- 2/28/2002
Had my scans today. The body scans were great. No new tumors. We went ahead and did the
brain, because of my headaches. The brain scan shows a large tumor which is pushing the
mid-line structures over. It looks to be fluid-filled. There are only 3 total defects
(rather than 7). They put me back on decadron in order to try to shrink the larger tumor.
Dr. Gorsch is going to present this to Tumor Board tomorrow and I should have some answers
by next week. Love, P.
- 2/27/2002
Back home in VA! Mom & I arrived here around 1:00PM. So much stuff to do. Oh well,
I'll get to it. Mom & I will leave for scans a bit early tomorrow. Maybe (?) we'll get
done a bit quicker? I'll be getting the brain scans some other time. This should go
quicker, but then I'll have an appointment afterward with my oncologist. More news later.
. Love, P.
- 2/26/2002
We took Dad out for lunch today, rather than waiting till tomorrow. Kat and Andrew were
able to join us. Now I'm at Kat's waiting for her to pick up David from his school. He
hasn't seen me for awhile. I don't think he is looking forward to me having no hair! I
think he'll get used to it, though. I wish I had thought to ask WHEN the hair would start
to grow back. Love, P.
- 2/25/2002
We are in Pennsylvania. Wow. Dad had supper for us at home. Steak, mushrooms, fries,
etc. It was awesome. I guess he knows what I like! I need to get to bed early. I'm worn
out. I am so tired right now. I think I'm going to bed. What a wimp. Good night. Love, P.
- 2/24/2002
Last day here. Wah! Guess I have to come back and face the music. Scans on the 28th.
New cancer? No new cancer? Who knows? My oncologist believes there will not be any new
cancer this time. I hope he is right. We sat by the pool today (ahhhhh. . .) and got our
last minute tans (of course with sunscreen on). See you the 25th! Love, P.
- 2/23/2002
Okay. So I beat Mom by 10 strokes today!! Ha! Ha! Needed to be done! We were paired
with a really nice couple from California, who grew up in Lancaster, PA. Hi, Denise and
Rick! Mom had told a woman she met in the LA to Australia flight that she would say
"hi" later, so, here it is: Hi Vanessa! I know that I'm not supposed to mention
good suppers, but tonight's was VERY good. I had a tenderloin with mashed potatoes which
was quite excellent. Sorry, Marcia! I'm sooooo tired. I hope it is just the fact that golf
takes so long to play here, but I worry that I'm tired for some other reason. We will find
out on 2/28! Chemo? No chemo? Who knows? Love you all! P.
- 2/21/2002
Today was GOLF! The course was beautiful! They paired us with a man and his wife. He
was good, she was bad. We played so slowly, I thought I was going to die. Mom beat me by 2
strokes. Oh well. She thinks she's going to beat me tomorrow, but I think NOT. We are
going to a luau tonight for entertainment and supper. Not much else today (golf was
SLOW!). Mom says we have to quit this - it's Happy Hour! Love, P.
- 2/21/2002
Very tired today. I couldn't get up. I have Mom worried that perhaps I have some weird
disease. Maybe I did! I slept 16 hours last night and I'm still tired. We hung around at
the pool today. Tomorrow is golf. This is totally relaxing vacation! Ah! I bet you it is
because I get more scans when I get home. Wah!! No new cancer, please! Love, P.
- 2/19/2002
Well, here we are in Hawaii! Our hotel is BEAUTIFUL. Maybe I'll just stay here. . .
Today we did the Arizona Memorial. It was very good. I have never been to this island
before other than changing a plane. Sorry I was unable to get an entry on yesterday. Our
server was down. Oh, well. Love, P.
2/17/02
I know it rained at least half the night. We woke to rain, and got ready for our
rainforest tour. Half-way to the rainforest, it stopped raining. It rained on
& off all day, but usually when we were in the van heading to our next site. We
saw a crocodile farm. We slid down a waterfall on our butts (like as a kid when we
would go down the spillway at Lake Meade). Fun stuff. It started to rain again
as we reached our hotel, and is pouring now. The waitress tried to tell me that it
hadn't rained all day in town, but I'm in doubt. Tomorrow we have NOTHING planned -
maybe a sleep-in, maybe a swim in the pool, maybe a trip to the Aboriginine Center, etc.
