This year we have received invaluable support, in many ways, from our family, many friends and neighbours. We have experienced the 'spirit' of Christmas many, many times throughout the year.
We feel blessed and sustained by this care and our faith that is underpinned by hope and energised by a desire to live ever more compassionately.
Merry Christmas everyone, may peace and good will bless and keep you all safe.
Love Marg, Ray, Tahnee and Marli

We arrived back from a lovely, relaxing 10 days in New Zealand late last Sunday night. Ray’s friends, Brian and Carole, made us feel very welcome in their beautiful home at Clarkes Beach, Auckland. We spent a few quiet days at Clarkes Beach so Ray could recuperate from his latest round of chemo treatment (the girls made good use of Carole’s spa each day), then Brian, who has a keen interest in New Zealand history, took us on a 3 day road trip north of Auckland to the Bay of Islands area. On our first day we visited a black sand beach, a gannet colony and then went for a swim at the thermal springs pools at Parakai. On our second day we stopped off to see and use the amazing mosaic toilets at Kawakawa before going to the historic town of Waitangi, where we learnt a lot about the history of NZ at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds museum. Ray was invited to be the visiting ‘chief’ at the Kapah Hakah cultural performance. We then headed off to KeriKeri where we visited the oldest surviving house in NZ and the reconstruction of a neighbouring Maori village. On our last day, we travelled through some (even more) beautiful country, stopping off at Opononi Harbour and then the Waipoua Forest where we saw NZ’s tallest kauri tree, Tane Mahuta, which measured 52 ft in girth and was estimated to be 2,000 years old. Finally we visited the fascinating Kauri museum at Matakohe.
Back at Clarkes Beach, the girls spent more time in Carole’s spa but also went hunting for scallops & kayaking on the tidal estuary (that Brian and Carole’s home backs onto) and snorkeling in the oceanarium at Kelly Tarlton’s. On a quieter, but just as enjoyable and memorable side, Marli, Ray, Brian and I spent some lovely evenings learning and playing new card games together.
We arrived back in Melbourne expecting to be greeted by searing heat, but were surprised to find it was mild – even a bit cool - and better still, that a very good amount of rain had fallen. We not only thank Brian and Carole for their generous hospitality and looking after us so well in NZ, but also our wonderful neighbours and friends who took great care of our garden and animals while we were gone.
Hoping life has been treating you all well. Marg, Ray, Tahnee and Marli.

Last Friday (23rd Oct) Ray had a small operation to have a port-a-cath inserted, just under the skin, in his upper left-hand chest area. This replaces the picc line in his arm, which was used to deliver his chemo drugs. The picc line required a lot more maintenance as it has to be flushed every week to ensure no blood clots form and there is a higher risk of it becoming infected. With the port-a-cath, Ray will be able to do things like swim and it will give him a bit more freedom all round. Ray says it's wonderful not having the picc wires hanging out of his arm - a constant reminder of his treatment.
Starting to get excited about our trip to NZ now that it's only a week and a half away.
Best wishes everyone.
P.S. A big thank you again to the 31 people who turned up at our place last Sunday for a working bee. We are extremely grateful to you all.

Rounds 6 & 7 of chemo - weight 77.8kg. Similar side effects. The first 10 days are filled with hot flushes, gurgly tummy, nausea, sneezing and cold-like symptoms. Getting used to the emotional side effects is the biggest effort. Never going to the doctor's for other than annual checks and then having a fully invasive procedure, is a whole new ball game. I'm trying some alternative therapies like men's multi-vitamins, amino acids, juicing fresh fruit and vegies. Continuing with my healthy diet. Sleeping a sold 7-8 hours each night. Considering some Chinese herbal therapies. Have been researching the ones that have integrity as a medicine and will use these conjointly with the chemo.
Off to NZ on 12th - 22nd November - all four of us. Staying with friends who live on a tidal estuary 40kms from Auckland. Had a wonderful week in Sdyney first week of the school holidays. Did the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb as a family. What a wonderful experience watching the sunset over the Blue Mountains. Travelled to The Rocks on the Ferry Cat down the Parramatta River, on the 30 deg. day before the red dust storm. Travelled back to Castlemaine to a 4 deg. evening - brrr! The positive to this was a full rain gauge - 54mm! Fantastic.
Thanks again to all you beautiful people who continue to send your prayers and positive messages of support. Take good care of yourselves.
Blessings - Ray

Fifth round of chemo yesterday. Blood count was good and my weight is up to 78.4kg. Some say it's the steroids, I say it's the good food - maybe a mix of both?
Results of the CT scan (done last Wednesday) were good. The tumors have reduced in size, so the chemo is having a positive affect. Still struggling to work out when will be the best time to have our family trip o/s. The chemotherapy treatment I'm on has a failure rate of 10.6 months, i.e. statistically at 8 months patients have a 70% success rate with the chemo, at 9 months it usually drops to 50%. I am concerned the longer I leave our trip, the more risk there is of the tumors growing again.
At the moment, physically, I have a tight, dry throat, feeling nauseous, nose runny. Have that visual effect where my centre vision is blurry. Happens each treatment for 24-36 hours.
Thank you to everyone who leaves messages on the blog. I do appreciate them. I'm sorry I can't respond individually. You mean a lot to me. Keep the messages flowing.
Blessings - Ray.

click on image to enlarge

Ray's Last Chemo Week.

