Dear family, friends, neighbors and everyone else,

I was at the University hospital yesterday for my control visit and the pathologists report. Everything looks fine and most important of all – I DON’T HAVE CANCER. I’ve just about completely recovered from the operation – damn it really hurts to get cut across the stomach and the muscles there. I sent many a thought to those women who give birth through a caesarian. Not only do they have the pain of the operation, they also have to take care of a new-born baby. Tough gals/mothers.

It was a tremendous relief to “get my life back”. The surgeon told me yesterday that thankfully it was a “tempest in a teacup” and there was nothing to worry about. I’ve also sent a mail to the French doctor on Martinique and thanked her for suggesting I get an ultrasound scan out there and not just brushing me off with some antibiotics. Without that scanning we wouldn’t have discovered the tumor that was the cause of my bladder infection. The growth pushed against my bladder and prevented me from emptying it – which resulted in an infection. If we hadn’t found the growth now then it would have continued to grow and could have given me serious complications somewhere in the pacific, where medical help might have been difficult to obtain. It would have been terrible to have been somewhere in the pacific with a compressed urine passage that would stop me from being able to empty it. That would have been horrible.

Thankfully everything has gone well. We fly back to Martinique on April 9^th and will start northward about a week later. Capri needs to be made ready for sea again. We don’t know how quickly we’ll get to Florida – this will depend on how well I can sail. If we have to make short legs then it will take several weeks. We have lost 2 months of sailing in the Caribbean and we won’t have time to explore any more islands before we have to head north if we are to make it to Canada by the middle of June. So we’re thinking about taking an extra year in the Caribbean – after all, we have lots of time and don’t have to come back to Denmark by any set date. Even though we hadn’t planned on coming back to Denmark now and it seemed like a catastrophe, it has been a very positive experience.

First, I have to praise the “cancer package” at the University hospital. It functions perfectly and it was a speedy process. I felt very secure and everyone was extremely professional and nice.

Secondly, and not the least, at a time that was really difficult for both Carsten and me – we experienced an unbelievable interest, empathy and helpfulness from all of you. Thank for taking care of us, offering us the use of your houses, your cars, all the invitations to dinners, lunches and all the mails we have received from everyone all over the world.

There is a saying in Denmark – “Thank you is a poverty stricken word”. In this case it is sadly all too true, but here it is anyway:

THANK YOU. You should know that you help and support mean more than we can ever express or pay back and it has helped us through these difficult weeks.

Vinni and Carlos, our “rent a dog”, take a rest during a long walk in the woods

Now we can only hope that we can send you some entertaining dispatches from our time and trials on Capri. I miss her and can’t wait to be back aboard.

All our love to everyone

Vinni (and Carsten)