It's good to be home with the spring sunshine ; was very cold in Sofia - one evening was 20 below; my knees were freezing and I was wearing wool trousers.  Nice & warm in the hospital and the hospital hotel which was 2 floors of the hospital.   Everyone very nice and  helpful. On my first day in the hospital room  a nurse came in with a menu to ask me what I wanted to order for lunch & dinner - amazing! (of course, it was a private hospital but I've been in those before and never got such care)

 The treatment to open up the veins that the colour doppler showed were closed so that the blood couldn't get through was almost painless and not very long - i thought about 30 minutes but Bernie said it was longer. Then back to my bed where I was supposed to keep my right leg still for 6 hours because that's where the catheter had gone in and they didn't want  the wound to open up and give me an embolism. Was on a drip at this point - by the time they had finished taking blood etc my arm looked as though I was a drug addict; went fast though. Next morning at around 6 am my door opened and I was surrounded by people in white coats one of whom asked me how I was; difficult to tell when you've just been woken. Same thing the next morning so I reported on the previous day and they said I could go.  But there were no flights to Cyprus until the Saturday so we spent a couple of days doing very little. On One of the days the hospital minibus  was taking patients to the airport so offered us a lift to the nearest shopping mall.  That was fun - we don't have shopping malls in Paphos.  Bernie left me on a bench and looked for a cafe because we wanted coffee - Bulgarian coffee is wonderful; really strong and tasty. When he came back he said there was a Starbucks on the next floor.  I've encountered them before and their coffee is awful, but, of course, if they sold coffee American style they wouldn't' do a lot of business.  Never been so pleased to see a Starbucks. Had expresso and cheesecake; wonderful,

We  wandered `about a bit but were not moved to buy anything. They had a Carrefour so we went into it to see what their prices were compared to our Carrefour.  The deli counter was splendid - barbecued chicken looking as though it might taste of chicken; cooked pork steaming way. Then the cold section - salami, prosciutto - much better than ours. Wines ridiculously expensive compared to Cyprus where we get Australian, S.African, Chilean imported wines priced  at less than the local wines - the local wineries must be suffering (don't know what the Government is doing allowing such imports but it's wonderful for  us - as long as it lasts).  You may have gathered that my appetite which has been  almost non-existent for some years, has improved.  Also the brain fog has gone so now I know what day it is. No depression and lack of energy - I'm about to do the ironing. I would say, all in all, it was worth it - I'm walking better and haven't fallen over; now I have to excersise my legs to improve the thigh muscles (Bernie keeps me at it).  Shall be  swimming in the summer which I haven't done for 2 years.   It should be available to everyone (especially the young people who get ms and can't work or do anything and certainly can't save up 6000 Euros plus airfare to get it done privately)  A hospital in Glasgow is setting up to do this treatment but it's not on the NHS - I think it is even more expensive.