Voted today. Was a bit of an idiot and should have arranged special voting ahead of time (this is during my post-chemo immune-compromised week) but I didn't and survived. Ok, did not realise when I went to vote at crack of dawn, well, arrived there just before the polling station opened at 7am, that I had mild throat thrush but luckily most of the queing was outside and then when there was a crushed bit in a narrow passage, I wore my scarf over my mouth and nose and then when saw an escape route, waited outside till I could rejoin my place in the queue.Then was damn careful that when they took my hand, first to place a thumbprint on a piece of paper 'cos was not voting in my constituency, and then shortly thereafter to put an ink mark on my thumb to show I had voted, that they did not hurt me. Just said: "I have a problem and my hand is sore; please be gentle".
Anyway, great camaraderie in the queue and all in all a fab experience. Now for the results!!!
Oh, back to my throat. Have throat thrush again. Again it hurts only when I eat but this time can eat soft solids. Taking loads of my liquid daffodils (not being negative by calling it yellow gunge anymore) but it's still there. And cannot take too much. Last night doubled the dose (leaflet says you can do that) but it made me throw up which just made me cry so being a bit more careful today.
But did decide to stay indoors today. So although not at home, did not pop into the office today as had intended to. Fak the good PR I thought it would be, just plan on going in earlier tomorrow. My health and wellbeing is far more important and having throat thrush is an indication of a low immune system so the less people I come into contact with the better.
And been reading which is great. Hoping to finish my book tonight, if I don't spend too long chattering away on facebook! It is Reginald Hill's A Cure for all diseases - a Dalziel & Pascoe novel. Not brilliant and took ages and ages to warm up, but not a bad thriller.
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Thursday January 15 2009. This is my journey with cancer and other musings as surveyed - initially temporarily hairless - from under my hats.
Showing posts with label SA elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SA elections. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
laughed at dinner
How lekker to eat a slice of bread tonight - brie on rye - after keeping to that part of Pesach (Passover). Then on top of that went out for pizza and pasta and laughed and joked like old times. Really enjoyed myself and was able to forget that my hand hurts like hell from the chemo and that I am nauseous.
In between chatted to my sister and got emotional about things. But ultimately a good and touching night. Thank goodness.
Wearing my new little 'hoed' (Afrikaans for 'hat') except it's not really a hat but a little cotton cap. Thought it was unsightly when I bought it at the wig shop, and guess it still is, but gosh, it is warm and gonna be ideal for the winter - as my hair grows back, please God, if the chemo stops as the doctor thinks it might.
Which reminds me. That damn wig has never been worn but stands permanently on its yucky white base on a corner of the dining room table, yet one other artifact among the marula seed bowl from Limpopo www.marula.org.za/, the candles and handblown glass miniature owls from Swaziland and the Lalique kneeling man Aubrey and Andy bought me.
Been wondering: can I return it and get some money back and should I donate it to a charity? Or should I keep it for a while in case I do decide to wear it? Meanwhile, I am still waiting/fighting with the medical aid to pay me for the damn thing. Oh they pay for it, they agree, they just have not yet... since I first submitted the claim at the beginning of February.
Need to go now - time to chat about elections and how some parties are copying the Obama website - or trying to.......and about how much money the ANC has for it election campaign, said my friend, waving a bundle of multi-coloured election flyers which arrived in his postbox today.
In between chatted to my sister and got emotional about things. But ultimately a good and touching night. Thank goodness.
Wearing my new little 'hoed' (Afrikaans for 'hat') except it's not really a hat but a little cotton cap. Thought it was unsightly when I bought it at the wig shop, and guess it still is, but gosh, it is warm and gonna be ideal for the winter - as my hair grows back, please God, if the chemo stops as the doctor thinks it might.
Which reminds me. That damn wig has never been worn but stands permanently on its yucky white base on a corner of the dining room table, yet one other artifact among the marula seed bowl from Limpopo www.marula.org.za/, the candles and handblown glass miniature owls from Swaziland and the Lalique kneeling man Aubrey and Andy bought me.
Been wondering: can I return it and get some money back and should I donate it to a charity? Or should I keep it for a while in case I do decide to wear it? Meanwhile, I am still waiting/fighting with the medical aid to pay me for the damn thing. Oh they pay for it, they agree, they just have not yet... since I first submitted the claim at the beginning of February.
Need to go now - time to chat about elections and how some parties are copying the Obama website - or trying to.......and about how much money the ANC has for it election campaign, said my friend, waving a bundle of multi-coloured election flyers which arrived in his postbox today.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
some interesting things the tango man said today
The doctor, The Tango Man, has some interesting responses to my questions today:
(Oh shit, see i wrote nothing down but do remember)
* RED BUMPS:
The red bumps I got on my body since chemo, well, really only one and possibly three little ones on my leg, is a mole. He seemed unconcerned. Did not think it was a big deal either but will get my dermatologist to look at it in my annual check-up scheduled for later this year;
* THE SUN:
I do not need to hassle re going into the sun. Ja, for those who know me, this is a joke as I seldom venture outside, am covered in sunblock throughout all seasons and used to wear hats in the sun even when I had hair but people are driving me crazy saying I must not go into the sun cos of the chemo. Well, he said my treatment is not light-sensitive. I will get burnt if go into the sun but really I now know if go outside without a hat on for a short time it is not going to be a train smash;
* MUSCLE TONE:
Can still not believe that he said my lack of muscle tone is most unusual. I am not imagining it, I swear. He said unusual for my chemo and does not happen overnight. Now I know I went to gym regularly before but have also had times, eg when had inner ear infection last year and was super dizzy, where I was banned from gym for about a month and it did not affect my muscle tone, only my fitness, which was soon recovered. This is different. Within weeks of starting chemo noticed that my thighs were like jelly. Next wwas my upper arms. No muscles there anymore and even my neck a little. Now not for one minute pretending I was an athlete but... mmmm... unusual but it is there. Or not there really.
