Slow recovery

Musrara open market 

 The past few days I've been trying to recover from chest pains. Sometimes it's simply sore, but several times now it's been sharp and very painful. Climbing stairs is still difficult though walking on flat terrain is alot easier. The sister who first identified my heart problem came to see me and told me I need to do slow stretching exercises on my left side. Nothing strenuous though. I'll have to carry it out and wait several more weeks (months) for a proper recovery. It's been a trying time to get over this operation and the hospital has told me I'll need more time than other people to recover.

Nevertheless I still had to go to work this morning. I tried to keep it to a minimum ... 3 hours. Then I went home, but first passing by the pharmacy to buy my medicines. Then a walk through the Musrara market to see if I could get some bread and biscuits.

Meantime the weather is very cold and cloudy though it doesn't rain. It's humid though. I've been told that the cold is not good for my condition. I'll have to be careful staying warm all the time. Meantime I have a daily mantra to remind myself to wear shoes to protect my feet and not to fall and not to cut myself as any wound will not heal easily and the blood will not clot. It's a scary thought ... but better safe than sorry.

Rain

Rain at Palm Plaza

 It's been raining the past 2 days ... not just the usual drizzle but actual heavy showers. We're all delighted with it. The washes the dust from the air and the grime from the streets. And the temp has dropped from 21 degrees 4 days back to 7 degrees now. It really feels like winter ... and suits very well the beginning of Advent which is tomorrow.

Winter clothes are definitely being worn, and winter bedding too are laid out. I've got my heater on all day as it feels like freezing with the rain. But it's very nice to hear the pattering of raindrops on the windowpane and the occasional thunder. And the dry land is soaking up the welcome rain after a hot thirsty summer. The plants too are thriving in this weather.

Wet, cold streets

Meantime the country remains tense and in alert for more terror attacks. Police continue to swamp the City and stop-and-search continue at every street corner. It's very unsettling. Yesterday was very tense in the Old City because being Friday, Muslims from all over were going to the Mosque to pray, while Jews went to the Wailing Wall to start the Sabbath at sunset. Mixed crowds in the narrow streets are always a powder keg for trouble. There was no shortage of police to deter any clash. And luckily with the rain, most people just dashed to their destination, not wanting to get more wet than necessary. Older people are more wary in the streets because it's very slippery. I don't want to fall because with the medicine I'm taking, my bleeding will not stop if I suffer a cut. However I still had to go out yesterday in the rain because my medicine ran out.

Terror

Police stop n search

There were two bombings in Jerusalem this morning. One at the Central Bus Station and another in a suburb north of the City Centre. One dead, 20 injured. It shocked everyone as no one expected bombs in buses since the 2nd Intifada 20 years ago. The violence has definitely escalated ... and this time Israeli intelligence had no prior info about it. This is not good.

The whole City is very tense. Police everywhere. Innocent people are stopped and searched in a very undignified way in front of tourists. But this arrogant abuse will only spark more resistance and indignation.

Yesterday's visit to the doctor/surgeon was a disappointment ... though I had an appointment at 2pm, when I arrived I was told the doctor will not be in. I was given another appointment next week. My nightly choking and coughs have been reduced because I keep a flask of hot water which I drink to soothe the spasms. But having to sit up for 4 to 5 hours each night, I get very tired in the morning. It's devastating each day when I am fatigued and try to rest but people keep calling me to go and work. I am not getting better because I don't have enough recuperation time.

Sick

 

Fr. Bernard

The past few days have been very trying. instead of improving after the operation, my health is deteriorating. It's more a pulmonary problem as I've great difficulty breathing ... much worse than before. I feel terribly sick these past 2 days. Tomorrow I'll go t the clinic to be checked by my surgeon. Fingers crossed.

The weather is getting cooler and the sun is setting earlier. By 5pm it's dark as pitch and everyone is using heaters. Woollen clothes and hoodies are worn in the streets ... and we're all waiting for rain to fall. It's a desperate need.

Today the director of the Ecole Biblique library came for a visit, Fr. Bernard. Though we've communicated through email many times, I've never met him in person. He spent 3 hours and I showed him our library and we discussed how we could cooperate further. It was nice. But after that I had to rest ... I was too weak due to the wheezing and lack of oxygen. 

Cold

Winter fruit & veg

 It's Thursday and I'm feeling tired. I'm not having much energy these days and I'm having chest pains and giddiness most of the time. I must go and see the doctor next week .... hopefully there's an explanation for it. It's affecting my thinking and concentration. And my sleep as well.

I'm trying my best to rest as everyone is telling me my recovery is taken more time because I'm not resting enough. I know. 

Te weather has dipped to 9 degrees early this morning at 4am. It's the coldest so far this month. And it'll be 9 degrees again tonight. Now if only it'll rain. It'll be alot better. We need it.

