Monday, January 16, 2012
Am I a little less wise?
Last week I had a wisdom tooth extracted. Does that mean I'm a little less wise? What is the origin of this dental term?
Have also had my hair cut and coloured, battled with both Optus and Telstra re internet connection to my laptop, iPhone and iPad. All satisfatorily resolved without too much angst or money. Lots of dinners and lunches and visits and fun.
Still lots of pain and am increasing the medication accordingly.
I've had my tattoos applied in preparation for the radiotherpay which will now commence on Tuesday 7 February. I have to have 20 days of treatment, all consecutive, except for weekends.
Next week Leigh and I are going to Melbourne to the Australian Tennis Open. My most comfortable position is sitting, so I'll be fine most of the time. Standing around gives me my most uncomfortable moments. I'm going to try to find a "shooting stick" to take with me so that I can rest on it on those occasions when we are wandering around. Let me know if you have one hidden away in a cupboard.
Right now I'm watching the second day of the tournament on the television. It's Tuesday 17 January at 12.50pm
Have also had my hair cut and coloured, battled with both Optus and Telstra re internet connection to my laptop, iPhone and iPad. All satisfatorily resolved without too much angst or money. Lots of dinners and lunches and visits and fun.
Still lots of pain and am increasing the medication accordingly.
I've had my tattoos applied in preparation for the radiotherpay which will now commence on Tuesday 7 February. I have to have 20 days of treatment, all consecutive, except for weekends.
Next week Leigh and I are going to Melbourne to the Australian Tennis Open. My most comfortable position is sitting, so I'll be fine most of the time. Standing around gives me my most uncomfortable moments. I'm going to try to find a "shooting stick" to take with me so that I can rest on it on those occasions when we are wandering around. Let me know if you have one hidden away in a cupboard.
Right now I'm watching the second day of the tournament on the television. It's Tuesday 17 January at 12.50pm
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Some pics that tell the story
My sister, Leigh arrived from Canada at the beginning of December. We have been lucky enough to stay in a friend's apartment together until the end of December. She was very pleased to visit two of her Sydney grandchildren, Percy and Ophelia, very soon after she arrived. Their 3-month-old brother, Felix was sleeping during the photo shoot
Late in December I flew to the Gold Coast to spend Christmas with Tim, Debs, Oscar and Debs' parents, June and Ross. On Christmas Day, Spiderman Oscar helped his Daddy in the office at his work for a few hours.
When it was time for presents, Spiderman helped Tim and Debs
The lunch table was magnificent, as was the delicious meal we ate there.
It wouldn't be Christmas in Australia without a visit to the beach with Daddy and the new surf board.
The surf was very rough, so there were only a couple of rides on the board - close to shore
A 'togetherness' moment
On 30 December I was invited to officiate at the wedding of Saffron and Remi. They are saying their vows.
Leigh and I celebrated the coming of 2012 with friends at dinner at a beach cafe. It was great fun and we managed to stay awake until midnight.
Yesterday (3 January) I celebrated 65 years on this earth. Who would have thought I'd still be here. Hip hip hooray! Life is good and I'm making the most of it.
Nothing to report on the health front. The painkillers are doing their job. Next week I see the radiotherapist and receive my 'tatttoo' and the treatment starts in early February.
So................... Happy New Year, everyone. Thanks for reading for another year.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Last Month
Yep. I've realised it's a month since my last post. So, here goes....
More of the same, more of the same in Durban, expecially lots of walking around the estate and some partying with the children. There are photos which will appear on this blog as soon as I can figure it out again :)
We also went to a beautiful game lodge - Phinda Game Reserve - for 2 nights before I returned home. Nikki and the children and I drove 3 hours north of Durban to this magnificent game reserve and had a brilliant experience. We saw The Big Five as well as lots of other beautiful African wildlife, birdlife and flora. Our accommodation was first class and all-in-all it was a brilliant experience- I've already said that once, but it deserves to be said 'at least' twice :)
Sadly, since our return Zeke has been sick with tick fever which he contracted at Phinda and Nikki has been ill as well. At the time of writing this, they are both hail and hearty again.
The day after returning from Phinda, it was time for me to return home. Nikki and the children took me to the airport in Durban where I boarded a domestic flight to Johannesburg and then an international flight back to Sydney. It was my great fortune to know the Captain of the flight who very kindly arranged for me to be upgraded to Business Class, to be looked after beautifully by the cabin crew, to visit the cockpit after we had landed and then to chauffeur me home to Wollongong, as he also lives here. Now that's really door-to-door service!
