{"id":882,"date":"2013-02-24T16:13:30","date_gmt":"2013-02-24T20:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/?p=882"},"modified":"2013-02-25T22:16:37","modified_gmt":"2013-02-26T02:16:37","slug":"iceland-pre-op-adventure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/2013\/02\/24\/iceland-pre-op-adventure\/","title":{"rendered":"Iceland Pre-Op Adventure"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ben is scheduled for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.choa.org\/Childrens-Hospital-Services\/Orthopaedics\/Programs-Services\/Scoliosis-and-Spine\/Conditions-and-Treatments\/Spinal-Fusion-and-Growing-Rods\">spinal fusion surgery<\/a> on April 4. We&#8217;ve known this was going to happen since last August, but willingly blocked it out of our minds until this year. Since January, however, we&#8217;ve had to face reality: we&#8217;ve had school and therapist meetings to prepare for Ben&#8217;s 6 weeks away from school, we&#8217;ve scheduled  necessary pre-op appointments and have successfully coordinated an eye exam under anesthesia just before the spine surgery takes place, and I&#8217;ve been working overtime so that I can more easily take time off work to concentrate on Ben.<\/p>\n<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<p><script>(function(d, s, id) {\r\n  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\r\n  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;\r\n  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\r\n  js.src = \"\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\";\r\n  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\r\n}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));<\/script><\/p>\n<p>But for this surgery, which will be number 24 for Ben and his most trying one to date, we added a very important prepratory step&#8211;that of a family trip to Iceland! We wanted to do something fun and different before something challenging and difficult. <div id=\"attachment885\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-iceland-map-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment885\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-iceland-map-2013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Elwy kids at Keflavik Aiport map\" title=\"Elwy kids at Keflavik Aiport map\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-iceland-map-2013-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-iceland-map-2013-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-iceland-map-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment885\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elwy kids at Keflavik Aiport map<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.visiticeland.com\/\">Iceland<\/a> in February sounded different (but fun?), and as one Icelander said to us, &#8220;as long as you can handle the wind and the sideways rain&#8221; you&#8217;ll be fine! But we didn&#8217;t expect the accessibility of a country of only 300,000 people, two-thirds of whom live in its capital city Reykjavik, to rival every other place we&#8217;ve ever been.<div id=\"attachment889\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-sun-voyager-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment889\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-sun-voyager-2013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"We visited the Sun Voyager in Reykjavik, to no avail!\" title=\"We visited the Sun Voyager in Reykjavik, to no avail!\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-889\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-sun-voyager-2013-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-sun-voyager-2013-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We visited the Sun Voyager in Reykjavik, to no avail!<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Upon arrival in Keflavik International Airport, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.icelandair.us\/destinations\/flights\/item22851\/flights-to-iceland\/?gclid=CKSh-pjLz7UCFYje4AodsXAA_Q\">Icelandair<\/a> staff met us at the gate with a wheelchair for Ben and personally guided our family through immigration to the baggage claim. While getting our rental car, Thor, our first Icelandic friend, gave us a history of the country, told us key facts about certain towns and cities, explained all the movies made in Iceland, and told us where to take Ben. <\/p>\n<p>The apartment we rented on Vatnisstigur in Reykjavik was an accessible dream, with wide, open areas and hallways, a roll-in shower, and not one step, anywhere, inside or outside the building. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.elding.is\/\">Elding Whale Watch Cruise<\/a> staff took me on a brief tour of their two ships so that we could figure out which one would be most accessible for Ben. <div id=\"attachment892\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/elding-whale-cruise-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment892\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/elding-whale-cruise-2013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"On the Elding Whale Watch Cruise, Reykjavik\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/elding-whale-cruise-2013-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/elding-whale-cruise-2013-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/elding-whale-cruise-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment892\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">On the Elding Whale Watch Cruise, Reykjavik<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Separate, disabled bathrooms (favorite Icelandic word&#8211;snyrthingar) are everywhere, including the tiny <a href=\"http:\/\/volcanohouse.is\/\">Volcano House<\/a> museum. <\/p>\n<p>Slatted walkways allow visitors using wheelchairs or walkers to get close to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gullfoss.org\/\">Gullfoss<\/a>, the gorgeous (but windy!) waterfall in the Golden Triangle. <div id=\"attachment896\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-at-gullfoss-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment896\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-at-gullfoss-2013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Ben, Lucy and Charlotte brave the winds at Gullfoss, Iceland \" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-at-gullfoss-2013-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-at-gullfoss-2013-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/kids-at-gullfoss-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment896\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben, Lucy and Charlotte brave the winds at Gullfoss, Iceland <\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>City planners in Reykjavik have added stone ramps to every public area where steps abound. <div id=\"attachment898\" style=\"width: 235px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/ben-on-ramp-austruvellir-square-reykjavik-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment898\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/ben-on-ramp-austruvellir-square-reykjavik-2013-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Ben (and Sherin) loving the ramps at Austurvollur square, Reykjavik \" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/ben-on-ramp-austruvellir-square-reykjavik-2013-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/ben-on-ramp-austruvellir-square-reykjavik-2013-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/ben-on-ramp-austruvellir-square-reykjavik-2013.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment898\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ben (and Sherin) loving the ramps at Austurvollur square, Reykjavik <\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m not sure if they use the words &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.universaldesign.com\/\">universal design<\/a>&#8221; in Iceland, but they epitomize it. <\/p>\n<p>Sure, there were things we couldn&#8217;t do, like 10 hour treks across glaciers, and in some areas, Sherin was forced to carry Ben while I lifted the walker. But what Ben could do in Iceland was <em>much more<\/em> than what he couldn&#8217;t do. And we lifted him less on this trip then any other one I can remember.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the wind, I will never forget the beauty of Iceland, and I have stored these serene images in my head. When Ben is recovering in the ICU following his spine surgery, and critical care providers are working as hard as possible to control his pain (which may nor may not work, we&#8217;ve been there before), I&#8217;ll at least be able to conjure up images of lakes and mountains in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thingvellir.is\/english\">Thingvellir National Park<\/a>, the shooting <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Strokkur\">Strokkur<\/a> geyser in Geysir, the beauty of rain crystals on Ben&#8217;s eyelashes as he soaked in the milky blue-white silica geothermal spring <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bluelagoon.com\/\">Blue Lagoon<\/a> in Grindavik, and his joy of being under the hot waterfall there. <div id=\"attachment902\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-blue-lagoon-2013.jpg\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment902\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-blue-lagoon-2013-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Basking in the Blue Lagoon\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-902\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-blue-lagoon-2013-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-blue-lagoon-2013-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/files\/2013\/02\/family-blue-lagoon-2013.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment902\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Basking in the Blue Lagoon<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll be able to help Ben visualize these images as well, as a meditative practice on all things beautiful and good, and we&#8217;ll make a mantram out of them for dealing with pain, anxiety, stress and impatience. <\/p>\n<p>In April, just say the word Iceland to me, and I&#8217;ll remember my mantram. Here&#8217;s hoping that this trip, which has done our family so much good already, will also be the coping mechanism that I need it to be later on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ben is scheduled for spinal fusion surgery on April 4. We&#8217;ve known this was going to happen since last August, but willingly blocked it out of our minds until this year. Since January, however, we&#8217;ve had to face reality: we&#8217;ve had school and therapist meetings to prepare for Ben&#8217;s 6 weeks away from school, we&#8217;ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2966,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[500,11811,206],"tags":[5175,7587,11813],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2966"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=882"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":924,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/882\/revisions\/924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bu.edu\/relwy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}