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

preparation

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This Time Tomorrow - Belize!

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imageAs I look around the living room at the piles of stuff we are taking, reality is setting in, knowing that this time tomorrow we will be in Belize!

But first:

  • All junk removed from devices? ✅
  • All devices fully charged? ✅
  • Extra batteries? ✅
  • Extra SD cards? ✅
  • All cords and cables for devices? ✅

I look at all the stuff and realize that all I really need is my bathing suit, a pareu, sandals, sunscreen and a valid credit card and passport, plus the electronics which all fit in my backpack! But no! Multiple pareus, prescription snorkeling mask, new snorkel, multiple bottles of sun screen and bug spray, mini-tripods, Britta water pitcher, etc. etc. etc.

We will head out of here around 5pm, pick up Jane, and get to LAX in plenty of time to drop the car at the hotel we will stay at when we return (free parking!) and shuttle to the airport for our flight at 12:40 am! It's a direct 4:45 hour flight so I just hope I get some sleep as I am useless without getting my 8 hours! From Belize City, we get a puddle jumper to Placentia, a 30 minute flight.

We will go to the Paradise Resort first where we spend our first night, drop our stuff, then either go to the Moorings base or grocery shopping, depending on our boat familiarization and chart briefing. We board the boat on Sunday and will spend the night at the dock.

A couple of the girls will already be in Placentia, when we arrive and the rest show up the following day. We plan to head out relatively early Monday morning.

Apparently, we will be able to get wifi at some of the cayes, so will try to post here on the blog and also Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to follow along, please subscibe to receive the latest posts and follow me on Instagram and Facebook.