Monday 2nd July 2007 - Still holding onto hope & coping ok for the moment. In all honesty I've found that it's MUCH easier to cope if I just put myself into some sort of denial. Tyler is just SO good & SO happy that it's much harder to think or believe that he's as sick as they think. I know that I'm setting myself up for a HUGE fall if they turn out to be right but for the moment I'm ok & life is ok. Terry feels pretty much the same & Ash is also coping in her own way.
Last Friday I was pampered a bit due to the continued persuasion from Lesley & mum to use up a day spa gift voucher that was given to me last year. I kept putting it off as I felt I would only truly relax if I knew that things were ok with Tyler (for the moment at least). As that isn't going to be the case for awhile, I gave in & used the voucher. Lesley had also added an eyelash tint & brow wax. I must admit that the girls at 'Floressence Day Spa' in Braddon did manage to get me to relax & unwind a little. The day spa included a 1/2 hour spa (was great at first but gave me a little too much time to think) & one hour massage which really did help to take my mind of things even if only for a little while. So they did a good job! Thank you to Bronwyn (I think it was) who donated the voucher to me. It was a lovely thought & I'm really glad that I finally got to use it. Later that afternoon I was treated to a desperately needed hair make-over by mums very trusted hair dresser. Although I felt exhausted by the end of the day I still managed a couple of hours shopping (window shopping mostly)! Tyler had a very fun day hanging out with dad, visiting nanna & pop & playing with the new racing car track they bought him.
Tyler's doctor called on Friday to say that he was happy with his blood results. Red cells - 98, white cells - 3.7, platelets - 47 (still very low but slowly coming up) & neutrophils - 2.1. So that's all good. He told Terry he's not expecting the urine to be 'elevated' so I'm not sure what to make of that. I guess it's still early days with what they think they've found & he has said that a negative result won't rule out a relapse. It will still make us feel a lot better though. We expect the results early this week.
Saturday we did a little more shopping - went to a ski sale trying to find some bargains as we plan to take him to see & play in the snow sometime soon.
Sunday we went to mum & dads again as I was getting another massage (more deep tissue for neck/ tension problems) & then we took Tyler to his first big NRL game between none other than the Raiders & the Tigers (Terry is a Raiders fan & the rest of my family are Tiger's fans - especially Ash at the moment!). Shelle & BJ met us there & although the weather was pretty darn cold (freezing) we all had a good time. I think Tyler really only sat still for the first time to watch the cheerleaders at half time (like father like son!). The end result was Tiger's winning the game 22 - 16 (was quite a close game) & we (especially I) were very glad to be heading home to our fire!
We had a pretty good weekend & Tyler has just been like a normal happy little boy. I guess that's really what is helping us get through at the moment & there doesn't seem any point in thinking too much about what 'might' happen in the future. We are looking forward to getting away next week, being at a party, doing more fishing, having more fun & just being together.
We're still trying to get Tyler's central line out ASAP & hopefully that will happen in the next couple of weeks. It will just make life so much easier & we'll be able to take him swimming, let him play in the bath properly, shower with him & are also trying to plan a trip to QLD to take him & Ash to the theme parks. Life at the moment is about fun & making the most of what we can. We have a WONDERFUL support network including our Canberra social worker who is doing whatever she can to take care of the things that add stress. It makes a huge difference having someone we can trust & we're very grateful for that.
Tyler continues to amaze us especially in taking all his medication. He has mastered taking the Retinoic Acid & is SO PROUD of himself when he swallows the 3 tablets (1 at a time) without a problem. We're extremely lucky that he is so co-operative & has been throughout his entire treatment.
Thank you to everyone who has sent messages to us. It's so encouraging to read all the love & support in these messages & some from people who don't even know us. That means so much. Thank you for caring.
A VERY HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY TO TYLER'S (Canberra) COUSIN LACHLAN!!
Thursday 5th July 2007 - As each day has passed this week I have felt myself fall deeper & deeper into despair & have become very 'on edge'. Every time the phone rang I'm sure my heart stopped for a second expecting it to be Tyler's doctor with the urine results - it wasn't. I've become extremely frustrated & very angry at the lack of contact from Sydney & don't know what I would have done without Sarah (social worker) to chase things up for us. Today I had another massage for my neck which is really starting to cause me grief & SO much pain with all the tension & as good as that was I just found that my emotions really feel out of control, I'm just SO scared.
Terry ended up calling the doctor & was told that 1 out of the 3 things they test for in the urine has come back 'normal', the other 2 should be back on Monday. This is good news & I did feel a flash of relief but there's still 2 to go & these results still don't 'rule out' a relapse, they just give us much more hope. After speaking with the doctor I then heard back from the outreach nurse who gave us contact details of who we need to see at Taree hospital to get Tyler's central line flushed next week while we're away. She also informed me that they are aiming to get the central line removed the week of the 16th which is when we'll be heading back home so that should fit in well. It's amazing how just 2 phone calls can change your mood a little & lift 'just a little' of that weight that's hanging over our heads.
We're looking forward to our trip away & although it's 12am I'm still packing & getting organised!! I'm just so exhausted, mentally, physically & sometimes I feel I no longer have any strength left at all. I'm trying so hard to stay positive & believe that everything will be ok but I guess some days will just be harder than others & today was one of them, I don't know why today was so hard, but I guess it all just gets too much sometimes. Hopefully I'll wake up in the morning with a much better attitude - I hate feeling like this & I just want to be happy around the kids. Terry seems to be doing ok at the moment but I know he's also going crazy inside. It will be really good for him (all of us) to catch up with his family while we're away & from what I see on the guestbook they have lot's of fun things planned for us!
Not sure if I'll get internet access while we're away so might not be able to update till after the 16th.
On a happier note:
A BIG HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY TO JACK - Tyler's Muswellbrook cousin!!
Saturday 7th July 2007 – Jacks Thomas Party. Tyler had a great time (once we woke him up) but Tez & I found it a bit hard emotionally. Every day is different & we find it’s a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions at the moment & it’s sometimes VERY hard to have a positive outlook on the future.
Sunday 8th July 2007 – Bit of a lazy morning as Tez, Tony & I stayed up far too late & they drank far too much Rum!! Neane was sensible & went to bed at a reasonable time, I went around 3am & the boys around 5.30am. Tony was a VERY sick boy for the whole day & we ended up going up to Sis’s & out to their block to ride some motorbikes. It was pretty muddy out there & Jason got their car bogged pretty bad. After a few broken ropes trying to get him out they finally called someone to bring a ‘snatchem strap’. That car managed to get themselves bogged also (which was quite funny) & Terry finally (after approx) an hour & a half managed to get both cars out. Tyler found it all pretty amusing!!!
