Medical Adventure - 2022-2023
On Memorial Day, 2022, the world turned upside down for me! I was discovered with a BENIGN tumor in my head called meningioma between my skull and my brain. I won't go into much detail, but in the summer of 2022, I was successfully operated on to remove the tumor (yes, in my head) and recovered.
My family and friends were absolutely wonderful helping me get back to normal. I'm most grateful to Lisa, who stayed with me for two months, the always present Judy who was a godsend, Laura, Tommy, Mary and Henry and a score of others. Between August and October, I was pretty much back to normal, hence the delightful time at Tommy and Nina's wedding!
In
October a
small residual
part of the
tumor was
discovered in
a follow-up
MRI and I went
into a very
modern and
extremely
accurate
radiological
treatment to
take care of
the tumor with
almost zero
effect on the
brain around
it. The
process is
called
Stereotactic
Radiotherapy,
which
consisted a 6
minute dose of
radiation each
weekday for 6
weeks! Why
were the doses
so short and
repeated so
frequently?
Because the
residual tumor
area was very
close to the
left optic
nerve and this
was the only
way to protect
it. The
process was
very easy to
endure and
resulted in no
typical
reaction one
could get from
a normal
higher dose
treatment. No
nausea, no
inability to
eat well, no
pain, and most
important - no
fatigue!
I completed
the treatment
in February
2023 and have
had no
physical or
emotional
effects. Here
is a picture
of me on the
machine.
Tommy and Nina Wedding - 2022
On
August 19,
2022,
Tommy and Nina
"tied the
knot" in
Plantation,
Florida. Being
of Pakistani
heritage, the
ceremony had
many aspects
of the bride's
fascinating
culture as
well as
traditional
American.
Nina, whose
actual name is
Nimra, is a
fabulous
family member
and all of us
just love
her.
To see more, click the picture below or simply....
Covid
- 2020
- Present
In March 2020, Covid came to the USA and the country and much of the world was pretty much shut down two days after Judy and I returned from Mexico City (see below). It was quite a scary time and like many, we were concerned about getting it and infecting others. Much time was spent at home, protecting our face and hands. Judy and I felt that since we were traveling together just before everything closed down, we were comfortable that we didn't have Covid to pass on to one another. Both of us were quite diligent and we did not develop Covid early in the pandemic. All of our friends and family were vaccinated.
This is being written in November 2022 and many of our friends and family have developed Covid, but recovered well. Judy still has not developed Covid. Thank goodness for the good judgement of all the people I know. I made it until Memorial Day weekend 2022 and tested positive. The fascinating part is that I was totally asymptomatic!
In March 2020, Covid came to the USA and the country and much of the world was pretty much shut down two days after Judy and I returned from Mexico City (see below). It was quite a scary time and like many, we were concerned about getting it and infecting others. Much time was spent at home, protecting our face and hands. Judy and I felt that since we were traveling together just before everything closed down, we were comfortable that we didn't have Covid to pass on to one another. Both of us were quite diligent and we did not develop Covid early in the pandemic. All of our friends and family were vaccinated.
This is being written in November 2022 and many of our friends and family have developed Covid, but recovered well. Judy still has not developed Covid. Thank goodness for the good judgement of all the people I know. I made it until Memorial Day weekend 2022 and tested positive. The fascinating part is that I was totally asymptomatic!
Mexico City - 2020
In March 2020, we made our third trip to Mexico. This time it was Mexico City! We went to the center of the city, called El Zocalo. In the massive square are the main Cathedral and the National Palace. Much of the trip consisted of the historical and cultural aspects, including Frida Kahlo's house where we ate in her patio converted to a delightful restaurant, the Hipodromo where there were delightful places to shop and eat. We then went to a fabulous pyramid complex on the outside of town called San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán. Mexico City was a true delight!.
Ireland - 2019
In September-October 2019, Judy and I went to Ireland on a CIE Tour of the southern half of the island. From Dublin, we went down to the south coast through Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork and Kinsale, then up the west coast to Killarney, Limerick and out to the Dingle Peninsula. Then we visited the Cliffs of Moher, up to Galway and then east to return to Dublin. Dublin was an amazing historical city, where I was delighted to see the Book of Kells and the Guiness brewery. All the Irish culture was delightful, including the people and pubs!
Lazio, Italia - 2019
In
April-May 2019,
Judy and I went to
Lazio Province,
just to the east
of Rome. One of
Judy's work
colleagues lived
in a delightful
country house near
Frascati and
invited a number
of fellow
colleagues to come
and spend a little
over a week at
Casale Sonnino .
We went on a
number of short
drives to Castel
Gondolfo, where
the Pope
vacations,
Ninfa, the great
gardens at Tivoli,
Frascati, Orvieto
and a brief trip
into Rome to see
the Jewish Ghetto
near the Tevere
(Tiber) River.
