The hospital called on Friday (3rd) and radiation for 5 weeks begins Monday (6th), tomorrow. Wife is recovering as well as she could but the last cycle of chemotherapy was most tumultuous. She was sick with a fever on days 11-15 and one more day after a two days' break. Her next challenge is just as taxing. She goes back to teach at class from the middle of the month on, so traveling takes a toll. Today we are in Macau attending dinner sponsored by a school program, where she plays a prominent role. The school could not find a substitute for her session, so we are here, but we took our time traveling after the harsh lesson from last week, when she rushed back to school for an office move that never materialized and got sick the day after arriving and for the next four days. So far she stood the test at the dinner, smiling broadly much of the time, but the ultimate test is today, when she is scheduled to lead a session.
The school retreat this year ended on a high note yesterday (10th). It was a four days, three nights affair, one day more than previous years, the extra day allowing the students to quiet down before school begins. There are 12 new students this year, breaking the last two years of four each, increasing our overall enrolment for the undergraduate program at 23 while the graduate program has five new faces. Everything worked out fine for me at the retreat because Wife's chemo ended last week at the right time and she had recovered from her fever. Radiation started this week. Monday (6th), the first day, was frustrating, requiring Wife to raise her hands for more than half an hour, while Tuesday was a 15 minutes breeze, but the machine had problems on Wednesday, making the waiting period hours longer, and it was canceled on Thursday (9th) due machine problems.
It has been a busy day for Wife's first day of class back in Macau today (15th). We took a cab to the ferry on the Hong Kong side after her 810a radiation appointment and caught the 930a ferry to Macau, arriving there at 1045a. After a bite at the canteen we headed to her office for a rest, waiting for her 330p class to start. We plan to head back to HK after her class because of radiation the next morning. This is our schedule for the next month or so every Wednesday. After the class ended, Wife met me at 540p and we got into a taxi that took us to the ferry and miraculously made the standby list for 6p. There we waited patiently and were the last few to be awarded seats. Onto the Hong Kong side an hour later, we ate dinner and caught the 810p ferry back to Ma Wan. What a day.
I was sad to hear an old friend Kenny passed away while scuba diving. 20 years away, the day he first came to church, was like yesterday. Death, dying and brushes with death are inescapable nowadays. He was a young 41 and he left behind his wife Ling and two young daughters. I cannot imagine losing my spouse at any moment of my life, especially after her brush with death, so I can understand how Ling feels. No wonder seniors feel vulnerable when their friends pass away; losing a friend is like losing a part of you.
Today (22th) is the second Wednesday in a row I returned to Macau with Wife. Her radiation was at 820am but it was delayed till about 9am, which was frustrating for her as she has to teach at 130pm. On the Hong Kong ferry side we had breakfast at a cafeteria and took the 1005am ferry. The boat was about the worst ride I ever had due the effects from the Taiwan typhoon. The ship heaved up and down and I was seasick 20 minutes from departure, praying for time to fly. Once thee, Wife had less than an hour to rest to get over the hangover. I slept for more than an hour and I was sure she would be too exhausted to last for the next four hours. We went for dinner at 610pm before the return trip and we managed to get the last table despite forgetting the crush due MidAutumn Festival today. We reached Hong Kong at 815pm but Wife was too tired to rush for the 830pm ferry to Ma Wan, so we had a cone at Mickey D's, settling for the 9pm ferry instead. Another exhausting Wednesday, two more to go. It took a toll on her body the next day.
Today (20th) is the third successive Wednesday we travel to Macau together. First we had breakfast on the Hong Kong side with a longtime friend from the States who arrived yesterday. Then we caught the 1030am ferry and upon arrival paid the taxi driver $50 Macau dollars to take us to the university. The local wifi failed me 45 mins into its use, so I am looking forward to lounge in the cafeteria instead of waiting for Wife at the office. At least I am glad I brought a book. Her mini-laptop, to lighten the strain on her back, is not my cup of tea for sure. Friday is a public holiday here, so I have taken Thursday off as well to spend more time together. She is ten daily trips away from completing her radiation treatment. At the end of the day she was as thrilled as ever about teaching.
