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.