Ahoy from St. Paul, mateys!

We made it successfully to St. Paul and are having a great time so far!  This time we are staying in a Holiday Inn, which we like better than the Best Western where we stayed in June.  Downtown St. Paul seems to be mostly a collection of extremely large buildings, e.g. Travelers Insurance and the West Legal Publishing Company.  And directly across from our hotel is the Xcel Energy Center, a giant event center where the professional hockey team plays and Madonna is giving a concert in November. 

And down the street a little way is the Science Museum of Minnesota, where we spent the morning before heading to Gillette in the afternoon for appointments.  The Science Museum had a super cool exhibit on pirates that Suchitra and I both loved.  This guy named Barry Clifford has spent the last few decades bringing up artifacts from a pirate ship that shipwrecked off Cape Cod in 1717.  It was called the Whydah (pronounced "widow"), named for the west African city of Ouidah that was a hub of the slave trade.  The Whydah was first a slave ship.  Then a young pirate captain named Sam Bellamy attacked and commandeered it.  He sailed all around the Atlantic Ocean, making a fortune by pillaging and plundering.  But on the way home to Massachusetts, the Whydah got caught in a massive nor'easter and sunk.  All but two pirates were drowned.  Bellamy had several other ships in his fleet, and the survivors plus the other pirates headed for Rhode Island, which was a pirate safe haven.  But almost all of them were eventually caught, put on trial in Boston (where Cotton Mather tried to convince them to repent) and hanged for their crimes.

Apparently pirate ships were totally egalitarian, unlike the military and merchant vessels also plying the seas at that time.  The merchants were busy stuffing African slaves into their ships' holds, and the navies treated their crews terribly - harsh discipline, bad food, little pay if any.  Whereas pirates all got to share the booty and everyone was treated equally, whether of European, African, or Native American descent.  For example, only if there were enough hammocks on the ship would everyone get to sleep in a hammock.  If there weren't enough, everyone slept on the deck.  Not surprising that when pirates captured other ships, many of the captured crew decided to join the pirates.  Sam Bellamy's ship even had a nine-year-old pirate named John King.  He was on a ship that was taken by Bellamy's crew.  He demanded to join them and when his mother protested, he threatened to kill her.    Unfortunately (or maybe appropriately) he didn't get to enjoy piracy very long before sinking with the Whydah.  Found in the wreck, and displayed in the exhibit, was all that remains of him - a silk stocking, a fancy shoe, and a little tibula.

The other items brought up from the Whydah's watery grave were amazing too - weapons and cannons, the ship's bell, and of course lots of gold and silver!  Both of us thought the coolest part of the exhibition was the replica pirate ship that you could go inside, complete with creaky floors and seagull cries.  Suchitra also got some pirate trader cards, one depicting a fierce female pirate named Mary Read.

Aaaargh, I'm getting totally off topic!  Back to Suchitra's surgery.  At Gillette today, we learned a lot about what the upcoming weeks will hold.  We toured the surgery area and the rehab unit where we will be living.  A child life specialist explained the surgery in great detail and answered all of Suchitra's questions about it.  She was fitted for knee immobilizers that will keep her legs straight, and we saw a prone cart where she will be lying on her stomach, to stretch out her hips and also until she gets strong enough to sit up.  The cart can be wheeled around.  I'll have to post some pictures, it's hard to describe. 

She also had baseline evaluations for occupational and speech therapy.  Speech therapy she doesn't need, of course.  I'm excited about OT because there is a good chance she will be able to dress herself as a result of this surgery.  Right now, it's a huge challenge given that her legs are so tight.  So OT will help with that.

The rehab unit looks like a typical hospital unit.  The rooms are quite small and will be shared with one other patient with only a curtain between.  I think this is going to be a big challenge for me - no privacy and probably not much quiet.  There is a Ronald McDonald unit in a different wing that we didn't get to see, but apparently has a nice kitchen and dining area.  As when we were here in June, the hospital is a very busy place with lots of people going and coming at all times.  We did learn that there will be lots of activities to keep Suchitra busy.  Each day will be scheduled with physical and occupational therapy, school, and evening fun activities like birthday parties, dog shows, and games.  I know she will love it.

Okay, time to sign off as I have to give Suchitra a shower and get her to bed if I can pry the TV remote from her little clutches.  We have to be at the hospital at 6 am tomorrow for her 7:30 am surgery, along with all our luggage (two suitcases, two backpacks, and one duffel).  I am fighting off a cold so trying not to infect her, which would not be helpful.  Thanks for reading and we love getting your emails and comments!