding - crisp linens, thicker mattresses, custom comforters, fluffier pillows" Trying not to worry I thought I would put the kettle on, I look and I look but no kettle....a bit strange for a Marriot especially as it is advertised on the website as having a coffee maker and tea facilities and I quote "Coffee maker/tea service"  Must be a mistake I will ask at reception, also I will find out how to order food and maybe these two weary warriors will have dinner in bed just for one night.  

But, first a shower, I avoid the toilet as the state of it makes me feel sick, you don't want to know why and out of kindness I won't post the picture I later showed the receptionist!  I managed to get in the shower with some help but getting out was terrifying.  I couldn't lift up my leg it was just too high.  It's one of those bath/shower units and the extractor fan we discovered also doesn't work either (along with the heating) so the place becomes an ice rink. Craig is panicking, I am crying and somehow he gets me out, without either of us falling over, frankly a miracle.  But the pain was unbearable. We had booked a room for a disabled person, there had to be a mistake?

Off to reception for the first of many unfortunate interactions.   Having spent a fair few years in the hospitality business, even running my own small hotel for a while, you expect certain things when you stay in places.  The most basic thing, is to be listened to and helped if at all possible. The receptionist just stared through me as I spoke to him.  Said he couldn't help with any of our problems but maybe tomorrow something could be done, or Monday when I got to Medicos I could talk to them. Not sure what they have to do with it but, feeling like I didn't have the energy to argue with him we went into dinner.

I should have prefaced this blog with 'Whinging Pom Alert' sorry! 
We waited at our table for menus, watching others eating what looked like delicious meals but instead were presented with a bowl full of coleslaw and although strange it was pleasant enough but that's the end of the nice food, next a plate full of what looked like dog food with beans came next, followed by a creme pudding that tasted like it had been doused in petrol. We went to bed confused, hungry and longing to be back at our little flat, or even better back home with our family in Australia, gosh when homesickness hits, it hits hard!  We went to bed feeling miserable.

In the morning fresh faced and feeling a bit brighter we once more tackled our problems at reception.  We were told there were no rooms available with a shower only and if I wanted a shower I would need to go to the top floor and use an open communal shower that faced the gym!!! He didn't care about the poo stained toilet or any of that, just shrugged.  They do not provide tea making facilities and you have to buy all hot drinks from the bar, clever  really as we are 30km from anywhere so at $8 a cup and the only place to get a cuppa I imagine it's a license to print money. A Marriot without any room facilities and yet rated as four stars?!

That day was really quite miserable, we sat and sulked for a few hours, actually to be fair I sulked, Craig was just sweet and encouraging trying to see the best of a bad situation.  We talked about just getting on a plane and coming home, or trying to find somewhere else to stay.  I mean, what I just don't shower for 17 days or shower in public, not much of a choice and yes I know 1st world problems.  Craig talked me down, after all even if I wanted to with all my heart I am not fit enough to make the journey home yet, it's that simple. 

We went down to dinner and it was a least a buffet, which looked hopeful.  Sadly, it was still only one choice of food just in a bain marie instead of a plate.  Luke warm pork with a green stuffing, green cauliflower and that awful spatzli stuff, that's like a weird mix between soggy bread and pasta.  There were two portions of pork left and they looked like they had been sat there forever.  I refused, no way, not taking a chance.  Craig of course being his usual not fussy self, and with the constitution of a horse when it comes to these types of things and desperate not to make a fuss about anything, he tucks in to his luke warm green pork.

28 hours later and Craig has been vomiting since this morning.  I took him to breakfast but he was pale and said he felt unwell.  Within a few hours he was running a temperature, vomiting and had all the signs of food poisoning.   I was due to start physio and my poor man is barely holding it together.  He refuses to stay in the room (of course) and comes to the first introduction before realising that he needs to get to bed with a bucket.  Which, is where he has been ever since.  The vomiting has calmed finally and at the moment he is sleeping.  I am keeping him cool with cold flannels and making him take sips of water when he wakes.  I asked reception if they had the number for a doctor...you guessed it "We don't have any information like that, we don't know one" really, the most helpful hotel we have ever stayed in...not.  What kind of hotel doesn't even have details of local doctors for their guests?? 

