After my first chemo, I met with my primary care doctor at Naval Station Rota. She was the doctor who originally identified my tumor. This was the first time I'd seen her since she sent me to the radiologist and surgeon back in November.
She set me up with a hospital liaison who was going to accompany me to all my chemo visits and act as translator, etc with the Doctors and nurses should I need help. She reiterated that the base hospital was not equipped to handle chemo patients and that all my care, should I need additional care, would have to be done out in town at the Spanish hospitals.
Johann and I decided that given the long road ahead, with numerous doctors appointments, chemotherapy, radiation, and the unknown factor of how I would handle such treatments, AND given Spanish is not our first language; we decided we would return to the states, California to be specific and I researched the leading cancer centers available and we agreed City of Hope, in Duarte, California, would be where we would plan to go for my care.
We met with the head surgeon at Rota, who wrote a recommendation for a Medical Evacuation for me and the Navy worked its' magic and within a week, the girls and I had airplane tickets in hand to return to California. We were sent to San Diego Airport because technically, my medevac was written from Naval Hospital Rota, Spain to Naval Hospital San Diego where Dr. Preston Gable would take over my care until he could arrange my referral to City of Hope.
I packed up suitcases for the girls and I and celebrated my birthday with Johann, the girls and my mom at Venta la Feria in El Puerto where we had the best paella I'd ever had. Johann dropped us off at the airport on his birthday two days later and off we flew to San Diego, via Madrid, and Philadelphia.
Johann stayed behind while his transfer paperwork was processed and to pack up our home. He would join us, along with Zeke our chocolate lab exactly 3 weeks later.
Here's a picture of the delicious paella!
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