At Sea - Day 1

Yesterday we set sail under clear blue skies.  We cast off just after 4 local time in San Francisco.  As we sailed through the bay we noted how small Alcatraz appeared from our vantage point, 15 floors above sea level.  We sat on the top deck of the Grand Princess, feeling grand indeed.  Not only were we embarking on our first cruise, but we had gotten some great news earlier in the day.

James had his last radiation appointment and received a diploma and celebratory split of sparkling cider.  But better yet, he received a fantastic report from his doctor.  Doctor Sinha reported that the results they were seeing were much better than they had anticipated.  All three of the tumors appear to have shrunk appreciably and the bronchial tube seems to have remained clear after the tumors were removed.  He has responded well to the aggressive  treatment, though not with out cost.

He has a lot of pain on swallowing so eating and drinking continue to be difficult.  The doc expects those symptoms to subside in the next 4 days saying Jim will "feel like a new man."  In the meantime, though we are medicating, the pain is at times excruciating and it is hard for both of us.  He also has radiation burns both on his chest and his back.  The front just looks like a sunburn, but the back is more like a bad sunburn with blistering.  We hope that the itching and blistering will get better soon, too.

James will go back into the hospital on the 22nd for another round of tests: CT, PET and possibly MRI and bone, as well as the other blood tests he has been subjected to all along.  We really believe that the prayers of so many and positive thinking have made a real difference.  It's funny because I have him on quite a selection of supplements and at this point we don't want to drop any of them because we aren't sure which ones, or which combination, is working so we'll keep them all!

It's always a good sign when the doctors are as pleased with themselves as they are with the results.

Back to the cruise.... So far the highlight for me was sailing out under the Golden Gate Bridge.  We were sitting on lounge chairs near the bow on the starboard side. (See how I did that... Front, right side for you landlubbers.). The sun was low in the sky and it was simply exhilarating!

We have enjoyed good food, a very comfortable room with an incredible view of the sea from our balcony, impeccable service, endless opportunities for entertainment and of course, the wonderful friendship of our traveling companions, Linda and Ed.

As we are writing, we are almost at the Oregon/Washington border and the seas are quite calm.  The sun is shining though there are white clouds on the horizon.  It is quite cool on deck so we are wearing sweatshirts and jeans.  Our speed is 20.5 knots, heading NorthWest. We have travelled 480 miles and our next (first) port is Juneau.