See, I wasn't kidding about being in the cockpit - or any of the other stuff!!
And since then - whew! It's been a whirlwind. Nice to be hoime, but not for long. I moved into a friend's apartment to house-and-plant-sit. Among the many advantages of this is that there is room for my sister, Leigh to stay with me. Leigh arrived from Canada a few days after my return and we've been having a very sisterly time since.
Among the things that sisters do for each other is to come to medical appointments. We visited the radiologist who confirmed that I will need to have radiation because of the severe pain caused by one of the tumours putting pressure on a nerve in my back. Because the pain killing drugs are doing such a good job, this treatment can be delayed until February, when I will have the time to attend the clinic for 20 doses of radiation on 20 successive working days. The aim is to reduce the inflammation and subsequent swelling in the muscle which houses the tumour, hence taking pressure off the nerve. Hope it works! Then I can give up all these drugs.
And now I'm in Queensland. Arrived yesterday on the Gold Coast to spend a week, including Christmas, with Tim and Debs and Oscar and a few of those days with Debs' parents who will arrive tomorrow. Lots of present wrapping today and now they are under the tree until the big day.
Her are a few photos from my holiday in South Africa
Arriving in Durban on 2 November, after being delayed for 2 days by QANTAS being grounded due to an industrial dispute.
Willow performing her one-girl concert for me in my bedroom. And she can hold a tune!
Zeke is an 8 year old who never has a book out of his hands. I like it!
The Hadidas bird, of which there are many, whose job it was to screech loudly as it flew past my bedroom window at about 4.45am each day. Aaaagh!
The monkey who had a lot fo mates, all of whom raided the house and took all available food from kitchen bench, if no-one was alert enough to call out "Monkey alert' so we could close doors and windows. Oh yes, they look very cute, but .....
High tea party in Willow's classroom for end of year celebrations.
All of us at brunch with friends at a favourite restaurant.
That's all for now - 12.42am on Friday 23 December.
More of the same, more of the same in Durban, expecially lots of walking around the estate and some partying with the children. There are photos which will appear on this blog as soon as I can figure it out again :)
We also went to a beautiful game lodge - Phinda Game Reserve - for 2 nights before I returned home. Nikki and the children and I drove 3 hours north of Durban to this magnificent game reserve and had a brilliant experience. We saw The Big Five as well as lots of other beautiful African wildlife, birdlife and flora. Our accommodation was first class and all-in-all it was a brilliant experience- I've already said that once, but it deserves to be said 'at least' twice :)
Sadly, since our return Zeke has been sick with tick fever which he contracted at Phinda and Nikki has been ill as well. At the time of writing this, they are both hail and hearty again.
The day after returning from Phinda, it was time for me to return home. Nikki and the children took me to the airport in Durban where I boarded a domestic flight to Johannesburg and then an international flight back to Sydney. It was my great fortune to know the Captain of the flight who very kindly arranged for me to be upgraded to Business Class, to be looked after beautifully by the cabin crew, to visit the cockpit after we had landed and then to chauffeur me home to Wollongong, as he also lives here. Now that's really door-to-door service!
And since then - whew! It's been a whirlwind. Nice to be hoime, but not for long. I moved into a friend's apartment to house-and-plant-sit. Among the many advantages of this is that there is room for my sister, Leigh to stay with me. Leigh arrived from Canada a few days after my return and we've been having a very sisterly time since.
Among the things that sisters do for each other is to come to medical appointments. We visited the radiologist who confirmed that I will need to have radiation because of the severe pain caused by one of the tumours putting pressure on a nerve in my back. Because the pain killing drugs are doing such a good job, this treatment can be delayed until February, when I will have the time to attend the clinic for 20 doses of radiation on 20 successive working days. The aim is to reduce the inflammation and subsequent swelling in the muscle which houses the tumour, hence taking pressure off the nerve. Hope it works! Then I can give up all these drugs.
And now I'm in Queensland. Arrived yesterday on the Gold Coast to spend a week, including Christmas, with Tim and Debs and Oscar and a few of those days with Debs' parents who will arrive tomorrow. Lots of present wrapping today and now they are under the tree until the big day.