Monday 9th July 2007 – Headed off to Forster around lunch. It took about 3 hours in some very rainy weather. Once we got there we were amazed at how beautiful it was. Forster is probably a place we would seriously consider moving to. The Ronald McDonald Beach Houses are really, really nice & very well designed & are approx 25metres from the water (not beach but boat ramp area). We have a gorgeous view from our deck (through the trees) of the water, boats & the bridge linking Forster Tuncurry. It’s great to be away at such a beautiful place.
Tuesday 10th July 2007 – Weather was a bit better today, some blue skies but still pretty cold. Terry’s mum came down from Taree with Terry’s nephew Lachy to visit for the afternoon. We all went just across the road & did some fishing off the walkway. Terry had cast Tyler’s line in & I noticed Tyler was struggling to try to wind in. I took over assuming he had snagged on one of the rocks. Then I gave up & handed over to Terry as I didn’t want to break his rod. It was then we discovered that Tyler had in fact caught a Flathead approx 40cm in size!! Ash & I were a bit sooky & wanted Terry to throw it back but no, Terry & Tyler had Flathead for dinner!!
The catch of the day goes to Ashleigh (unfortunately Marge, Tyler & I were back at the unit as Tyler ‘had enough of fishing’) when Terry came home to get a tea towel to throw over the bird that Ash had caught – yes a bird!! Apparently as Ash cast over her head a bird swooped & the hook & line got caught up in the feathers of one of its wings. Ash was mortified & very close to tears especially when Terry told her she’d have to wind it in! Luckily, they managed to get the bird untangled ok & it flew off without too much of a drama!
Wednesday 11th July 2007 – Woke up to a very nice day in Forster. Blue skies (a couple of clouds) but overall very nice compared to what we’re used to lately. We decided to take the kids on an Amaroo Dolphin Watch cruise which left at 10am. I was kind of hoping we’d just cruise the lake but we did end up heading out to the open water (I’m just a big scaredy cat sometimes!). The cruise was great & we saw some dolphins pretty much as soon as we got out past the break walls. I was surprised to see how close they were to the shore. Tyler wasn’t as excited as I thought he’d be but he still enjoyed it. Terry & I freaked out a bit when he complained of tummy pains & feeling sick. He didn’t throw up but we put it down to sea sickness (it’s too easy to stress over every little thing). I’d highly recommend the cruise to anyone & they really looked after us.
After the cruise we headed to Taree Hospital to get Tyler’s central line flushed & heplocked, get the dressing changed & to get some bloods done. They were really good at the hospital & made it a very easy stress-free experience. After that we visited Terry’s mum & got a message from Sydney hospital to say that they’ve changed Tyler’s surgery from Thursday 19th to Tuesday 17th which works out much better for us. We also left messages with his doctor to call us back regarding the urine results. He finally did & said they were normal – which was what he was expecting but he still feels strongly that Tyler has relapsed. The urine results are still great news to us & I did feel a bit of weight lifted off my shoulders! I feel that we can now just enjoy things for awhile & not stress about results. Tyler is having fun & is doing really well & that’s the main thing right now.
Thursday 12th July 2007 – This morning was beautiful & even better than yesterday. Also seemed to be a bit warmer & there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Terry got up & went out in the boat & we eventually got organised & joined him around lunch time. I must say, I was VERY freaked out about being in the boat with the kids. Although Tyler had a life jacket on I just couldn’t relax & of course he wouldn’t sit still. The water seemed to be very close & I just wasn’t comfortable with that. I eventually got Terry to drop Tyler & I back so that he & Ash could go off fishing without me whinging, Tyler needed a sleep which was another good excuse!! When we were dropped off I took Tyler for a walk to the end of the walkway where we saw a couple of dolphins just playing around. It’s an everyday event here but it was pretty cool for us!
In the afternoon we caught up with some friends from Canberra who were on their way back home from holidaying in QLD. It was great to catch up with them as we hadn’t seen them for quite some time. They also joined us for a buffet dinner with Terry’s mum & some of her friends at the famous Forster Bowling Club. Dinner was great but I’m not sure if Ash just ate too much – or picked up a bug but she was up all night sick.
Friday 13th July 2007 – Another beautiful day in Forster! It is SO nice to wake up to this view every morning!! We had another visit with some friends from Canberra who are on their way to QLD for a holiday. Seems like the perfect halfway point!! Again it was great to see some more familiar faces.
Terry’s mum dropped Lochy off to us as she was heading back home to Aberdeen & Terry’s sister (known as ‘Sis’) & her family were due here around lunch. They’ve booked into the caravan park adjacent to the beach houses along with Terry’s brother Tony & family to spend some time with us over the weekend. Will be good to spend some more time with everyone & great for Tyler to spend some more time with his cousins, he doesn’t get to catch up with them much (well so far anyway).
Saturday 14th July 2007 – After a slow start to the day we all decided to get some fish & chips, take the kids to the park & then go to the 9 Mile 4WD beach (we all have 4WD’s). Lunch was ok but I think a lot of it went to seagulls & pelicans – fun for the kids & the birds! I must say that the beach 4WDriving is an ok experience but one I’d rather do MUCH before dark & WELL before the tide comes in!! We didn’t get there till around 3pm & after a stop halfway along to let some air out of the tyres (which did make things feel a whole lot better) & seeing some more dolphins playing in the surf, we finally got to the end where it was FREEZING & the guys decided to do some beach fishing. The kids had a ball (4 boys, Ash & baby Chloe) & Tyler (probably the others too) got sand EVERYWHERE! We didn’t even care. His central line was well covered up & he was just having too much fun!
We headed back just as it was getting dark & the tide was coming in. Once we got to the safety of the road the guys said ‘how much fun it was’ & the girls agreed not to do it again!! Overall it was a great day & lot’s of fun was had (by the kids – including the dads!).
Sunday 15th July 2007 – Everyone headed back home after lunch & after all the boys had been out in the boat. We managed to get a couple of photos of all the kids together which is quite a task!
Tyler had a big sleep in the afternoon while Ash & I finally hit the surf shops. Unfortunately we got there a bit late & most of them had already closed. It was a nice surprise & a bit of a shock to run into one of the nurses who took care of Tyler in hospital.
When Tyler FINALLY woke up we all went Ten Pin Bowling. Ash & I enjoyed it, Tyler was ‘over it’ by the 8th frame & Terry wasn’t that interested in going in the first place!! After bowling we went to the Bar & Grill restaurant & had a very yummy dinner. It was a real family night!
Once the kids were finally settled & asleep in bed, Terry & I walked over to one of the wharfs to do a little fishing (not that I’m at all into fishing but the whole idea of just trying anything is growing on me – I will NEVER kill one though, Terry can do that!). Terry had some smelly old bait of prawns & sardines (a couple of days old that he was just going to throw out) & I decided to use some shaved ham that was in the fridge & yes, I got a fish with it, a bream! Terry had caught a smaller one earlier & although to me mine also looked small, Terry said it was ‘a keeper’. Luckily for the fish, we didn’t keep it as we were heading off the next morning! It was FREEZING out fishing!