Oaxaca, Mexico - 2019
In March of 2019, Judy and I went to further south in Mexico to Oaxaca in the south of the country. This was a delightful trip for a small city below Mexico City and near the Guatamalan border. The language has many Indian words which are pronounced differently. The great food specialty is Mole' sauce. We visited the remains of Santa Cruz Xoxocotian, the visit to the largest tree in the world?? (Tule) and had a great night with most all of us dressed like witches and spirits.
Merida
& Playa
del Carmen
Mexico - 2018
In March of 2018, Judy and I made our first of what will become three trips to Mexico. This first trip was to Merida for a culinary organizations annual meeting. We flew into Cancun, rented a car and drove several hours to Merida, which is a delightful colonial city. We had the opportunity to visit the Mayan pyramid at Chichen Itza, a great world-famous site. After the meeting, we drove back to the Gulf of Mexico at Playa del Carmen and had a wonderful time at a resort hotel and visited Cozumel.
Hungary
& Romania
- 2017
Tuscany
& Rome -
2017
Paris
- 2017
In
January 2017,
when Judy went
to France for
a truffle
hunting and
cooking trip,
I met her in
Paris and we
had a
delightful
time
sightseeing,
eating great
food and
getting an
Airbnb right
on the Seine
with a great
view of Notre
Dame.
Canada
- 2016
In September, 2016, I went to Quebec City and
Montreal with my dear friends, the Balikov-McMahons and the
McLeods. While there my good friend, Judy met us and we shared
a great time together.
Goodbye, Joan
We lost Joan to lung cancer on March 22, 2014. She fought a valiant battle from when she was first diagnosed in August of 2012, but the cancer was too virulent and after 19 months of fighting she passed peacefully with her friends and family around her. It was profoundly devastating to us all. I have attached the comments that I presented at her Celebration of Life ceremony. Click here to read the comments.
We spread Joan's ashes in the ocean while our children and grandchildren, as well as Joan's siblings, nieces and nephews gathered for the Valladares family reunion in Nags Head. She will always be with us in our hearts and her friends and entire family consider themselves so lucky for Joan to have shared her life with theirs.
Trip to Balkan Countries
In May and June of 2015, I took an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) trip to Albania and four countries of the old Yugoslavia - Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Joining me were my best friends, Henry and Mary. There were several highlights in trip, including the restored medieval city of Dubrovnik in Croatia; Sarajevo - the capital of Bosnia which suffered so greatly during the Yugoslav war and was the site where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated which kicked off World War I; The beautiful alpine Lake Bled in Slovenia and Albania, such an isolated country for so long that is opening up to the west. Here is a shot of Dubrovnik
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Balkans trip page or simply click here
Trip to Israel
In November of 2014, I took an Overseas Adventure Travel trip to Israel. This was my first trip without Joan and I was blessed with a great tour group who made me feel comfortable. Israel is a small country (about the size of New Jersey), and we saw most of it - from the top to near the bottom, from the Mediterranean to the Jordanian border. It was a secular trip and it included visits to people and places of all cultures and religions. Here is a shot of the Old City of Jerusalem, showing the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Israel trip page or simply click here
Trip to Russia and the Baltics
In May of 2012, Joan and I took a trip to Russia and the Baltic countries. It was our sixth Overseas Adventure trip and we visited Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia; and St Petersburg and Moscow in Russia. We also were able to take a trip one day excursion to Helsinki. The highlights were seeing St Petersburg and Moscow, especially Red Square and the Kremlin, as well as the Baltic capitals. Of special interest to Joan was the opportunity to be in Kaunas in Lithuania, the ancestral home of her maternal grandfather. The picture below is of St Basils in Red Square. It was a cloudy day, but I was able to snap this in the few seconds that the sun came out.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Russia trip page or simply click here
Trip to Nepal
In
November
of 2011, Joan and I took a fabulous trip to Nepal.
Continuing our travels with Overseas Adventure Travel,
we visited Kathmandu, Pokhara and Royal Chitwan National
Park. We saw the three capital cities of the Kathmandu
valley of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan, trekked in the
Annapurna region outside Pokhara for three days and took a 2
day raft trip on the Seti River, staying overnight at a river
camp. One of the highlights was a sightseeing flight to
see Mount Everest and other Himalaya peaks on a 55 minute
plane ride. The picture below shows Mount Everest from
the plane (the peak to the left in the central part of the
picture). In the Chitwan, we took a 2 hour elephant ride
to see the wildlfe in the park and saw a number of one horned
rhinos up close and personal.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Nepal trip page or simply click here
Trip to Southeast Asia
In March of 2010, Joan and I returned from a trip to Southeast Asia. We again used Overseas Adventure Travel and visited Bangkok, Laos, Cambodia and southern Vietnam. The highlight of the trip was Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We flew into Bangkok, where we spent a couple of days, then flew on to Luang Prabang, in Laos and traveled by bus to the Laotian capital of Vientiane. We then flew on the Saigon in Vietnam, and journeyed up the Mekong River to Phnom Penh in Cambodia and finished the trip with a fabulous two days in Siem Reap, where we visited Angkor Wat and a number of other temples in the old capital city of Angkor. Here is a shot of us at Angkor Wat.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the South East Asia trip page or simply click here
Trip to Australia - Our 7th Continent!!