Monday 17th August. We attend ACCESS ministries annual fundraising dinner in Melbourne. Get home just after mid-night.

Tuesday 18th August. Go to Bendigo Base Hospital for Ray’s 4th round of chemo treatment. We underestimate (yet again) how long this will take and realize we won’t get back in time to pick up the girls from school. Instead of making phone calls and alternative arrangements, Ray decides he would like some exercise and sends me back to Castlemaine. He will walk to the train station (2kms away), catch the train back to Castlemaine and ring me when he gets back.
On the walk to the train station, Ray stops to have his photo taken and give an interview to a roving journalist from the Bendigo Advertiser who is doing the weekly “Word on the Street” segment (see above).
Ray gets back to Castlemaine, rings me and says, “don’t worry about coming to get me, I feel like walking home” – we live 5kms out of town.

Wednesday 19th August . Ray working in Melbourne. Home about 8.15pm.

Thursday 20th August. Goes to Bendigo Base again to have bolus removed (thankfully the clip had been undone and it had emptied). Other than this, Ray has a relatively quite day working at home.

Friday 21st August. Ray attends wedding rehearsal for a wedding he is officiating at on Saturday, then works from home.
In the evening we attend the Buda Fest ’09 Schools’ Harvest Dinner, which Marli has been part of. A pleasant evening with the Knowles’, whose son was also one of 20 primary school students who helped Master Chef Rob Scott prepare and serve dinner using ingredients from the local schools’ gardens.

Saturday 22nd August. Ray runs the line for the 2nd half of Tahnee’s team’s soccer match in Bendigo. They played one of their best games yet and won 8-2 against Epsom.
Race back to Castlemaine for Ray to officiate at our friends, Cath & Mark’s wedding at Clevedon Manor. Come home to check on the girls and then go back into town for the wedding dinner.

Sunday 23rd August. Sleep In!! Until 9am that is. We are due at Daryl and Marg’s place for brunch at 10am. Ray decides he will walk cross country to their place which is approx. 3kms as the crow flies. The girls and I leave a bit later and drive across in the Jackaroo. A pleasant, lazy afternoon – eating bacon and egg sandwiches and watching Nemo on DVD.

Hope you all had a great week too. LOL Marg.

More Diary Entries from Ray:

1/8/09 Day 13/2. Wouldn't know I was having chemo. No side affects apart from cracked, sore nasal passage which is healing well. Went to soccer, chopped, cut and stacked wood in the afternoon.

2/8/09 Day 14/2. No symptoms. Worked on the garden at the North School. Tip run. Met a couple to discuss their wedding. Slept well.

3/8/09 Day 1/3. Chemo Monday - a long day as usual and taking on board that I will be doing this for next 5 months. The White Album concert in the evening was sensational.

4/8/09 Day 2/3. Little nauseous - 1 out of 10. Feeling flat that I will need to continue chemo for next 5 months.

5/8/09 Day 3/3. A little nauseous but a good day until I got to the hospital to have my pump taken off. The nurse realised the valve had not been unclipped on Monday, so the fluid (F5 - an additional drug that drips in over 48 hours after the main drugs have gone in) had not emptied. I have to come back in another 2 days to have it disconnected. Went back to Castlemaine and enjoyed lunch with Marg, Susan, Sue and Jane for Marg's 50th.

6/8/09 Day 4/3. Little nauseous, but OK after taking anit-nausea drug. Lots of water. Trip to Daylesford and Melbourne then home to cook our family birthday dinner for Marg.

7/8/09 Day5/3. Not a good day. Nauseous, gurgly in the tummy. Took anti-nausea tablets all day. Lots of stomach upset. Went out to friend's place for dinner and ate sushi and rice and felt a little better. Slept well.

8/8/09 Day 6/3. Feeling nauseous this morning. Went to Tahnee's soccer match and did linesman's duties for the first half. Not feeling good. Trying to eat small and regularly, noodles and an apple for lunch. Worked in the garden in the afternoon. Fell down a little bit around 3pm. A bit runny. Dry reached, felt a little better after. Had a hot shower and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Had a small roast vegie dinner.

9/8/09 Day 7/3. Not a good day - lethargic, diarroea, nausea. Potted plants in the garden for a couple of hourse - fresh air, trying to shake the lethargy. Showered early afternoon and rested, read, watched movie with the girls. If the pattern is the same as first two rounds, I should pick up tomorrow? Dirrhoea has been more frequent this time round.

10/8/09 Day 8/3/. Still not feeling good. Ran out of anti-nausea tablets over the weekend. Realised I need to make sure I've got a good supply on hand. Got some more today.