Travels with Tam

Fab Photos Friday: Fine Dining in Cozumel!

January 23, 2015 By Tam Warner 17 Comments

I first went to Cozumel in 1986 (when I was 10 years old…ha!). It was a very small place with just a couple of places to eat, and very little shopping. As a diving mecca, it had never really occurred to me that Cozumel would ever become a “foodie” travel spot…but I can tell you that it is definitely becoming one.

La Cocay's Garden Seating — La Cocay’s Garden Seating

I have written before about La Cocay, a fabulous restaurant in town on Calle 8, and how much our family loves it. We have celebrated so many events there…birthdays, anniversaries, great dives. Totally addicted to their Chocolate Torte (order when ordering dinner!), I rarely get to have an entree. An appetizer and one of their incredible salads is enough for me until voila, my Torte arrives! Last week, my friends and I ate there twice. Yum.

A 2011 birthday celebration at La Cocay.

They are such artists in their presentation, don't you agree? — They are such artists in their presentation, don’t you agree?

Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon with scalloped potatoes and veggies.

Our favorite places have been established for years, and I admit we rarely try anything new. Fortunately enough, a friend recommended Buccano’s at Night so highly that we had to go try it out. We were lucky to get reservations….Buccanos is always fully booked. What a delightful surprise the restaurant was! Located on the north side of the island (our home is on the south end), Buccano’s is a beach club by day, serving dinner only on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s beautiful decor astounded me. I loved every sconce and finish…I wanted to transport the whole place to my own home!

And the food? Beyond our expectations.

Another wonderful appetizer, fried poached egg on Crostini. Heavenly!

Lobster Tempura is an appetizer....but it served as my entree. Delicious! — Lobster Tempura is an appetizer….but it served as my entree. Delicious!

We are thrilled to add another “favorite” to our list of Cozumel Restaurants. We will be going back to Buccano’s at Night!

Check out LaCocay’s website and menu, and Buccanos website and menu. You’ll have to try both, it would be impossible to choose!

Transplant Challenges

January 21, 2015 By Tam Warner 15 Comments

I never thought that Randy’s lung transplant would be easy, or that there wouldn’t be health issues afterward. One tries to stay prepared, but there really is not a way to do that. Randy and I were looking forward to a healthy, happy year, but as I have often said, the unexpected is the norm in Transplant World.

Walking into the new UT Southwestern Clement’s University Hospital I felt a sense of deja vu. It’s a new building…state of the art, beautiful, and contemporary compared to the old St. Paul’s building where Randy had his transplant, and where we spent so many days, weeks and months, but somehow it seems very familiar.

Randy has contracted a virus, known as CMV (Cetomegalovirus). It is not uncommon in solid organ transplant patients, and most take an antiviral medication to prevent CMV. Cytomegalovirus is related to the viruses that cause chickenpox, herpes simplex and mononucleosis. Once infected with CMV, the virus remains in the body, but it’s not always active. CMV may go through periods during which it lies dormant and then reactivates. If you’re healthy, it mainly stays dormant. Most adults have antibodies for CMV, up to 85% have had CMV as a kid. There is no worry of contracting the virus except through exposure to body fluids, not by casual contact.

Randy’s medication was reduced 3 weeks ago, and a week later he was experiencing fever and chills. If you follow this blog you know that after 4 or 5 days of this, Randy went to the clinic and had tests done. He showed no virus at that time, and his lungs were, and still are, clear. It was a week later that the doctors decided to put him in the hospital for more tests. They’ve checked him for everything, and so far, the only problem is CMV. But CMV can be a big problem.

He was started on a treatment the other night, and once again, last night. We have been told that it can take a few treatments before results begin to show, but after the first treatment, Randy’s viral count more than doubled. The doctor is “nervous”, and if she is nervous, I am very concerned. They have sent off a viral sample to Mayo in order to see if Randy is resistant to the medication. If he is, they will need to change treatment. The important thing is to get this virus under control so it doesn’t damage his organs. In the meantime, he continues to run fevers.

