No - We Do Not Have The Corona Virus - Home From China

Harry is home from six months in China. 

We returned home from China on January 15th. We had a wonderful six months there - and were home ready to continue onto the next adventure. But the last two weeks have been sort of a let down. After all that excitement and the Corona Virus thing - we are relieved that we dodged the bullet physically. But the mental let down has left me with writer's block - and an extreme sadness for the Chinese people.

I have to start this story in 1998. I had prostate cancer and had my prostate removed. If you have had cancer - you know the scare of staring the grim reaper in the face - it is not pretty. Lulu insisted that I have my surgery at Sloan Kettering in New York City - the best. They took a full body x-ray to see if the cancer spread to other parts of my body. That proved extremely important later on. I had my prostate removed and life went on.

In 2003 - I retired from teaching. Just as I was ready to celebrate retirement - during a routine lung x-ray - a spot appeared on my lung. It was an up and down roller coaster - from the highest high to the lowest low. We had more tests and waited weeks which seemed like years for the results. The results were a 1 cm circular nodule on the upper right lung - a daughter cell from my former cancer I thought.

It looked like my retirement would be very short. Lulu arranged a big retirement celebration for me.

We went back to the doctor. He said - if only we had an old x-ray. Right away we thought of Sloan Kettering. We sent for my full body x-ray. Eureka! There is was. On the old x-ray - you could see the tiny nodule. My doctor said I probably had tuberculosis many many years ago. It was an old healed scar. Because it was perfectly round - and lasted so long - it was NOT cancer.

Lulu took me here to be treated for a bacterial lung infection

Flash forward to Beijing China. For Thanksgiving - our friend Melissa came to visit. We both had this horrible cough that seemed to be caused by the air pollution. We were both eating Ricola lozenges like candy. They provided some cough relief. The cough persisted - all day and night. Remember this was right before the Corona Virus scare. One day Lulu just called a cab and took me to the hospital. I coughed my way into Peking University People's Hospital. They triaged me to the Infectious Disease Clinic. I was in a waiting room of maybe 40 people.

The Clinic did a blood test - chest x-ray - took my temperature and blood pressure - and then I went right in to see the doctor. She told me that I had a bacterial infection in my lung. She said it was not contagious. She said I could have an IV antibiotic or oral medication. I took the pills because I wanted to get out of there right away. All that medical treatment cost $60! I paid cash on the spot and they gave me the antibiotic right there. We went back to the apartment and I cleared right up in a few days.

The doctor also noticed a spot on my lungs. She was concerned and told me to get a CT-scan once we were back in America. That should have set off a previous alarm bell from back in 2003 - but it didn't. Instead we worried - that I had some other disease.

Lulu decided that we would spend Christmas with the whole family in Paris. It would provide some warm weather for me - and some much needed "family battery recharge." She also included a week in Spain on the Med Sea. To Lulu - Christmas does not exist without family.

We returned to China in time to complete Lulu's Fulbright Scholarship. We left China on January 15th - because that was the day our Residence Visa expired. We were cutting it close and any delay would have put us in the slammer.

We went from Paris to Peking to Seattle to Atlanta to Tallahassee in 48 hours. We sailed ¾ the way around the world. Because of tickets and obligations we had to take that long way home.

When we got home we were greeted by the Corona Virus Scare. We were coming from China and CNN was running constant news that "we were all gonna die." I was carrying a spot in my lung and had to go see my doctor.

Dr Hartsfield took me right away. He put my mind at ease. I bought a new thermometer and was taking my temperature every hours. I had not broken 98.1. He said - with no fever - my chances are low to having Corona. Yes - I am to the familiarity level of calling it by its first name.

He scheduled an x-ray - with the memo "recent pneumonia" - to speed it up. When I got to the x-ray clinic - and I said I was in China for six months - they literally started spraying and holding my papers with tweezers. Even the pretty women technicians - were taking a step back from me. I have spots all over my body where they were touching me with ten foot poles! Now they had me scared.

The doctor reported that he saw the spot on my lung. Uh-oh! I was already wondering how many people would show up for my funeral. He said I would have a CT-scan right away. By the time of the CT-scan - my looks must have improved - because those attendants treated me like normal - although I was in and out of there in 5 minutes.

The doctor asked me if I have any old CT-scans to compare it to you. Then I remembered - the OLD x-rays  from New York City - Coaldale - and Reading. I told the doctor of the x-rays and CT-scans from back when I cancer in 1998. I told the doctor I had a 1 cm circular nodule scar on my upper right lung in 2003. He said we will wait for the x-rays from up north - but he said you still have a 1 cm circular nodular scar on your upper right lung. :-)

Lulu original applied to go to Wuhan University for her Fulbright Scholarship. They have the top library science school in China. But at the last minute - Fulbright decided we would go to Beijing. We wanted the Wuhan warm weather - but Beijing has so much more to see and do. We were lucky. With the Corona Virus - we would be quarantined there now. We would have been there until Jan 30th.

With all the news about Corona Virus - people have been asking me how we are. It is hard to rank the best times of your life - but our China visit is easily in the Top 10. We loved our time there and love the people of China. China is such a Giant country - 1.3 billion people. They have giant problems with air pollution - water pollution - sewage disposal - and now Corona Virus. In the 70 years of the government - they have never been at war. They have made great strides in economy and production. The people have wonderful attitude and work hard.

I finish this story exhausted. After six months of constant on the go - the last two weeks at home have been heaven. We appreciate the clean water and air. We love going to Sonnys BBQ for supper. Shopping at Publix for food is heavenly. Having supper 4 nights straight at 4 different friends' houses is nice. Watching 4 FSU basketball games in a week is cool. Adjusting to jet lag in your own home and bed is divine. I did not even mention I gained 5 pounds in China.

Yes - I am having a little let down and writer's block. I am so the thankful for Lulu and everything I have. By the way - did I tell you - I have a 1 cm circular nodule on my upper right lung for 25 years.