Is there a way of using php to print a javascript to a page and have it set a cookie while the php is still executing (aka - delay the execution somehow until the javascript has finished running) then have the php read the cookie? all in one page load?

Not directly, however, you could run a PHP script, then run a javascript, then have it execute a second PHP script.

well currently my solution reloads the page so that the php on the page can pick up the cookie just set... is that the kind of thing you meant? ideally I wanted to do it in one page load.