Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn  t4z@aol.com

What is it about a destination that you are forbid to visit that makes it that much more interesting? Just say “no” and the object or experience is on the top of your bucket list. For decades Cuba was out of bounds for United States visitors, unless you were with some special cultural program or association. Not the case today, as Cuba has been opened up to American tourists.
You hear all the time to hurry up and go to Cuba before it changes. Changes, meaning bright fancy new hotels and resorts, over shadowing the quaint colonial town. Cuba has been open to international businesses for decades, and yet when visiting today, you see very little recognizable modern infra structure. Why has not the international community invested in Cuba with tourist amenities? One reason might be that Cuba still all the whole, does not allow ownership of property. Who wants to invest in property that they do not own? Until this Cuban policy changes, Cuba will not quickly be spoiled by outside developers.
So there is no real need to hurry up and see Cuba. As a slowly developing country, Cuba is stymied in the atmosphere and development of the 1950’s. The classic cars that are the icon of Cuba today is still in abundance and for a fee you can ride around the streets in one, or have your photo made by one. The fee you pay may help the up keep of these classic 1950’s and 60’s cars.
And while there are horror stories of tourists booking their own rooms in hotels without the expected tourist amenities, right now it might be best to book a cruise as your floating hotel and see several Cuban cities, not just Havana. This can be accomplished with Fathom Cruises. They promote their cruises as interaction with the locals through preplanned tours taking you either in a walking tour of an area with stops at local pre-approved locations, or a bus tour visiting several approved tourist spots. They promote interaction with the locales, but on a recent tour the time restrains for personal interaction was minimal.
One such attraction was visiting a concert of local singers in a classic Cuban auditorium set up just for visiting tourist. The music was enjoyable but the scheduled interaction time with the local singers was nonexistent, and the tour was hustled out of the auditorium. No reason was given just that we had to move on. This was the case on many tours. I’m not sure this was a government mandated restriction, more like poor planning on the part of the local tour operator, and an over scheduled day. Being only the eighth American cruise ship to arrive in Havana may be the answer. While the tour guides were always congenial their Spanish accents and lack of professional tour guide experience was less than optimum. While the tour guides were officially trained and licensed by the government, they need more experience in their chosen field. This, hopefully, will be remedied with more practice, and then reflected in generous tipping.
Of course you don’t go to Cuba expecting the Little Cuba neighborhoods of Miami, but you do expect to have an enjoyable, pleasant and memorable experience. What you may bring back from Cuba is only a glimpse of the architecture which needs renovating and preservation, a few grand plazas, and food while edible, not especially memorable. Even the Cuba Libre, the iconic rum and coke drink, may be watered down.
Well known for its gourmand cigars, you will no doubt be escorted to an approved tobacco shop. We were advised to look for the official cigar stamp/label on the cigars we purchased as there may be some offered that are not official Cuban cigars. Now with trade agreements open on Americans buying and bring back Cigars, the Cigar trade for tourist might be diminishing, but probably not anytime soon. While the prices are premium in Cuba, the price offered by your bell person at Miami Hotels behind the counter were doubled, and perhaps that might change with the free import restriction lifted..
Another commerce challenge is that Cuba has two currencies, one for locals and one for tourists. That may hinder you once you have exchange your dollars in to tourist dollars, and find that the store you happened upon or street vendor only takes local currency. Exchanging money in Cuba is quite simple and except if there is a line, very efficient, friendly and fast.
As with any tropical destination in a developing country, don’t expect air conditioning, bring your own bottled water on tours, protect yourself with sunscreen and an ugly wide brimmed hat. And in a group of tourists don’t be surprised to be approached by semi well-dressed pan handlers, either giving you a sob story (“My wife is very sick, expecting a child and I am out of work”) or simply a hand out for you to fill. We were discouraged to give in to our humanitarian instincts, as this would only encourage the population to do likewise. A simple no or wave of the hand, or such is sufficient to dismiss the well intentioned local.
These reflections of my recent trip is not to discourage your interest, but just to report that Cuba is still a developing country for tourists and there is no need to rush to see it. Any booked tour of Cuba is an adventure, and as with any adventure you may find the summer heat and glaring sun a challenge. Going with Fathom Cruises (https://www.fathom.org/cruise-to-cuba/ ) may add the convenience with amenities that are good fit for senior travelers. More about a Fathom cruise next month.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zinn/
www.new.okveterannews.com – www.martinitravels.com

