... since we flew into a rear-guard action within the war-zone.
Most people, who can, fly out of war-zones, all but journalists and armies - and those who become aware of the gravity of their illness and are able or enabled to arm themselves to resist. If we had stayed here, the war-zone would quickly have come to us and, without arms, we would have been massacred.
An uneasy truce has been fought and mediated by Dexamethasone, Cyclophosphamide, Daunorubicin, Methotrexate etc etc. Josie and Davo won many battles but lost their wars. Adrian is putting up a brave amd great last-stand knowing he has lost his war.
I hope our truce becomes a permanent peace.
(Apologies to Lucia and Potentilla who object to the term “fighter”, as do I, and may/would take objection to my metaphor).
To finish my celebration I will quote our British Embassy without whom Kezia would not be alive today:
“Classification: URGENT – FAO Duty CIO
To: UK IMMIGRATION Heathrow TM2
From: Jo Ford ECO
Date: 18/05/06
Message:
ATT: Duty CIO
We have an emergency case involving a dual nationality child. The father, Angus Robin Gascoigne UK ppt xxxxxxx [no. omitted] will be travelling with his wife Fernanda Soares Lima, a [country omitted] national ppt xxxxxxxx and child Kezia Lima Gascoigne (travelling on the mother's passport arriving on TAP from Lisbon on Saturday 20th May on TP363 t 21:50.
We cover visa and consular services for [name of country where we live]. The Consul here is satisfied that the child is entitled to a British ppt and I can confirm that we would have issued either a British ppt for the child and/or visa for mother and child. However, the family are in [name of country] and there is only one flight per week here and they have just missed this week's one.
The child is ill and needs to travel urgently for medical treatment. I have contacted the ALO in Lisbon, Denise Beddows, and she has agreed to get TAP to carry the family without visas. I would be grateful if you could land both pax exceptionally without visas. If you need further information ...
Many thanks for your assistance in this matter.”
Ironically, we had more problems with immigration and TAP at our point-of-departure and in Lisbon than at Heathrow where the UK's Immigration Service is notorious for giving people the 3rd Degree and carting people off to Detention Centres – they were 100% helpful and immediately stamped Nanda's passport for a six-month stay.
A long two years ... and it is by no means over yet.
4 comments:
Two year anniversary .. I cant believe I have been reading your blog without fail since 2006 ! I hope the next few months pass quickly for Kezia. As Leonie approaches the end of treatment in Novemember I'm wishing the days away for her, planning the swimming, the holiay, the dog.. trying to redeem some of the lost childhood. I wonder how much she and Kezia and children of their age will remember when they are our age ?
When she finishes her treatment are you getting a new blog Life without leukaemia ? (I hope so)
regards from Dublin
Rosie
Hi Rosie
Funnily enough Kezia finishes treatment in November as well.
"Life without Leukaemia" - hmm ... well it will be with the "?".
You wonder how much Leonie and Kezia will remember ... I wonder if Kezia will suffer hospital withdrawal symptoms ... "Can't we go to the hospital today?"
Angus
Angus, you said: I wonder if Kezia will suffer hospital withdrawal symptoms ... "Can't we go to the hospital today?"
Indeed, Fergus has even gone so far as to wish that he could have leukemia again, just so he could spend another night in the hospital.
We told him that if it was that important to him, we'd find another way for him to spend the night. There are simpler ways to win that particular prize.
Congratulations on finishing Year Two.
Two years and counting. Roll on November and Live "Without" Leukaemia.
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