Tia and Debi - thanks for your updates. It's been a while since I've been to Paris (I avoid Air France so don't pass through CDG). Debi, I can identify a bit with your pain, though I'm sure not entirely. My physical therapist says I'm experiencing something called referred pain, which means I feel pain at a place other than it's source. I hope you've had enough good time in Paris to leave fond memories. Safe travels onto the next big event.


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In many ways reading this comes full circle.  Your detailed posts on GCS with Dr. Ley (It's Tia Anne's turn now!) helped greatly with my decisions. 

I really, really wish I could have met up with you in Paris or Marbella.  Or maybe we can compromise and meet up in Paris Idaho... not as many cafes but near some great motorcycle roads.

Wow such beautiful pictures ladies. I'm just now catching up to your FFS trip. Well, I still have more reading to do yet. I'm not sure when the big day is? It seems like just the other day we were following Stephanie and Kendra around Paris and Spain.

Big hugs!!!

It was a rainy morning as we left our hotel in Paris this morning at 4 AM local time. The rain was a fit statement that while we had enjoyed Paris immensely, actually filling some of Deb's lifetime dreams, it was time to take our next step on this journey. After a quick stopover in Zurich, we arrived in Marbella in the early afternoon. The hotel is beautiful and the Mediterranean less than a minutes walk from our room.....but all this is no more than a distraction of why we traveled here. Tomorrow morning, Thursday, I go in for a series of testing and then consultation time with FacialTeam in the early afternoon. Yes, I am very excited and I have to admit a bit nervous....or perhaps a bit more than a bit, but no fears or hesitations. Then it is a few days of playing around the town and the big show takes place Monday morning.

Thank you all for your comments and encouragement, receiving your feedback really does help.

@Kendra , I have often thought of how our circle continues to turn, your experiences here in Marbella shared through your posts as well as face to face at our home have been a great help in getting to where we are here in Spain. Deb was so encouraged by your thorough and detailed explanations and it helped Deb accept this next step on our journey. It would have been fun to have you here but after reading Stephanie's tales, I would never have been able to keep up!    Paris Idaho, better Coeur d'Alene or Moscow. We do plan to pass through BC, Vancouver Island and Seattle area in late August and do really really hope to spend some time with you while in your area (though Sweet Rose will stay home on this trip).

Thank you all and Deb, the great story teller will update you with pictures and poetic dialog soon (she is sleeping now).

Tia Anne

Monday morning! Just a few more days away. Wishing you a speedy recovery. We will all be there with you in spirit Tia and Debi. I'm looking forward to hearing how your recovery goes.

Paris and Spain are lovely places to visit. This is such a memorable event in you journey. I wouldn't be able to keep with Kendra either. I still have two months to go before my FFS. It won't be as exotic as your experience, unless you believe down town West Los Angeles is exotic. It's just the same old place to me.

Big hugs!!!

Good luck with your FFS and trip. From what I have read you are in good hands.

It is now Friday evening in Marbella Spain. The rainy weather has been following us from France but we have also had some sun and blue sky. On a walk this morning Deb was able to see both Gibraltar and probably the Moroccan coast, not a bad view.

My day of medical testing and consultations went well yesterday. The procedure list has been simplified a bit making all of us happy. I just finished signing the contracts and now there is nothing to do but wait for Monday morning and the show to start. By the way, waiting for things like this is not my strong suite. Deb is working on another travelogue post, soon to follow.

Tia Anne

Here's the post that Tia promised from me a bit ago, but it looks like she has kept you well abreast of what has happened since we left Paris. Our flights were uneventful even with the fact that Swiss Air made us check the bags that everyone else let us carry on and our concern was a very short lay over in Zurich. Fifty minutes but everything went fine and the Swiss were as efficient and affective as ever. Even with our plane parking out and having to be bussed to the concourse for our transfer we still made it in plenty of time and our luggage made it too. My 4:00 a.m. departure caught up with me and this is how I spent my time between Zurich and Malaga Spain.
   


I have more pics of this beautiful area which I will post once my photo app stops acting up.
As Tia said Marbella is beautiful and this part of the trip is lay-back time for me. For Tia too but after Monday she is to be working on healing. My plan is to do a bunch of writing and my hope is that Tia will make up for all the sleep she has not been getting for the last month. The food here is good but both of us are so into our Southwestern fare of Mexican or Tex-Mex flavor that we are missing home. Maybe our last week, which will be spent in Old Town Marbella (we decided to hold off on Barcelona till a later date) will have more flavors to choose from.


