With the Russian madman causing mayhem in the world, I am really trying to maintain a positive outlook.
The war news is dominating and it’s difficult to avoid. But am very aware of how my mental health can affect my physical health, so I am attempting (and so far succeeding) to limit my news watching/viewing. I look at just enough to get a very superficial overview but even that is more than I want. I feel so sad for all the people affected by this megalomaniac!
Time flies by, even the chemo treatments. Yesterday was #5 of the planned 6. The results of my blood tests continue to be good. The cancer marker went from 301 to 187 this week. But not low enough to move on to the next stage. Dr. McCleave said they want to see it at around 30 which is quite a long way yet.
When I came back to South Africa in 2019, I naturally gravitated to where I was born and grew up. And actually ended up in the what we used to call the village of Kloof. (It’s no longer a village!) Kloof is about 18 miles/29km from Durban and just on 1600ft/500km above sea level, giving the area a more moderate climate than Durban, usually being a good 10F less which was the case when I took Rodney to the park this afternoon. Plus less humid.
The fourth treatment went as planned. Mick came with me so he was able to meet my doctor. It’s always good to have another set of ears in a consultation but this one was very straightforward because everything is going so well.
November 16 last year is the fateful day I got the definitive news that changed my life.
By then I ‘d been in hospital for 8 days going through tests and everything else that goes along with a cancer diagnosis. I’d just had laparoscopic surgery for a biopsy and the GYN/surgeon came to visit me after I had very gently been given the diagnosis. He’s a lovely man and from reading his bio, a pretty religious one as well. He said to me as he sat at my bedside, “Have you considered end of life?”
Just because I don’t live there doesn’t mean these past few weeks haven’t been extremely stressful! I’m tired of people asking me what the hell is going on in the States? Asking how can that awful person be President? And what is wrong with Americans? And I’ve been ashamed of admitting to being an American, even though I’ve detested the man and certainly never voted for him.
Here I am on the other side of the world, and getting bombarded with the election BS. I have been trying to avoid the majority of the news, but it’s not easy. And it’s terrifying to even think that that man can get in for another four years. It absolutely blows my mind that anybody wants to vote for the him. To me, he is the epitome of evil.
It’s feeling almost normal here in South Africa and I cringe when I see what’s going on in my other country!
The mayhem Trump has and is causing and the disaster of the pandemic is making me feel very grateful for being here - despite the mayhem in the South African government with huge corruption and currently dozens of arrest being made, a good thing.
First of all, I VOTED ALREADY! And second, today is the first debate and no, I will not be awake at 3 am to watch it. I’m quite sure I will be able to see it ad nauseum tomorrow when it is replayed repeatedly.
Today, after much reflection and pondering, I opened a bank account here. It’s 20 years since I had an account in this country and I wondered how difficult it was going to be. I am tired of paying foreign transaction fees every time I need cash.
Here we are at 6 months of lockdown. Six very l-o-n-g months! And now, on Level 2 and soon Level 1, life has picked up and it feels like I’m going at full steam again.On one hand it’s exhilarating to be so busy and have so much to do. But I am actually missing the long days with nothing planned and nowhere to go. It was such a time of retrospection, introspection and calmness (if you stayed away from politics).
Helping out at Woza Moya (Hillcrest Aids Centre) has its benefits! Yesterday I was was able to go on a trip I have been really looking forward to, out into the Valley of a 1000 Hills, where the majority of Woza Moya beaders live. We’ve been working on a Christmas (yes, Christmas!) promotion and the purpose of the trip was to do video and photos for the promotion. We planned on visiting at least two of the bead ladies in their homes.
