As Bakes knows, I am back in Australia. What a week it has been...

Ms AZW flew to Perth two weeks ago; I followed a week later. On Tuesday, we went to Mandurah to visit one of her friends. Our friend was going to pick us up at the train station but asked us to get a taxi due to a splitting headache and vomiting.

When we got there, she was sitting in a chair with a towel she was vomiting into (there wasn't much volume). I told her we should go to the hospital but she refused. Ms AZW went to the other room to do some email after helping her clean up. She had chemo a week before so we both thought the vomiting was due to that.

I got her a bucket and sat by her. At one point, she leaned forward and then fell out of her chair. I tried to pick her up, but she had absolutely no strength. I propped her up, sat behind her, and told her we would rest for a bit. She continued to vomit and dry heave but became quiet. I thought she fell asleep but then began to violently spasm. We then called an ambulance. The paramedics hooked her to a monitoring machine and checked her pupils. At one point she arched her head back and opened her mouth. Ms AZW went to the hospital where two of her kids met her. She died a few hours later.

We flew to Brisbane yesterday. I leave for New Zealand on Wednesday; Ms AZW returns to Perth for the funeral and will fly home alone afterwards.

God, that doesn't sound like much of a vacation for either of you.

At least your wife got to see her before she died.

My condolences to both of you.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
God, that doesn't sound like much of a vacation for either of you.

At least your wife got to see her before she died.

My condolences to both of you.

According to the doctors at the hospital, she died of a massive brain hemorrhage brought on by the use of blood thinners. They said even if we had called when we first got back to her house, there would have been nothing that could have been done. Of course, I will always wonder.

As for my wife, the purpose of the trip was to see her friend for one last time; she was given 18 months to live 18 months ago but seemed to be doing well in terms of her cancer treatment.

It would have been very tough for her to say goodbye yesterday, knowing it would be the last time she would see her.

My wife used to live in Mandurah and in fact sold her house to this woman's family. Her husband died in 2002 after being struck by a drunk driver while riding his bike. One of her sons lives in Canada and is a big hunter; we have become somewhat close.

That struck home! My wife is having her last dose of chemo before having a break. What are you doing in NZ?

quote:

Originally posted by the Pom:
That struck home! My wife is having her last dose of chemo before having a break. What are you doing in NZ?

I am hunting and then have a business meeting in Auckland on 19 May.

Jesus sorry to hear that mate. Give my best to Mrs AZW.

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Jesus sorry to hear that mate. Give my best to Mrs AZW.

Thanks Tony. She is at a coronation dinner with her friend Kathy (you picked us up at her place in 2018). It is a black tie event I was supposed to attend but I have been sick so watching MOTV videos.

Hope the rest of your trip is happier mate. Good luck with the NZ hunt.

Your story is both sad and worrying.

Having just got a blood clot in a leg, it looks like I will have to take blood thinners, too, to stave off the chance of a heart attack. So, as Jimbo put it,
"The future's uncertain and the end is always near ..."

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Your story is both sad and worrying.

Having just got a blood clot in a leg, it looks like I will have to take blood thinners, too, to stave off the chance of a heart attack. So, as Jimbo put it,
"The future's uncertain and the end is always near ..."

Well, let me add one other thing...

She fell and hit her head the week before. My wife was there and said she had a lump on her head. I don't know if that had anything to do with the brain hemorrhage, but if you bang your head and are on blood thinners, my advice would be go to the hospital.

Good advice. Blood thinners and head trauma are a bad combination…

Horrible story. Really hope the rest of your trip is much better.

Thanks AAZW, I'll keep that in mind.

quote:

Originally posted by shankspony:
Horrible story. Really hope the rest of your trip is much better.

Rest of the trip had its challenges - flight to CHC was cancelled but rebooked. Shot a chamois and tahr on the south island; now in Auckland. Had a meeting today for business and flying home tomorrow.

Don't forget the pictures mate

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
Don't forget the pictures mate

Will do Tony.

Arrggg...my flight is now delayed until 6:30 pm tomorrow so I have a day to kill in Auckland.

Any suggestions from our Kiwi friends?