by Mike Lee, Staff Writer

When Claire Carrick received the news that her son Noah had been diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma it hit her with a force she had never felt.
When she learned that her 18-month-old’s best shot at a cure was on another continent the pediatric optometrist and her husband packed a few suitcases at their Manchester, England home and got on an airplane.
Luckily for Noah’s family, Diana Schaeffer, MPH, MSN, APRN-CNP and the ProCure Proton Therapy Center were waiting to receive them.
“I was quite frightened. We didn’t know what to expect,” Carrick said. “We didn’t know what the treatment would entail. We were uprooted to somewhere that was completely different. Diana was there to talk us through.”
Schaeffer’s speciality is pediatric cancer patients, both foreign and domestic.
ProCure maintains a contract with the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Patients from England, Scotland and Wales will find their way to Oklahoma and Schaeffer.
Word has traveled quickly about what ProCure has to offer bringing in patients even from China and Bahrain.
“It’s very difficult,” Schaeffer said. “If you can imagine your world being turned upside down by a cancer diagnosis with your child and now you have to pick up and take your child where you don’t know anybody. You don’t know where you’ll be staying and you have no idea who these people are that you’re going to hand your child over to.”
Schaeffer’s nursing career began in an emergency room setting. From there she worked for an insurance company doing utilization review. A master’s in public health followed as did a position as the chief of nursing services for the Oklahoma State Department of Health.
She earned her APRN in the process.
“I just felt a need to put that to work,” Schaeffer said.
In 2012 she found ProCure.
“You know, when you’re trained as a nurse you’re kind of trained with some cultural sensitivity but you really aren’t quite trained to deal with day-to-day how to live and how to entertain them daily while they’re here. Most of your training is hospital-based but we’re not a hospital.”
Many out-of-town visitors will stay at the nearly Staybridge Hotel, which nurses have nicknamed “The Colony.”
But they have almost daily appointments at ProCure.
“It’s very easy to get very close to these families,” Schaeffer said. “I keep in touch with all of them as they go home. I know my patients and my families very well. I see them almost every day.”
Carrick said the 10-week stay in Oklahoma City was difficult but Schaeffer and her husband helped soften the blow.
“She’s on speed dial with us,” Carrick said.
ProCure is one of two proton centers in the nation that treat UK pediatric patients while the country builds their own proton centers.
ProCure Treatment Centers is a privately held health care company dedicated to improving the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy.
The company was founded in 2005 in Bloomington, Ind., and is the first to develop a network of proton therapy centers in cities across the United States.
ProCure’s solution reduces the time, cost and effort necessary to build and operate a facility. ProCure is advancing proton therapy by collaborating with radiation oncology practices and hospitals to develop centers through innovation and improvements in technology, and by providing training at the world’s only educational facility specializing in proton therapy.
Schaeffer also coordinates care with OU Children’s Hospital if patients need chemo in addition to proton therapy. She relays information back to the child’s care team in the UK, acting as their “constant clinical lifeline” as she says. And since no one travels with their family doc, Schaeffer even provides urgent care for any of the family’s needs while here.
“I just kind of fell into it,” Schaeffer said. “I think I’m in the only nurse practitioner in the state that does any kind of radiation oncology and I know that I’m the only proton nurse practitioner.”
Carrick said the nine-hour plane ride to Oklahoma City gave the family plenty of time to wonder what they would encounter across the pond.
Once they arrived there was a definite dose of culture shock. And being in Oklahoma City during the spring meant the Carricks got to hear their first tornado siren.
“Diana was on Facebook with me telling me we were fine,” Carrick said.
The Carricks still have a road to travel. They left in mid-May and Noah’s central line was removed before the travels. That will have to be reinserted on arrival back home.
A kidney function test is scheduled and then an MRI in three months.
But whatever the Carrick’s face, Claire knows they won’t have to face it alone.
“She’s our nurse,” Claire said of Schaeffer. “But she’s our friend now as well.”

