After 3 days

After 3 days of the treatment I'm feeling OK. Just get a bit tired. Eating, sleeping, strolling slowly and generally getting most things done.

Last night (Friday) I went to the Sydney Opera House with a friend, Lynne, to see the Rossini opera "The Barber of Seville". What fun. We had a meal before the performance at a restaurant on the concourse and after the opera she took me home to her place overnight. This morning we had breakfast with my son and his girlfriend in Woollahra, before Lynne very kindly drove me home to Wollongong.

Rested for the rest of the day. It's now 9pm on Saturday 26 February.

24 hours into chemo

Overnight at Marshall Mount under the Tree of life in the Hopemobile



Waking up at Marshall Mount :) The day before chemo begins.


It is now 24 hours after the 1st dose of chemo - all OK. Bit dizzy most of yesterday but that disappeared by last night. Not much sleep, so am still in bed with my laptop at noon today :)

Noon on Thursday 24 Feb

More Mystery Bay +

Preparing lunch for our guests, Carmen and Ray



"Give me a home among the gum trees"

I've had my first session of chemotherapy today - 4 hours - and I've come home wearing a pump on a rope around my neck for the next 7 days. Not a particularly attractive fashion accessory. Some hours spent this afternoon, with my sister Leigh, devising outfits that will disguise it when it has to - like for the next 6 wedding ceremonies I have booked to conduct!!! Feeling OK, but tired. Dizziness that came upon me early has now disappeared. So far, so good. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Posted 7.45pm on Wednesday 23 February - a significant date

Weekend at Mystery Bay NSW

View of Mystery Bay from our campsite


The coastline north of Mystery Bay


After the rain at the entry to Poole's Beach

Boiling the billy



After dinner beneath a full moon

Kay having lunch 'with the locals' at Pam's Store at Tilba Tilba



Posted on Monday 21 February at 3.30pm. It's my grandson Zeke's 8th birthday today. These are the cup cakes he and Willow baked to take to his class at school.

This is the word

Finally it has come to pass that a decision has been made concerning my medical treatment. Both the inadequacy of the medical system and my own demands for more information have contributed to the delay. Enough said about that.

After consulting 2 surgeons, 2 oncologists, a specialist peritonectomy nurse and ................ searching my soul, I have finally decided against having the radical surgery that is proposed and to commence a course of palliative chemotherapy.

For those of you in the know, the chemotherapy will be Folfiri + Avastin.

This treatment will involve a two and a half hour session at the oncology clinic where the chemotherapy will be injected via the porta-cath in my chest. On leaving the clinic I will wear a 'pump' containing chemotherapy (hung around my neck) which will remain attached to me for the next 7 days. On the seventh day I will return to the clinic to have the empty pump removed. The next seven days will be free of chemotherapy. These 14 days make up the first of 8 cycles. so..... 7 days on, 7 days off. The first treatment is scheduled for next Wednesday - 23 February.

I haven't had this chemotherapy before so I don't know how I will react to it. The major side effects are likely to be hair loss and diarrhoea. Hats and scarves can solve the challenges of the hair loss, but I'm not looking forward to the diarrhoea. Mind you, not every patient has the same reaction, so .............. watch this space.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

My recent PET scan revealed that the tumours have grown - nobody is reporting any dimensions or by how much. The message is - we need to get this under way quickly.

So...... my Hopemobile and I - along with a girlfriend - are off to spend a few days on the South Coast at Mystery Bay. I'll be back in time for the treatment to start as scheduled.

Family at the wedding

My Dad
Brook and Jarad - Mr and Mrs Kelly
Yours truly - bride's favourite aunt :)
My sister and her husband, Leigh and Bob

Some images of Bali

Lord of the Monkey Forest


Wilna and Ketut




Consulting the "eat, pray, love" medicine man, Ketut, in Ubud





Tuna soup: first course for dinner on the beach at sunset

Harvesting coconuts


Waiting for lunch overlooking the rice terraces

Bali family squash :)

And still more doctors to see before there is 'real news'.

It's Saturday 5 February and 41' outside!!! Staying indoors with the airconditioning a.fter a cooling swim at Balmoral Beach this morning. One more week at Balmoral with Leigh and Bob before going back to Wollongong. I see an oncologist and have a PET scan this coming week, then results of scan with surgeon on Monday 14th