Her are a few photos from my holiday in South Africa
Arriving in Durban on 2 November, after being delayed for 2 days by QANTAS being grounded due to an industrial dispute.
Willow performing her one-girl concert for me in my bedroom. And she can hold a tune!
The monkey who had a lot fo mates, all of whom raided the house and took all available food from kitchen bench, if no-one was alert enough to call out "Monkey alert' so we could close doors and windows. Oh yes, they look very cute, but .....
High tea party in Willow's classroom for end of year celebrations.
That's all for now - 12.42am on Friday 23 December.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Mid November update
South Africans live in grand houses - well, those that I meet when I'm here do! This is Nikki and Sam's house (almost all of it. I didn't stand far enough back to get it all in)
And they live in Mt. Edgecombe Estate 2 - it's compulsory to have a green roof
I took this shot while out walking one day - visitors to the estate - beautiful impalas
While I've been here, my Aussie-based grandson, Oscar, has turned 4 years old and he had a pirate party :)
Activities are still pretty much the same, based around the school run, after school activities and the birthday party world of 5 year olds and 8 year olds.
All those pills and potions and patches I'm taking are still doing their job. I ran out of one drug which can be purchased over the counter in Australia. So I went to a pharmacy with the packet to buy some more. When I showed the pharmacist the packet (for Panadol Osteo) he informed me that it is not available in South Africa and that I should consult a doctor to prescribe an appropriate drug.
Nikki was able to get an appointment with her doctor for me on the same day fortunately, so off I went to explain my situation and ask for more drugs. He confirmed that Panadol Osteo was not available here but that I should take their version of Panadol, which they call Panado (emphasis on the second 'a' as in 'ar'). He also prescribed Celebrex and said I may get even more relief with its pain relief qualities.
Lo and behold! he was right. Even though I still have pain while standing still, I can now walk for as long as I like without being in major pain. Seems crazy, doesn't it. So, I have taken advantage of that since and have been walking all around the estate for hours - most days. Today it's raining, so no walk today. Boo hoo. It's been great to get out and do something more energetic than sitting by the pool.
As I write this it's 12.15pm in South Africa on Thursday 24th November 2011. I'm now off to have a haircut. Ciao!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tim's 40th and Durban Update
Celebrating Tim's 40th
The Birthday Boy, his sister, Nikki, and their Mum
The Birthday Boy and his beautiful partner, Debs
Life in Durban with the Moffitts - Nikki, Sam, Zeke and Willow - is delightful. Lovely family things together, including rising at 5am or so!!! Can you believe that school starts here at 7.30am? And there are no school buses, so there is a school run to do every morning and afternoon.
Pain is well under control as long as I don't have to spend much time on my feet - lots of sitting and lolling about! And I've been able to do it by the pool for the last couple of days. We've had some cool, windy, rainy days, but they've gone for the moment and the sun is shining. Chemo means I can't really sit in the sun for any length of time, but the shade is OK. Lots of reading and crosswords while the children are at school.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Oh dear! It's Tuesday 8 November......
and I haven't written here since 20 October. Life has been sooooo busy.
Since then I have had a series of last medical appointments to ensure I have adequate instructions and medication for the 5 week visit to South Africa. I will return to Australia mid-December to have radiotherapy to shrink the tumour in my back muscle - which is the one that is touching the nerve and causing pain in my left upper leg and pelvic area.
I've had the necessary 'beauty' appointments prior to departure - hair, face, legs, nails
I've had a few meals and 'teas' with friends to say farewell
I've had shoes and handbag mended
Most important of all, I've helped celebrate Tim's 40th birthday and enjoyed having Nikki here for the celebrations. Hers was a whirlwind trip to Australia that only lasted 5 days. She fitted a great deal into those 5 days and I think she must have just rolled onto the final plane trip to sleep all the way from Hong Kong to Durban.
The party was a fab occasion where family members and friends from all the phases of Tim's life gathered upstairs at a pub in Darlinghurst to congratulate him on reaching the Big 40 and to wish him well for the next 40 or so years.
There have also been some sombre moments. I have attended the funeral of a dear friend of the Terrie and Bill Eddy family. Alan passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 54. Too young to die. I've also conducted two memorial services for friends whose family members have passed away. It is a privilege to be asked to officiate on such an occasion and an honour to be able to assist the family in their time of grief.
