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

planning

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Planning Begins

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the boysFor those of you who read why I am doing this, a lot of it is about planning for a surprise visit to my sister in New Zealand. It began just over a week ago. I was bowled over by an email from my niece who lives in Tauranga, New Zealand where my sister and her husband have retired. We are from South Africa but I live in the United States and I haven't seen my sister for several years. She turns 70 this year (I can't believe I have a sister that old!) and so Jenni wants to surprise her at Christmas.

Of course I am going - the ticket is already booked for November 15, but I will go to Southern California a couple of weeks earlier to celebrate an early Christmas with my sons, their partners and my two adorable grandsons.

But because I live in a cold climate, I need to address the issue of summer clothes! So I am going to break out my old skills and start sewing! Yes, I still have my old Bernina sewing machine that is still going strong. And I discovered that I can download patterns from the pattern companies! No paging through the big old pattern books, just scroll through the designs online. Very cool! And I have dug out fabric that has been stored for years and will make skirts and tops that I would never have the chance to wear hear in the Pacific Northwest.

Perhaps my biggest hurdle to cross being away for 4-6 months is - what to do with the kitties? And the house? So I have already put out the word for a caretaker and will probably take out an ad on caretaker gazette. I need someone to take care of my two "boys" who are my daily companions.