* EYEBROWS AND NAILS:
For the record, he did not comment on my disappearing eyebrows or my seemingly-about-to-split-in-half fingernails. Maybe when you have patients like the hunky looking man I overheard at the desk saying it was ok if his treatment was scheduled only for tomorrow and there had been an error with the dates, but could he get a prescription for a pain killer as the one he was using was not working and his teeth were falling out? And also, if I stop chemo soon ie if today's was the last, then those problems are likely to vanish although Joyce the nurse said my sore hands and veins could take months to go away......
* VOTING IN THE ELECTIONS:
It is South Africa's election day next week, smack bang in my immune-compromised time when I am not allowed to be near lots of people. He seemed shocked when I asked him what I could so. Shocked and surprised. I said I was asking him cos I ... ag, cannot remember what I said but persevered and he said I could try to go early or late when there are less people (lol, that's what everybody tried to do!)or else not vote but I want to vote. Think am going to ask a contact to help me and to arrange that when I arrive I go straight to the front so my time surrounded by masses of people is minimised.
* HOW LONG I HAVE HAD MY CANCER:
A friend (or was it friends) said I was crazy to want to ask this question as what difference did it make but I asked and was intrigued by the answer. Wanted to know: seeing I had had a mammogram and ultrasound scan and given the all-clear less than two months before I found a lump below my armpit, had I had cancer then already? He said I had had it for about six to nine months to about a year already. That it did not happen overnight. Which raises the question: was there negligence during those tests? One doctor I saw questioned the wording on the report as to whether or not the ultra-sound scan had been done below the armpit. Must admit that that time I had not been observant, hell, it was just a routine test. But would The Tango Man be sending me back to the same doctor for the test if he was not happy (although a doctor different to the main one had done the test that time and this time I have INSISTED I get the main oke). And does it matter? Still had cancer and would those two months have made a difference to the diagnosis and treatment?
Anyway, now waiting to do those tests again in three weeks's time, as I wrote about in my previous posting. Then maybe today's chemo was my last. Can only wait and see.
(Oh shit, see i wrote nothing down but do remember)
* RED BUMPS:
The red bumps I got on my body since chemo, well, really only one and possibly three little ones on my leg, is a mole. He seemed unconcerned. Did not think it was a big deal either but will get my dermatologist to look at it in my annual check-up scheduled for later this year;
* THE SUN:
I do not need to hassle re going into the sun. Ja, for those who know me, this is a joke as I seldom venture outside, am covered in sunblock throughout all seasons and used to wear hats in the sun even when I had hair but people are driving me crazy saying I must not go into the sun cos of the chemo. Well, he said my treatment is not light-sensitive. I will get burnt if go into the sun but really I now know if go outside without a hat on for a short time it is not going to be a train smash;
* MUSCLE TONE:
Can still not believe that he said my lack of muscle tone is most unusual. I am not imagining it, I swear. He said unusual for my chemo and does not happen overnight. Now I know I went to gym regularly before but have also had times, eg when had inner ear infection last year and was super dizzy, where I was banned from gym for about a month and it did not affect my muscle tone, only my fitness, which was soon recovered. This is different. Within weeks of starting chemo noticed that my thighs were like jelly. Next wwas my upper arms. No muscles there anymore and even my neck a little. Now not for one minute pretending I was an athlete but... mmmm... unusual but it is there. Or not there really.
* EYEBROWS AND NAILS:
For the record, he did not comment on my disappearing eyebrows or my seemingly-about-to-split-in-half fingernails. Maybe when you have patients like the hunky looking man I overheard at the desk saying it was ok if his treatment was scheduled only for tomorrow and there had been an error with the dates, but could he get a prescription for a pain killer as the one he was using was not working and his teeth were falling out? And also, if I stop chemo soon ie if today's was the last, then those problems are likely to vanish although Joyce the nurse said my sore hands and veins could take months to go away......
* VOTING IN THE ELECTIONS:
It is South Africa's election day next week, smack bang in my immune-compromised time when I am not allowed to be near lots of people. He seemed shocked when I asked him what I could so. Shocked and surprised. I said I was asking him cos I ... ag, cannot remember what I said but persevered and he said I could try to go early or late when there are less people (lol, that's what everybody tried to do!)or else not vote but I want to vote. Think am going to ask a contact to help me and to arrange that when I arrive I go straight to the front so my time surrounded by masses of people is minimised.
* HOW LONG I HAVE HAD MY CANCER:
A friend (or was it friends) said I was crazy to want to ask this question as what difference did it make but I asked and was intrigued by the answer. Wanted to know: seeing I had had a mammogram and ultrasound scan and given the all-clear less than two months before I found a lump below my armpit, had I had cancer then already? He said I had had it for about six to nine months to about a year already. That it did not happen overnight. Which raises the question: was there negligence during those tests? One doctor I saw questioned the wording on the report as to whether or not the ultra-sound scan had been done below the armpit. Must admit that that time I had not been observant, hell, it was just a routine test. But would The Tango Man be sending me back to the same doctor for the test if he was not happy (although a doctor different to the main one had done the test that time and this time I have INSISTED I get the main oke). And does it matter? Still had cancer and would those two months have made a difference to the diagnosis and treatment?
Anyway, now waiting to do those tests again in three weeks's time, as I wrote about in my previous posting. Then maybe today's chemo was my last. Can only wait and see.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)