Locally a storm is being stirred by hardline rightwing ministers who want to enact laws that can change High Court decisions ... in other words, the High Court is not the last word of justice but the rightwing ministers are. So justice is not in the hands of judges but ministers who are not trained in the law. High Courts may decide on a case but the ministers can overturn it. 

Woollies and hoodies

 

Hoodies and woollies on a
chilly day

There were several terrorist attacks along the way to Nablus this morning. I think 5 were injured or killed. It's been quite a bloody day. There's no letting up of the violence. It's usually winter that sees a rise in attacks because weapons can be hidden in the thick winter clothing. 

The sky was dark and ominous all day though only a slight drizzle fell. We think it would start raining today perhaps ... and tomorrow as well. It's been terribly chilly though and several of us from the tropics already have our heaters on all night.

I've been in bed most of the day. I really feel I needed to let the heart rest. Even after the operation, walking up and down the stairs is very tiring and painful. As the sun sets at 4.45pm, and is very chilly, I decided to take a stroll down the Arab East Jerusalem streets. Fr Benoit, one of our Cameroonian students, a former army general, accompanied me because he wanted to practice spoken english. We walked all around the business district (a euphemism) and visited some new groceries and a christian shop selling Christmas decorations. Yes it's not even Advent but shops are starting to sell Christmas like never before. 

I forgot taking my medicines yesterday so I felt very ill and found out only at 5pm. This morning I made sure to take all my before and after breakfast pills. But again I forgot the after lunch pill till 4pm. There must be some way to remind myself about taking medicines on time. The hospital said it's very dangerous in my present situation to miss a pill on time. My life hangs on a tightrope of my memory.

Rain

Rain in our courtyard

 It's raining heavily now with thunder and lightening. That's good ... we've been waiting for it. The air is getting cleaned and so are the walls and streets. Let's hope it continues to rain like this for the next few days. We need it.

The bomb blast in Istanbul has shocked us ... we thought the worse was over with terrorism in the region. Now the local military is stepping up alerts in case it spills over to our side of the region. Thank goodness for the rain ... it keep everyone at home so none of this terrorism takes place whenever there's bad weather. Mother Nature still has the power to control situations that humans can't.

I'm still having chest pains and nausea. Not sure why. Even dizzy this afternoon ... twice. Maybe I'm exhausted, I know I strained myself a couple of times walking 1km to work and stressing over lots of backlog. Everyone else is telling me to stop and rest ... but they're not helping in taking over my job. 

Weekend

Beggars and hawkers

 It's the weekend ... and I had the Chinese Mass in the city. My chest pains were quite bad today and I thought I won't make it but George who drove me there kept encouraging me and stayed till I finished so he could drive me home.

The Mass was well attended and the faithful were very concerned for my health. They helped me up and down the stairs and carried by mass kit. They also bought soya milk and a kilo of mee hoon that I can cook and eat back home. That was very nice of them.

My superior insisted that I came home immediately after the Mass because I'm still unwell. So I did. Came home and slept all afternoon. My chest was still painful and I felt nauseous. Next week technically I should be resting but I can foresee lots of work waiting for me.

The weather continues to cool down and the humidity is very high. That hasn't deterred beggars and hawkers from the villages to come to Damascus Gate yesterday. Friday is the big day for business when muslims, christians and jews pack that area to go to their respective places of worship. It's very very crowded. And the tourists are as many as 3 years back.

Makloubeh

Some of the volunteers

The rains came and went. 3 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. It wasn't enough but it was better than nothing. The temp has been dropping. The nights get as low as 10 degrees. I had to buy a new heater as I gave mine to a sick student. Every morning the ground is wet with dew. I just hope it'll rain more.

The exhibition was a great success. There were many more visitors than the past years as simultaneously there was a concert and conference organised by other sectors, all within the same area as the exhibition venue, so that contributed to the crowds. I had to thank the team of volunteers - all profs and students - from Milan for their hard work. I brought them to Jack's little restaurant and had asked him to cook makloubeh and fatteh which are not in the menu (or any other menu in any restaurant) so the team could taste real arab food. They enjoyed it very much.

I'm having less pain in the chest now but still feel exhausted easily. The medicines are strong and make me drowsy and lower my bp drastically so I feel giddy most of the time. Doc says 2 more weeks in bed ... and I really wish to make a full recovery. I need to rest.

Sick

Sunrise today

 More violence these few days as attacks continue to fuel tensions. Arabs attacking jews at prayer, Jews detroying arab olive trees during this harvest season. Also internal gangland murders continue decimate arab villages. It's a bad winter this year.