We will have the results of the test from Mayo tomorrow. Fingers crossed he is not resistant. In the meantime, it is best that no one but family visit him. His immune system is so cratered that he is extremely vulnerable right now.

For my part, I am going to have to take better care of myself. Stay hydrated, get exercise. I want to go to yoga…but I cannot go to a studio, who knows what bacterias I could pick up? I will need to stay away from public places and environments prone to bacteria of any kind. I need to eat healthy and not give in to the impulse to just grab whatever junk is available.

Tomorrow will find me with Randy at the hospital. I will keep the blog up to date. Prayers and positive energy are welcome!

A Hospital Bed in place of a trip to Cozumel

January 19, 2015 By Tam Warner 17 Comments

In Transplant World, one shouldn’t count one’s chickens. My post about Randy going to Cozumel for the first time since his lung transplant tempted Fate, and instead of swimming in warm waters, he is back at UT Southwestern.

Since the transplant he has had the odd fever here and there, but it always just lasted a day or less, and then went away. The week before our Cozumel trip Randy started running a fever every morning and every night, feeling fine in the middle of the day. We were in a quandry. We went to UT Southwestern and they ran tests, everything coming back A-OK, but the fever persisted. I went to Cozumel a day late with friends, and Randy had been put on antibiotics. We expected he would join us in a couple of days, but even with the medicine he kept feeling lousy. Finally, last Friday, Randy’s transplant team put him in the hospital to run tests. They found a blood clot in his leg….a large one.

The ripple of fear that went through me when I heard those words was ghastly. There have been several instances of blood clots in the people around me, and only one had a happy ending. I made arrangements to get home from Cozumel. I flew in on Sunday, with a cold. The doctors don’t want me near Randy, because they found something else to worry about.

We knew when Randy was transplanted that the donor lungs had a virus called CMV, a common virus that 85% of Americans have had. Randy had NOT had it. He was placed on an antiviral medication to insure that the virus would not spread to the rest of his body. About three weeks ago Randy’s kidney blood tests showed stress…the kidneys were not happy. All of these meds have to be filtered, or processed, through the liver and the kidneys. As a result, they drastically lowered his antiviral medicine, and his antibiotic. This sudden reduction in medicine let the CMV virus infect Randy.

So Randy is fighting off a virus, and while running fevers and feeling ill he developed a blood clot from inactivity. I cannot go and sit with him in his hospital room because I have a cold and congestion, and Randy is extremely vulnerable to any infection right now. We are both frustrated that we cannot be together, but at least I am close by, and we talk and text all the time. Today, we both need rest.

There are bound to be blips on the screen as his recovery continues…and I continue to be positive about his recovery. He will get through this, and then he will need to build up his strength. Another challenge he will get through.

Thank you for your prayers and positive energies.

More of Cozumel Diving

January 18, 2015 By Tam Warner 1 Comment

Diving in Cozumel is always a great experience. It certainly helps to have a great dive master and dive company. There are so many in Cozumel I could never name even half of them. I do have favorites though.

I love diving with We-B-Divin-Cozumel. We started diving with them back in 2000, when Tony and Suzanne Castillo owned the boat. It is now owned by We-B-Divin’, but the dive masters have stayed with the boat. The boat is the Yucab III, and their service is top notch. Upon arrival, you are greeted with water, fruit, and pastries. The crew puts your dive gear together for you. After the first dive a delicious lunch is served. The boat is large, roomy and comfortable. When you are looking for more than a dive boat, call We-B-Divin’!

Another company I like is Albatros Charters. They have 3 boats, 2 smaller, fast boats, and a larger boat used for both diving and fishing charters. Their dive masters and crew members are solicitous and friendly. They also put your gear together for you, and serve muffins and fruit between dives. I have enjoyed diving with them during the last week.

As I said, there are many dive operations in Cozumel, but We-B-Divin’ Cozumel and Albatros are my favorites. Why not give them a try! Be sure and tell them that Tam sent you!