I have a request for those of you who are also following on Facebook or through my email tales to not mention the surgery anywhere but on Susan's. Many of our family and friends from home don't know why we are here. They think it's just another of the Crazy Ladies wild adventures. Well it is ... with a twist.


I don't expect there will be as much for me to report until our last week as I will let Tia keep you up on how she is feeling both physically and emotionally. So until then this is Deb signing off.

Yes, I will post as soon as I have news that she is through the surgery.

Got it!  You two enjoy your relaxing Marbella beach vacation, and I hope Tia gets plenty of comfy rest after her big makeover and spa day on Monday. 

Nothing quite like that really, really deep tissue massage that they specialize in!

I just realized that you all missed out on our first day visiting the Louvre. I don't know which day it was. After the day at the Museum Orangerie and before my FM day I think. Anyway it was the day we went with the plan of seeing the Mona Lisa. The Old Masters are not my favorite of artists but the reason to go to the Louvre is all about seeing the Mona. This was where our frustration with the wheelchair and the Louvre began but it is also where we recognized that there were perks to me being in the chair besides saving me from swollen, painful ankles and back pain. Free entry to all museums for both me and my chair pusher and moving to the front of all the long lines waiting to get through security. It also meant we had the opportunity to get in front of all the folks who are behind the barrier keeping them back six feet from the Mona Lisa. We couldn't touch her but we were way closer then most of the mob. I was impressed once I had the opportunity to just sit and look. Da Vinci caught something unique about his model and she is prettier then I thought. I definitely saw what the experts call her mysterious smile. It's not so much from her lips but more an over all quality of "look". I have always thought that Da Vinci's genius was more in his inventions and intellectual direction, a man way before his time, but the Mona Lisa is also something very special.

Last Day in Paris
We spent this day taking a tour bus around to the sights that were too far away for us to comfortably walk to. The day was filled with some crazy weather with rain all morning, warming up and sunny around noon, with wind, overcast and cold coming in late afternoon. As we sat eating a late lunch (actually for us an early dinner) the rain started again. This was also the cafe' where Tia was "Sir-ed". Time to leave Paris.


We did enjoy the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was during the beautiful part of the day and for about an hour we saw Paris in the Spring.





Two hours later our time at the Eiffel Tour was no where near as enjoyable, as the wind was blowing cold and humid and we walked under the tour, took some pictures and headed quickly back to catch the bus. Of course it was the one place that the bus was slow getting back to us so we were both chilled by the time we climbed back on. I did learn some good bits of history trivia at some of the other stops but we didn't get off at any more stops. It is obviously time to move on.

Au revoir, Paris!             

Hi Tia and Debi,

  I am happy that you two are enjoying your vacation so far. Yes, I have been lurking and reading occasionally. I am sure the rest of it will be good also. I am hoping for the best results for Tia and your rest there in Marbella. My thoughts and love are with you both.

Hugs,
  Laurie

Mums the word on FB Debi. I did get a friend request on FB from Tia but I don't recall hearing anything about her surgery.

Check that! I sent Tia a friend request on FB

Gosh, the pictures as so beautiful. What a trip to remember. Good to hear you both are well and having a blast.

Big hugs!

Deb and Anne,
   We are thinking of you two and certainly wishing you the best. I hope the surgery gets you the result you would like. Soon your recovery will be in the past. It's a speed bump, not fun but doable. Big warm hugs!
Moni and Ann

Hi Tia and Debi,

Just found this thread.  Good luck, and good recovery!  All the best to both of you.
Randy

Hello All, this is my waiting day. I am in a beautiful place, sitting wrapped in a warm, cuddly blanket on our balcony a stones throw from the Mediterranean Sea and all I can think about is where Tia is today. They have told me the surgery will take about seven hours so not to wait at the hospital but stay comfortable at the resort. The two places are about six blocks apart in distance. I am at the resort but I'm not comfortable. I know Tia is in the very best of hands for what she is having done .. But!! You get the idea. Anyway, this is just to let those of you on Susan's know it is happening, now. I'll post again when she is out of surgery.

Debi

Almost there!  What an incredible journey to get to this point, and I am not talking about travel.  The changes you and Tia will experience are profound and so positive. 

A short year from now you will see today as the day when so much Tia Anne has wanted to unlock was finally set free, to truly live.

And yes there will be recovery time and effort, immediately and over the days and weeks tapering into the months.  Things that are challenging and difficult that I look back on with irreplaceable fondness eleven months later.

God speed Debi and Anne. We are all hear at the resort in spirit waiting with you Deb! Stay warm in your blanket.

Warm blankie hugs!

Thinking of you two!

All the best to you both!  I wish Tia a speedy recovery!