hi
my head still hurts
1 comment October 22nd, 2007
Hi from Humboldt
Hi Lorne, Brad & Steph, First of all Brad I hope you are doing alright as I think you get another treatment again today. All the very best as I know it must be very tough to lay still for such a long time. Sure hope no more headaches too. Also that was sure nice of you Brad to update us on how it’s going. It’s already the 10th so not much than a week and you will be home. Have you managed to find any food that is any good, sure hope so. I guess it is so different there we can’t even imagine. I know how lucky we are that is for sure. Just like a typical woman I have to ask have you guys done any shopping yet? Lorne did you get that I-Pod? If so we better load it up with Buck Owens and Johnny Horton!!! Steph did you manage to find any good shopping store? Hope s! Other than that not much new to report here in Humboldt. So I will sign off for now and wishing you all the very best in your last week. Take Care and as usual waiting to hear from you soon. Love Bernie & Mel
3 comments October 10th, 2007
all alone
lorne and steph went 2 c the great wall yesterday 4 3 days wile i lay hear with a bad headeak hope there having fun i was gonna go out 2day but my hesd still hurt maby 2mmrow i have been laying in this bed 4 2 days i talked 2 ken 4 a bit and amanda that helped hope i feel better later today i might go 2 the hotel 4 a shower 2ommrow i get a iv at 4:00 then im laid out for 6 hours sounds like fun well im gonna try 2 get up now and eat since it is like 3 and i havent moved since 10 2 go 2 accupunture
p.s.if anyone see’s hern tell him were going 2 the mongolie grill when i get back.
love brad miss u all c u soon
4 comments October 9th, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Hello from the queen city. Boyko family passing on some well wishes to you Brad. We hope you are feeling well and looking forward to seeing you up on your return.
Considering all the good meals you are having we are not sure if you will still be hungry enough for a big dinner when you get home, but we will keep a place at the table for you. Looking forward to seeing you all when you return. Best of luck and we are thinking of you all often.
Best wishes Brad, Steph and Lorne!!
Lorne…stay away from the massage parlors.
Love The Boykos
Add comment October 8th, 2007
news up date…
Shanghai ..specail olympics started there this week.. largest in history with 7000 specail olympians participating..164 countries ….with 40,000 volunteers..
Beijing –300 pairs of twins came to beijing for a confernce oldest set was 68 & youngest 2-1/2 months.. also A international clown festival was held there over the holidays .. this to last for 28-days
coal consumption for china will reach 2.5-billion tons 70% of all there energy comes now from coal..
they are building a tunnel under the yangste river when completed the traffic will be 90,000 vechicles /day
1.3 billion people in china ..56 nationalities…7 different laguages & 80 differnet dialects…like our alphabet they have 40 characters this allows everyone to read & write in ther own language & understand everyone…240-million school children which sing the national anthem & salute the flag
have to go out now called
bye Lorne
1 comment October 7th, 2007
up to date
we are now back on the computor so will try to keep in touch..person that puts in the code when computor runs was on holidays so someone had to phone him for the code ..world works in mysterious ways ….
Brad is now back from his therapy & has a terrrific headache….will have to lie down for the rest of day…
catch -up ….went to the zoo which was about 40 miles from the hospital so saw a lot of the city & counryside …on the way construction was going up everywhere one site had 23 cranes & across the road another site had 17 cranes… I guess the chineese are tired of lifting.. all the developments showed pictures of american // european influence…
the zoo was very interesting arrived & had to take another taxi to get to the main entrance which meant transferring everyone in a whell chair to another taxi…the taxis are there just drive u from the entrance to the main gate …then u transfer to a bus where u take a tour of all the animal in their habitat .. saw siberian wht tigers– bengal tigers– lions– elephants - girraffs –& of course the Panda Bear… the usual.. after that u can walk about and look at the polar bears ..brown bears.. crazy monkeys …lions etc.. on this walk u can buy raw fish /chicken to feed these animals …what ever they dont sell they take home & eat.. was a nice outing
because steph is here I can help other people go out on the street & purchase things from the local vendor ..so in the morning I took this fell one from Australia ..he bought 27 watches 20 of which were Rolex copies .all for about 30-50 dollars each wheather they will work who knows … we bothbought a denim vest u know me & my vests for 3 — dollars & I bought a sweater size 52.. when i got home the vest with many pockets which all had zippers on couldnt open & when I tried to pull on the zipper it broke away.. the sweater I bought fit as if I was the incrediable hulk & the sleeves came up to my elbows .. oh ya we bought some english cds I bought what i thought was Gone With the Wind *& when I got home it had a movie which starred Brad Pitt… was in english so I kept it ..Bought about 10 different cds 7 worked …. that afternoon I took a lady & her son who is 20 & in a wheelhair form a motorcyle racing accident to shop ..& as we took them around a small crowd would always gather & watch us shop ..* and because everything is cheap we wouldnt bargain but would tip them … & as we were about to leave this old gentleman runs up to me gives me a big hug kisses me on the cheek & says sank-you –thankyou…guess they appreciated me bringing them there…I thought he wanted to take me home for the night for supper .. would have been interesting …
