WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Greynomad »

Dave,
Drive to Melbourne, leaving car with Son-&-Heir. (Overnight layover)
Future DiL will drive us to Spencer St station pre-Sparrow fart.
Board XPT to Sydney. (One day/2 night layover)
Board Indian Pacific — arrive Perth 4 days later.
(3 day layover)
Fly to Darwin. (Overnight layover)
Board The Ghan (0900h) — arrive Adelaide 4 days later.
(Overnight layover)
Board Overland at sparrow fart — arrive Melbourne that evening. DiL to collect us.
(2 night/1 day layover at S-&-H’s)
Drive home.
😊👍
We’re calling this our “Delayed Honeymoon”.🍾🥂
We were married on a July Saturday, and both turned up at our respective workplaces on the Monday.
We were saving for a house and thought the money would be better spent on that.
Then came children — more $$$.
Halfway through my planned working life I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Myeloma and medically retired.
So that left us on a single income until SWMBO retired 15 years ago.
Although I defied the oncologist’s prediction of my imminent demise 31 years ago, and decided to see as much of Oz as possible before I karked it (and finally went into remission), this time around we’re both no longer in physical shape to motorhome it again, so we’re doing it this way.
It’s 49 years late, but better late than never!
😊

ps. Our Son-&-Heir and future DiL EACH earn three times what we did, so we’ve joined the SKI Club. 😂
Last edited by Greynomad on Tue Aug 19, 2025 12:16 am, edited 3 times in total.
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Dot »

Might catch up with you when you get to Adelaide. That would be good. xx
:D
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Swisslulu »

Good on you Ray. We are also SKIING. Just spent 5 weeks cruising the Mediterranean and have booked another cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires in January. If Erich gets the green light from the Oncologist on Friday we will be off north for 6 weeks. Gotta do it while we can.
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by supersparky »

Ray, I hope that both Joy and yourself have a great time. And you are doing the Indian Pacific the best way. We went West/East a few years ago now. IMHO, there is nothing more relaxing than rail travel. Enjoy your travels.
Cheers
David

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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Greynomad »

Well, we saw my oncologist on Wednesday, as scheduled for the results of my bone marrow biopsy.
It has taken us a couple of days to absorb and move on from his words.
He opened with, “First, the bad news.” and went on to explain that my bone marrow has taken such a hammering from 31 years of chemotherapy that it is no longer capable of producing enough platelets to recover from the chemo doses.
Thus further chemotherapy would be more dangerous than helpful.
As I have posted before, there is another non-chemo treatment available, but he explained (in great detail) that the side-effects are guaranteed to be unpleasant, painful and itchy (scratching exacerbates the problem), and there’s only a 50% chance that it will help!
Hobson’s choice.
The upshot is that further treatment has been halted.
His final advice was to ‘go out and start working on your bucket list’.
We are. We leave on Sunday. 😁🚂
Given that my first cancer prognosis of 2~4 weeks was out by 31 years, I’m counting on continuing to correct your grammar and punctuation for many more years! 👍😁
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by T1 Terry »

Love the positive attitude Ray, you are an inspiration to all of us ..... and making us a tad more careful with our spelling and punctuation ;) :lol:
Enjoy your rail trip, lots of reports and photos please :D

T1 Terry & Margaret
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by homeless »

Go for it Ray. I had the same plans doing the trian trips but because I was travelling alone it was nearly three times the cost. I then said I would book a double and I wanted the double benefits etc, but he said NO, because he knew I would be on my own. Finished up cancelling the lot which he did not appreciate. I have been told repeatable from a young age to not expect to live to 50 ,then 65 then 75 , but still going. Have a phone consult in a fortnight with a specialist who told me I would not see xmas 2023 but I am still alive and kicking. When I answer the phone he always starts with " I did not expect to be talking to you now, all the others I saw around your time are dead". Keep on doing the things you want till you can't actually do them.
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Greynomad »

Brian & Terry,
Thanks for the positive comments.
Not only does it encourage me, but Joy finds your comments uplifting.
We know that I have been given a death sentence, but no definite date.
This is exactly what happened when I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma 31 years ago. In 2016 I was declared in remission.
Unfortunately the same won’t happen again.
However, I’m not going to lie down and give up!
Besides, Joy says she can’t afford a funeral at the moment, because we’ve blown stacks of cash on our ‘Delayed Honeymoon’ trip! 😁🤣
Regards & God bless,
Ray
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"Insufficient data for a meaningful answer."
Isaac Asimov, "The Last Question"

"I refuse to drink water, because of the disgusting things fish do in it"
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by Dot »

Ray I know you and Joy won't give up anyway what do Drs know? You won't be going anywhere for ages yet, you probably will be at some of our "see yu' gatherings. Have the best of honeymoons but Oh behave. :D
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Re: WAS CRAPPY news NOW GOOD news Now Unknown News Re. Ray aka Greynomads thread

Post by supersparky »

Ray, just make sure that you and Joy both have fun a'plenty on your newest trip. There is plenty to see out in that wide brown land that you will be travelling over. I'm sure that you'll find some of the side trips on offer rather exciting too.
Cheers
David

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