Calatoria spre Japonia The trip to Japan

ournal Entry by Cristina Sarlea — October 11, 2023

Am inceput weekendul, de dinaintea plecarii catre Japonia, sarbatorind-o pe Anna care a implinit 13 ani. Inca un adolescent in casa noastra, rugaciunea mea e sa aiba o adolescenta frumoasa in care inima ei sa se alipeasca de Domnul si sa isi gaseasca desfatarea in relatia ei personala cu mantuirorul ei. 

Ne-am bucurat multa sa le avem in vizita la noi , pe sora mamei mele, fiica ei si nepoata ei. Rude pe care le vedem prea rar dar cu care intotdeauna reluam relatiile exact unde le-am lasat cativa ani in urma. Nu stim nicicand cand Dumnezeu ne cheama acasa si e o binecuvantare sa pretuim timpul ce il avem acum si aici si sa ne bucuram de oanemii dragi noua.

A fost o binecuvantare sa fiu ocupata caci asa nu am avut timp sa fiu stressata de plecare.  Duminica a fost foarte emotionanta la biserica, e o binecuvantare deosebita sa fiu inconjurata cu atat de mult sprijin si dragoste. 

Luni dimineata nu a fost chiar usor sa plec de-acasa, cand exista cancer in corp si doctorii nu dau mult timp ramas, fiecare plecare de acasa e foarte grea. Niciodata nu am fost plecata pentru o perioada atat de lunga. Scriu aceste randuri la 2 zile de la plecare si deja mi-a dor de ai mei de numa....

Zborul spre Japonia a fost 14 ore, un drum lung in care Domnul m-a pazit. La sfarsitul drumului picioarele abea au mai intrat in tenisi dar odata ajunsa in Tokyo, agitatia a inceput. Aveam timp scurt intre avioane si nu am realizat ca trebuie sa fac vama, sa imi ridic bagajul mare si apoi sa merg cu autobuzul pana la alt terminal, sa dau bagajul mare si sa trec din nou pe la TSA. Nu a mai contat cat de grele au fost bagajele, Dumnezeu mi-a intarit muschii, operatia este deja vindecata si am alergat incercand, parca fara speranta la un moment dat, sa ajung la avionul care probabil nu mai era acolo. Spre surprinderea mea, avionul meu a avut intarziere, un lucru mai neobisnuit in Japonia, si astfel am reusit sa prind legatura catre Osaka. Si nu se ingrijeste Domnul de toate nevoile noastre? Pentru mine a intarziat avionul, sunt convinsa. 

Care sunt sansele ca in Japonia sa dau de cineva care sa vorbeasca limba mea nativa, romaneste? Ei bine, Dr Inui cunoaste o ramanca ce locuieste in Tokyo de 20 de ani si ea m-a asteptat in Osaka, sa fie cu mine la clinica, in prima mea zi acolo si sa ma invete cum sa ma descurc ,cat de cat, printre bastinasi. Mihaela e o binecuvantare pentru mine, intelege cultura romana si cea japoneza si m-a putut ghida cum sa ma port sa nu gafez prea mult.  Stiati ca in Japonia se schimba papucii de interior cu papuci de mers la toaleta atunci cand se intra la toaleta? Asa este si la clinica, prima data am intrat cu papucii mei, a doua oara am folosit slapii ce ii port cand sunt in clinica dar a treia oara deja m-a mancat rusinea, am lasat slapii de clinica la usa si am folosit slapii de baie.  Aseara ne-am oprit sa imi iau o apa si i-am dat ceva monede la vanzatoare, ea a ales din mana mea cat a trebuit si am pplecat. Treceam strada cand fata de la caserie fuge si ma atinge pe umar sa ma intorc inaopi ca am plecat prea repede si ea nu a apucat sa imi dea rest :) In seara asta, am fost invitata la cina la restaurant impreuna cu Mihaela si ea a insistat sa incerc un peste crud ca e imposibil sa nu imi placa, cred ca era macron, chiar am incercat toata bucata cu sos si exact cum m-i s-a spus sa fac...la 30 de secunde cu pestele in gura am fugit la baie sa il arunc...pestru cine iubeste mancarea japoneza, foarte bine, sa va fie de bine, eu o sa continui sa ma bucur de orez prajit si supe miso.

