Meet the Americans..

[fullofbeans]

“Cancer allows me to see the light. I see the light of both uncertainty and opportunity… I choose opportunity!”

This is exactly how I am approaching this new era of my treatment. I will be starting the vaccination trial at UW in Seattle next week and I will have to go back another 6 times (every months) to complete it.

I have never been to America before except for 4 hours in LA airport on my way back from Tahiti a long time ago where I have some family. [I remember being surprised at seeing policemen with machine gun].

I have been thinking about doing flat/house swap, which is easy when you live in London (accommodation prices are atrocious) but then I thought that since I’ll often be coming alone it would be rather boring for me to just do that. So I thought it would be rather nice instead to meet people, form friendships over the Atlantic or simply get invited places or events. Alternatively take me on your holidays/long week ends (one can dream) and in exchange whilst I am away over the coming months or later you are welcome to use my flat in London.

I see this as part of my treatment, have fun, met people and exchange stories surely is must be good for one’s immune system!


I am planning to fly to a different city for each trip (on my way in or out of Seattle) I think it is a great opportunity to do something I would never have considered doing before. Although I have backpacked a lot when young and worked/travel abroad , however this time I have to go back home at least every 3 weeks for my Herceptin.

I will be in Seattle next week 6<SUP>th</SUP> March until the 14<SUP>th</SUP> March, so if anyone would like to show me round it would be nice.

I have had not much time to organise myself yet but I am thinking that next month it would be nice to stop somewhere warm on my way such as LA or Miami or anywhere warm actually.

So let me know what’s up in your area or even just mail to tell me what I should absolutely visit /do over the coming months! I am just starting a blog about this will send link soon . Not sure how this will go but it certainly sounds like a nice way to get to know the USA.

I want to thanks Joy for giving me this idea by inviting me to Colorado on my way to UW.

Best wishes

Karina

<O></O>

[rinaina]

If you plan to make one of your visits Chicago, let me know. Still have winter now but hopefully in a few months we'll have better weather.

[AlaskaAngel]

Dear FOB, I am to be in Seattle for several days starting on the 10th, would love to meet you while there.... Your plans are remarkable....

Another Hobo,

AlaskaAngel

[suzan w]

I live in Poulsbo, a 1/2 hour ferry ride from Seattle...would love to meet some of you "for real"!!!

[heblaj01]

Karina,
If you end up crisscrossing the USA, then it may be worth taking advantage of the special discount airfaires (if they still exist) available only to non residents under the "Visit USA" and "Visit North America" fares for foreign visitors that are sold only outside North America. These fares usually allow unlimited travel on one (or more?) airline network within the continental USA for a limited period (say 21 days).
Full details are available in the OAG (official airline guide) or from travel agents although they don't usually publicize too much these low fares that do not generate large commissions.

[Joy]

What a great way to seize an opportunity and what a great attitude to boot. And If Colorado sounds appealing, I would love that. I'd pick you up at DIA and everything. It is FR-EEEEZING here today. Our SPring Fever is rising. But, typically when it turns warm here-it is WARM!

I'm excited about the trial and so thrilled to share this experience with you here at HER2!

[AlaskaAngel]

Sounds good to me, Susan! Maybe we can pick an easy location for anyone here who would like to meet over coffee?

A.A.

[tousled1]

What a great idea! If you decide to come to the east coast I will be happy to put you up for a few days. I live in Georgia.

[Shell]

and if you fly through Phila, I live in suburban Philadelphia and would be pleased to host you - I get to London/Newcastle once or twice a year on business...


Kind regards,

[Vanessa]

I hope you enjoy your adventure. If you come to Houston, let me know, I would enjoy having a visitor.

[janet/FL]

Karina,
My DH and I would love for you to come here. We could show you what a little of Southern florida is like. I checked flights and for the same price you can fly here before continuing on to Seattle. I was surprised at that. We are a bit older than you, so you probably won't see the night life!

[fullofbeans]

Thank you all so much, it made me so happy to read your answers. It really did. I think I was also somewhat relieved to have responses, I knew Americans were pretty open minded in that way, but still I was wondering if I would receive any reply ...

Anyhow yes AlaskanAngel & Suzan definitely lets stay in touch and meet up whilst I am Seattle. On on my return to the UK I will check where next to go.. this is so exciting!!

