Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F.
Page 35
15. Wertheim and Karstadt were the names of two large department stores in Germany.
16. Tiergarten means “animal garden” or “Zoo” in German. It is a neighborhood in central Berlin.
17. Kurfürstenstrasse (Strasse means “street” in German) is not to be confused with Kurfürstendamm, which is a broad, long boulevard full of shops, houses, hotels, and restaurants. Kurfürstenstrasse is neither as famous nor as glamorous.
18. Stinger's German name was Bienenstich, which means “bee's sting.” Biene was slang for “girl.” He didn't care if he made a girl cry.
19. This is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin—a very broad, long boulevard full of shops, houses, hotels, and restaurants. Before the Wall was dismantled, especially, this avenue was comparable to the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
20. The Europacenter is an office and shopping center in West Berlin. It had an ice-skating rink until 1979.
21. Hermannplatz is a subway station in the Neukölln district of Berlin. It is one of the busiest stations in the Berlin subway system.
22. A cultural region, but also one of the states within Germany.
23. A mountainous, mostly forested region in southwest Germany, part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
24. Thrombosis is a coagulation (clumping or curdling) of the blood inside the vein or any other part of the circulatory system.
25. Methadone is used to prevent withdrawal symptoms in people addicted to opiate drugs who want to stop taking the drugs. It works as a substitute for drugs such as heroin by producing similar effects and preventing withdrawal symptoms in people who have stopped using these drugs.
26. The Kaufhaus des Westens, or Department Store of the West. At the time, it was the largest department store on the European continent.
27. Street heroin may be very “impure,” containing a variety of other chemicals like calcium oxide, ammonia, chloroform, etc., that may cause unexpected side effects.,
28. The Grunewald (German for “green forest”) is a quarter within the Berlin borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.
29. Caritas International is a confederation of 165 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
30. Schwarzkopf was a well-known hair product store.
31. West Berlin, as an “island” within Communist East Germany, had a strong presence of American, French, and British troops (known as the Allied Forces), which regularly held military parades in order to maintain a high military profile.
32. The public bathrooms on Bülow Street were one of the many places in Berlin that Christiane F. made famous because of her life story.
33. Berlin's Winterfeldtplatz, named after the Prussian General Hans Karl von Winterfeldt, is a pleasant, leafy square in the borough of Schöneberg. The majority of the square was destroyed in the war, but it still possesses a curious architectural mix, from the '60s-style social housing that runs along one side to distinctive landmarks like the red-brick St. Matthias church, one of the few free-standing Catholic churches in Berlin, and the residential house (and associated buildings) constructed by renowned “green” architect Hinrich Baller.
34. Kojak was an American television series starring Telly Savalas as a bald New York City Police Department detective named Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 1973 to March 1978 on CBS and was a popular TV series in Germany.
35. DT is short for delirium tremens, a psychiatric disorder, usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol addiction.
36. A public park in the borough of Neukölln. Hasenheide literally means “rabbits' heath” or “rabbits' field.”
37. In Germany, after the age of fourteen, minors are allowed drink alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, as long as they are in the company of their parents.
38. A popular card game in Germany at the time—especially among men.
39. The Eurocheck was a type of check used in Europe that was accepted across national borders and that could be written in a variety of currencies. Eurochecks were particularly popular in German-speaking countries, where they were often issued as standard domestic checks.
40. Tübingen is a university town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, about twenty miles south of the state capitol of Stuttgart.
41. One of the Berlin dailies.
42. On February 10, 1978, Heinz G. was sentenced to three-and-a-half years imprisonment by Berlin's state court for passing heroin to Christiane and Babsi, as well as for the sexual abuse of another child.
43. RAF is short for Royal Air Force, the British national air force.
44. Hanns Martin Schleyer was one of several people who had been kidnapped and/or murdered by the West German terrorist group RAF in the 1970s and early 1980s. He was the president of the West German federal employers' union and was targeted partly because of his past as an SS officer in the Nazi regime. He was kidnapped and murdered in the fall of 1977.
45. These advertising pillars were invented by the Berlin-born printer Ernst Litfass in 1854. They are cylindrical outdoor sidewalk structures with a characteristic style that are used for advertising, public announcements, and other purposes. They are common in Berlin, where the first hundred columns were installed in 1855, but can be found all over Germany, and also in Paris, where they are called colonne Morris (Morris columns).
46. Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease most commonly caused by alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and fatty liver disease. Cirrhosis is generally irreversible, and in advanced stages of cirrhosis the only option is a liver transplant.
