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Megan and I had originally planned to do some sort of roadtrip during her stay here in AZ. We had decided on Dana Point, CA. There was a beautiful Marriott right on the ocean, and the photos looked so beautiful I could just taste the sand and the sticky beach wind blowing through my hair. I figured even if I wasn’t feeling all that well, then I could just hang in the room and look out at the ocean. That would be okay. Unfortunately, since I was in the hospital for so long, there was no way that we were going to be able to turn around and go to California in such a short turn around time. So instead, we decided to have a stay-cation at The Phoenician.
We checked lin Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the spa for our appointments. I made an appointment for a facial and Megan had a massage. I was really jealous because I wanted more than anything someone to smooth out the pain in my back. Unfortunately, massages are off limits while I have the cancer, along with several other spa services. Usually I leave the spa relaxed and satisfied. Despite the beautiful spa and great service, I left more depressed then when I got there. Every step that I took in the spa just killed my lower back and hip. When I laid down on the facial bed, I almost screamed because of the unexpected uncomfortable position the bed was in. Usually during facials, the technician uses a steamer to open the client’s pores. The steamer during my appointment was on my face for what seemed like an eternity. A couple of times, I was concerned about my ability of being able to breathe.
I had booked the appointment for an 80 minute facial v. the standard 50 minute. The technician told me that 20 to 30 minutes of the facial was dedicated to massaging the back, neck, face, etc. Because I am not allowed to get the massage, the facial was cut a little short. I wasn’t very happy about that, mostly because of the price difference between the two options. As soon as our spa experience was finished, we headed to the suite, and I hit the bed and slept for the rest of the day and into the night. The suite that we had is located in the “canyon suites.” We received a really discounted rate and the room was awesome! I was happy to know that even if I felt sick and in pain, at least I would be able to relax in a comfy bed with a nice view of the golf course and room service at the push of a button.
Today (Sunday) we ventured to the pool. Wes was able to meet us at the hotel after work and had all day off, so it was nice to be able to spend the time with him and Megan. Tera and Sean ended up bringing their kids and hanging out with us at the pool. It was a great relaxing day. I was originally a little weary about wearing my new one piece and hitting the water for the first time since I was diagnosed. It wasn’t as big of a deal as I thought, except for every time I looked down at my legs, I wanted to hide them. They are covered with bruises, scars, discoloration, and just plain swollen from the blood clot. I guess these are all things that are temporary and will eventually go away.
Tomorrow I’m looking forward to a big pancake breakfast and a quick dip in the pool before we check out. Overall the weekend was fabulous and it was nice to get away out of the hospital environment and my home environment. I would definitely recommend to anyone to stay at The Phoenician during the summer in their suites and take advantage of the super low rates.
Back to reality…Dr. K supposedly called in to have a home health care nurse designated to me. So the other day, I met with the nurse Gail. She had a calm demeanor, which was nice for me, since I had no idea what to expect, and I was a little uneasy. She explained that there would be a nurse that would come to my house once or twice a week to check on vitals, fix up my weekly meds, and address any concerns or questions I had. I think this is a nice addition to my plan of care and will take away some of the underlying stress that I have about being able to get ahold of someone in case of emergency 24 hours a day.
Link to blog: http://themelissawaller.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/the-phoenician/
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