The Book: Monday.....

Monday, 19 November 2012

Monday.....

Ha-ha

The old days of air travel, This photo is of a BOAC Lockheed Constellation at Nairobi Airport in the 1950's

This pic is from My mom's Birthday on 21 September this year

Table Mountain

Hi all! How is your Monday?

It is a super, sunny and warm day, here in the Western Cape today.

Yesterday my Mom, Marti and I went up Table Mountain, it was the anniversary of the passing of Marti's husband recently,so we went up the Mountain because he liked Table Mountain. I have been up Table Mountain 5 times in my life. The first time it was my sister Helen and her friend Geraldine, then the next time Helen's boyfriend, Jonathan Cherry, my mom and I went up. I went up the mountain for the third time with my sister Claire's friend Andrew and the last time I was there it was last year October with my mom and Aunty Margaret. It is well worth a visit! I love it up there, it is so picturesque. I have to hold on to somebody up there though as the height makes me a bit unstable on my feet. I sat on a big rock while they went to explore the north side of the mountain. I have never been there (the north side of Table Mountain), but the path is a bit steep to the north side of this mountain. I sat on a big boulder while they went exploring. One of the official guides on the mountain was telling the tourists that they bring many people in wheelchairs up the mountain, I also learnt a few things from what he was telling them.I was meant to sit on the rock?

After the mountain we drove to Noordhoek and had lunch at Roux's Restaurant (our Hero and Numptie Award winners for this last week) the week ends on a Sunday!?! I suppose it depends on which religion you follow? It is so wonderful there. Vida e Cafe at The V&A waterfront, for a Cafe Latte was our final stop of the day.

I won R32 on Saturdays Lottery! There I was thinking I had won nothing on this ticket but the Lotto Machine at Pick 'n Pay Eden on the Bay went bling bling and said on the screen "congratulations you are a winner R32-50"

Tomorrow I am going to bake some things for my friends at 248 Blouberg Road, seeing as how this year (well in 2 days from today it is my Birthday!) my Birthday is on a volunteering Wednesday! I won't put too many details of exactly what I am making, as a few of them read my blog posts, and we can't let the cat out of the bag! Mum's the word!

Unfortunately that is all from moi pour ajourdoui folks! Have a magnificent day further.

Signing off

Ciao
DAVE

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My story

My Afrikaans teacher, who was Miss Liebenberg when I was at St. John's College, in the late 90's (1994-end of 1996) and other people I know, have in the past, asked me why I don't have my full story on my blog, as my story is one that would help inspire others facing a similar situation.

So here we go folks- In December 1996 I started getting blinding headaches and became very photo phobic, my pupils were hugely dilated. I never really got headaches before then. We were on holiday at the Sugar Beach Hotel, in Mauritius, when my life changed forever. On our return my situation just kept getting worse and I went temporarily blind from the pressure behind my eyes my tumour caused. Christmas 1996 was absolutely nightmarish for me. I did not know what was going on with my body - I thought I was facing my last days here on earth.

On 15 January 1997 (I can never forget this date), the day school started for that year, I was in Hospital having Brain Surgery to try and remove my tumour. Thank God it was too firmly routed to my brain stem for this to be done. According to my Neuro Surgeon (who will remain Anon.) he tried everything to remove it but it was not possible - I haemoraged and he panicked. Had they been able to get it out my left side would have become my right side in my minds thinking. I distinctively remember waking up from surgery in the operating theatre and puking into my oxygen mask. I lost my speech for several months, my ability to walk (to this day I limp as my left leg is not in sync with the right side of my body), I could not use the toilet for months and was in agony as neither end (a bit graphic) but what the worked as my brain was not correctly sending the signal to my netherlands- so I could not get rid of my body's waste. It was a long and crap year 1997 and trying to survive. I was on a tv programme on SABC1 (I believe, you believe?) in June 1997 and a month later, my mom, dad and me went to Australia. OZ (We flew to Perth on SAA) is a nine hour flight from Johannesburg and a twelve (12) hour flight back to Johannesburg? Strong head winds on the return flight. (one of life's odd stats.?) On our return I started getting rapidly worse again. The Oncology doctor gave me a diagnosis of three weeks to live in December 1997 as there was nothing more he could do for me. - I gave my oncology Doctor Martin Chassen a hug - he started crying. Well I guess only God knows how long you will be around?

I turn 38 on 21 November of this year (2018), I have not seen a doctor for years, I do not take any medication, but only vitamins and I am still here! I have tremendous faith in God. I believe all religions are equal, in the way that the basis of all religions is of a higher power, a god, the way you choose to practice your faith is up to you. I am a Catholic Christian and know 100% that I would not have survived what I did without God, Strangers awesome healing prayers (they prayed for me in churches, mosques and Synagogues my family's parish Priest Father Leithem sent a petition to our Lady of Medjugorje in Croatia and used to bring me aloe vera mixed with Grapa that a parishoner used to make for me. A boy from St. John's College, Anthony Spanjaard, told me about these vitamins his mom sold. I took them in a large dosis (16) a day at first to boost my immune system. I prayed like mad and voila.

This I have no answer for and for many years I felt guilty - why did I survive my cancer and many other people do not. Go figure?

DAVE