Photography and Text by VirtualTourist

Looking for some adventure on your next trip? Members of travel website VirtualTourist.com love adventure and with this in mind prepared a list of some of their favorite activities and places to do them.
Mountain Biking in Moab, Utah
VirtualTourist members agree there’s no argument for the number one outdoor adventure area. Moab, Utah topped the list because of its access to all types of activities like classic hiking in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National park, rafting and kayaking on the Colorado River and backcountry skiing in the LA Sal mountains. If you’re up for an exciting mountain bike adventure, Moab is the place. And VirtualTourist members say April and May are the best months to do it before the weather gets too hot.
Canyoning in Banos Rio Blanco Canyon, Ecuador
Canyoning, exploring a canyon by such activities, including rappelling, rafting and water jumping, has become quite popular with adventure seekers. And if canyoning is on your list of activities to try, VirtualTourist members recommend heading over to Banos Rio Blanco Canyon in Ecuador. You’ll rappel down four waterfalls and slide down on your backside on the fifth. To get you heart racing, the tallest one stands at 115 feet. While hiking, you’ll have the opportunity to look for birds indigenous to the area and enjoy the sights and smells of the various flora.
Microlight Flight over Annapurna Range, Nepal
Ready to get air borne and kiss the clouds while soaring over the beautiful Himalayas? Then hop on board an Ultralight (Microlight) flight. These small two-seater aircrafts allow a one-of-a-kind view of Nepal’s beautiful landscape of snow-capped mountains, green hills, serene rivers and lakes. You’ll have an opportunity to capture some amazing photos that you wouldn’t be able to obtain from any other angle.
Sea Kayaking, Chilko Lake, British Columbia
The Chilko Lake region is a beautiful and magical destination. As one of British Columbia’s largest salmon spawning grounds, it attracts numerous grizzly and black bears making for incredible wildlife viewing and photography opportunities. VirtualTourist members say explore the lake in either a single or double kayak. Mornings present the best opportunity for animal spotting and you might see otters, beavers, a variety of birds and of course what everyone comes to see, bears. You can take fishing gear with you and try and find the perfect catch as well. Although the days are long, the sunsets from here are worth the wait.
Swimming with Whale Sharks, Exmouth, Western Australia
Every year from April to July, the world’s biggest fish, the whale sharks, gather along the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. This time of year provides an opportunity of a lifetime to swim and snorkel with these gentle giants. Whale sharks can get up to 41.5 feet and weigh about 47,000 pounds! While getting up close and personal with these massive, but harmless, animals is not guaranteed, most tour operators will offer you the chance to come back another day for free, if you didn’t see whale sharks during your excursion.
(c) 2016 Virtualtourist.com, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

The Rheumatology Research Foundation has named Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Darise Farris, Ph.D, as a recipient of its Research Foundation Innovative Research Award.
The award will provide Farris with $400,000 in funding over a two-year period to continue promising research in understanding the origins of the autoimmune disease Sjögren’s syndrome.
Sjögren’s syndrome is a painful autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the body’s own moisture-producing glands, inhibiting the ability to produce tears or saliva. The most common symptoms include severe dry eyes and dry mouth, as well as arthritis, fatigue and others.
The disease is believed to affect as many as 3 million people in the United States and, like many autoimmune diseases, disproportionally affects women by a 9-to-1 ratio. There is no known cure and current treatments only address symptoms, not the root cause.
In her lab at OMRF, Farris is trying to identify the proteins in patients that are causing the abnormal autoimmune response in the glands that produce tears and saliva.
“We know that Sjögren’s selectively attacks these glands, but nobody understands why those glands are targeted,” said Farris. “We believe there are unidentified salivary gland antigens, which are proteins that are the target of an immune response.”
Farris is currently pursuing two related paths of Sjögren’s research.
First, her lab is attempting to identify the proteins that incite the disease. Using special tools, scientists have isolated specific receptors from immune cells called T cells from the salivary tissue of Sjögren’s patients. They have isolated the immune cell receptors that directly touch the unknown proteins, and they hope to use them to explain why salivary tissues are targeted in the disease.
If this work is successful, it could provide the knowledge needed to better identify individuals who either have Sjögren’s syndrome or are susceptible to the disease.
The second aim is to follow up on the discovery of a relationship between the degree of activation of those T cells and reduced saliva production. Farris said. “We think this might lead to an understanding of why saliva production is defective in these patients,” said Farris.
The award was a result of research published with colleagues at OMRF in the journal JCI Insight. Farris earned her Ph.D. in immunology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and has spent 18 years at OMRF researching Sjögren’s and other autoimmune diseases.
“This award is very exciting for us because it’s going to permit us to follow up on what we believe to be a fruitful line of investigation,” said Farris.
“It will allow us a bigger budget to collect needed data in order to answer these pressing questions and work toward solutions for patients suffering from this painful disease.” The Rheumatology Research Foundation was created by the American College of Rheumatology and is based in Atlanta, Ga.
“Dr. Farris’ research uses cutting-edge molecular tools to probe the causes of Sjögren’s disease that could lead to innovative therapies,” said OMRF Vice President of Research Rodger McEver, M.D.

