Last Chemo?

Ever made grand plans only to find out that you have to scrap them because some smart alec has decided to not divulge essential information? Not nice. Well it was the last chemo yesterday. Or so we all thought, hoped for, planned for etc. Dr W had other plans. The textbook approach to those who are not in full remission at 4 months is that they go to 8 months. Yesterday is the first I heard about this. However before one goes to 8 months, one needs a further CT Scan and a heart scan. Now my CT falls on the 6th April – and that means I will have chemo three weeks from now if the bastard 1.5cm tumour behind my aorta has not shrunk. Not two weeks. All the other patients I know who are going for 8 months are on schedule. They had or will have chemo in two weekly intervals. Dr W was not aware that I already have had one delayed chemo application. And each delay complicates issues. I asked my consultant’s views on this – they will get back to me today. So this is potentially not good news – if it is the case, then you will have to stick by me for yet another two months. I could have been told this ages ago and they could have sorted out the scan to sync with the chemo….still if it has to be eight then it has to be. I would rather another two months than die, don't you think?

South Africa: it was an incredible tonic. What can I say? Firstly, thank you to everyone of you down there. It was great to meet up and thank you for all your continuing support. To those in Durban, Cape Town, Mpumalanga - next time folks, I promise. Secondly, why the bloody hell did I not get this treatment done there?! F - I should have listened to you.

Thirdly, I am especially pleased I managed to take Pavel there. He made friends instantly with young and old. However I think I have confused the hell out of him. The “baddies” were all policeman and soldiers. All the “goodies” he met served jail, broke out of jail or blew things up! We managed to squeeze in the Hector Pieterson* memorial, the Mandela house nearby ( both in Soweto) and Consitution Hill. Pavel snapped away with his camera and was especially intrigued by images of Buffalos (a type of armoured vehicle) and policemen carrying guns. Nevertheless, the absurdity of it all was apparent even to a five year old:

“Auntie S served over a year in a jail cell all on her own.”
“But why daddy? She only wanted good for everyone…”

*For those who don’t know Hector Pieterson – he was the school boy ( 13y) who was shot dead by the South African security forces on June 16, 1976. He was one of many hundreds. The picture of Hector’s lifeless body being carried became iconic in the struggle against apartheid. The boy who picked up his body -Mbuyisa Makhubo - was subsequently harassed by the police and disappeared to Botswana and then to Nigeria – never to be heard of again. The unrest in the country marked a turning point.