No worries, mate! Love, P.
2/16/02
Wow! Wow! Wow! The Great Barrier Reef is fantastic! I did not get an
underwater camera, you will either have to believe me or book a trip on the Poseidon.
We had three different snorkeling spots, lunch, etc. You could see rain
clouds on the horizon, some you could see the rain coming down, but we got none. I
wore my American Flag bandana on my STILL bald head to keep it from burning to a
crispy-critter. No headache today, but tired, tired, tired. It is probably
from all the weight I'm gaining from the great food, plus the Decadron (steroid) which
increases your appetite. (That's my excuse anyway) We had time for some
hot-tubbing when we got back to the hotel. Time to hit the showers and get ready for
supper. Love, P.
2/15/02
A travel day today. The actual travel always wears me out. I can barely keep
my eyes open, then Mom yells at me for "not smiling" - Argh! It is HOT
here with near 100% humidity. I'm melting! We booked an all day trip to the
Great Barrier Reef for tomorrow. Nice to get Heather's note about the sunscreen on
our hands. There are golf courses here, but I'd rather melt by the pool. The ocean
is not the best place to swim, because of the jellyfish. Some guy died 2 weeks ago
up here. We may just sit on the beach and swim in the pool. The Reef is far
enough out to be safe. It was really pretty flying over the reefs and looking down
from the plane. Love, P.
2/14/02
Sigh, another day in paradise. Beautiful, hot, sunny, great ocean temp, great food,
etc. Cairns is supposed to be quite rainy and you aren't to swim in the ocean
because of the jelly-fish. We do plan to book a tour of the Great Barrier Reef at
some point while there, but it'll be anti-climactic after our great stay here in Noosa.
There is a house on the golf course for sale at 2.3 million, which is only a bit
over a million US. Sun, sand, the pool, good beer, it goes on and on. Happy
Valentine's Day to everyone. Mom wore her cute heart pajamas to bed last night,
since she knew it would be Valentine's Day when we woke up. Early flight tomorrow.
We'll have to pack tonight. Love, P.
2/13/02
Today was golf. I really wanted to beat my Mom again. She won't give me any
strokes for my cancer (just like Joan), and she feels that I should give HER strokes for
her age. After 9 holes, she was ahead, but I rallied and won by 3 total, and we both
did better than Monday. A little over two weeks before she came to Australia, Mom
lost the cap to one of her front teeth. Her dentist glued it on, but she refuses to
stop chewing on her fingers. She knocked it off at the golf course. I think it
was just the distraction I needed to be able to beat her. While I took a little nap
this afternoon, she went to a dentist's office in the shopping center next to the hotel,
and returned with a teporary cap. So glad we are in a place where we speak the
language! Sure, you Pennsylvanians can have some rain. Love, P.
2/12/02
A perfect day for the beach. The ocean is warm and the sand is that nice white sand
that squeaks when you walk. We were skipping and diving like a pair of dolphins.
Funny Mernie should ask about the golf - the ball rotates the opposite way when it
goes into the cup! This part of the trip is quite relaxing. I still have some
headaches, but not everyday. We don't plan any tours or daytrips, only the pool, the
beach, the golf course, and the restaurants. Last night's food was wonderful, and we
sat next to an Aussie from Sydney who said he'd check out the website - Hi, John Duncan!
(He had teeth). Sorry Kat's kids are sick. Sounds like the flu to me - NO
ANTIBIOTICS for viruses! Love, P.
2/11/02
The hotel is GREAT! Wow! A whirlpool tub, a sitting room, a microwave, etc.
I like it. Tony's son Michael recommended some restaurants to try while here.
Last night was wonderful, and tonight we are booked at his favorite place, Season.
We played 18 holes of golf today, in the sun and heat. I barely beat Mom by 2
strokes. We booked another round at the same course for Wednesday, maybe I'll do
better. No, Chris, I was nowhere near 100. Shucks. Does your (Chris's)
Mom know I live near her? It is nice getting notes from her. Have lots of fun
in WV (Tammy) and FLA (Katie). Glad Barb is back to work and making money to pay for
all the speeding tickets she got while zipping through the speed-camera spots. Love,
P.