Kevin L. Lewis, MD, has recently been named Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group.
Dr. Lewis returns to SSM Health Oklahoma to resume the role he held previously from April, 2016 to June, 2017 as Regional President of the SSM Health Medical Group. Dr. Lewis will be responsible for the growth and management of physician practices, as well as post-acute and ambulatory operations across the system.
Lewis comes to SSM Health St. Anthony from the multi-hospital Parkridge Health System based in Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was Chief Medical Officer. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Cupid agrees these gift ideas from the Oklahoma City Zoo will keep you and your valentine wild at heart!
ZOOFRIENDS’ MEMBERSHIP
ZOOfriends members enjoy free admission all year-long to the OKC Zoo, plus additional perks and discounts. Membership levels start at $35 and ZOOfriends has packages to fit every budget. Committed to giving 100 percent of your membership dollars back to the Zoo, these memberships support the care of the Zoo’s animals, fund education programming and conservation initiatives and supports the overall expansion and growth of the Zoo. Purchase online at zoofriends.org or contact the ZOOfriends office at (405) 425-0618 for information.
ANIMAL ADOPTIONS
This is the perfect gift option for the animal lover in your life! Contributions from these symbolic adoptions support the health, enrichment and nutritional needs of all animals at the OKC Zoo. With each $45 donation, recipients receive their choice of a plush rhino, tiger or gorilla, adoption certificate, a fact sheet about their adopted animal and name recognition on the ZOOfriends’ website for one year. Adoptions can be purchased in the ZOOfriends’ membership office, by calling (405) 425-0618 or online at zoofriends.org.
ZOO ANIMAL PAINTINGS
Make an imprint on your love with an original OKC Zoo animal painting. As part of the Zoo’s enrichment program, many animals paint during enrichment sessions with assistance from their caregivers. Be in awe of unique pieces created by elephants, sea lions, gorillas, snakes and more! Find the masterpiece that’s right for your valentine by visiting the Zoo’s Guest Services Office open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Proceeds from all paintings support the Zoo’s conservation projects. For more information, call (405) 425-0262.
SAFARI GIFT SHOP
The OKC Zoo’s Safari Gift Shop offers a wide array of items including children’s books and toys, green or recycled gifts and home décor. Many items available for purchase support local and global conservation, so you can feel good about the gifts your giving. Shop until your heart’s content 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
FRIDAY, FEB. 9: VALENTINE’S DAY ENRICHMENT EVENT
We love our animal family and take pride in enriching their lives each and every day. Join us on Friday, February 9 for a special Valentine’s Day enrichment event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Select Zoo animals receive special enrichment treats and eats made with love by their caretakers. Watch your favorite animals’ curiosity take over as they discover and interact with their unique valentines. Free with Zoo admission. Look for the day’s enrichment schedule on your zoo map. For more information, call Guest Services at (405) 425-0262.
THURSDAY, FEB. 15–SATURDAY, MAR. 31: OKC ZOO & DR PEPPER HOST ANNUAL VENDING MACHINE ART CONTEST
All Oklahoma’s talented students in K-12 are eligible to win wild prizes and the chance to have their original art designed on a Dr Pepper vending machine at the Zoo. Come on, get creative! Additional information about this year’s contest theme, 2018 is the Year of the Bird: Celebrate our World’s Winged Wonders, guidelines and entry forms will be available at okczoo.org. All submissions must be postmarked by March 31, 2018. Participation if free. For more information, contact Candice Rennels at (405) 425-0298 or crennels@okczoo.org.
SATURDAY, FEB. 17 / MONDAY, FEB. 19: OKC ZOO HOSTS GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
Flock to the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden to help wild birds. The OKC Zoo is proud to host its first Great Backyard Bird Count, a global citizen science project that invites people to count native birds and help create a real-time look at wild populations. Participation is easy to do, fun for families and individuals–all ages welcome. Join us on Saturday, February 17 and Monday, February 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., both days, to assist with counting, identifying the native birds that make their home around the Zoo. Kids will enjoy an on-grounds bird scavenger safari. Visit our information tent in the Global Plaza to learn more about each day’s activities including bird watching tours. All activities are free with Zoo admission. For more information, visit okczoo.org or call (405) 425-0262.

