Need some advice on quick last minute 4-7 day Getaway/Vacation

[AzRusty]

Hi

You haven't heard much from me lately. Between work and hleping out with Kathy... trips to doctors and hospitals there just hasn't been much time. Besides talking about her illness (leukemia) became so grueling and energy consuming that I just sort of clammed up about it.

Now.. she has completed three chemos and will be facing a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope at the Phoenix satellite the first week of May. This will require a one month hospitalization and then three months of house confinement.

Since November Kathy has been in the hospital in total isolation half the time... at three and four week stretches. About 45 days total.

We would like to take a quick vacation prior to the bone marrow transplant. We have 4-11 days. The budget is 3-5 thousand. I would like to limit our consideration to the Western Hemisphere including Alaska and Hawaii. Also, I prefer to be near water and we need to stay at a relatively low elevation.

Where would you go?

What I am seriously considering is Alaska, Hawaii and the Carribean.

Any ideas?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

I am including her last e mail as a new "update"

Thanks

AzRusty

Randy

4/13/02

Hi Everyone,

Well... I've been out of the hospital since Thursday, but spent all day Friday at Good Samaritan. Randy dropped me off at 8:00 A.M. and I was ready to be picked up at 7:00 P.M . What a long day. Friday was a "Hurry up and wait... Wait... WAIT" day. They had everything planned, appointments made and nothing went as planned. I was scheduled to go into surgery to have a "Hickman" put in at 10:00 A.M., but after my labs came back, they decided that my platelets were too low and they were going to have to transfuse me before they could do any cutting. After waiting for three hours for the blood bank to get the platelets in, and 1/2 hour to get them into me, they had to check my platelet count again before they could take me to surgery. After waiting for an hour for the lab to get my count we were able to get into surgery.

I went back this AM to have more labs taken. My white count was still too low to harvest stem cells, so they are going to wait and do it on Monday. I guess I get tomorrow off except for having to go to Del Webb Hopsital at 7:30 A.M. to get a Neupogen shot. They will continue to have me come in daily until they get the amount of stems cells that they want. Freezing and storing them can kill off some/all/many leukemic cells, if there are any present. Hopefully they will kill them ALL off and when I have the bone marrow transplant they will not be transplanting leukemic cells back into me. I will get a schedule for the actual bone marrow transplant. Right now, all we know is that they want to give me plenty of time to recover from my last chemo and harvest the stem cells.

I know you remember what a gorgeous rose garden I had out here. At one time I had over 100 roses that my Dad brought me. With the days and hours we have been working for years now, my beautiful rose garden is nothing except dry and dead patches of Bermuda grass. Everytime I'd walk outside I'd get upset, almost sick to my stomach seeing another dead or dying rose bush with weeds all around. While I was in the hospital this last time, Randy made arrangements with John next door to have 50 rose bushes planted!!! When we got home this afternoon, they were all planted! No... these will never replace the ones that my Dad gave me, but they will be every bit as gorgeous as the ones he brought me. What a nice husband! I need to let go of the past and focus on the present.

Randy knew I had a major problem with the hospital food so he had dinner with me almost every night while I was in the hospital. Some nights we had Kentucky Fried Chicken and another night it could be pizza, which was just fine with me. <oink> I finally learned to NOT eat anything that was cooked there at the hospital. I'd have toasted bagel/English Muffin for breakfast, a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Thank goodness I'll not be going back there for a while. WHEW!!! If that food didn't kill ya, it could make you sick. <gag> I honestly don't know how they can get away with food like that. ICK!

If there is anything I've missed telling you about, it will be in the next e-mail. LOL!!!

Take care,

Love,

Kathy

 

[goldcupsports]

Aruba plenty of sunshine lots of water. One of the best places to just relax and enjoy life.

 

[AR182]

Without a doubt,I would go to Hawaii.I think Maui is one of the great places on earth with it's beaches.I think there are direct,non-stop flights from Phoenix to Maui.

I am sure you will enjoy where ever you go.

My prayers are with your wife.

 

[Mizzou]

Trips to St. Maarten, Anguilla, St. John

Trips to St. Maarten, Anguilla, St. John

We've been to St. Maarten, St. John US Virgin Islands, and Anguilla a few times each.