Perhaps I should send the hotel a link to these awesome Guest Information folders, great for helping your guests during their stay.  With information about the local area, hotel and doctors numbers!!!!!!

So, I left Craig which I didn't want to do and went off to my rehab program.  I missed him so much, instantly.  Strangely partners can come to everything with you, guide you, cheer you on, rather a good idea I think, certainly if you like your partner anyway!  To know he was sick and I was here, well it just felt wrong.  Luckily today was really just a doctors visit, nurses visit (where I found out my official new height, I have gone from 160cm to 164cm!!!!) then a very short introduction to physio and home.  I have been next to Craig ever since, thank goodness.  I don't think he is any worse, but if he hasn't improved by tomorrow I will look up one of the doctors I found on the internet and take him there. I feel so completely useless, he is so poorly.  He has been so amazing looking after me and all I can do is sit here and rub his back.

Meanwhile, the hotel got worse and started arguing that the price we had been quoted was incorrect and they needed more to cover food, another 40 euros each for breakfast and dinner, which I have clearly stated as included on all emails.  By the way, this is an hour after I have told them Craig has food poisoning from the buffet!  

Anyway Medicos eventually got it sorted for us as they had actually booked it in for us.  We are now eating at their bistro instead, which I have to say I am relieved about.  Although I have decided that German food is in general no where near as nice as Swiss and we were seriously spoiled with food there! Today's lunch resembled Craig's vomit, I kid you not!

Medicos looks to be amazing though and my timetable is amazing with everything from water therapy to massage.  I will let you know how my first real day goes tomorrow.  I only hope Craig will be a little better and I can leave him knowing he will be okay.  Luckily our room is not far from Medicos so I can at least walk back and check on him. All extra exercise.

So, that's it my moaning is over.  We are learning to get around things and we did manage to get a kettle and luckily we had brought our t bags and coffee from Zurich.  We got a few sugars at breakfast and some milk,  and suddenly we have tea facilities plus we can make hot water bottles!

My advice to anyone reading this who is thinking of using Medicos is GO FOR IT!  It is an amazing place, full of nice people, who obviously love their work.  Although not many English speaking professionals.  The facilities are amazing, and it really does deserve the reputation it has as a world class rehab centre.  However, do not stay at this hotel, I know it's really handy being so close but it will bring you down, it's terrible.  There are other places and Medicos even offer a pick up and drop off service.  Do yourself a favour and go Air B n B or find another hotel.  

We did this evening have a bit more luck with the hotel.  Although they told us they could do nothing about the shower. Tonight they turned up with a step and a handle for the wall, plus a rubber bath mat.  They just wouldn't give me one till I had complained to Medicos! We also got some duvets to make the bed a little softer, plus, which was really sweet they came to our room with some dry biscuits for Craig.  Was it our bad review or just that we had moaned so much? Tonight they have been much nicer to us.  I still would not stay here though, not if you can avoid it.

At the end of the day as Craig reminded me though, wise old bugger that he is.  The hotel, the food, none of it really matters we are here for the rehab at Medicos and that looks like it's going to be amazing!  I can't wait to share some of it with you!  By the way the doctor said I was doing amazingly well and everything looked perfect!

Our Last walk in Zurich - The Opera House

UPDATE ON CRAIG


I am happy to report that this morning Craig woke up feeling quite a bit better.  The vomiting has stopped and he has regained his colour.  It will be a quiet day in the room for him though, although he doesn't know that yet and I suspect he will fight me on it but I will get 'tough' with him....she says giggling.  I am so relieved he is okay, I feel like I have spent all night with one eye open and my hand twitching over my phone, wondering if all this was going to end up in a German hospital.  The human body is a wonderful and mysterious thing.  Craig I love you so much, you scared the shit out of me...perhaps it was payback? 


Love Kate x