By Darlene Franklin

How do I rest in God in a situation where drama occurs daily?
Five minutes at a time, that’s how
I lived for many years with a daughter who suffered from borderline personality disorder (BPD). BPD is characterized by pervasive instability-moods, relationships, self-image. As her mother, I felt like she was a black hole that sucked me dry and spit my bones back out.
I struggled for twenty-four hour periods I could call good. Hours were easier to come by. Some days I settled for minutes. If I waited for a perfect day, I was doomed to disappointment. So I relished whatever time God’s love broke through the clouds.
That experience came to mind when I asked a cousin how she had survived the death of her mother and the breakup of her marriage, a month apart.
Her answer was profound “I.dont.know!” She begged God to bring her husband back, but she knew God never deserted her. “It wasa time of waiting and toughing it out, sometimes five minutes at a time.”
Each of her answers rang a bell deep in my heart
Resting in God didn’t mean the absence of difficulties. Both Jan and I tried to tell God how to fix the problem. Perhaps you do the same.
What changed was we knew where to take our problems. Only God knew every detail of every day. We talked to Him about we wanted, because only He could bring about that miracle.
In the process, we learned something else: we trusted God because He never deserted us.
Intellectually, few of us have a problem with that statement, but experience gives the knowledge weight. I sat in the balcony of my church, mouthing the words of praise songs, unable to sing because I was crying. Before and since, I tune to Christian music when in need of a praise fix.
In that holy, wordless place, God held when I fell apart. His constant, loving presence carried me through the years following my divorce, my son’s teenage troubles, my daughter’s lifelong troubles, the double whammy of my mother and daughter’s deaths, and more recently, my failing health.
My cousin learned a similar lesson when her teenage son nearly died in a traffic accident. After three days of the continuous bad reports, she told the Lord that He could have Macon. She not only thanked God, she also “drew a ‘line in the sand.’ Did I truly trust God?” Giving her child to Jesus was the hardest thing she had ever done.
She returned to the ICU late that same night, expecting nothing. A nurse looked at me and tilted her head as if she was puzzled. “He seems to be turning a corner.” Macon clung to life. Later she learned at that very hour a circle of nurses was holding hands and praying for him.
Friends and family continued to visit, all bringing a message of hope. Macon lived.
Powerful. Impossible. I can’t do that, we might say. That will never happen for me. I could never pray like that. A lot of her peace grew because during her divorce, she had already learned that resting in God sometimes meant toughing it out, sometimes five minutes at a time.
Life in a nursing home involves a lot of waiting, and I hate it. Lately God’s given me tons to write. I have plenty of time … if I felt better. If I didn’t need an aide to move my meal tray so I can set up me computer.
Of course, help comes eventually, but I still have to wait. Perhaps it’s time to make use of my old kitchen timer.
When I’m counting the grains of sand in the hour glass, it runs in a continuous supply in heaven.
Early in the morning, I pull the call light. “Just five minutes.” Half an hour later, no one has responded. I remind myself that God’s measuring cup is as full as ever. As the clock winds down to noon, I think, “Still five more minutes?” In the mid-afternoon lull, I tell myself, “it’s only five minutes.” By the time I’m ready to head to sleep, I pray, “You’ll keep me for five minutes.”
God gets me through the day, five minutes at a time.