For everyone “out there” (or are we the ones “out there”?
:-)) who has been
wondering how things are going with Mark and me after the unexpected and
eye-opening
breast cancer diagnosis last year, I figured I would give a quick
update of our lives in that regard. And, it gives me an opportunity to post some food pictures!
It is hard to believe that it has almost been one year to
date, since Mark and I first pulled
into Tahiti on Irie. After noticing a bump
in his chest in January 2014 and keeping an eye on it for a couple of months,
we decided to prematurely leave the Tuamotus and sail to Pape’ete, the only
city of significance in French Polynesia. The day we arrived, after a two day sail,
we hurried over to the main hospital of the island, the western, new and
competent Taaone Hopital. What happened then can be read in my blogs during
that period.
Mid-August 2014, we
returned to Irie in Tahiti and we
continued living our floating lifestyle, combining work and visiting new places
in the Society Islands. Mark – and our lives – would never be the same again,
with all the physical challenges and emotional episodes we had gone through, but
we were both ready to embrace the future and the world, and convinced to keep
doing what we wanted to do. This, unfortunately, did not include Irie anymore
after being back for a few months. Hence, our beloved catamaran is
for sale.
Mark felt relatively healthy and after the wounds of the
operations healed, his discomfort and pain subsided. The radiation treatment
left a few marks, but over time, these diminished. His original energy level
and physical strength are still lacking a bit. In general, he feels OK, aside
from some minor pains unrelated to the cancer.
The biggest change we made in
our daily lives was in regards to food. We were eating pretty healthy before,
but are now mainly following a “plant based diet”. We eat massive amounts of
vegetables every day and Mark consumes wheatgrass and extra supplements, like
green tea, fish oil, a multi-vitamin, and his favorite: flax seeds. We bought a
year’s worth of supplies in the US, before coming back to the boat. We do still
eat meat, but not very often. About once every two weeks, we enjoy red meat and
a chicken. We try to eat more fish when it is affordable. Our intake of alcohol
has also been reduced, but that is partly due to the high cost of wine and
spirits here!
We do try to add some exercise to our lives, but with the
incessant heat of the last months, it is impossible to go for walks, without
jeopardizing work or chores, all of which have to happen between the productive
hours of 6am to 9am. So, we go for a swim or snorkel instead, when it is not
too choppy and the current is manageable. Some of the boat maintenance, like
cleaning Irie’s bottom counts as serious exercise as well! :-)
Recently, Mark has started to take
Tamoxifen - my close
friends know what that means
:-( - a hormone drug that is usually prescribed for five years, to diminish the
chance of a reoccurrence, an event that is feared, and on every breast cancer
survivor’s mind. He also had his semi-annual check-up with an oncologist in
“our” hospital here in Tahiti and everything looked and felt fine. Always a
relief! This summer, he will go back to
Dana Farber in Boston for the next check-up.
The more time that passes, the less you think about and are
consumed by thoughts about your cancer, they say. It is true that life goes on and
bad events are pushed towards the back of our minds. And, in our case, we have
many other projects, ideas and situations that occupy our lives. Being busy is
always a good remedy and – in Mark’s case – it also lead to a break-through
with our
Wirie business. But, that is material for another blog.
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| Vegetable Thai curry |
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| Sushi rolls with fresh tuna |
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| Poisson cru (like ceviche with coconut milk) with fresh tuna |
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| Vegetable noodle dish |
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| Unhealthy fries with a lot of healthy veggies! |
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| We have been growing our own sprouts for a long time - they are a great contribution to lunches, salads and stir-fry dishes. And they grow fast in this humid climate! |
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| Couscous with veggie burgers and a salad |
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| Gnocchi with vegetables in the oven |
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| We still spoil ourselves from time to time, of course: blueberry pancakes (homemade) ... |
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| ... and American cookies with Belgian chocolate chips |
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| Homemade coconut - mushroom soup |
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| Homemade hot and sour soup with tofu |
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| Making green tea with the sun |
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| Salad with smoked salmon (on sale for $1.99!!) |
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| Homemade black bean burgers |
After the storms, heavy swell, incessant chop and
unfathomable current of the last two weeks, relative peace has returned in the
reef anchorage of Vaiara, Moorea. We can appreciate the clear shallow water,
the gorgeous view of Tahiti and the mountainous backdrop of Moorea again,
without having to hold on for our dear lives. Eagle rays, sharks and “normal”
stingrays pass by our boat, while dolphins occasionally stroll the drop-off
area, only twenty feet away. At least once a day, we still get tossed around
heavily, trying to save sliding glasses of liquid and other “top heavy” items
from crashing onto the floor. Sometimes those acrobatic moves are more
successful than others. Easter holiday has started in French Polynesia and boat
traffic – and thus the inconsiderate wake - has increased.
One day, Mark and I finally took our dinghy to a snorkel
area other cruisers had told us about. On the southern motu (motu Ahi), we found the Lagoonarium
of Moorea. Here, a series of floats is connected with ropes, so snorkelers can
enjoy the underwater world in safety - by holding onto the lines - when the
current is too strong. A lot of coral was in great shape and the colorful fish
were plentiful. We saw some rays and black tips, and even a white tip reef
shark. The snorkeling here was definitely worthwhile and on shore visitors can
rent a shady shed for the day or the night, or buy lunch in the little
restaurant. It is a neat little place with a lot of character… and tourists.
A surprise visit to the anchorage from our friends Marie and
JP on MV Domino enhanced that already fun Sunday. They invited us to stay for a
healthy lunch and we caught up with each other after a month apart. The view from
their motor yacht is more spectacular than from our little Irie, so we always enjoy
our visits to their floating home (one could almost say “floating palace”). The
following day, we made dinner and brought it over to their big cockpit for a
last evening together. They will soon head west, while we are remaining in
French Polynesia until Irie sells.