2/9/02
We flew to Brisbane this morning. Mom is trying the rental-car drive on the left.
She is doing fairly well, but, like Barb, keeps signalling turns and lane changes
with her windshield wipers. Noosa is just under 2 hours north of Brisbane. We
haven't gotten to the hotel yet, but stopped for lunch at a place that gives you a half
hour of internet if you eat there. Mom is still out on the deck, I've already
inhaled my sandwich and came in to do this. Hot, sunny, lovely. We passed a
few golf courses on the way into the area. Kat tells me that some people have
complained that they are having trouble getting on the website. This might explain
why I have not gotten any Guestbook entries since the one I got yesterday. . . Love,
P.
2/9/02
We got to meet Tony and Molly Andrews yesterday. They took us to their home.
They are wonderful people! They wined and dined us at their home last night, and
this morning they took us to the Hunter Valley wine region. We tasted wines at 3
wineries, took a tour, and had lunch. Sunny and nice, but more cloudy as they drove
us back toward Sydney. They detoured us to some cliffs above the Harbour for a
fantastic view. On to Noosa tomorrow, where it is calling for great weather.
Golf, here we come! Love, P.
2/7/02
The concert last night was great! We really enjoyed it, though I don't quite
understand why the guy waving his arms around in front gets all the ovations when it is
the symphony that does all the work! Today. . . (drum roll). . . SUNSHINE! We
wandered around the Royal Botanical Gardens and then had lunch on the 47th floor of a
revolving restaurant with spectacular views. (It was lovely!) We could see for
kilometers, including Olympic Stadium. Mom and I are being picked up at our hotel
this afternoon by some good friends of LM Mom and Pops. They are taking us to their
home for supper and an overnight. Saturday they are driving us out to the Hunter Valley
wine region. Love, P.
2/7/02
Last night we took a train to the Harris's for supper. They were wonderful, and we
both enjoyed every minute of it! What nice people! We woke to more rain this
morning, with rain through Sunday (the day we leave) in the forecast. But, as some
have reminded me in the guestbook, it is Australian rain, not snow/sleet. We went to
Featherdale Animal Park this morning. It was not raining too hard outside the city.
They allow you to pet the koalas, but have banned the holding of koalas for about
the past year. There are lots of wallabies and kangaroos hopping around that let you
pet them. I'd like a pet wallaby. Would I clear customs? I could take it
to the golf course with me to graze on the fairways as I play, maybe putting golf balls in
its pouch. Shortly after we returned to Sydney - THE SUN CAME OUT!!! Hooray!
Tonight is our Bugs Bunny Concert at the Opera House/Concert Hall. Guess I'll
have to wear something nicer than jeans or shorts, too bad it'll be wrinkled! Love,
P.
2/5/02
This morning's paper mentions that 213 mm of rain has fallen in Sydney from 3AM Monday to
6PM Tuesday, which has happened only 42 times since 1858. It has slowed down a bit
and is only raining on and off today. We went to a restaurant considered to be one
of the best in Sydney, called Rockpools. It was by far the best meal I have had
since arrival to the Southern Hemisphere! We've been doing indoor-type stuff today,
such as the Parliament House, the Mint, the Currency Exhibit, etc. We have gotten in
touch with an Australian family that Mom met on a Carribean Cruise she and Barb took in
1998. They have invited us for supper tonight, which involves a train ride to get
there. I am becoming quite the public transport queen. Guess I need to get used to
it, since I am no longer allowed to drive. I'll be a regular on the Jaunt bus when I
get home. No more seizures, but daily headaches, which seem to be getting worse.
I only hope I can last the whole trip and not have to come home early. Is
Barb home yet? Love, P.
2/5/02
Rain, rain, rain. Nothing but rain and more rain in the forecast. Grrrr.
We took a water-taxi to a well-known restaurant (Doyle's) at Watson's Bay.