All the cities in the States to me are reminiscent of films/movies. Chicago for me is stuck in the 20’s with men that are always dressed in elegant suits & wear hats, many talking with an Italian accent. In Houston ‘au contraire’ people are dressed in a all-in- one uni-coloured uniform, and I can imagine hearing someone “calling Houston..” from some space shuttles..

In the meantime Seattle is‘romantic’. But I hope I will get some sleep there.. However I am not surprised that people remain sleepless in Seattle with the amount of coffee they are drinking..

Thank you Janet for the offer to show me Florida that sounds great and do not worry about being older as I would otherwise have doubted your authenticity, as it is well known State requirement that to live there you have to be of retirement age ..(By the way thank you so much for checking flights price).

Anyhow I will stop being silly that is what I do when I feel a bit nervous (I am a bit of a Chandler (from Friends)). About Philadelphia, I will try to come there when I visit New York later on, same goes for you when you go come to London. Joy I would love to meet you too lets stay in touch and wait for Colorado to warm up. All the best for the 8<SUP>th</SUP> my thought are with you.

Thank you all again for your offers, when I read them I felt the adventure had just started and I hope I will get to meet all of you.

Lots of love

Kx

[AlaskaAngel]

FOB,

If you are seeing Janet/FL on your way and you can't bring her along, be sure to bring a smidgeon of her with you to Seattle so I can hug a bit of her in person!

Barring being fogged/snowed in/out on the Alaska end or the Seattle end I'll be there.... I've been trying to get Suzan's attention (jumping up and down on our hilltop here and yelling and waving at Poulsbo, WA)... to set up a day and time...

Hope we can find a way to coax our stellar veteran HER2 survivor, StephN, to join us...

A.A.

[tricia keegan]

What a great idea and an interesting turn on getting treatments!

I just want to wish you happy and safe travels and I can't wait to read your blog so keep us posted!
Good luck
Tricia

[suzan w]

Trying to coordinate!!! Alaska Angel and I (Suzan) and Full of Beans are working to plan a get-together in Seattle...this weekend either Sat.March 10th or Sun. March 11th...a restaurant easy to find??? Anyone else in the area? We have been emailing each other, sort of like playing email tag trying to make a definite plan.

[StephN]

Dear ladies -

I have been out of the loop due to spending so much time with my father at the hospital. I stayed the night last night in his room. He is doing much better, but had a little setback with his blood pressure.

Looks like I have another party on Sunday from noon to 3, but let me know what you all decide and I hope to be there.

Karina - let me know where you are staying - is it the usual hotel by the Northgate Mall? If so that is not too far from me.

[kk1]

Full o beans;

I am in Miami and could show you around, we are about the same age and DX-stage IV and NED. I am away skiing for easter break but other than those two wekends I am around until it gets to hot in Miami (June) and I head North to escape.

kk1

[fullofbeans]

Hi All,

Firstly I apologise for the lack of news, I have literally not logged on since I left Britain for Florida, not on purpose; I simply forgot that I had stage IV cancer!

I quite truly had a break from the reality I have been facing (up to) since August 2006, my diagnosis of the liver mets. But let me tell you how my memory loss occurred..

It started with a question ending “red or white?”, after a long flight I had finally arrived in Miami and I was being very well received by Kay and her truly lovely family. Kay asked me what I wanted to do, I had told her anything that involved exercising and that I would love to go snorkelling, well, she certainly heard me load and clear; the following day we got on the bike and went to visit the tropical botanical garden that had exposition chihuly exhibition then later in the day we snorkelled in the Miami bay.

Although the botanical garden exhibition was great, the snorkelling was particularly special for me. When I was housebound, towards the end of my 8th cycle combined with the chemoembolisation of the liver, I had looked daily at a picture I had purposefully hanged on my bedroom wall. The picture showed me in a slick diving suit having surveyed a coral reef or sea grass section in the Philippines. I suppose we all have a time anchored in our memory when we felt at our physical peak for me it was then, I had been diving and snorkelling for few months for the McGill University eating fish, veg and rice and my body had been ripping the benefit of it. Therefore snorkelling again was a huge treat and the Miami downtown skyline was the perfect setting to a new beginning again, my body had recovered enough from the chemo to enjoy fully the holiday that was enfolding..

The following day we did some more cycling and visiting after which Kay kindly dropped me at the hostel I had booked close to the Everglades and the Keys. It had been good to spend time to get to know her, of course we spoke about our medical similarities but pragmatism made us simply enjoy the beautiful sunshine carefree along with some luscious Florida juices and smoothies..