Monday 16th July 2007 – Of course today we woke up to an absolutely beautiful morning. Typical on the last day of your holiday! We had the usual rush to pack up everything & clean up the place. It was really sad to leave but I’m sure we’ll be back before long. We made a quick stop to the Art’s & Craft’s Centre to pick up another patch work quilt for Tyler. The ladies in Forster have been making the quilts for kids staying at the beach houses. Tyler picked out a really nice one with some cows embroidered on it. He has a couple now but they all have VERY special meanings to us. It’s so nice that there are so many beautiful people out there who take the time out to make these quilts for the kids. They also let Tyler pick out a lovely knitted rug for Ashleigh.
A big thank you to Rachael from Camp Quality who organised vouchers for dinner & the Ten Pin Bowling, also to the organisations who donated them. They really helped to make our holiday extra special.
The drive to Sydney seemed to take forever. We were towing Tony’s boat as well so once we FINALLY got to Sydney we had to take it to Kerrie’s for safe keeping for the night. We also had to drop Ash off as we were unable to get into Ronald McDonald House for the night & were booked into a lodge where they couldn’t fit Ash in.
I was quite nervous on the eve of getting out the line as I just felt that something would go wrong. We are so anxious to get this line out & it will make life SO much better & easier for Tyler. Just can’t wait till it’s gone!
Tuesday 17th July 2007 – Had to be at hospital at 7.15am – of course we were a little late but have learnt that it never really matters & that you ALWAYS end up waiting around for hours anyway. Tyler was taken down to theatre around 10am I think but we were left to sit there for around an hour. Just as they came to take him in a nurse recognised us & was asking about him etc – just in general & then she asked how his bloods were. I had raised the issue of him needing bloods before the procedure at around 8.30am & had forgotten about it as we were in the toy room most of the time. It’s pretty important to know where he’s at with the platelets etc so they don’t have any problems with him in theatre. After approx ½ hour delay & me getting extremely stressed that they would cancel, they agreed to go ahead. His platelets from last week were 61 & they were happy enough with that. I was very grateful to the nurse for being so thorough but VERY angry that it had not been sorted out earlier.
The procedure only took around ½ an hour & Tyler did not wake up well at all. I’m sure he screamed the place down for at least another ½ hour. One of the nurses in recovery explained that sometimes when they wake up it can feel like a ‘very bad hangover’ & they don’t know where they are or what’s going on etc. I’d say that was very likely given that he wasn’t out to it for too long. When he eventually settled down he was fine & we were all VERY happy to see NO MORE TUBES!!!
He was discharged around 1pm & we went to visit some of the nurses on C2West, also to catch up with the social worker & his doctor. We actually found it good to see them again & go over some of the things we’ve been told or to discuss issues that concern us – like when to panic if Tyler complains of pains etc. The doc was pretty good & said he would love us to prove him wrong & be rubbing it into him in 5 years how much stress he caused us. He just felt he had to give us all the information & explain to us exactly what he believes is going on. I really do hope we prove him wrong – more than anything.
While we were there we ran into some friends who themselves have had bad news recently. Their son has relapsed with Leukaemia & now needs a donor bone marrow transplant. This is the 3rd time he has relapsed but 1st time for transplant. It’s so unfair. He is one of twins & has a baby sister who’ll turn 1 in August. So many of the people we became close to in Sydney have had bad news, some have lost their kids, others are still fighting hard. I just don’t get it. I’ll NEVER understand why this has happened to ANY of us.
After a few more delays we finally hit the road to home at around 7pm. It felt like it took forever to get home & it was a longer trip than normal but it was good to be home. Terry & I made the mistake of staying up till around 2.30am & just as I was getting to sleep Tyler came in very distressed, crying & complaining of tummy pains. You could tell by looking at him that something was wrong as he instantly ‘looked sick’. I think I almost felt sick myself – with worry. It was SO hard to see him like that again & we just felt so helpless. He vomited twice & I think he finally settled somewhere between 5 & 6am, took awhile for me to get back to sleep myself. He never had a temp & we decided it was best to see how he was in the morning & just put it down to ‘post anaesthetic’. He was running wild after he woke up this arvo so it wouldn’t have surprised me if he just ‘overdid it’.
Wednesday 18th July 2007 – Tyler woke up very happy & well this morning much to our relief. We didn’t do a lot today (I just felt completely exhausted & ended up back in bed till close to 1pm). It was just good to be home, although I did miss our beautiful view from Forster!
Thursday 19th July 2007 – Tyler had his first shower in 10 months!!! YAY. It’s ok, he used to have baby baths! Now we need some new bath toys. Terry’s going to look into starting him in some swimming lessons. It will be a great achievement to see him swimming one day.
All is good & he is just happy & playing with his toys. Must have learnt some tricks off uncle Jas – he keeps ‘bogging’ his hummer & daddy (along with Scrambler) have to tow it out with some rope! Very cute to watch!
Wednesday 1st August 2007 - Didn't realise I'd left it so long!! A few things have been happening - but all good things!
Last Saturday (28th July) I took Ash & Tyler to Lachy's birthday party at Tuggeranong pool. I almost didn't take Tyler as I was worried that he might get an infection where his central line was or might 'catch something' by being exposed to so many kids at a public pool but in the end I decided that I can't stop him from 'just being a kid & having fun' & I just tried to relax about it all. As it turned out the pool wasn't too busy & he pretty much had the kids pool to himself. He LOVED it & I'm sure he spent pretty much 2 hours straight in the water (with perhaps & 20min break for party food)! It was SO good to see him in the pool & having so much fun. I think that was probably only his 3rd visit/ play in a pool in his life - how sad is that!!! Still waiting on Aunty Lesley to send some photos for me to add to the Album page (I forgot my camera)!
Monday we took him to his first swimming lesson. Terry was really hoping that he would be in the pool with Tyler so it could be like a 'bonding' thing for them (not that they need bonding) but Lorrae prefers parents to wait away from the pool. Terry stayed in & watched for a little while but Tyler started to throw a bit of a tanty & screamed the place down. I went in to check on things & we were asked to wait in the waiting room (which I can understand) I think it's much better that Tyler be in there without us as he's become quite clingy to us & it will be so good for him to learn to trust someone else. Tyler still screamed & once the lesson was finished Lorrae bought him out to us. He was still a bit distressed which she said is normal for kids & might take a few weeks to settle in. Once we dried him off & headed off he was more than happy to wave bye through the window. When we were in the car & settled he came out with "well, that was fun!" (in an honest way - not sarcastic). He says that after lots of things that we do with him or if we visit people etc, it's so cute! He also told us that he will be good next time & not cry - we'll see!!
