QoL: An elephant blessing

[BrentW]

I spent the last four days in a hospice, Skanda Vale, relaxing, chatting and painting pictures. Of the five patients who were there, I was, I discovered, the only one with cancer. It felt good to be giving my wife a break -- though we spoke daily via Skype. The food was good and vegetarian. The hospice is, after all, financed by a Hindu ashram about five miles away.

The ashram has two elephants that they revere but that are not open for public viewing. I asked to see them, telling one of the Sisters at the hospice much about Hinduism on Trinidad. While I was visiting them, one of the elephants gave me a blessing. This involved it tapping my head with the tip of its trunk. I gave it an apple, which it picked up from my hand with its trunk, in return for having my hair filled with elephant snot.

[16starsky]

Hi Brent,

I too have been blessed by a Temple Elephant in India. I LOVE Elephants, calm, beautiful,gentle, regal. Even washed them in a stream with a coconut shell in Shri Lanka, memories we will cherish forever.

Its nice that your wife has had a break from everything. A little 'me' time will do her the world of good, I'm sure.

My Husband Clint, Stage 4 mcrpc, sat with a friend for 4 hours yesterday, while his wife took a break. A friend cooked her a meal, etc.. Unfortunately the friend with PC is now bedbound, age 60, wouldn't have chemo , my heart breaks for them both.

I wish you all the best, we are also in the UK.

[treedown]

Sounds like a wonderful experience minus the snot on the head. Can we expect a painting?

[BrentW in reply to treedown]

I managed four paintings while there, but only two are what I would call 'showable'. None are of the hospice or ashram; I felt that photographing those places would be as gauche and boorish as photographing inside a cathedral. I shall see if I can scan or photograph the paintings I managed, and then post them.

[treedown in reply to BrentW]

I was wondering about the elephant?

[Kaliber]

yayahahahaya well that’s not your everyday hospice experience… 2 elephants. Pretty kewl. How have “ you “ been doing yourself big guy ? Do Hindu hospices have people for pain management ? I can say with certainty, in my decades with the Zen monastery at Mt. Shasta …. we did not have elephants. Goats for sure , but elephants , no. Yayahahahaya interesting. I had a brief, slight brush , with the Hari Kristina temple on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, in the late 60s . Hinduism is a broad subject , with many interesting variations. Buddhism too, I guess.

Thanks for keeping all of us updated on your interesting hospice experiences.

❤️❤️❤️

[zeitgeistxx]

Elephant snot made me laugh. Happy you had a nice experience and shared a moment with a large soul. Also looking forward to new art postings.

[MouseAddams]

love the update and the graphic description of the sharing of bodily fluids. I guess you’re now a ghost buster- you’ve been slimed 😁

[Mcrpca]

I love your attitude.

[j-o-h-n]

As the old joke goes......... what's green and white and hangs in trees? Elephant snot.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[garyjp9]

Sounds like it might have been restorative time for both you and your wife. Did they use Western medicines and treatments with you or Ayurvedic treatments?

[BrentW in reply to garyjp9]

They used both. I walked with the medications prescribed by the palliative care team (fentanyl patches, Abstral (fentanyl) tablets, Pregabalin tablets and others), and there were such Ayurvedic treatments as I requested. These included especially meditation, massage (I enjoyed the head massage especially, which ensured that I slept soundly), and yoga. I found reflexology to be therapeutic; when one area proved especially sensitive, the reflexologist told me that it was related to my chest. He did not know beforehand that I have lesions in my lungs. I was impressed.

[garyjp9 in reply to BrentW]

Very interesting. Sounds like a very good respite.

[MaxWife]

beautiful 🥰💕🐘

Thank you for sharing 🙏🏻

[Professorgary]

bless you my friend, you just both me and my wife smile. I pray that however many days, week, months you have on this earth that they are comfortable and peaceful. Your journey has uplifted me and I thank you for that. God bless you.