47. Bounty is the German version of the American candy bar Mounds.
48. West Berlin was an “island” within East Germany, so to get to West Germany from West Berlin, residents had to make two border crossings: once in going from West Berlin to East Germany and then again when moving into West Germany.
49. The Gedächtniskirche is one of the most well-known landmarks in Berlin. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (in German, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, but mostly its' just known as Gedächtniskirche) is located on the Kurfürstendamm not far from the Zoo. The original church on the site was built in the 1890s. During World War II, on the night of November 23, 1943, the church was irreparably damaged in an air raid. The damaged spire of the old church was retained, and its ground floor was made into a memorial hall.
50. One of Germany's large department stores, a chain, which still exists to this day.
51. In Germany, Christmas is celebrated over two days, December 25 and 26.
52. Erich Fromm was a renowned psychoanalyst and social philosopher who in 1956 wrote The Art of Loving which argues that true love involves four basic elements: care, responsibility, respect, and knowledge. One of the book's central concepts is the idea of self-love. According to Fromm, loving oneself is quite different from arrogance or egocentrism, and one must have achieved self-love before being able to love someone else.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Resources
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
www.drugabuse.gov
This organization conducts scientific research studies on the effects and prevalence of drug abuse in the United States.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Treatment Locaton
www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)
The SAMHSA website's treatment locator helps you find drug, alcohol, and mental health treatment resources in your city.
The Partnership at Drugfree.org
1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)
http://www.drugfree.org/
A guide for parents on how to prevent, intervene, treat, and recover from a teen drug problem.
TeenDrugAddiction.com
Teens and their families seeking help with an alcohol or drug addiction can find
information on drug use, types of drugs, symptoms, intervention, and therapy.
/> The Alcohol & Drug Addiction Resource Center
www.addict-help.com
Drug and alcohol abuse information and online treatment locator.
Homelessness and Runaway Resources
National Runaway Switchboard
1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929)
www.1800runaway.org
A resource for teen runaways or teens who are thinking of running away from home, and those who care about them.
Covenant House
1-800-999-9999
www.covenanthouse.org
A religious organization that provides shelter and resources for homeless kids and teens.
Suicide Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
A hotline with resources for anyone feeling suicidal, or friends and family of someone who may be suicidal.
Sexual Health Resources
Sexually Transmitted Disease & AIDS/HIV Hotline
1-800-332-2437
This hotline provides information and resources for treating STD's, HIV, and AIDS.
CDC (Center for Disease Control) National Prevention Information Network
1-800-458-5231
http://www.cdcnpin.org/
Their website and hotline provide information about the prevention of HIV, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Rape and Abuse Resources
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network)
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
www.rainn.org
Their website and hotline offer resources for victims of sexual abuse.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
A hotline providing resources for victims of domestic violence and those who care about them.
ChildHelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)
Call for child abuse counseling and referrals.
General Resources
Boys Town
1-800-448-3000
www.boystown.org
Their website and hotline provide resources for suicide prevention, abuse, chemical dependency, depression, and more.
All About Counseling
1-800-521-7128
www.allaboutcounseling.com
Information about and resources for addiction, mental health issues, and abuse. Call for a free referral to a drug rehabilitation center.
Helpguide
www.helpguide.org
Information about addictions as well as abuse, suicide prevention, depression, grief, and other issues. Addiction resources include what to look out for, symptoms, and how to overcome a drug addiction.
Find Youth Info
www.findyouthinfo.gov
Information, tools, and resources for teens and their families regarding mental health, dating, violence, substance abuse, LGBT issues, and more.
If you liked Zoo Station: The Story of Christiane F., you might also like Regine's Book: A Teen Girl's Last Words by Regine Stokke.
Regine Stokke began to blog about her day-to-day life shortly after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 2008. Regine’s stated purpose with her posts was to give people a sense of “what it’s like to live with” such a serious illness, and her blog became an almost instant classic. From being the kind of teenager who sulks when she doesn’t get a private room at the hospital, Regine gradually learns to face up to the terrifying implications of her disease, and develops a deep appreciation for life, for art, and for all of the people who surround and support her. Regine’s Book is Regine’s story as we encounter it on her blog, supplemented with previously unpublished texts, a selection of photos, comments from her readers, and remembrances from those closest to her. Regine’s honesty, bravery, and uncompromising nature are an inspiration. Through her eyes, readers will discover a more vivid world—and a new appreciation for life, art, and the power of the human spirit.
Keep reading to preview a sample of Regine's Book: A Teen Girl's Last Words...
Autumn, 2008
On being diagnosed with a serious disease
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Disclaimer: I've decided to start a blog about what it's like to get a life-threatening disease. Some of the content will therefore be too heavy for some people.