Tuesday I took him to his first playgroup session at a community hall out our way. I had been intending to take him there before he got sick & decided that it was time to start now - just to get some routine things happening in our life. I knew one of the mums already who I used to work with so that made it a bit easier to just 'turn up'. I found the parents there very welcoming & that it's a very well run playgroup. Tyler was quite shy & clingy at first but once they set up the jumping castle he was off!! Again, it was just SO good to see him playing & being 'normal'. I was telling a few of the mums about his history & will plan to tell the others next week. I think it's important that they know so they can inform me if their kids have been sick or exposed to chicken pox etc. I still feel that we need to be very careful with that. I'll need to check with the docs just how long we do have to worry about these things & when we should look at getting him re-immunised (as all his previous ones are no longer effective due to the chemo). I'm so glad I decided to take him to the playgroup as we both had a really good time. Doing things like that really makes life 'almost' feel normal again. We'll always worry about things but it's just SO GOOD to see him having fun.
Terry went away Monday afternoon with two of his mates. He was quite excited about their 'road trip' - just driving, exploring, camping, fishing along the Murray River & around that general area (I believe) very much 'a boys trip', but he was also VERY reluctant to leave Tyler for so long. They'll be gone for around 9 days & that will be the longest that he's been away from Tyler. I really hope he can relax & enjoy the trip & not about things too much. Much easier said than done but I think when you're away from things & distracted it does make it that little bit easier.
I have found it quite strange having the place to myself (apart from the kids) but also quite enjoyable to have some time to myself. It's been a big strain on Terry & I at times & I think the fact that we've been together pretty much 24/ 7 for the last 11 months is definitely not normal for a relationship & sometimes some space is a good thing. This will be a good thing & make us all appreciate each other a lot more. I just need to make sure that I keep busy & don't allow myself think about things too much. Ash will be away next week with Camp Quality so it will just be Tyler & I. I plan to just take each day as it comes & if I do start to get depressed or lonely I'll make sure I catch up with friends or stay at my sisters or with my niece. It's good that I have those options.
Tomorrow we have a clinic appointment with the Sydney doctors at Canberra Hospital. It will be our first one there & we've been told to allow at least 1/2 hr to find a park & 2 hours for the appointment! The docs only come here once every 3 months so there's a few families to catch up with. I'm very grateful that they're coming here & that we didn't have to go to Sydney!
Saturday we've got another appointment with the naturopath. It will be interesting to see if she feels that anything has changed with Tyler, we also need to re-stock on some of the supplements. I've been given the names of quite a few products including Glyconutrients that other parents are using to help their kids (with good results) so they're something that I'd really like to discuss with her & get her opinion on. It's great to be getting so much information on so many helpful products but sometimes a bit daunting as we want to make sure we're doing the absolute best thing possible for Tyler & get a bit confused at times! Availability & costs of these products also makes things a bit difficult but the best we can do is research them & try them.
Tyler is doing GREAT at the moment. He's full of life, full of energy (most of the time a lot more than us) & just looking very healthy & happy. It's VERY reassuring & honestly is what's keeping us going for now. We do our best to just 'not think' about the upcoming tests in late August. I for now believe that everything is & will be fine. I need to think like that just to get through each day. Although we've had a great week with Tyler this week, we were starting to feel like we were not living, just existing. Hopefully now that we have some regular plans made, we'll feel a bit more like we're living life & making the most of each day!
I found a quote in my diary that I really like:
There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. (Albert Einstein)
Sunday 5th August 2007 - Time has gone so quick! I thought I may have found things pretty hard or lonely while Tez was away instead managed to keep myself busy & got to do things around home that I haven't had a chance to do. He's having a really good time & is very glad he went but is calling to talk to Tyler every opportunity he gets! I have enjoyed this time but I guess the test will be this week when Ash is at camp. As much as I am enjoying this space, I do look forward to him coming home.
The week that was . . .
Thursday 2nd August Tyler had clinic at Canberra Hospital. At first we saw one of the 'fellows', & then got to catch up with one of the professors (Tyler's normal doctor was unable to attend). Kerrie & Kevin had been in touch with this Professor after we got the 'bad news' to get another opinion. He explained to me in clinic that he was more than happy to do that - or to recommend colleagues at Westmead, Melbourne or overseas if we wish, but also that he works very closely with Tyler’s doctor & has discussed & debated Tyler's case with him already. He agrees with the decision made to 'watch & wait' & is very happy with the way Tyler looks & appears to be health wise at the moment. He also mentioned that scans have been 'false positive' before (as we well know), so I guess at the end of it I walked away feeling that bit more positive. It feels like it's more of a case that they don't really know what's going on, suspect it may be a relapse but can't be sure until we see the next scans. If they haven't changed, then we will go to 3 monthly scans. If they have changed (for the worse), then the outcome will not be good. For now I will continue to believe that everything will be ok! We also got to spend a couple of hours with Terry’s aunty while we were there which was nice.
Saturday we saw the naturopath again who also feels that Tyler is looking very well (despite the fact that he was very tired & not overly co-operative) she feels that through the tests she did the results are much better than the previous ones. A lot of energy is still focused on his immune system so all we can do is to continue with the supplements & try to support & improve it so the energy can balance out throughout his body. We've now added Aloe Vera Gel (juice), Bee Pollen supplement & a couple of other things to help out. I also walked out of that meeting feeling a bit more positive.
Had a quite a rough night with Tyler last night (early hours of the morning). Both the kids slept with me & Tyler woke up with bad tummy pains around 3.45am. He was quite distressed & in obvious pain. I got pretty stressed & a bit upset at the whole 'tummy pain' thing as it always brings up bad thoughts & memories. I gave him some panadol as he didn't have & temp, got a 'sick bowl' (even though he said he didn't feel sick) & tried to settle him to sleep. Just after 4.30am he did throw up (almost over me & it was VERY yucky & VERY stinky). Ash jumped up & disappeared (as she can't handle vomit) & I realised just how much I missed having Terry around & wondered how I was going to manage alone with him being sick. Eventually I managed to shower him, change the sheets & cuddle him on the lounge till he finally fell asleep (around 6am). It REALLY scares me when he gets sick like that as we always tend to think the worst. He woke up fine this morning so perhaps it was just an upset stomach. It was very similar to what happened the night he had his central line out.
Today we took Ash to basketball & Vince (Ashleigh's dad) took both Ash & Tyler to see a model train expo. I was VERY surprised that Tyler was happy to go along without me (also a little bit lost!) but he knows Vince really well & is very comfortable around him - & he does love trains! He was very excited to tell me all about it once he got home!
