Vacation

Two weeks vacation in France, unfortunately I don't have more time. And as we want to limit the traveling time, we're taking the plane this year. Only one and a half hour on the plane instead of more than 10 hours in the car; perfect. Moreover, it will be my first time flying with my S-ICD. Quite a special moment, showing my patient card for the first time. Let's not make too much of a fuss of it is my thought. Jokingly I say to my son Timo ‘Watch this, I bet you I won't have to stand in line… That's because I'm famous!’ He doesn't believe me at all. Then I wave with my S-ICD card in order to catch the eye of the customs officer. I'm immediately kindly requested to step aside and come forward. I wink at Timo and see some surprised glances on the faces of the other vacationers standing in line. I don't have to go through the metal detector, I've never checked in that quickly. Awesome! After a relaxed flight, the vacation can really start.

The weather is wonderful so we head to the beach that same afternoon. I'm not vain but the first time I take off my T-shirt on the beach, I feel quite uncomfortable. My scars are still very visible and the S-ICD is also quite evident. I feel uneasy but not a bit ashamed. In fact, I feel kind of proud. Because thanks to my S-ICD I can enjoy a carefree vacation with my family. And that's exactly what I'm doing. I enjoy everything to the fullest: swimming in the blue Mediterranean Sea, coming down the slide with my kids into the swimming pool a hundred times, drinking wine and eating lots of ice creams. After a turbulent time, the sun has started shining again, in both senses of the word.

Rob