on this holiday many people get married .. the Bride in tradition is in total RED & the groom in wht.. Looks very sharp…most of the weddings are outside so they can afford it as if U go inside u pay a state tax.. thiss way the cost is very low… tradition has it that the bridegroom on the day of the wedding has to go into the brides house go to her bed & carry her to the vechicle waiting …asked this groom who looked no older than 14 why he was getting married so young .. he said to me that if he waited any longer she would get to fat & I couldnt lift her ..But along with the Bride U get another surprise .. the Brides parents which u have to support & take care of for the rest of there lives.. in exchange they help U raise there one child…so when I get off the plane & there are 2 old people my age & a young girl U know I got married & could lift her with my new hulk hogan shirt…[Image]
next day took another person in a wheel chair to the wholesale martt …a lot of taxis wouldnt take us because of the wheel-chair ..had to pay extra..was quite the outing ..this guy bought 35 watches 5 bags.. etc etc. he hired a university student to help with the wheelchair ..this person spoke very little english but helped us alot in the chineese shops ….learned a lot …in the bartering system …came back in rush hour …never complain about traffic jams again …
well this gets u up to date…. so bye for now
Lorne …. p.s. sorry I gave u the wrong phone # this is how u get a hold of us 011-86-2424351184 thx
Add comment October 7th, 2007
happy thanksgiving
well thanksgiving is tomorrow and i don’t think we will be having any turkey over here. dad and i are going to beijing for a few days to see the great wall and other sights. it is the culunary capital of china so maybe we will find something to eat there. the ausie’s next door will take care of brad while we are gone. phil and dad are like two pea’s in a pod so i’m sure he will be fine without us for a few days.
well this thanksgiving i have a few more things to be thankful for.
1. fresh air- just breathing here is like chain smoking
2. clean water
3.traffic rules- they don’t apply here, as long as you have a horn you can drive.
4. toilets- a hole in the ground or a trough that runs under the stalls is not a washroom. at least at mcdonalds you get the option to sit or squat.
5.hot water-the hospital has none
6.real food-need i say more.
take care, Steph.
Add comment October 7th, 2007
2nd treatment & care givers
Brad had his second treatment & all went well ..Doctor told him to lie without movement for 4 & half –to six hrs or U get a haeadache ..well guess what he has a headache …41/2 hrs only ..u have to be a saint to be a caregiver because some are very demanding …want u to do everything ..talking to one & she said I hope the stem cells can grow him wings ..because if he can f–k u can fly & we are on the tenth floor….havent seen any wings sprouting on anyone yet ……
today is sunday… & because wed. was the holiday ..they are all back to work business as usual ..workers wont get another day off until next sunday ..
the holiday which is called national day is the second biggest holiday of the year .. next to chineese new year …didnt know this but because of all the migration to the cities this holiday lasts six days usually takes a person 2 days to get home 2days to get back & 2days with family & friends for a lot of them ..this sunday there will be 53-million travelling back to there work..some husbands just go home once a year ..average per capita income is 2000 u.s dollars… which they have to support their family pay there rent & food .. & therefore can only afford one trip…bye for now… Lorne …
Add comment October 7th, 2007
survivor china
hello, i have been here a few days now and i’m pretty sure the crew for survivor china got dropped off at the wrong location, cause i’m pretty sure i’m on it. brad and i have formed an alliance and we are voting lorne off tonight. then brad’s going home to watch the baseball playoffs and i will win. but instead of a cash prize i would like some real food.
went to the zoo wed with some of the other patients and there friends and family. they are all very frinendly and the only people that speak engish here. we get around with peices of paper that have chinese writing that say where we want to go. cabs are a dollar to go anywhere. everything is pretty cheap here, i bought a bathing suit at walmart for less than $0.25, which is exactly what it is worth.
brad is going for his second stem cell today, he was supposed to have it at 4 but because of the smog the plane is delayed, it’s always smoggy here so we may be waiting a long time. they fly it in the day of treatment. we bought some tv series for a dollar and are currently hooked on heros.
well hopfully the internet stays up, we’ll be in touch
steph and brad.
Add comment October 5th, 2007