Ash is off to camp tomorrow. I'm so glad she's getting the opportunity to go on these camps as I think they're really good for her. Tyler & I will have a VERY quiet week!!! He will end up missing his next swimming lesson due to the fact that I have to drop her off at Weston at 10am (swimming is in Queanbeyan at 10 so we couldn't manage both). I still plan to take him to playgroup on Tuesday though.
Not much else to report. We picked up 'Cooper' (our other dog that we only had for about a month before Tyler was diagnosed) to see how he'd go back home with us. He's been living with Lesley & Ben for the past 11 months so we'll have to see how we all go with the change of address! They looked after him really well & he became a big part of their family so we just have to do the old 'wait & see' thing again & see who 'frets' the most! Tyler has always loved Cooper & is very happy to have him home & so far all is good. We also got Tyler (& Ash) a fish tank (as he LOVES fish - just need to make sure he doesn't try to eat them!). It's all set up but we just need to decide on what fish we want to get!
Sunday the 26th August will be 12 months from initial diagnosis (finding the tumour). I'm hoping to try to organise a get together with as many people as possible as a celebration of the 'end of a horrible year' & 'a new beginning for all of us'. I doubt we will have any scan results back (from the 22nd/ 23rd) so it's also an opportunity to catch up with everyone while things are still looking positive & good for Tyler. I'm just very scared about thinking too much about the scan results or planning things for after we get them 'just in case'. It would be great to do something similar to the Canberra fundraiser (without it being a fundraiser) so any suggestions are welcome!
Time to get a VERY tired boy off to bed!!
Tuesday 14th August 2007 - Terry got home safe & sound last Thursday afternoon & although he had a great time away, he was VERY glad to be back home with Tyler. Tyler was also VERY glad to have daddy home & gave him LOTS of BIG cuddles! I survived the time on my own quite well but was also glad to have Terry back & to have some company again.
Ash got back from Ski Camp on the Friday & had a WONDERFUL time. She learnt to ski & talked about it pretty much the whole trip back to our place. Don't think I've heard her talk so much so it's great to know that she had such a fun time.
Tyler has remained well apart from a few little 'tummy pains' here & there. Most of the time I can associate them with perhaps 'toilet pain' & he seems to get over them pretty quickly. Every time we hear the words 'tummy pain' we get a fair stab in the heart but are always looking to find other excuses rather than believing the worst. He is still FULL of energy, is looking great (apart from when he's on the retinoic acid & his skin gets sore & blotchy) & he's throwing the 'terrible two/ three tantrums' which we take as a good sign of him being a 'normal boy' again. Sometimes we worry that we are just 'completely denying' the 'possible' but it really helps us get through each day to just believe that everything is fine. Life has even started to feel a little bit more 'normal'.
Yesterday Tyler had swimming & BOY did he SCREAM the place down. I felt VERY sorry for the instructors & their eardrums! We've been assured that it's normal behaviour & that he will settle eventually. He did settle down to more of a whimper half way through the lesson & when we were dressing him (although still distressed) he told us 'he had fun'! Later in the afternoon he even demonstrated some of the things he learnt so at least we know that even in his hysterical state, he's still learning! Aunty Kerrie & cousin Michael were visiting from Sydney & came along to watch.
Today we had playgroup & Terry decided to come along with us. It was pretty quiet as some of the kids must be away sick. I put together a little note for the parents briefly explaining what Tyler has been through, how new his immune system is & how careful we have to be exposing him to sick kids or kids that may have had contact with chicken pox etc. Mainly so they can let us know if we need to keep him away etc. Makes us feel much better to know that everyone's aware of the situation now.
Tyler's next lot of scans have come up rather quickly (despite it being 8 weeks from the last ones) & we head off to Sydney next Tuesday. At the moment we're not too stressed & have pretty much avoided talking about too much. I'm sure that once I'm in the car on Tuesday I'll get back that 'sick in the stomach' feeling that I always get when we're heading to Sydney. He has the MIBG injection Tuesday, MIBG scan Wednesday & the CT scan Thursday. We'll also have to book into clinic to see his doctor & will most likely need to do another urine test while we're there. We're hoping that they won't hold us up too long & we'll be able to head home on Thursday, otherwise we'll need to wait till Friday.
Our 'big party' plans are underway but there is still some organising & confirmations to be made. Party's can get tricky when you just want to invite EVERYONE but soon find that the list of 'mainly family' has already grown quite large & you have to limit things a bit! We have booked a jumping castle (cause he loves his jumping castles) & are just hoping for good weather & a good time! I'm really looking forward to it, I NEED a party!!!
We're still trying to plan & organise our trip to QLD. At this point we're looking at anytime from around the 12th Sept. Decided to let Ash have the last 2 weeks of school off to try to avoid too many crowds, however, QLD holidays start 21st so we'll still need to work around that with the theme parks. Our Canberra social worker has organised Movie World tickets, Sea World tickets & Dreamworld tickets which is just fantastic & will really allow us to have a great time with Tyler. We're also hoping to get to Australia Zoo. Will be really nice to be away for Tyler's 3rd birthday. I just REALLY, REALLY HOPE that we get good results so we can truly enjoy our holiday. WE ALWAYS HAVE HOPE!
Some good friends of Lesley's are planning to walk the Bibbulman Track (1000kms from Perth to Albany) in October this year and are hoping to raise funds for Tyler & the Neuroblastoma fund. If anyone would like to support this cause, please check the 'Fundraiser' link & I'll try to update more details as I get them. Terry wishes he could do some of the walk with them!
We'd also like to thank the 'Erindale Christian Centre' for funds they raised for Tyler earlier in the year. We REALLY APPRECIATE all the love & support we've received throughout this HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE year. Thank you SO much to everyone who has helped out in any way. Although people always say to us 'I don't know how you do it' or 'is there anything we can do' - really, anyone put in our situation 'would do it' there is no choice & just by contacting us, whether it's a message in the guestbook, an email or a phone call 'is helping us' & it always means a lot to us. Please keep those positive thoughts coming for the upcoming week!
Tuesday 21st August 2007 - The dreaded week has arrived! In one way, I just want it all over & done with but at the same time I don't want to know the results cause I'm 'in a good place' at the moment. Everything seems fine, Tyler seems great & I feel SO confident that these results will come back good (regardless of what we've been told). If it does go the other way I don't know what I'll do. I know as soon as we get in the car to go to Sydney today that Terry & I will both be sick to the stomach & the next 3 days will be very long & stressful but at least we have the party to look forward to on the weekend & getting together with some of the people who have supported us throughout the past year. Would be great if we could have had EVERYONE who's supported us here but we'd need a MUCH bigger venue!! There's a possibility that we could get the results on Friday but I might ask that they wait till Monday . . . not sure, I guess I could just say 'call us with GOOD news on Friday or don't bother!!' Anyway, don't want to think about that anymore!