The Everglades hostel I stayed at was a delight, not only it was very relaxing but I also met up with two really nice travellers ready for adventure. The following day we hired some bikes and cycled in the national park, the wildest moment was when we encountered 5 baby alligators in a ditch alongside the road. They were so cute we were tempted to go and grab one but we thought better, not being able to locate Mamy Alli was rather hairy..did you know that a alligator can run as fast as 35 miles per hour? My best moment was few hours into the cycling trip when I realised that I could keep up with the two guys Beat and William (30 and 55 y/o). It felt great, I had been unsure of my ability prior we set off and I thought that I could always let them know about my situation if I found myself unable to carry on. But there were no need, we cycled for at least 4 hours and I kept up so easily it felt so great!

The following day we went canoeing and the day after I took a sailing and snorkelling trip off key Largo, were a bunch of scary Barracudas had decided to gather in mass. The reef was beautiful and sent me right back to another period of my life. I stayed at the hostel 5 days and I could have stayed much longer as I had made quite a few friends by then and it felt like home. By the end of my stay in Florida except for the necessity of my wig I had been completely able to forget about the hellish 6 months I had gone thought. I felt that I reconnected with my old self, perhaps a better version of it an‘improved formulae now con masses of gratitude and humility’! No one new about my prognosis and they saw me, yes me, not my prognosis but me only, I felt free. A guy even flirted with me I loved it! I felt like a teenager at its first disco! Three months ago he would have run away..

Emerging in Seattle after few hours on the plane from Miami made the contrast between these two cities so blatant, they may as well be different countries. Liberal Seattle has a mentality which certainly appeals to my mind set. But a true comparison would require much more than this post would take. Anyhow the second vaccination resulted in the rising of two bumps under my skin at the site of injection, this is apparently a good sign: my body is reacting (go killer cells go!). In Seattle I met up with some people from an international meeting group, and once again I was lucky; in short we danced, saw exhibitions and a talk and visited some sites. The time flew by, also by the time I set off I was happy to come back to the comfort of my home and catch up with my friends and off course Baily (the best dog in the Universe and my unofficial therapist).


On my way back, during my stop over in New York airport, I went to the toilette. Suddenly coming from nowhere I started crying, there I was finding myself stuck in the cubicle for more than an hour by a flow of tears. Why? Well I suddenly felt like I had been punched in the face by reality; In few hours I would be in London, on that same day I was to be plugged to Herceptine, the following day I had my three monthly scan and perhaps things were going to change dramatically.. Suddenly I realised that I had just taken a vacation from reality, and now I was flying back straight into it, yes I feel very lucky to be in remission, just the day before a friend I had met at the hospital had texted me that her cancer had spread, she is 27 y/o. I Seattle I had been taken for a drink by a nice young man, who complimented me that I was very likable, it felt great at the time but I am not sure that he would have acted the way he did if he had known what my oncologist thinks about my future.

Anyhow, the scan -an MRI of my liver- it took three days to get the result back. I knew from Her2 group postings that would be hard to wait for results but I never thought that it would be so hard, Kay told me that as time goes on, it does get better, I hope it does. I found it very hard to concentrate on anything in these three days, I was trestles and could not sleep. When I was told that my liver was fine at 9am, after calling my mum to tell her the good news I simply went back to bed, for once I allowed my dog to come join me and we both slept and slept and slept..

Ok this is turning into a humongous post so I will leave you all here. I will be flying back to Seattle on the 10th May and I am planning to go to Whistler few days later for a spot of spring skiing since I now feel physically able to do so and there seem to be a very nice hostel there too.

Kay thank you again for your hospitality, see you again I am sure!

Best wishes to all
Karina

[StephN]

Karina -
I am STILL in the throes of dealing with my father in the hospital, but things are moving forward a bit now and he is awake and with it now. Just can't speak - only mouth his words - due to the tracheostomy last Friday. Hoping that will move forward this week.

BUT - I hope this time we can manage to find a little time to spend together and I can maybe show you a little more of this great city. Have you seen the University campus yet? There is much more.

So VERY glad you have such a wonderful time in Miami. I knew it well as my mother is from there. But much has changed since our yearly visits a ways back.

Just stay in touch - I think I still have the cell number you got while here the first time.

Red or white?? Cheers!

[suzan w]

Hi Karina! Good to "see" you again posting! While you are in Seattle, let's get together again...and you too Steph...even if only for lunch or something!!