And the rains fell. Not very long ... just an hour or so, but it was good that it rained. The weather has cooled down alot ... 13 degrees. The skies are grey during the day. Everyone is wearing jackets and hoodies to stay warm. And the crowds of tourists are packing the streets of the Old City. So packed that Via Dolorosa from the 5th Station to the 7th Station came to a standstill as groups just blocked each other going up or down.

It's in the newspapers that the Sea of Galilee could be contaminated with a parasite that blinds people. Already a dozen cases are suspected. That means the Jordan River would also be affected. Tourists going down for "baptism" are risking their health. 

My chest has been hurting so much these few days. I can't sleep every night because it feels like a heart attack is about to strike. It's destroying every waking hour I have. Yesterday at the insurance clinic, the doctor said it'll take a month for any normality to take place in my body and I should be in bed resting and healing. Well .... I was called back to work by several departments. I went in the rain, barely breathing and in pain. But I had to work all the same. It's merciless here.

Exhibition

Welcome book at exhibition

 The exhibition on the Holy Sepulchre depicted in books of the 15th to 19th centuries has opened. The team of volunteers from the Milan University arrived to set it up. I had to go for the inauguration and give an opening speech. There was a nice crowd at the inauguration with lots of journalists.

I was very exhausted after 5 hours there. I walked home very slowly with chest pains. Went to bed immediately for the rest of the afternoon. Not feeling good at all. Tomorrow I'll have to go to my insurance doctor and submit all my reports. Then 2 weeks later a checkup with the cardiologist.

Exhibition

I did try to buy some medicine on the way home but all the pharmacies say a certain brand of antihistamine is no longer being manufactured and I must buy something similar but under another pharmaceutical company. Rather scary that medicines can start and end so quickly ... it's all about money. 

Jubilee

Patriarch presides the Mass

 Yesterday was the 3rd time I went out. It was the golden jubilee of the superior of the nursing sisters  working in the paediatric hospital in Bethlehem. I've known her for 30 years and she insisted I come to concelebrate the Mass. Luckily my superior was also invited so he drove me there. The Patriarch was there to preside with 10 other priests. After Mass there was lunch at our Casa Nova ... a pilgrim guesthouse. Anyway it was a good golden jubilee celebration in that it reminded and encouraged younger religious about their vocation and persevere so they can also reach their own golden jubilee.

After that I was totally exhausted and rested for the rest of the day. My chest was hurting. I guess I had pushed myself too far yesterday by going to the celebrations. I'd better spend today recuperating. The pain at night is quite uncomfortable and I woke up several times because of it.

The weather has changed alot. Chilly in the nights at about 12 degrees. Sunrise is quite late and it is still dark at 6am. And sunset start at 5.15pm. JJ goes to sleep early ... according to sunset so he has less time to play with me. Winter blankets and clothes are taken out and cleaned ... waiting to be used. Only one thing is missing ... rain. So far it only rained once since Sukkoth. We're hoping it'll pour heavily because it looks like next year would be a drought year.

Cold and humid

Chilly & lots of dew

 The far-right and extremist parties have won the elections ... which spells bad news for us non-jews. They have no tolerance for non-jews. However they'll have to form a coalition among themselves and with the huge egos in central play, they might just clash and the coalition collapse again. So it's anyone's guess if this govt will work.

There was a stabbing in the Old City this morning and the City was closed off. The tensions are not ending and seems only to be continuing daily. The new far-right govt is going to provoke more tensions by its exclusive view of a jewish state. We'll see how bad things will devolve. Already here our guys are expecting more spitting and cursing by jews when they pass our house. We'll be targeted by these emboldened extremists. Really I don't look forward to this at all.

I've been very tired easily. I'd like to think its due to the medicines ... but I really don't know. I need to see my insurance doctor soon next week. I'm just feeling unwell, lightheaded and nauseous. The chilly nights and very wet mornings with dew - high humidity - aren't helping though it makes the weather quite pleasant.

Check-up

Infirmary chapel

It's Election Day today. The whole country is anxious ... it seems an extreme rightwing coalition will win the elections. That spells bad news for local arabs, foreigners and just plain democracy will be at stake. I'll wait till late tonight to see the results. If it's anything to go by, the sky is overcast and a sickly yellow sun is trying to peer between the dark rainclouds. 

I was at our doctor's clinic in our Infirmary today. Gave him my report so he could translate it for me. Apparently I've a very heavy dosage of anticoagulants: aspirin, pluvex and something else that is attached inside the stent. And I've been taking it and other medications at the same time every morning. No wonder my BP drops drastically and I have blackout periods. Doc told me to stagger the different pills from morning, noon and evening so my body doesn't go into shock with too much chemicals. Oh well today I'll have to go through all the pill boxes to find out when I should them at different times.

I'm hoping it'll rain hard tonight and tomorrow regardless of the election results. We need clean air from the rains and a long comfortable sleep for convalescing people like me.