One thing we do have to look forward to in Sydney is seeing mum & dad again. They've been away for 6 weeks travelling (& camping) around the countryside with my uncle & aunt. They were VERY hesitant to go given the situation with Tyler at the time but are very glad they did as they ended up having a wonderful holiday. It's been a very rough year on them as well, not only with the worry of Tyler but with losing nan & they needed & deserved a good break. They planned to be back in Sydney so they could be there with us for the scans. It will be great to see them as we've all really missed them & sometimes I 'just need' my mum & dad. This will be one of those times.
We had a HUGE storm out here Thursday night that hit around midnight. It was SO loud & ended up hailing. The storm woke Ash up but Tyler managed to sleep through it! I got Ash up to see the hail. I'd never seen so much hail settle on the ground, it actually looked like snow & there was still heaps around the following day. Will put some photos up when I get time. Also have to put a photo up of the 'pink pig letterbox' that Terry made out of a gas bottle. He's been talking about doing it for months but I never really showed much interest - or thought he'd do it! I must say, he's very clever as it turned out excellent & is VERY cute! Something to make you smile (or laugh) when you drive into our driveway anyway so that's a good thing!!
Tyler had swimming yesterday & I did see a slight improvement with his screaming. I think it only lasted around 10mins & then settled to the whimper! He still says he has fun & he still learnt lots & was very happy to demonstrate for us. Lorrae seems to be doing a great job with him I just hope her hearing doesn't get damaged!
Have to keep it short as we've got to get sorted to head off on this trip. Keep the positive thoughts coming, we'll need them this week!
Sunday 26th August 2007 - What a week!! Sydney was about as good as we expected it to be. We were a little late getting to Sydney for our MIBG injection on the Tuesday but we weren't too concerned about that. Tyler is really starting to question things now & was asking "why do I need a needle" & "what are they going to do" & "why". It upsets us a little to realise that he's getting old enough to remember & question things that are done to him & now that he doesn't have a central line it means that he will get more needles etc. He was still a VERY brave boy though! We got to Ronny Macs to learn of yet another child we knew that had passed away & that really upset us. They went through transplant around the same time as Tyler so I spoke to his mum quite often. Our hearts & love go out to them during this extremely hard time.
We were put in our old transplant unit for the 2 nights which was good but also bought back a lot of 'not so good' memories & needless to say we found it all very depressing. The family who are staying in the unit (who we know well) went home for the week before their son has his transplant (sending lots of love & best wishes to the Eady family for the upcoming weeks). We were lucky that there were dinners on both nights at the house so at least that was one thing we didn't have to worry about.
Wednesday morning we arrived at the hospital at 8am to find that no-one had booked a bed for Tyler. Terry & I were NOT HAPPY & we were both already stressed enough with the upcoming scans to have to deal with yet again more INCOMPETENCE from the hospital! I think if anyone had of crossed me at that point I would have lost it! Eventually they managed to get us booked in & we were up in C2South to prepare him for his scan. Tyler was given some HORRIBLE sedation liquid which he hated but managed to keep down. I had to hold his nose & make him swallow it which was really horrible & distressing for all of us. Last time he had it he spat most of it out & they ended up over sedating him & he slept for hours. This time cause he kept it down he was all over the place as it took effect. Terry & I both HATE that they make him have it & don't agree with it at all but were told "it's protocol & has to be given". Tyler reacts really badly to whatever it is & tries hard to fight it off. I guess in some kids it's supposed to just make them a bit drowsy before they give them more sedation via injection but with Tyler he just gets rather difficult to handle! Eventually they gave him the injection & we were sent down to get the scan done.
This took around an hour & gave Terry & I the chance to see one of the social workers to 'get things sorted'. When we found out we weren't booked into C2South, we also found out that no-one had booked us into Ambicare on Thursday where they need to prepare him for the CT scan. Honestly, I really can't understand how hard it is for people to do their job properly when it comes to these bookings. He was booked in for the scans, but not the beds. There seems to be no follow up whatsoever for these kids & it's just NOT good enough. Don't they realise what stress we're under when we have to travel to Sydney for these scans? Especially these ones with what's at stake. We really don't need all these hassles on top of it. Anyway, the social worker sorted it out for us & that calmed me down a lot!
Mum & dad arrived while we were waiting for Tyler to wake up from the scan & that helped to cheer me up. They had so many stories to tell us of their trip & it was so good to see them & to hear that they had such a good time. Kerrie also came for more support & to catch up with mum & dad. Tyler eventually woke up around 1.30pm I think but was still VERY drowsy. He was very hungry & ate pretty well but was very unsteady on his feet - again, he'd been over sedated. The nurse gave me a form as we left with exactly what they gave him so that they can give him less next time because they couldn't find any records of what he was given last time to compare!! No comment on that one - too used to it! We took him back to the unit where he slept for another couple of hours.
Thursday ran a bit smoother & Terry & I were much more relaxed. We were due at the hospital at 7am so we got there at 7.30am. By now we're very used to the fact that everyone gets told to be there at the same time then we're all left in the waiting room as they do the paperwork one by one. We were very happy to see an empty waiting room & were able to go straight in!
Tyler was taken down for the CT scan at around 8.15am. He has to have a special dye drink & wait for an hour before they can scan. He was taken in at 9.30am & we were quite surprised that it was all going so well as we really needed to get away from Sydney to get home at a decent hour. Mum & dad came in again & Tyler was back in Ambicare & awake from the anaesthetic by around 11am. Our doctor was due to come & see us so mum & I went back to pack our things in the car & I left Terry a list of questions for the doctor (I was too nervous to see him myself). Apparently the doctor is VERY happy with the way Tyler looks & said his blood counts are also looking good. He still feels that he is correct with his diagnosis of Tyler's disease relapse but said that the scans would most likely only show a very slight change (different to what we were expecting). He also said that the Professor who saw Tyler at the Canberra clinic was 'a bit more optimistic' but that he had always been straight with us about what he believes is going on. I guess in a way this left us feeling a little better about things & that these scans will most likely show - 'slight growth/ change', 'no change', or that the 'adrenal uptake is no longer there' (what we're hoping for). In regard to the tumour in the liver (that hasn't changed throughout treatment) he said that the surgeons had never been keen to operate as they believed it to be far too risky for Tyler but there is another surgeon who operates on adults who feels he may be able to 'freeze' the tumour out. This will only be an option if there is no evidence of disease in the adrenal gland & obviously something we'd need to go over in a lot more detail if the option becomes a reality. They will have the results Friday & although Terry wanted the results as soon as possible, he agreed to wait till after the party so we now expect to get a call sometime on Monday.
