Living in the USA for the 3 months during Donald Trumps election, an Englishmen's perspective
Had to have radiotharpy get told bacuase my tumour near brain im going to America for special proton beam treatment. (will be there for 2-3 months- bro and mum will come over in October holiday, I will be in America whilst all my friends are at school.
Go get picked up by lady in van in pitch black in Oaklahoma city
At this point two of three weeks I feel like a normal kid, I do have several days after chemo of feeling terrible and throwing up a ton, along with weekly blood tests
Arrived at hotel
Man looks at me funny in elevator, turns out he is dad of mia, another girl their for treatment.
IN room with dad on upper stories , here with seismometer sent with us by next door neighbour who is one of the best in country, write a blog called roving school boy seismologist. + chat w/ friends and fam called quake in oaklahome (noweherdays quake in oakham which parents still use to talk to friends several of whom basically still use it for political propaganda platform.
Next day get shown around American hospital ( all this with dad)
So much nicer than Uk had wii, comfy chairs, drinks and snacks, every Wednesday the nurse/ owner I think tells us have meal to celerbrate ppl finishing treatment
First evening go for a meal at oldest stakhouse oaklahoma, meet community of about 6/8 families all out here for treatment from the uk, all in same hotel. Every weekday now have treatment in morning, at height of botle flip craze so that’s how I entertained myself the first few days.
Abby introduced herself first day there, I thought she was pretty. Met Frank who was in Jamies year, Mia also that age, ellie, Sam and everyone who had brought their family with them. Every now and then people left and people came but from that first week everyone was always included in the group, it was like being on holiday with your best friends, no school work for months.
This period no chemo as interferes with proton stuff so everyone was feeling the best they had for months
Every day would go something along the lines of: go downstairs, have breakfast, go to proton centre- have treatment(play wii/ bottle flipping with which ever other kids were their, come back play agar.io in the business centre with which ever other kids were their at the time. Then have lunch in room, then probably go swimming or something, then either go out for a meal with others or eat in, followed by games of hide and seek or tag around the 5 story, but friendly feeling hotel, followed by uno, followed by video games in Franks room.
It was a great time
Key events
MIkaila(with whom I flirted a lot) and her brother whose name I cant remember were there not having treatment – parents doing construction project) going thorugh purberty at the time which was weird
My dad buys 2 single gear reverse to brake bikes, which we proceed to initially ride around oaklahoma lake, then later when my brother was there going on full on mountain bike trails.
Early on went to locked up sailing club got in them went up to random locals and asked to go sailing with them. That evening we went sailing on Oaklahoma lake. Pretty cool
Every thursay we would have a barbeque at the hotel
Nearby their was a large wildlife park. First time seeing American nature which was pretty cool
Went indoor sky diving
Near the end of the time their went go karting, competing against my brother then went about 8 more times in the next few weeks before I left.
Planes across atlantic had no tvs, food – were generally terrible
Got given a drone on my birthday from another family who had a daughter elsie having treatment and Maddie her sister. The rest of the time at the hospital were spent flying a drone into people having prostate treatment.
The base of the USA kayaking and canoeing teams was in OK so whilst their went white water rafting which was pretty cool also did a six story jump down
Went and played basketball ball on the OKC thunder court, didntn realise they were an actual NBA team.
Went to new development in OK in everning and went on ferris wheel in massive thunder storm
Went upon devon energy tower
Was in America for the Trump, Hillary debates with all our nurses being trump supporting(classic central America) – immersed in America for the months before and after his election, crazy times
Was in amercia for Halloween also, they just dress up as anything. Tons of candy. This was whilst the huge craze at the time of killer clowns was happening
Mkaila,mountain biking, sailing, meals, frank, abby, puberty, swimming, barbeque, sky diving, go karting, drone, white water rafting, jump, OKC thunder, wheel in lightning, drone, tag, hide and seek, Halloween(killer clown phase)(watch modern family with frank, + play cod(discovered youtube)
Doctor reassuring me he will see me in the Olympics in a few years time before I leave to go back to UK
Have a few more treatments then christmas ( make earth awakens to the force) then join in year 8 after Christmas a little under a year later
Whilst there had been tracking earth quakes to see whether they matched with the expensive staion in Ok and they did. Unfortuantly the week before and after I got there had magnitude 5 earth quakes
Getting runner up in the junior engineer of the year category in the Uks biggest science fair big bang
Event covered by BBC breakfast, Tens of thousands of visitors, thousands of competitors. I was the only person not on a school team.
Younngest helm at Wilson trophy sailing comp, sponsored by likes of playstation, DHL and calsberg