In October, 2009, Joan and I returned from a trip to Australia. We again used Overseas Adventure Travel and flew to Melbourne from LA on September 28. We toured Melbourne and flew to Adelaide, which was a jumping off point for a trip to Kangaroo Island, off the south coast of Australia, where we saw wildlife and beautiful rock formations. We then flew to the "Red Center", the dry, desert environment that includes almost all of the area of the continent except the coasts. We first went to Alice Springs, known for its remoteness and its central location on the continent. From Alice Springs, we drove 6 hours in the Outback to Uluru (or Ayers Rock as westerners know it), the second largest monolith in the world and had two great days there. From there we flew on to Cairns on the sunshine coast to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical rain forest of Daintree National Park. The last stop was Sydney, where we spent two days exploring this fabulous city.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Australia trip page or simply click here
Trip to Antarctica
In January, 2009, Joan and I returned from a fabulous cruise/tour to Antarctica, Argentina and Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border. We used Overseas Adventure Travel and flew to Buenos Aires for New Years Eve. We went on a tour of the city and saw a great Tango show before flying down to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, where we went to Tierra del Fuego National Park and boarded our 300 ft/92 passenger ship for our journey through the Drake Passage and on to Antarctica. After returning to Argentina, we flew to Iguazu Falls to see the fabulous waterfalls, which are higher than Niagara and much wider. See below for this fabulous shot in Antarctica.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Antarctica trip page or simply click here
Trip to Alaska
Joan and I went on a fabulous cruise/tour to Alaska in July, 2008. We used Princess Cruises and had a fabulous cruise and some great sight-seeing. See below for this fabulous shot of Mount Denali (McKinley) we took from Denali park.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Alaska trip page or simply click here
Trip to Egypt and Jordan
Joan and I went on a fabulous vacation to Egypt and Jordan November, 2007. We used Overseas Adventure Travel, which specializes in small group tours and our crew was only 15 people. See below for Joan and I at the Sphinx and Pyramids.
To see more, click the picture below to go to the Egypt/Jordan trip page or simply click here
Both Joan and Tom have retired effective January 3, 2006!
Joan is working on her crafts and hobbies and I started an environmental consulting business called Voltaggio Consulting, LLC. Please click here to learn about my venture.
Other Recent Happenings in the Voltaggio Family
September, 2006 - Vacation Trip to Tanzania Click Here to See Pictures
September, 2005 - Vacation Trip to Bay of Naples and Rome, Italy Click Here to See Pictures
June, July, October 2004, April 2005 - Tom's Trips to Oslo, Genova, Prague & Marrakech
Click Here to See Pictures
May, 2004 - Vacation Trip to Belgium and Holland Click Here to See Pictures
March, 2004 - Johnny Star & the Meteors 30 Year Reunion Click Here to See Pictures
August, 2003 - Vacation Trip to Peru Click Here to See Pictures
January, 2003 - Wing Bowl Click Here to See Pictures
August, September, 2002 - Vacation Trip to China and Tibet Click Here to See Pictures
The Voltaggio Family
After becoming a widower when Joan passed, I share my world with three children. Lisa 51, went to Ohio State (go Bucks) and has blessed us with 3 grandchildren, Zoe in March of 2000, Maya in November, 2001 and James in June, 2008. She relocated to LA. My daughter, Laura - age 47, graduated from Rutgers University. She is married to Marcus Hall and live in Lititz, PA, near Lancaster. They have 4 children, Xander and Ash, age 16, Nathaniel age 15, and Lucas, age 10. My son, Tom Jr. - age 45, is married to Nimra (Nina) Aziz Voltaggio and they are now living near Fort Lauderdale, FL. Tom has 2 children, Jackson aged 10 and Miles, aged 8. Tom was on the crew team at Rutgers and went to the Henley Regatta in June, 2000. I taped some of their race with the Naval Academy earlier. I caught the finish and you can see it by clicking here.
If you want to know what I look like, here I am..........
In addition, if
you want to see pictures of the rest of my family, click here
