Update: October 2025
2025 10 07
Thanks for all your ongoing love and support!
Greetings from Constantiaberg hospital, where I’m waiting for a blood transfusion late today, as the chemo has changed my blood counts yet again.
I had hoped not to have a post-chemo “crash”, but it happened anyway, starting late last week.
I’m glad to be receiving some blood, as it helps me enormously.
If you don’t want all the details of how this
arose, then skip the next message!
Huge appreciation, always,
Lots of love 🌹❤️
Next message:
Yesterday, when I went for my routine pre-chemo blood test, the counts were borderline, meaning that it wasn’t clear whether or not we could go ahead with today’s planned chemo (the second session of Cycle 3).
So they asked me to have a further blood test this morning and told me it should be at 07:30 (which is when I usually wake up!) in order to have results well before the 10:30 chemo appointment.
Gail got me to Pathcare Tokai just before 07:00 (their opening time), and then back home by 07:30.
The results took ages to come through, anyway! By 10:30, when we arrived at the chemo room (in case chemo was going ahead), there was still nothing (apparently the results might have come through more quickly if we had come to Constantiaberg for this morning’s test).
The results were only released at almost 11:00. Everything was slightly worse than yesterday. This meant that there was no way I could have chemo today, with the counts still borderline as to whether I should have a transfusion.
I’m glad that Garth decided that I should get two units of blood. This meant taking more blood, for the blood bank’s exact match with me as of today, and I’ve been admitted for the night. The blood will arrive much later today, and the transfusion will probably be overnight - just like a month ago. For the first time ever, I’m not in my favourite ward, though - it’s so full in Haematology that I’m now with the overflow in Neuroscience, in a three-person ward.
We’ll check, tomorrow, whether or not the post-transfusion blood counts show that I’m ready for chemo.
2025 10 08
Thanks for the cheering on that you’ve all been doing for me!
The blood transfusion was from early evening until some time after midnight, and I slept through quite a lot of it.
The early-morning blood test showed that I could now have chemo today, so greetings from the chemo room, where I’ll be for an hour or so. And then home!
Lots of love 🌹❤️
2025 10 13
The blood transfusion gave me a fair amount of energy, which has lasted over the past few days, and there hasn’t been a grey blanket. (A friend had written, “Hoping the grey blanket if it’s there is lifting.”)
This was extra helpful, because Gail had day-patient surgery on Friday to remove polyps from inside her nose and sinuses. She’s had to take it very easy since then, so we’ve had a gentle weekend together (Neria is ensconced at her “doggy hotel” until tomorrow).
This is my week without any chemo. My next chemo is scheduled for Thursday 23 October (if my blood tests the day before show that I’m ready).
Lots of love and appreciation, always 🌹❤️
2025 10 23
I hope you are enjoying the turn of the seasons, with the different features of autumn and spring in the northern and southern hemispheres.
For the first time in a while, my blood test results were clearly fine, so I had chemo today (Cycle 4 of 6, Session 1).
As I wrote in the WhatsApp group of my former Thursday-morning circle dancing group:
“I am feeling quite pepped up from the steroids in the drip! I could fool myself that I could even teach a session this evening 😄, but that’s actually an illusion 🙄.”
I continue to be in awe of all that CancerCare at Constantiaberg offers.
Just one small example is that when I saw Dr
Mikaela Esau (one of Garth’s medical officers) before today’s chemo, she
persuaded me that the horrible ulcer under my tongue really did need their
"Magic Mouthwash". I had decided never to try it again because of its
weird gooey consistency, but now I’m glad I changed my mind and decided to give
it another go, because it’s no longer making me nauseous – it feels like it
could help me after all.
Gail is doing well after her nose and sinus op, although she did feel awful for a while after last week’s follow-up appointment with her ENT specialist, as he worked on it all a bit more! 🥴
On a completely different note, if you’re in Cape Town:
Save the date!
The launch of my brother Zapiro’s 30th album
of his cartoons is on Thursday 13 November (I think early evening), and I will
send you the invitation as soon as it’s available.
Lots of love and appreciation 🌹❤️
