Saturday Swim

On Saturday, Erwin and I had a very nice swim with Linda. Molly and Jason joined us, too! Erwin even got to see a Frogfish while he was snorkeling! He was a happy camper :-). Click on photo for larger view.

A New Year Begins

First the good news...Erwin's friend Stewart is back on the island. He picks up Erwin every morning and takes him along on his dive excursions. Erwin really enjoys this. Erwin was also interviewed for a documentary on the history of windsurfing in Bonaire and participated in a rally " Boneiru Activo" which promotes participation in sports and fitness activities. The attached photo is from the Boneiru Activo ceremony at the sports stadium. This photo was on the front page of the Extra newspaper. Erwin is on the far right with the other representatives of the windsurfing contingent. Photo courtesy of Ibi Piar..
Now the bad news...Erwin's younger sister (49) suffered a massive stroke on January 7th. She is currently in the hospital in Curacao but will probably be sent back to Bonaire next week. From all accounts she is not doing very well. More on this later.

Happy Holidays!

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone who has given us such tremendous support and encouragement throughout this trying year. We couldn't have made it through without all your help, contributions and prayers. We still have a long way to go with Erwin's recovery, so please keep us in your thoughts during the coming year.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and may your star shine brightly in the New Year!

Much Love,
Ellen & Erwin

New Plans

Had a great visit with Erwin's rehabilitation doctor last week. We made plans to go to Curacao for a few days sometime early next year to do an extensive evaluation of Erwin's current situation and see where he needs the most help in his rehabilitation therapy. The rescheduled visit with his neurologist is next week.

On the home front, we are being plagued by repeated thefts and an attempted break in. This sucks!!

Cruisin'

We got Erwin out in the boat last weekend. He had a good time cruising along the coastline. As we arrived back to shore, we were treated to a green flash. The perfect evening ended with dinner from Bobbejans. :-)

Frustration & Fun

After running around all day last Monday with 3 visits to the insurance office and two to the doctor's office, getting Erwin's paperwork straightened out and going to the airport to pay for the plane tickets to Curacao, I got home late in the afternoon only to receive a call from Erwin's neurologist's office saying that his appointment for Tuesday had been cancelled and would not be rescheduled until early December. I had so hoped to be able to fine tune the dosage on his anti seizure meds, in consultation with his doctor, but now it will have to wait for another 6 weeks. So frustrating! Thankfully, his rehabilitation doctor comes to Bonaire, monthly, so if all goes according to plan Erwin will see him on October 30th.

Friends of Erwin's from his days at Toucan Diving have stopped by the past two Saturdays to spend some time with him. Yesterday they took an afternoon drive with Erwin around the southern part of the island and stopped by to visit with friends. Thanks, Mark and Resa :-).

A New Month Begins..

October arrives with no real progress to report. Erwin is holding steady. He has an appointment with his neurologist in Curacao, later this month, and also his rehabilitation doctor. After consulting with them, we will then try to figure out the next steps to take.

We bought a "zero gravity" chair for Erwin and it has turned out to be a great investment. When I go diving, we set up the chair in a shady spot on the beach, and Erwin can watch the sunset and converse with any friends that stop by. His friend Stewart has been picking up Erwin in the mornings and taking him along on his dive excursions, as well.

On a sad note, it is disappointing to see how many of Erwin's friends have pretty much abandoned him. I guess everyone is busy with their own lives and they don't have time to spend with a friend in desperate need of companionship and camaraderie. This breaks my heart.

A fisherman, that we have known for years, lost three of his fingers (just above the knuckles) earlier this week in a fishing accident. Yikes! We stopped by his house to see how he was doing yesterday and this morning he came by and spent a couple of hours chatting with Erwin.

Moko and Erwin...