The whole thing started on Friday, August 22
I had just come home from school and didn't have a care in the world. Then Mom walked in, and right away I realized something was wrong. She had tears in her eyes. The doctor had called, and they suspected leukemia. I had to go to the hospital as soon as possible for a bone marrow biopsy.1
Right away I felt like my life had been shattered. I was crying my eyes out. I had a million conflicting emotions, but more than anything else, I was scared.
At the hospital in Kristiansund they started right out with the tests. The biopsy wasn't pleasant at all—I was shocked at how painful it was. And then I had to wait three hours for the results. I sat around at the hospital with Mom and Dad until the doctor came in. We were nervous and scared. He had tears in his eyes: I had leukemia, more specifically AML (acute myelogenous leukemia2). I could feel the fear spreading all through my body when he said that. Cancer. The whole family was crushed. I couldn't stop asking myself: Is this a death sentence?
On Monday, August 25, we drove to Trondheim. That's where I had to go for treatment.
I was referred to the adult unit, where I had to take another bone marrow biopsy. This time it was going to be even more extensive than what they'd done before. In this kind of a biopsy, they have to drill out a bit of bone, and it's incredibly painful. I could feel my whole body jerk when the doctor yanked the piece out.
After that they showed us around the unit. It was like going down into hell. There was a small narrow hallway, old people, and one nineteen-year old. The first thing I thought when I saw him was “poor guy.” The doctor told me I might not get a single room. Damn it. I started crying. In the end though, I got my own room, but it was small and run-down. How would I manage to stay there for so long? I wondered. We asked the doctor if I could be placed in the children's unit. At first, he said no, but we kept at it, and the third time he said he'd try to arrange it. It worked. Third time's a charm.
After a while I was moved to the children's unit. They told us the cutoff age was eighteen. So then why the hell was I put in the adult unit in the first place? I get irritated just thinking about it. I'm glad I'm not eighteen.
The children's unit was much better—renovated and a lot larger. The rooms were big and had flatscreen TVs. There was even space for my family. My mood got way better, even though I still felt really sick.
On Friday, August 29, Regine's mother, Julianne, wrote in her diary:
We're now at Day 5 in the Trondheim hospital, and it's been exactly one week since we found out that Regine had acute leukemia. Who could have possibly seen this coming? In the blink of an eye we went from being blissfully unaware to being devastated by desperation, pain, and a sense of injustice. Why would this happen to our dearest possession—our lovely, intelligent daughter, who's never hurt anyone? Everything I've ever seen from her shows that she's a good person through and through. Still, it's happening; it seems unreal. Can this actually be happening? It's unbearable.
Our life was turned upside down in the course of a few minutes. Life isn't a given anymore (and that thought makes my head spin). It seems like I'm losing my grip on reality, like the world is slipping away from me, and it's driving me crazy.
The day before we traveled to St. Olav's Hospital, Regine and I went to the movies to see Mamma Mia, just to do something nice together, and so that we would be able to focus on something else for a bit. It wasn't easy to concentrate, and I cried during the wedding scene. The bride was wearing such a beautiful wedding dress, and I imagined what Regine would look like in a dress like that. I want more than anything to see Regine in a dress like that one day.
There were so many tears and it was so hard to sleep during the weekend before we traveled to St. Olav's. I was frightened of what lay in store for us, and worried about what Regine would have to go through—not to mention the emotional toll that this was taking on her.
When we arrived at the hospital on Monday, August 25, they took a bone marrow biopsy from Regine. It was brutal and painful, but she clenched her teeth and didn't make a sound. The doctors told us that there was no doubt that Regine had AML. After telling us what to expect and what could potentially go wrong, she was admitted to Children-4 (the children's unit for cancer and blood diseases) at 11:30 pm. They took great care of us there. The next step is to have another conversation with the new doctors.
Yesterday they took another biopsy, and then inserted a Hickman line. A Hickman line is a long intravenous tube inserted under the skin on your chest, and it's what they use to administer chemo and take blood tests. Here at the children's hospital, the procedure is always done under general anesthesia, and everything went well. When Regine woke up, she was still under the influence of the anesthesia, and we got to hear quite a few interesting bits of information. Among other things, she admitted that she and Silje had raided our liquor cabinet and tried a bit of everything, and that they almost broke a cognac bottle. The way she said it, in a slurred whisper, was so funny that Lasse and I had to laugh. She also said that Elise should move here and take dance classes at Trondheim…so that she could try out for So You Think You Can Dance. But eventually the laughter had to stop. After a while, Regine said she wanted an assisted suicide.