Update: August 2026

2026 08 03

 

Hi everyone –

Thanks for your ongoing ride with me on the merry-go-round. I hope yours is going ok ... mine didn’t toss me around as much as I expected in the past week; it just slowed down a lot at times.

In other words, the three injections gave me far less pain than in the past (probably because we did them to prevent depletion rather than fix it after the fact), but they did make me rather tired. And they did their work! I was able to have chemo today, without any fuss. So I’ll do the other three injections this week.

Wishing you a good week, whatever it holds!

Lots of love 🌹❤️

2026 08 07

Thank you, to everyone who sent me birthday wishes yesterday – I appreciate them hugely!

My birthday was an intentionally peaceful, gentle day at home with Gail, Neria and Layla.

This was my birthday outfit. 😄

We had scones with cream and Gail’s home-made grape jam for tea, and Gail made one of my favourite suppers: extremely mild Balti butter chicken. (Hmmm ... that sounds like the Famous Five describing their picnics, but anyway ...)

If you didn’t wish me yesterday, this message is not me fishing for more messages – all is good! (And I don’t always get to wishing everyone else, either.)

Much, much love 🌹❤️

 

2026 08 12

Hi everyone –

Today the merry-go-round has had to go in for some maintenance work!

When I continued to feel tired, even this long after completing all 6 injections (to raise my white blood count), I began to suspect that my haemoglobin (part of the red count) was low. This was confirmed by a blood test this morning, and I need three units of blood overnight tonight.

So this greeting comes to you from the medical ward at Constantiaberg (not my favourite ward, but they’re good here too), where the tune-up of my merry-go-round will be done overnight.

I hope you’re all ensuring that your merry-go-rounds are keeping well maintained!

Lots of love 🎠 🌹❤️

(Photo: iepark.com, merry-go-round manufacturers)

 

2026 08 13

Thanks, as always, for all your support! I appreciate it hugely.

A quick update:

I’m doing fine, and should be discharged by about lunch time.

(Photo: also iepark.com)

 

A long update, for those who want it:

From the middle of the night until about 6 or 7am, I had two of the three units of blood that had been delivered for me (and slept for much of that time).

After that, the merry-go-round mechanics started to argue among themselves about whether I must also receive the third unit. I won’t even try to detail all the back-and-forth, but it did include too many opinions, a blood test this morning, and almost returning the unit to the blood bank.

And then Garth arrived on his morning ward round and said (in other very polite words), “What is this nonsense? Three units were ordered; we need to keep this merry-go-round running for chemo to happen next week; catch that unit before it goes back; give it now!”

As they say, not all heroes wear capes.

So, at the time when the last unit would have been well on its way to completion, it was started.

And the wheels of the bus go round and round ...

(Scuse all the mixed metaphors!)

So much love to all of you ❤️ 🚌 🎠 ❤️

 

2026 08 14

I’ve been chatting with the 🎠, who says she’s off to join the 🎪. (She may catch a ride on the 🚌 to get there.) This leaves me with a choice between the 🎢 and the 🎡, although I’m not especially keen for either type of ride right now! But I’m definitely going to avoid the

!

Perhaps it’s time to hitch a ride on a 🦄 or a 

, a ☄️ or a 🌈 ... or maybe just wish upon a 🌟.

Some 💃🏻 along the way would be rather good, too!

(And yes,  the transfusion was helpful – I appreciate everyone’s support, including the🩸donors! Garth has now suggested, “talk to your platelets over the weekend,” as they need to increase too.)

Lots of love 🌹❤️

 

2026 08 17

Wow – thanks to everyone who had a conversation with my platelets over the weekend! Their count increased from 44 to more than 200! (The ideal is between 140 and 420.)

So I have been given the go-ahead for chemo tomorrow – the long session.

In other good news, Julia and Julian arrived from London on Saturday. They are staying with us at present, and will stay with Jonno next. It’s good to have them here!

(Collage: On Saturday, we all went for an early-evening walk on Park Island)

Lots of love 🌹❤️ 

2026 08 25

Hi everyone – a quick update from the chemo room, where I’m having the Day 8 session (the shorter one) of Cycle 3.

The white-cell-booster injections of last week worked well, and got me here today, but at quite a cost – several days (some of them in bed) with zero energy plus some aches and pains. What came before that, though, was the steroid-induced day of high energy that happens at the start of each chemo cycle, and Gail and I took Julia and Julian to see the early spring flowers at Sunset Beach, Milnerton. Thanks again to cousin Joyce for telling us about their existence, three years ago! Here’s the link to my photo album of our visit there.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xvsQBNvzgN1AUMow6

(For info, I’m not yet wearing hats all the time, but there was a nippy breeze that day. And the T-shirt was a gift from Julia – I love puffins!) 

Lots of love to all of you 🌹❤️