cannot believe how long i haven't written

Have had a pretty calamatous time but all is well. Last time I wrote I was on my way to Lesotho for the weekend. Well, I INSISTED on going in my car, and guess what? It broke down outside Kroonstad which is about half way, and I had to be towed into town, not ideal when it's after 5pm on a Friday and all the towing places are shut down for the night. And I am not a member of the AA cos in Joburg, you can phone at 11pm, join, and they will come and help you. Outside Kroonstad, however, you are f..., as there is no AA in Kroonstad. So I phoned a Dirk, then an Abraham, who referred me to a Pieter who sent out another Pieter - and all the time I am gooi-ing die taal (speaking Afrikaans) and thanking everyone for their country hospitality.
With no car to hire in the broader area (oh, the local Ford dealership Porters was great and met me at their outlet in town with a mechanic who then declared it was the clutch and about a five hour job), ended up spending the night in a hotel. And what an hotel. The Hacienda. "The ugliest place I have ever seen!" shrieked my friend. We had to restrain ourselves in the dining area with its high booths of blue fabric covered in plastic, all set off by fake brick-looking walls and a wine list of quite the worst wines imaginable. But seeing it's the only hotel in Kroonstad, where that night it was the venue for a matric dance and the next night was booked for a Rotary function, we did not have much choice on where to stay, especially since I had asked for a hotel (am allergic to guest houses where you stay with people who interfere with your life and want to be your best friends forever).
Anyway, got a lift to Lesotho the next morning, was frustrated at being there without a car, Porters sent their sales manager to Joburg to collect a part, and I fetched the car at midday on the Monday, after a good meal at Squirrels cafe in town.
But the dramas since I have last written do not end there. They just ended well though, thank goodness!

forgotten the routine

If I had written this earlier tonight, it might have been quite a tale of misery but now - and it is already after midnight - feeling much better. Just more relaxed I guess. Going away for the weekend, to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, and finally packed. Gosh, cancelled my show tonight so I could have time to chill and pack and only finally packed a few moments ago. Love travelling but not the world's best packer.
And it's only a weekend. But have progressed from taking lots of shoes for a two day trip.

Anyway, the problem is that still have pain in my arm and shoulder area that was radiated. It burns a lot. Did exercises this morning but a once off is not enough.

And now cancelled biokinetics tomorrow cos need to see The Lymph Lady. As far as I know, have a five minute appointment but it's a bit of an emergency cos discovered on Tuesday at my appointment that I was massaging the affected arm incorrectly during the lymph drainage massage. She showed me the correct way but i have forgotten. Read the manual I have but cannot make sense of it. Spoke to her for ages on the phone but could not work it out. So off to Morningside Clinic tomorrow, instead of bio, for her to show me again. In the interim, that is, during tonight's massage session and again tomorrow morning, she said I must leave out all the arm massages and focus only on my body massages.

If my arm has increased in size, which it looked like to me when trying on a sleeveless dress today, might have to get a compression sleeve. Yuch yuch yuch. Hoping the swelling will go down by Monday, that it was just caused by the herceptin but with another 15 sessions to go.....

my new favourite thing

My new favourite thing is actually three things - three strands of clay beads I bought in Lesotho recently. When you run your fingers through them, they have this gentle scratchy sound and they look magnificent, all earthy and hell, dunno. And at R14 each, a steal.
The other new thing I really like is a multi-coloured, candy striped kikoi, or cotton sarong from Kenya, see gallery of kikois, I bought at Cape Town airport.
At last I can enjoy things again, after yesterday, when I was a strung-out wreck.
Now apologies to my radiation oncologist. Okay the swelling around my collarbone might not go down and I might need a scan next week but really there is nothing I can do about it now. But last night I was super upset because I had told her my throat was sore, that it hurt when I swallowed food and she had done nothing about it.
Well, walked in this morning and was suprised when they did not take me during the first gap between patients. (I am usually early for my daily dose of radiation and get taken immediately, as found out they often double-book patients, being able to fit in two during a 15 minute appointment/session.)
Then it was explained: my treatment was being changed, in order to take away some of the focus on my throat. Hoorah!! The doctor had heard me.
Ate soups and yoghurt all day but managed some smoked snoek (also bought at Cape Town airport)this morning and evening, eating it with apricot jam read how to braai snoek smearing it with apricot jam in the true Western Cape - or is it boere? - style. Did try some Lindt 70% but that kinda hurt. Pity.

phew! blood tests are fine

Relieved. Blood tests are fine so leaving or lesotho tomorrow morning. Throat still sore but as I thought, clearly it's nothing major. Cannot be thrush I don't think if immune is fine but just in case, stopping off at pharmacy to buy more "liquid daffodils".
A bit disappointed that I am not getting to be in charge of something I wanted to be in charge of at work, but hell, guess it's good to have a strong emotion about something that is not cancer related for a change!
And anyway, one thing I have learnt here is that things change. And I maybe I can defiantly worm/wriggle my way in there (not anything official like I applied for a job here or something, just expressed an interest in it and deservedly so, but c'est la vie....)

So here's to a lovely weekend. Not going to be updating till my return.