Road Trip and other things

Feels like a very long time since I've sat down to blog...been a very busy time on the road...and in the hospital since I returned.

Sunday, January 6, burned up Interstate 10 over to Grover Beach in about 9 hours. Enjoyed listening (and singing along) to a CD that Tess and Kirsten made for me with very hip "road trip" songs. Definitely gave me lots of energy (and likely made me speed a bit...no ticket, thankfully). Traffic was good, Sunday is a great day to travel through LA around noonish. Arrived at Matt and Catherine's in Grover Beach still having energy to spare (what a surprise). Spent a fun-filled 4 days with them just hanging (learned to play Apples to Apples-what a great group game), playing with my grandpuppy, Nick, walking/hiking, enjoying Catherine's cooking, her parents and a tour of the Avila lighthouse.

Early morning view as we start out

The Avila Lighthouse

Matt and Catherine at the lighthouse

Maria, Charlie, Catherine and Matt

Original beacon from the lighthouse

Matt and me

These guys are a very fun group to hang out with! We had such great food and shared lots of laughter. Even fed some dinosaurs (longer story...wouldn't want to hook you! :>) It was wonderful Matt could have a few days off together and Catherine was still on holiday break! Love their new house and all the beautiful decorating and yard projects they've done. Quite the clever couple! :>) Looking forward to even more changes the next visit!

All too soon (Friday, January 11) it was time to say "goodbye for now" to the Grover Beach crew and head North to Oakland for Peter and Clare's. Great to have Peter off on Friday as well as the weekend. The renovation project on their house is really getting serious!! They've lifted the foundation, are adding another floor, and when I left were about to pour concrete. So much prep work goes into all of that. There's just no end to parts of this project. Ah...someday, hopefully soon, they will get to enjoy all the hard work that is going into this home!!! Had lots of fun "eating around Oakland" as usual. There are so many yummy places to eat there! We explored a bit of San Francisco and I got to go to work with Peter, meet his boss and see where he has done some of his work. 

The House Project

There will soon be a whole new floor adding a rental apartment and additional space for Peter and Clare. It will be so fun to see this place turn back into the proud Victorian it once was! What a bright spot it will be for the neighborhood!

Andy Goldsworthy Path in the Presidio

 along the path

Great hiking both around Land's End and the Presidio, definitely got my exercise in!

Peter and Clare at Landsend

Familiar SF sight

Berkeley Botanical Garden

Interesting plants

After having a cup of coffee and reading a book in a Berkeley coffee shop (imagining myself an old hippie), enjoyed about 2 1/2 hours all alone wandering the gorgeous Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Thousands of acres of plants from all over the globe and greenhouses for those with climate issues (both needing more arid environments and those with more humidity). Beautiful place, well worth the hike around seemingly endless miles of trails.

The garden is near a nuclear research area!

Off to work with Peter...what a beautiful place to go to work, however, it was very impressive to see just how far he rides the BART, then rides his BIKE about 11-12 miles out to the office (and home again)!! What dedication!! And what great shape he's in!!

The office

At his desk

View from the Marin Headlands where Peter's office is located

Sad to say "goodbye for now" to them (and grandkitties Oscar and Jade), but time to head even further North for a quick visit with John Munro (our old Buddy from New Zealand). John has a sister, Coralie, who has lived in the states for over 30 years working as a researcher at UCDavis. She is in the process of a bone marrow transplant, so John is here for 6 months or so to help her.

Coralie and John

Coralie and her husband, Ron

Coralie will have to be in the hospital for 4 weeks, then in an apartment near the hospital for 3 months with 24 hour care after the transplant. (Thus John will be caring for her during the week and Ron on the weekend so he can continue working!) Please send positive thoughts and prayers her way as this is a very crucial and complicated procedure and process. (You can so tell these people are New Zealanders as they make you feel like family immediately!) 

It was great to see our old Buddy, John. He's such a big teddy bear! What a wonderful friend! He's managing to work at his job with the New Zealand Rescue Beacons long distance via computer and international phone calling (ah...the wonders of technology)!

As I started to travel home, began to feel increasing amounts of pain...and in a different location than I ever had before. By the time I arrived home, we soon realized it couldn't be managed with pain medication that I had, so we had to head out to the hospital. I went in Saturday night, got the CT scan and blood work that was supposed to happen on Monday (along with IV Morphine) and it appears I have pancreatitis. In addition, the liver tumors are growing again and there is a wee spot of atypical cells on my pancreas. Part of the pain I was (am) experiencing is from those enlarging tumors and a part from the irritated pancreas. I stayed in the hospital 4 days (about 3 1/2 days too long for me) and am home now still having pain, but much better than last week. Have also learned to let go of my expectation that I can "be tough, take anything" and not need medication...so now, I take it when I first feel problems coming, rather that wait until the medicine has to work harder to relieve symptoms (a message I've given to patients, but when it's yourself... :>) Now we're waiting for an appointment with my oncologist on Monday to get pancreatic biopsy results and map out a new treatment plan. It will likely involve (very soon) the blast of radioactive "fairy dust" into my liver, followed by additional chemo. I am at peace with that and am willing to do whatever is needed to try to beat this thing!! I so appreciate all your positive thoughts, prayers and love. They are what's getting me through.

P.S. Also wanted to share the amazing news that Clare and Peter are pregnant! (Well, Clare, mostly :>) I know babies are born every day (it's a career where I've spent most of my life), but now we'll get to experience for ourselves the great JOY of a grandchild! What motivation to get this treatment plan in high gear!!