Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Accentuating the Positive

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!

Accentuating the Positive
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo is Doing its Thing

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.

Chemo is Doing its Thing
Susan Colby
There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT

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.

There’s Hot, and Then There’s HOT
Health, South Africa
Susan Colby
Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go

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.

Chemo #4 Done, 2 to Go
South Africa
Susan Colby
A Massive Immune Booster

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?”

A Massive Immune Booster

Australia

,

Granny Susu has been lagging

,
lavender-garden.jpg

lavender-tub The last few months have taken me away from this blog. Sometimes life gets in the way of what I would prefer to be doing and that's what happened. But I'm back and will post more frequently, bringing in some of my trips and getaways from the last few months.

I just needed a little kick in the pants to get me going again - and the possibility of a family reunion in Australia next year was just the motivation I need to get me posting again. The family - my two brothers and spouses from South Africa, my sister from New Zealand and myself from the U.S are hoping to meet up in Brisbane, where I have three nieces and a nephew, plus their numerous offspring! So you can look forward to some international postings in the future.

Plus there is the possibility of a Belize trip in the not too distant future. It's been 15 years since I was there; so taken with the place, I rented a tiny shack and was ready to move there but once again, life here in the U.S got in the way and I didn't take the leap. It was the early days of blogging and Go Left at the Mango Tree was one of my first.

I haven't been totally lagging, though as I have been having fun with my iPhone 6+ and all the associated apps, one in particular called Steller which I love! Plus writing a couple of articles for our local rag has kept me busy.