And so, with packing done, last minute bills paid and farewells made, I was ready to fly from Sydney to Durban via Johannesburg on Monday 31 October. But QANTAS had other ideas. They grounded the fleet on Saturday 29th, didn't fly on 30th and thought they would be back in the air on 31st. My travel agent advised me to go the airport for my 10.35am flight - just in case it was going - and to be 'in their face' if it was not, to ensure I'd be on a flight as early as possible. I negotiated to fly on the same flight on 2 November. It was far from the most favourite flight I've ever taken, but I survived and am now safely and happily in Durban with my little family - Nikki, Sam, Zeke and Willow. It was a great tonic, after a gruelling 20 hours of travel and waiting, to be greeted with smiles and excited shrieks and big hugs at Durban airport.
And now I've been here almost a week. The days have been alternately cool and warm with rain and thunderstorms occasionally. Today for the first time, I'm wearing shorts and singlet top - it feels good :) Nikki has gone off to take the children to school and go to the gym while I catch up on writing this blog post. Days have been filled with - the school run, birthday lunch for Nikki's friend, watching Zeke at his judo class, helping Zeke build a fort in the back yard, reading Willow her favourite book - many, many, many times, attending the First Holy Communion of the 11 year old daughter of special friends and going on to the family party afterwards, checking Zeke's homework, sleeping until noon (sometimes!), playing Words with Friends and Hanging with Friends on my iPad with lots of help from Willow and Zeke, and generally hanging out with the family.
I'm using Nikki's computer, so will need her help to add photos which will have to wait until the next post. Until then ........
Since then I have had a series of last medical appointments to ensure I have adequate instructions and medication for the 5 week visit to South Africa. I will return to Australia mid-December to have radiotherapy to shrink the tumour in my back muscle - which is the one that is touching the nerve and causing pain in my left upper leg and pelvic area.
I've had the necessary 'beauty' appointments prior to departure - hair, face, legs, nails
I've had a few meals and 'teas' with friends to say farewell
I've had shoes and handbag mended
Most important of all, I've helped celebrate Tim's 40th birthday and enjoyed having Nikki here for the celebrations. Hers was a whirlwind trip to Australia that only lasted 5 days. She fitted a great deal into those 5 days and I think she must have just rolled onto the final plane trip to sleep all the way from Hong Kong to Durban.
The party was a fab occasion where family members and friends from all the phases of Tim's life gathered upstairs at a pub in Darlinghurst to congratulate him on reaching the Big 40 and to wish him well for the next 40 or so years.
There have also been some sombre moments. I have attended the funeral of a dear friend of the Terrie and Bill Eddy family. Alan passed away of a massive heart attack at the age of 54. Too young to die. I've also conducted two memorial services for friends whose family members have passed away. It is a privilege to be asked to officiate on such an occasion and an honour to be able to assist the family in their time of grief.
And so, with packing done, last minute bills paid and farewells made, I was ready to fly from Sydney to Durban via Johannesburg on Monday 31 October. But QANTAS had other ideas. They grounded the fleet on Saturday 29th, didn't fly on 30th and thought they would be back in the air on 31st. My travel agent advised me to go the airport for my 10.35am flight - just in case it was going - and to be 'in their face' if it was not, to ensure I'd be on a flight as early as possible. I negotiated to fly on the same flight on 2 November. It was far from the most favourite flight I've ever taken, but I survived and am now safely and happily in Durban with my little family - Nikki, Sam, Zeke and Willow. It was a great tonic, after a gruelling 20 hours of travel and waiting, to be greeted with smiles and excited shrieks and big hugs at Durban airport.
And now I've been here almost a week. The days have been alternately cool and warm with rain and thunderstorms occasionally. Today for the first time, I'm wearing shorts and singlet top - it feels good :) Nikki has gone off to take the children to school and go to the gym while I catch up on writing this blog post. Days have been filled with - the school run, birthday lunch for Nikki's friend, watching Zeke at his judo class, helping Zeke build a fort in the back yard, reading Willow her favourite book - many, many, many times, attending the First Holy Communion of the 11 year old daughter of special friends and going on to the family party afterwards, checking Zeke's homework, sleeping until noon (sometimes!), playing Words with Friends and Hanging with Friends on my iPad with lots of help from Willow and Zeke, and generally hanging out with the family.
I'm using Nikki's computer, so will need her help to add photos which will have to wait until the next post. Until then ........
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