Intilnirea mult asteptata cu Dr Inui a durat aproape 2 ore, mi-a explicat care dintre tratamentele ce le face sunt cele mai benefice pentru mine: P53 gene therapy, P10 gene therapy, GCmaf, sonotherapie, vitamina C si terapie cu ozon. Analizele facute in state sunt cumva superficiale si nu poate sa vada exact tot ce ar vrea asa ca pe vineri o sa merg la o scanare CT aici si o sa trimita sange la un laborator in Germania ca sa aiba mai multe informatii. Azi dupa discutia cu el am si inceput tratamentul cu P53 gene therapy, si Vitamina C. O sa urmeze sa merg zilnic la clinica pentru tratament, singurele zile in care nu o sa merg o sa fie Sambata si Duminica, abea o sa am timp sa vizitez gradinile lor superbe. Abea astept!

Clinica mi-a oferit sa stau la un apartament la 5 minute pe jos de clinica si azi de dimineata am primit cheile. Apartamentul imi aminteste de apartamentele vechi din Romania si de casele mobile din America. Aceasta o sa fie casa mea pentru mai bine de o luna, un loc simplu ce are tot strictul necesar. 

Aceasta calatorie are un scop bine definit si orice lucru bun cere anumite sacrificii,  Vor veni si momente grele? probabil ,dar pana atunci ma bucur de acest inceput promitator.

We started the weekend before leaving for Japan celebrating Anna's 13th birthday. Another teenager in our house, my prayer is that she will have a beautiful adolescence in which her heart clings to the Lord and finds delight in her personal relationship with her savior.

We were very happy to have my mother's sister, her daughter, and her niece visit us. Relatives whom we rarely see, but with whom we always resume relations exactly where we left off a few years ago. We never know when God will call us home and it is a blessing to value the time we have now and here and to enjoy our dear ones.

It was a blessing to be busy because that way I didn't have time to be stressed about leaving. Sunday was very emotional at church, it's a special blessing to be surrounded by so much support and love.

Monday morning it was not easy to leave home, when there is cancer in the body and the doctors did not give much time left, every time leaving home was very difficult. I have never been away for such a long time. I am writing these lines 2 days after leaving and I already miss my family...

The flight to Japan was 14 hours, a long journey in which the Lord protected me. At the end of the road, my feet started wearing tennis shoes and once I arrived in Tokyo, the excitement began. I had a short time between planes and I didn't realize that I had to go through customs, pick up my large luggage and then go by bus to another terminal, give the large luggage, and go through TSA again. It didn't matter how heavy the luggage was, God strengthened my muscles, the operation is already healed and I ran trying, as if without hope at one point, to reach the plane that was probably no longer there. To my surprise, my plane was delayed, a more unusual thing in Japan, and so I managed to catch the connection to Osaka. And doesn't God take care of all our needs? For me, the plane was delayed, I am convinced.

What are the chances that in Japan I will meet someone who speaks my native language, Romanian? Well, Dr. Inui knows a Romanian woman who has lived in Tokyo for 20 years and she waited for me in Osaka to be with me at the clinic on my first day there and to teach me how to manage, as much as possible, among the natives. Mihaela is a blessing for me, she understands Romanian and Japanese culture and was able to guide me on how to behave so as not to make too many mistakes. Did you know that in Japan you change your indoor slippers to toilet slippers when you go to the toilet? It's the same at the clinic. The first time I entered with my shoes, the second time I used the flip-flops I wear when I'm in the clinic, but the third time I was already ashamed, I left the clinic flip-flops at the door and used the bathroom flip-flops.

Last night we stopped to get a drink of water and I gave some coins to the seller, she took as much as she needed from my hand and we left. I was crossing the street when the girl at the cashier ran and touched my shoulder to turn back because I left too fast and she didn't have time to give me rest :)

Tonight I was invited to dinner at the restaurant with Mihaela and she insisted on trying a raw fish because it's impossible not to like it, I think it was macron, I even tried the whole piece with sauce and did exactly as I was told to do... after 30 seconds with the fish in my mouth I ran to the bathroom to wash it throw in...speck who loves Japanese food, very good, good luck, I will continue to enjoy fried rice and miso soups.

The long-awaited meeting with Dr. Inui lasted almost 2 hours, he explained to me which of the treatments he does are the most beneficial for me: P53 gene therapy, P10 gene therapy, GCmaf, sonotherapie, vitamin C, and ozone therapy. The tests done in the States are somehow superficial and he cannot see exactly everything he would like, so on Friday he will go for a CT scan here and he will send blood to a laboratory in Germany to have more information. Today, after the discussion with him, I started the treatment with P53 gene therapy and Vitamin C.

The clinic offered me to stay in an apartment 5 minutes walk from the clinic and this morning I received the keys. The apartment reminds me of old apartments in Romania and mobile homes in America. This will be my home for more than a month, a simple place that has everything strictly necessary.

This journey has a well-defined purpose and every good thing requires certain sacrifices. Will there be tough moments? probably, but until then I enjoy this promising start.