So that was Sydney. We were out of there by 12.30pm & were VERY glad to be heading home! For the last hour of the trip Tyler started complaining of a tummy pain & was very distressed. This was really upsetting & very hard to take as it just keeps jabbing us with the 'what ifs'. Once we were home he vomited, eventually settled & was fine. He's had a croaky voice for the past 2 days & we were worried that he was getting a cold or something but luckily nothing eventuated. We're putting the pains & vomit down to the sedation & anaesthetic that he's been given & the fact that it's probably messing around with his body. He woke up fine on Friday but still croaky & with a bit of a cough.
The party . . . .
The party was great. The weather was great (although I did get pretty worried when I woke around 4am to find it drizzling) luckily it settled to a really nice day. We had a little drama with the spit roaster when we discovered after an hour or so that it wasn't working properly. After a few calls to the butcher (who was VERY helpful & drove out to drop off another one), everything worked out fine. Heaps of people came & although it was busy & hectic & we felt like we didn't get much time to talk to everyone, we still had a great time & it was just so good to have everyone there. Tyler had a really good time & the jumping castle was a HUGE success with all the kids. He also got rather spoilt! Today was still quite busy with the clean up etc & we still had lots of family here but again, we just enjoyed everyone's company & spending time with them.
Thanks so much to all of you who came along (& travelled far) to be with us & to be with Tyler for his special party. Unfortunately I don't have many photos but we'll always have the memories. There was a lot we wanted to say to everyone on the night but when I attempted it I got pretty chocked up & couldn't continue. Basically, we just want everyone to know how much their love & support has helped us get through such a difficult year & how much it meant to us to have everyone come along to Tyler's party. It was a very special occasion for us & although it was marked with lots of horrible memories of what Tyler (Terry, Ash & I) have been through over the past 12 months, it was just so great to see everyone together & to see the all kids having so much fun. Also, a HUGE thanks to uncle Bill & Rodney for the wonderful music, everyone really enjoyed it & it really added to the night. Many people made a big effort to help us organise things with the party (you know who you are) THANK YOU! : ) You helped us out so much & we really appreciate it. Another BIG thank you to the 'Blewitts' for the WONDERFUL toy box you made for Tyler. We all love it!!! Many people also donated towards our QLD holiday – THANKYOU. We can’t wait to organise that & actually get there! We’re really looking forward to spoiling the kids on a much needed family holiday.
I'm finding myself getting quite stressed this afternoon. Probably because we'll get the results tomorrow. Also, we're pretty tired. Tyler hasn't been eating a lot the last 2 days & has complained of tummy pains a few times today. He's also been quite whingy & still has the croaky voice (the cough hasn't been too bad). All of this REALLY concerns us though & it's VERY hard to not think the worst. We're still doing our best to stay positive & hopeful that the news may be good - there's always hope. I think we also need a good night’s sleep - if we can stop ourselves from thinking about things too much!
Monday 27th August 2007 - We decided to keep Tyler home from swimming lessons today as we were a bit concerned about his croaky voice & cough. Also, we were starting to get a bit anxious about the call from Sydney with his test results.
Terry ended up calling Sydney around 2.45pm as we had still not heard from them & we were starting to get pretty worried.
The results . . .
The scans have remained the same. This is good news, not great news but it certainly could have been much worse news. Basically what this means is that Tyler has 'stabilised disease'. From here we just keep watching & waiting. We will have more scans done sometime in November but until then (as long as Tyler remains well) we don't need to be back to Sydney (yay!!). Our doctor will be in Canberra for a clinic in early November so we will have an appointment with him then & go from there.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support : )
Tyler had a good day today, he got some new clothes for our holiday to QLD (which I'm still trying to plan) & then he had a fun time at home catching frogs with daddy!
Sunday 2nd September 2007 - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TERRY! Today we didn't spoil Tez as much as we should have given everything he/ we've been through the past year but we discussed it last week & decided that the best father's day present he could possibly be given would be good news regarding Tyler. Our news was good, it could have been better but it sure as hell could have been worse. We are coping well at the moment & continuing to stay positive & SLOWLY, trying to live life or 'get back to life'. Tyler is FULL of life & he is just SUCH a joy to be around & that keeps us strong & it maintains our HOPE.
Last father's day we had just been told that Tyler had Neuroblastoma Stage 4. We had NO IDEA what lie ahead for our family, for Tyler, for Ashleigh or for the other families that we met & became good friends with. All we knew (or learnt to accept) was that from that moment on, we could no longer plan ahead. We had to live life 'day by day'. Now, we are starting to plan a little ahead. We still feel some fear of 'the unknown', of what 'may' happen, but we are stronger & every day is special in some way - even if we don't do anything special in particular.
Last father's day was spent at Taronga Zoo with Terry, my family & of course Ashleigh & Tyler. We had a great day & have great memories from it but even though today was not as eventful as a day at Taronga Zoo, the feelings & emotions we felt were much, MUCH more comforting & instead of the complete anguish & dread of the 'unknown world of cancer, surgery, complications, chemotherapy, stem-cell transplant & radiation', we feel a little bit reassured that things might be ok. There is no more chemo. Hospital visits are minimal, blood tests monthly, not weekly. Instead of treatments that destroy his entire immune system, we are finding ways to repair it. He is strong, he is a fighter & he has proven that.
Now it is spring. We have lots of things to look forward to this spring. Although we have to be very careful of Tyler being exposed to the sun whilst on Retinoic Acid, we can still find ways around that to allow him to enjoy the great outdoors. We can do gardening, play outside, teach him to ride a bike, continue his swimming lessons etc. We have a holiday to QLD to plan & look forward to. We'll go to the beach, play in the pool & go to the theme parks. We have a life & although it is still vastly different to the 'life before cancer', it is still a life & it's one that we are slowly adapting to. We still have our precious boy & we still have the opportunity to make every day special. There will always be the fear, there will always be the sick in the stomach feeling when the scans are due but in the meantime, there will be love & hope & we will just do our best to be happy.
Forgot to mention in the last update that we've been told to keep Tyler on the Retinoic Acid for 12 months instead of the usual 6 months. We need to look into that & question it a bit further as it's really only been trialled for 6 months & a friend of ours bought some information to our attention about kids/ cancer becoming immune to it after awhile therefore resulting in relapse etc. Some questions for our doc there!
The idea of Retinoic Acid is to 'mature' the cancer cells (turning them benign) therefore reducing the risk of relapse. They have proven evidence of this being very effective in the treatment of neuroblastoma but this new info is a bit concerning especially as we will also need to discuss further any possible side effects of keeping him on it for the extra 6 months. At the moment the main side effects we've noticed have been his face, neck (sometimes arms & legs) becoming very red, sore & blotchy (looks like eczema). We just continually cover him with moisturiser. More recently we've noticed loss of appetite & are questioning 'moodiness/ tantrums'. These are very minor side effects compared to the chemo but we still need to very clear on any possible long term effects.
