Short trip report

StephN · 05-31-2006, 05:41 PM

Hello everyone -
I have checked the posts and feel I am back in the swing of what is going on here. Some sad news and some good news. Cancer is always like that.

Got home last evening from Portugal and went for my tri-weekly Herceptin today. Glad to report that my port was cooperative today after having had to give it the "clot buster" TPA the last time prior to my trip. (Wouldn't you know THAT would be the day that it would clog up!)

Weather was good while we were there and only had one day of rain of any consequence. When there is some good breeze Lisbon is as clear and blue-skyed as Seattle. And they have such GREAT COFFEE over there that I finally broke my no caffeine rule and had some each morning instead of the herbal teas that I brought. When I smelled the coffee on the plane yesterday I almost gagged - there really is NO comparison.

We ate a lot of seafood, but they are a little short on the vegetables so we learned how to order in restaurants so we had a better balanced meal. They also give BOTH potatoes AND rice with many of the dishes. The bread is very good and they automatically bring a plate with cheese and some cured meat plus olives right away as you are seated. So, Starch City - and I have brought home another 3 or so pounds all right around my middle.

This despite all the walking - mainly on cobblestones. The country is granite in large part and they use small pieces to pave the streets and sidewalks everywhere. There is not much asphalt except on the main roads and motorways. I lived in my new Merrill shoes which gave me enough protection from walking on those hard stones and uneven sidewalks.
The third day in Lisbon my legs gave out and I had to take a break and stay close to our lodging and do a little laundry. By the next day I was better and we got a car that day and started out into the countryside to explore around for 10 days. There are plenty of castles, roman ruins, impressive monestaries, etc to climb around in. Forgot to mention that Lisbon has numerous great museums and we only hit a few of the better ones. Curiosity kept me going!

Don't want to bore you with all this, but all in all it was a wonderful getaway and change of mind. We did not run into very many Americans and were actually the first from here to use some of the wonderful country manor house inns that are available. This is a good way to meet good families who have also traveled some and are well educated and speak languages in addition to Portuguese, which is unlike any other language I know except it sounds a little like Russian! These people were so helpful and told about things not in the guide books to go and hunt down.

Even though we had a long trip back and our luggage missed our connection to Seattle after going through customs in New Jersey, I feel pretty rested and mellow. Hope everyone can find some way to achieve some change of scene and take in some new surroundings that help you forget all about this crappy disease.

P.S. We did not forget to try a lot of the different wines and drive through some of the vineyard regions. Really picturesque countryside that is fairly built up, being that it is not a very large country. The worst thing was driving through miles and miles of area where they had those fires the past couple of years.

AlaskaAngel · 05-31-2006, 05:57 PM

Thanks for the great description of your travels, Steph! Glad to see you safely home again, and on track with treatment without any complications. Sounds like you got a lot out of finding your way around and meeting good people, not to mention good food, good wine, and good coffee. Your reflections here have been sorely missed....

AlaskaAngel

Barbara H. · 05-31-2006, 06:44 PM

Hi Steph,
Thanks for writing about your trip. If you hadn't, I would have asked you about it. I'm happy for you that you were able to get away for such an extensive and enjoyable trip. I missed your posts and your insight. I thought about how you would feel coming back to some of the sad news on this site. You did state it well. You reminded me that there is also some good news that has been posted as well. We're here to support both!!!!
Welcome back and best wishes,
Barbara H

tousled1 · 05-31-2006, 06:56 PM

Glad that you were able to get away and enjoy yourself. I know how wonderful it is to get away as I was able to go to FL for a week. I talked to my onc and made sure that it was ok with her to miss some appointments (blood counts). It did my mind and soul a world of good to be in differeent surroundings and not to be thinking about this demon that has its hold on us.

Esther · 05-31-2006, 08:03 PM

Glad you had a great time Steph!! Good to have you back though.

Sheila · 05-31-2006, 08:57 PM

Steph

Thanks for the post...I feel like I have experienced a little bit of Portugal through you....and I probably wont ever get there so thanks!!!! Glad to have you "back on board!"