You are supposed to go for the view as well as the food, but it was Barb's last night, so
we booked it despite the weather. By the time the taxi came we were dreanched
rats. Food was good, but less enjoyable when wet to the bone. We took a tour
of the Opera House this morning, and Barb left about noon for the airport. Mom and
I bought tickets for Thursday night's Concert Hall (within the Opera House) performance of
"Bugs Bunny on Broadway", which I will enjoy more than an opera sung in Czech!
Mom & I moved across the Quay to a very ritzy hotel (just so I can say I stayed
there). It is posh, overpriced, and does NOT have a hot-tub! Our view of the opera
house is a sliver of the side of the building because of a large building between us and
the Harbour. Live and learn - but 2 queen-sized beds and the biggest bathtub in the
room that I have yet come across over here (they all tend to be narrow). Mom tells
me that I left you all hanging - no, I decided against the Aboriginal art, but found a
great watercolor of Sydney Harbour today which I bought. If I could find a trivet,
I'd be all done with my Australia shopping list! Good luck getting home, Barb.
It won't be the same without you. Love, P.
2/4/02
Mom is here! She said it was easy, and could fly alone again if need be. She
said she slept some on the flight, but when she told me she had watched all 3 movies, I
refused to give her anything but decaf coffee, and made her lie down. She fell
asleep at half-time of the Super Bowl. Barb was doing the Harbour Bridge climb in
the pouring down rain. After my Ayers Rock experience, I didn't sign up for the
climb, and ran off to McDonald's for lunch and watched the second half at a bar along with
Heather, from Boston, who is over here travelling till March 14th. We were loud and
rowdy cheering for the Patriots (sorry Chris!) - what a GREAT game, though the best part
of Super Bowl (commercials) were cut out! I was thinking of Bill & Lisa Ware and the
great parties they host. Last year, I sat with a bunch of sulky Giants fans who LOST
to the Ravens at Lou & Al's. Heather said she'd check out the web-site - Hi, Heather.
I went back to the hotel and woke Mom up so she'll sleep tonight. Barb
arrived shortly after that soaking wet. Still pouring out, but we are taking a water taxi
to a restaurant across the Harbour. I'm treating Barb as a HUGE thank you for being
here with me, and I'll miss her when she leaves tomorrow! :( Love, P.
2/3/02
We are glad to be in Sydney. The Rocks Market is only open Saturday and Sunday, so
we would have missed it. It was raining when we got up, so we got a late start,
shopped, had lunch, Barb bought an opal ring, which is beautiful. I have not gotten
over the "opals are unlucky myth" but looked hard at a pair of black pearl and
diamond earrings (which I decided I wouldn't wear enough for the price). We stole a
few towels from the hotel pool, and took a ferry ride through the Harbour to Manly, which
is a beach and village. We spent a cloudy afternoon there, but it was relaxing.
Since we need to return the towels anyway, we will head to the hot-tub (on the roof
with a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge). We are excited about Mom's arrival in
the morning! Love, P.
2/2/02
Happy Groundhog's Day (for us anyway, I guess it is still the 1st for you guys at home).
We quickly did all that there was to do in Ayers Rock - a few BBQs, the Rock Climb,
sunset, and the 6 shops in town. I couldn't bear the thought of one more day in the
heat with nothing to do. The average stay in Ayers Rock is 2 days, we were booked
for 4 nights. Arghhhh! A beautiful place, but should be done as an in and out.
This morning we called the airport to see if we could get out a day early, and they
changed our tickets. I'll pay extra for another night in Sydney and forfeit the last
night at The Rock, but it is worth it to be in Sydney! Mom, just take a cab from the
hotel. If you wait for the 8 dollar shuttle, it takes over an hour to get to the
hotel, because lots of that time is sitting in the shuttle at the airport. As it is
now, we have a room with 2 twin beds. They say they can cram another bed in for the
one night we are all together, if they aren't able to switch our room. We are close
to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and tonight we had a fancy (read
"overpriced with small portions") meal at a restaurant right beside the Opera
House at sunset. Tomorrow we should be able to explore! Don't let cuz Tom fool you -
no way these couples are Tom's age! Love, P.