Funny Tyler story: Terry took Tyler to the pool on Wednesday to play around & do some swimming with him as he missed his lesson on Monday. When I asked Tyler if I could come & watch I was simply told "No, you have to stay home & do the house cleaning!". It was so funny but the funniest part about it was that he just seemed so serious! What has Terry been teaching him?! I did stay home & do the 'house cleaning' & I enjoyed the peace & quiet while Terry & Tyler had a fun time at the pool & enjoyed their 'boy time'. Tyler really does come out with some amazing & funny things. It's so hard at times to remember that he's not even 3 yet. I'm sure that 'cancer kids' (I hate that label but can't think of another way to put it) are wise far beyond their years.
I came across the following website & found it great. It's basically a support site for parents of kids with cancer but there is some great information there: http://www.squirreltales.com/
I hope that every father had a great father's day today!
Monday 10th September 2007 - Have to try to do a quick update as I have SO much stuff to get done tonight.
Tyler is great. Today he was especially great & rather energetic - that's a good thing really, but VERY testing at times (he's becoming quite naughty & is testing the boundaries)!! But still cute as ever!
Since my last update things have been going along pretty smoothly. Tyler has remained well & is a very happy & 'healthy' little boy (VERY hard to believe otherwise). Through the week he has been swimming with daddy, playgroup with mummy, had a haircut (probably only his second from an actual hairdresser), watched his big sister play basketball & today he was a very good little boy at his swimming lessons & only cried for a little while. He still gets out & says 'well that was fun'!
We’ve had a few dramas trying to get Tyler’s Retinoic Acid. It appears to be quite hard to get in Canberra & rather expensive (around $90). This is substantially different from the $4.90 we pay in Sydney! Last month the outreach nurse posted some to us & this month we organised for Kerrie to pick it up. There needs to be a much better system organised for the next few months!
We have FINALLY organised our holiday to Queensland & head off tomorrow after Ashleigh's athletics carnival. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us as we have LOTS to fit in. We will head straight to the Sunshine Coast for 4 nights arriving Thursday. We plan to go to Australia Zoo on Friday & out on my uncles (very luxurious) boat sometime over the weekend or Monday. Monday we head down to the Gold Coast where we'll be staying at a VERY kid friendly resort for 5 nights. During this time we'll go to Movie World, Dreamworld & Sea World is planned for the 19th - Tyler's 3rd birthday.
If Ashleigh's basketball team make the grand final on the 23rd Sept we will organise to fly her home on the 22nd. We haven't booked any accommodation from the 22nd on & plan to just travel back slowly visiting & staying with family. If Ash makes it to the AIS athletics carnival we'll plan to be back for that on the 27th.
I don't think I'll be able to do any updates while we're away but I will take lots of photos.
Terry & I would like to send a HUGE thank you to Sarah our Canberra social worker, Kids with Cancer Foundation & the various theme parks for their wonderful support & for taking care of our theme park entrance fees. Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group for generously donating money to greatly assist with our petrol costs & to everyone else who has contributed in any way to Tyler's fund, for giving us the opportunity to have our much anticipated family holiday. Without this assistance it may not have been possible. We will never forget your kindness in doing this for our family.
Here's to continued good health & good QLD weather!!
OUR HOLIDAY
Tuesday 11th September 2007 - Ash did very well at her athletics carnival getting 1st high jump, 2nd shot put, 2nd 100m, 2nd 200m. So this means she should be through to the North Zone carnival for high jump & shot put but depends on times for 100m/ 200m.
We headed off around 2.30pm & had a pretty good trip. Kevin met us on the HWY to collect Charlie (our dog) so that saved us heaps of time & we were able to continue along the M7. We ended up staying at Raymond Terrace (just passed Newcastle).
Wednesday 12th September 2007 - We had a pretty easy day of travelling & dropped in to see Terry’s mum at Taree. We stopped at Coffs Harbour for a late lunch & to visit the Big Banana but got there pretty much on close. Still managed to take a photo though! Stayed at a nice place called McLean (south of Ballina).
Thursday 13th September 2007 - We met up with my cousin Steven today who took us on a tour through Byron Bay. We were quite amazed how beautiful it was & went for a drive to the lighthouse where we spotted a whale & a big pod of dolphins. The water looked absolutely beautiful (so clear) & we may try to head back there on our way back home & spend a bit more time there.
We finally got to our apartment (Perigan Beach Sunshine Coast) around 4.30pm. It was great to get there as we were all pretty much exhausted. We went for a drive into Noosa & treated ourselves to a very yummy (early) dinner at the Hogs Breath Café.
Tyler handled the travelling really well but is still really testing us with his moodiness & tantrums. It’s hard to work out whether it’s just his age or everything combined. Posing a big challenge to Terry & I to keep our patience though!
Friday 14th September 2007 – Headed off to Australia Zoo just after 9am only to get caught up in a HUGE traffic jam for approximately an hour or so! Tyler has been very excited about seeing ‘the big fat crocodiles’ for the past 3 days & the day had finally arrived! We eventually got there around 10.45am.
Australia Zoo would have to be the most impressive Zoo we have ever been to. The enclosures are really beautiful especially the croc enclosures. We saw a wildlife show at the Crocoseum which included elephants, birds, snakes & of course ‘a big fat crocodile’. It was a really interesting show & I guess the thing that set it aside from other zoo’s was the information they provided on how to protect & live side by side these animals.
Tyler had some funny moments – one when he was trying to hold a baby alligator to have a photo taken & I guess his hands just weren’t big enough to support it properly so the alligator got a bit scared & ‘freaked’ out a little. It thrashed around snapping almost getting the side of his face. This in turn ‘freaked’ Tyler out (as it would) so Ash had to sit with him & hold it for the photo. To calm him down again we used some of Steve’s phrases like ‘crikey, look at this little beauty’ etc. Tyler was fine with that & gave some huge smiles. Terry thought it would have been cool for Tyler to have some ‘croc attack’ scars, although I think the poor keeper himself was a little freaked out! I personally found it a little funny (as I knew Tyler was in no real danger) & just explained to him that it only reacted like that because it felt scared & unsafe.
The next incident was when Tyler was patting some kangaroos. We had told him numerous times to ‘walk’, ‘not run’ near the kangaroos as he would scare them. He wasn’t too bad for awhile but then took us all by surprise when he ran up to one that ended up extremely close to attacking him – paws & claws out, feet ready to kick ect. That one scared us a lot more than the alligator & he got in a little bit of trouble for that!
It was a great day at the zoo but very tiring. I would recommend it to anyone & as I said they have done an amazing job with the animal enclosures. It was just a very sad feeling to know that Steve was no longer around. He really did do a wonderful job.
On our way home from the zoo we called into the Ettamogah Pub. Tez & I had a very quick drink as Tyler was just too tired & needed sleep. It was still another hour & a half before he eventually gave into it though!