Lisa · 05-31-2006, 10:48 PM

Steph,

Thanks for the tour! Your descriptions took me there, and I ALMOST feel like I've now had a vacation.

My next scans are PET/CT and Brain MRI. They are within the next week. Now I can lie on the table and picture the scenery in Portugal!

Love and light,

Lisa

madubois63 · 06-01-2006, 05:06 AM

Steph - so glad you had a good time. Thanks for sharing your trip with us!!!

Helen · 06-01-2006, 09:40 AM

Welcome back! We missed you. Glad to hear that you had a great time.

Helen

anne · 06-01-2006, 10:03 AM

Hi Steph,
It is nice to see you back. I am glad you had a good time. I wanted to ask about your port clogging up and having had TPA. How did they determine your port was clogged and how did the TPA work. I am asking because my mom had no blood return from her port for the last 6-8 months and she had a stroke a month ago and they were not able to find any causes and I am wondering if that stupid port is to blame.
Anne

Sherry in WV · 06-02-2006, 10:01 AM

Glad you had a good time. Nothing is boring when you are hearing that a fellow cancer fighter and survivor had a wonderful time. You made me want to go back to Scotland.

Thanks for the rich and wonderful discription of your visit.
Peace,
Sherry

Toril · 06-02-2006, 11:06 AM

Welcome back!! Glad you had such a wonderful trip. And sure its nice: Lisbon, Coimbra, Sintra - I'd love to come back some day. But to me next stop will be Berlin!

Love Toril

Adriana Mangus · 06-02-2006, 11:31 AM

Have you visited Mexico, Puerto Vallarta is a beautiful port along the Golf of Mexico, my husband loves this lovely place, also the streets are covered with coblestones, old churches -from the 1600's- my husband and I love cruising, my favorite cruise and first one, was Alaska -95' aboard the Sky Princess, now retired

. I will never forget the sound and the splash I heard when a big piece of ice fell in the water -Hubbard Glacier-I also remember the creatures swiming along the ship, fantastic memories! My next cruise, God willing; is in November a week before Thanksgiving, we're planning to visit Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is one of the oldest cities in USA. (That's what I was told).
Cheers, for plenty of good times and more to come!! In Mexico, the salutation is Salud, Dinero y Amor. (Y tiempo para disfrutarlo) And time to enjoy it all!

kristen · 06-03-2006, 05:17 AM

Good to have you home Steph,

Missed you while you were gone, but like Lisa, loved hearing about your travels. I do feel like vacations are to rejuvenate the soul. Glad you had a wonderful time.

sherri · 06-05-2006, 11:02 AM

Hi Steph,
I'm glad you had a good time and enjoyed your trip. Now you are back safe and sound. I'll be in Seattle on June 15, from 11:00 to 1:00, I have to go back to Vancouver. If you take your Herceptin that day, let's meet for a coffe, otherwise I'll see you next time. Let me know what happened with the Vaccine.
Big hug,

rinaina · 06-06-2006, 07:04 AM

welcome back, your trip to portugal sounded fantastic.

MCS · 06-06-2006, 02:49 PM

WELCOME BACK. It sounds like it was a wonderful trip. I'm so glad you were able to experience this. It's fun to travel. It seems you just left and posted a so long thread

Stay well.

XOXO

MCS ( maria)

IRENE FROM TAMPA · 06-06-2006, 05:10 PM

I really enjoyed hearing about your trip. I could never tire to hear the stories. Like someone said, if you close your eyes, you can be there.

I have always dreamed of traveling in my older years and now that I am there plans are difficult to make and keep.

We have a trip planned in August - to go to Italy for 1 month. We have villas already picked out and had planned to just take things slowly and enjoy the people. Since I just started new chemo combo in April for yet another recurrence, my hopes were kind of washed out not really knowing if we would be able to make the trip..

Your stories have perked me up again to start my planning. To quote one of my oncologist "that is why you are struggling this hard is to live your life" I just hope when August comes I am at a place where it will be ok to make the trip.

So if someone can keep the stories coming, those of us who can not actually make the trip's can close our eyes and dream we are there.

So glad you had such a good time Steph.