Wednesday 30th July

This week we have had further excitement. Finally the electrician arrived on Monday and now the bedroom is well wired for extra plug sockets so hopefully there will be no more tripping over the several extra powerboards and leads I needed previously.

Yesterday, Tuesday, we visited Dr Yip, oncologist for the 3 week follow-up visit after the radiation and he suggested that it might be worthwhile if Dr Thomson (gastroscopist) had a look down Peter's oesophagus to see what's happening there as Peter is unable to swallow anything at all now with all fluids and liquid food being administered by me through the peg tube. Dr Yip thinks Peter is looking much better compared to when he was in hospital earlier this month and wants to see him again in 1 month, prior to which he will have a CT scan and then decisions will be made about what might need to be done in the future on the chemotherapy front.

Peter was feeling reasonably good at the end of the appointment and agreed to go to the Woden Plaza to see about the medical bills with me. So it was his first outing in a busy shopping mall for several months and it went well apart from when he needed to go to the toilet and I, unthinkingly, wheeled him into the men's toilet (not having thought about or seen a disabled one) and caused Peter extreme embarrassment as I pushed him in and proceeded to help him up while a few startled men were at the urinal!!! I, of course, couldn't care less but I feel sure, in hindsight, that some of the men were a bit disconcerted! Anyway, Peter hurriedly told me to get him out and to go to the disabled toilet he had seen (the sign was at his eye level when he was seated in the wheelchair but not at mine so I had totally missed it). Poor Peter he was very embarrassed. but we got through that and finished the tasks I needed to do before going home without further incident.

He was exceptionally tired as a result of the activity and needed some extra pain relief and rest in the afternoon but has recovered now.

Anyway, after we got home we received a call from Dr Thomson's rooms to say that he had a spot in Dr Thomson's list for today at 12.45pm and otherwise there wasn't one for 6 weeks. So, while Peter was not keen to have to take it up today, we have done all the necessary preparations and will be heading off shortly. Unfortunately, I will miss out on a bit of time to go to the National Gallery, which we had been planning for the volunteer to come and sit with Peter for this afternoon, but we will try for that next week.

In the meantime, many thanks to all of you who keep thinking of us both locally in Australia and those overseas. Special hello to our overseas friends and relatives who have been in recent contact: Sylvia and Robbie Rex (South Carolina and Vermont); Andrew Garas and children, Kathy and Ed Brown in New York; Deb and Eugene in New Hampshire in the USA; Jan and Reggy in Holland; Kathy Wallwork in England; Imre Bokor and Bea in Europe; and many others (sorry if I haven't mentioned your name specifically this time around).

I have to go now as I need to drive Peter to the Calvary Hospital for the procedure, so will write more when I have something further to report.

Au revoir - Leanne
Peter Spiro in Canada; George Thompson in Texas;