St. John is very laid back with beautiful beaches and not much nightlife. Anguilla has very pretty beaches, a little to do at night and not very crowded.

St. Maarten is where we like the best. The French side is quite and pretty beaches and the Dutch side has little casinos and outside restaurants. We're headed there in June. We stay at the Le Meridian on the French side. Packages are running around $2900.00 for 7 days (they give you the 3rd and 7th night free).

Leukemia is a tough but you all will be just fine. We're going through the leukemia stuff ourselves with my 3 year old son.

Good luck and enjoy your break - you deserve it.

take care,
JB

 

[SmashMouth]

I would do ARuba. Always sunny and breezy. Laid Back. God bless. It is just the place to get both of your spirits up for the long battle ahead.

 

[Mizzou]

Aruba expensive

Aruba expensive

Is it expensive to eat, drink and be merry in Aruba? And any idea of how long the flight was? Topless beaches?

Our travel agent said don't buy tickets yet for our June trip to St. Maarten because the prices normally drop when it gets hot up here.

Enjoy.

 

[yyz]

I don't have any vacation ideas, but I wish the both of you the best!

 

[AzRusty]

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks for the feedback

Thank you very much for the feedback. We are still waiting on the doctors to give us exact dates that we can be gone. Once all this stuff starts happening she (I) will be pretty much comitted.

We are toying with the idea of postponing the beginning of the TBI and BMT a week (total body irradiation and bone marrow transplant). Don't know if they will go for it but if they do it will give us more choices and a bit more freedom.


What she would most want to do is take an island hopping cruise of the Hawaiian Islands.

Aruba does sound good as does St. Maarten or St. Johns.

Thanks for your thoughts

AzRusty

Randy

 

[boilermaker]

Montego Bay,(sandals) spent my 22nd anniversary there. The best vacation I ever had. Spent around$3000 for 7 days all inclusive. May God Bless .

 

[Red Raider]

You both deseve it!!!!!

As always, your both in my prayers, and you know if there's anything I can do, just let me know.

Mark

 

[Snake Plissken]

Can't go wrong with Aruba it is great

Best of luck to the both of you

 

[BOHICA]

Randy,

I would take the Hawaiian Cruise.

We spent a week in Princville on the island of Kauai. It was one of the nicest vacations I have taken.

Not to mention, if that is what Kathy wants to do, you can't go wrong.

Best of luck to you both,

Mark

 

[Mizzou]

Enjoy

Enjoy

Randy,

If you take the cruise, enjoy. You're probably better off on a cruise ship with decent medical facilities rather than on some island with a doctor who graduated from who-knows-where as your only resource.

Have a good time and good luck with the treatments. Hopefully, you can forget about this leukemia stuff for awhile.


Take care,
JB

 

[RCDor]

I agree with Aruba, if you are considering this option I would suggest the Bucuti resort. Its a smaller facility on the most gorgeous beach and the staff is super

 

[Neemer]

i'm sure you've already checked into it, but did your dr. say it was alright to leave the United States? I was just wondering if your wife might possibly need medical assistance while you all are away, and if so, what location would be best to accomodate her situation?

If the Caribeann is in the cards, then I definitely think you need to give Barbados some consideration. It's a very "laid" back island, and is one of the best destinations I've ever been to. I haven't been in nearly 4-5 yrs., but I still think about that place all the time. Mick Jagger has a place there and is known to spend quite a bit of time there throughout the year.

Wherever you choose, I hope you guys have a wonderful time. I'll be saying an extra prayer for the BOTH of you during this unfortunate ordeal. If one thing is for certain, both of you will be much stronger after this is all over. I wish you both the best....

 

[dogface]

My recommendation...

My recommendation...

If you go to the Hawaiian Islands, stop by Oahu and visit Hanuama Bay, excellent snorkeling (deep pools, so if Kathy gets tired she is no further than 3-5 ft away from sitting above the water) also good to walk around on the rocks and see the sights known as "The witches Brew" and the "Toilet Bowl" named after ow the water hits the rocks and funnels it's way out. Very relaxing and a nice place to relax.

Also if you don't mind fish, if you bring a loak of bread, add some salt water to it, then open the top just a tad bit and watch the thousand of tropical fish come and have dinner...amazingly beautiful!

dogface