Fab Photos Friday: Amazing Cozumel Diving

January 15, 2015 By Tam Warner 14 Comments

Cozumel diving is always fabulous, but it has been exceptional this past week! Let me share the incredible experience with you!

Blue eyed beauty...Green Moray eel! — Blue eyed beauty…Green Moray eel!

Splendid Toadfish is only found in Cozumel waters.

Hanging out in my back yard, snorkeling.

Beautiful lobsters and corals and sponges

I had the most amazing encounter with an Eagle Ray! Usually they want nothing to do with divers, but since there were two of us only, she kept circling around and allowed me to get just a foot from her! Lucky I had a wide angle lens on my housing!

2015 cz col shallows eagle ray close up best — Gorgeous and friendly Eagle Ray!

Incredibly enough, this exciting encounter was followed by another close encounter…with a Southern Stingray!

2015 cz southern ray front closeup — Beautiful Southern Ray let me come up close and personal!

2015 cz south ray5 — This is how they find food, by stirring everything up

A deadly beauty...the Lionfish has no predators but humans in the Caribbean and Atlantic. — A deadly beauty…the Lionfish has no predators but humans in the Caribbean and Atlantic.

Dive or Snorkel? There is no place like Cozumel.

The unexpected is the norm in Transplant World

January 10, 2015 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

Walking into the new Clements UT Southwestern University Hospital today felt like going back in time. Back in time to a nicer, state of the art hospital. I’d rather not be here, though.

Ut Southwestern's new Clements University Hospital — Ut Southwestern’s new Clements University Hospital

Randy is here because he has been running fever every morning this week. He has a fever, he chills, he takes tylenol, he’s fine but lethargic. We were supposed to leave for Cozumel on Saturday…we know that is not happening. At least not now.

They are running a series of tests on him: CT scan of his lungs, and a Bronchoscopy, which is an outpatient surgery. They will take a few samples of his lung tissue. I’m waiting.

I’m remembering the weeks and months I waited at the old hospital, knowing that life will henceforth throw us unexpected events. UT Southwestern is the place to be, though, if you need a transplant, especially a lung transplant. The doctors and nurses on the transplant team are truly exceptional. I heard about another amazing advance in transplant surgery from the doc who is performing the bronchoscopy. He came to UT from the Cleveland Clinic, also a top rated heart and lung transplant institution. Whether you are pre transplant or post transplant, UT Southwestern excels in their treatment of patients. The new technology will create “breathing lungs” for transplantation. 80% of harvested lungs are unusable due to many different factors, inflammation, injury, poor condition. There is a new device in which the lungs alone can be placed, and a determination as to whether or not they can be used is made after the lungs have had time to recover and other therapies have been used. This will double or triple the lungs available for transplant! UT Southwestern will receive this device very soon. UCLA has already used it, check this out! This is very exciting news! Here’s a video from the U of MN explaining the process.

Randy has had a remarkable recovery. September 10, 2013 was the date of his transplant, but he had been in the hospital, in critical condition for almost 6 weeks by then. He spent almost two weeks on ECMO, a life support system which kept him alive until lungs were found. When he woke up with lungs, he could barely lift a finger because every muscle in his body had atrophied. Amazing how fast that can happen. He remained in the hospital until the end of October, and even when he came home he was unable to walk. 16 months later he is working out every day again, and taking daily walks. We’ve taken a few trips together during 2014, and he has just continued to go up, up, up. He was able to attend his 40th high school reunion in October!

Not every moment has been easy or pleasant though. Not by a long shot. As anyone knows who has had a long recovery from a surgery, it is a tough road back. Medication side effects, an acute rejection episode, and now this…whatever this is. Overall, everything has gone well.

I just heard the good news that his bronchoscopy looks clear, they are prescribing antibiotics, and we just have to wait a few days for him to feel better. I’m headed to Cozumel with our friends Greg and Lauri tomorrow, carrying televisions Randy is out buying right now. Yes, he is feeling better with the antibiotics. We are hoping he can join us in a few days. I guess I’ll pack now.

This Golden Girl is Ready to Explore Life Beyond the Ordinary!

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