I just thought I would share the awesome news that Jimmy has had a good turn and doing so much better.
He woke up Sunday morning and was quite talkative and just seemed in a better place and happier than he has been in a while. It was amazing to see but I didn't want to get too excited in case he was just having a good day even though good days would be most welcome too. It was almost as if there was a light of happiness glowing around him. Monday he was the same and this morning he got up much earlier than he has been and walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill at a slow pace. His hair has also started to grow back now so being bald is definitely a thing of the past. His eyebrows are pitch black and it looks like his hair is also coming back quite dark. Probably more like black and grey which is quite a change from orange with no grey. I am wondering if it is going to be dead straight instead of curly, but it's too short to tell right now.
You golfers will have to think of a new nickname because Ginja Ninja just won't do it anymore :)
Some positivity has been a wonderful tonic for us both. I feel like I can see the light now and actually, if only a little, feel like I can face the results of his bone marrow biopsy which he is having done on the 21st of April. It's the end of the school term tomorrow and we will have all the children here till next week.
Life in our household is going to feel normal again, even if only for a week...but we'll take that thank you.
Our special thoughts and prayers are with Ron and Jeanette, our dear friends from George, who we have met through the chemo clinic. They arrive in CT today and Ron goes into isolation ward tomorrow for his stem cell transplant....be strong xx
2015/03/31
2015/03/27
Friday, 27th March
My life feels a little incomplete without my dose of daily blogging and I suspect some of you are feeling the same as over the last few days I have had a couple of messages asking how things are going and 'we miss reading your blog'. I would love to chat here everyday but unfortunately there isn't enough news to share.
Jimmy had his appointment at UCTPAH this morning in the chemo clinic to have his Hickman line removed. They did this under local anaesthetic. We need to go back next Friday to have the stitches removed. He never complained about the Hickman but I am sure he will be more comfortable without the 2 tubes hanging out of his chest.
They did his bloods again today and there is not much of a change from the results when he had his appointment with Prof almost 2 weeks ago. I was kind of hoping they would have come up a little more but then again it is good news that they have not dropped. Jimmy has been extremely tired since Tuesday, more so than he was last week and this has been a bit of a worry for me. He has been getting up after 11:00am in the mornings and even then it's not because he is lazing in bed and watching cricket, he is actually sleeping till this time. Once up he has breakfast and pills and then takes a shower and then he settles himself in his chair in the lounge and sleeps some more. Without even putting the TV on to watch the cricket! He does wake up a little in between but then just nods off as quickly again and this last till about 2:00pm. I discussed this with Dr Fine this morning and she said that it is quite normal as he has been through quite a lot.
Jimmy tried going for a walk on Monday morning but he is not strong enough for this yet. The problem also being that we have a lot of hills in our neighbourhood. I suggested driving down to a flatter area or even down to Fish Hoek beach and taking a stroll along Jagers Walk but he didn't show much enthusiasm. On Wednesday he said he thought he would try setting the treadmill on a slow pace and doing some walking from Thursday morning, which I thought was a good idea as he can build on this each week by increasing either the speed or the distance, but this also did not materialise. I think he feels completely exhausted most of the time.
I also enquired today whether or not they had the results back of his Myeloma bloods which were taken but they expect these back on Monday. We are looking forward to these results as this will give us some indication of where we stand as these results will be compared to his count prior to his stem cell transplant.
So basically we are still just taking each day as it comes. The good news is that he is now off all his nausea medication and not feeling nauseous at all and he also doesn't have any back pain.
Megan arrived home last Thursday and it has been fabulous having her here. We have spent a lot of special time together talking for hours about everything. She has matured so much in the 8 months that she has been away. NCL Jade have given her another contract and she needs to be back on the ship on the 30th of May. I am very proud of her as she also got another promotion so goes back in a more senior position. She really spoilt us all with beautiful gifts.
I finished my second crochet blanket on Wednesday evening and it didn't take Jimmy very long to start using it. The first one I made I called my chemo blanket and this was my transplant blanket. I had an excellent idea from Kate that the next one should by my remission blanket. I had planned on making 2 of these as a matching set to snuggle up with during the winter months while watching TV so I had better get started or it won't be done before winter.
The mornings and evenings are definitely getting a bit cooler in the Cape now and it is also getting darker slightly earlier in the evenings now too. Easter weekend is always renown for rain and then the weather usually takes a turn quite soon after this so I suspect we might be enjoying our last few weekends of warmer weather.
Jimmy had his appointment at UCTPAH this morning in the chemo clinic to have his Hickman line removed. They did this under local anaesthetic. We need to go back next Friday to have the stitches removed. He never complained about the Hickman but I am sure he will be more comfortable without the 2 tubes hanging out of his chest.
They did his bloods again today and there is not much of a change from the results when he had his appointment with Prof almost 2 weeks ago. I was kind of hoping they would have come up a little more but then again it is good news that they have not dropped. Jimmy has been extremely tired since Tuesday, more so than he was last week and this has been a bit of a worry for me. He has been getting up after 11:00am in the mornings and even then it's not because he is lazing in bed and watching cricket, he is actually sleeping till this time. Once up he has breakfast and pills and then takes a shower and then he settles himself in his chair in the lounge and sleeps some more. Without even putting the TV on to watch the cricket! He does wake up a little in between but then just nods off as quickly again and this last till about 2:00pm. I discussed this with Dr Fine this morning and she said that it is quite normal as he has been through quite a lot.
Jimmy tried going for a walk on Monday morning but he is not strong enough for this yet. The problem also being that we have a lot of hills in our neighbourhood. I suggested driving down to a flatter area or even down to Fish Hoek beach and taking a stroll along Jagers Walk but he didn't show much enthusiasm. On Wednesday he said he thought he would try setting the treadmill on a slow pace and doing some walking from Thursday morning, which I thought was a good idea as he can build on this each week by increasing either the speed or the distance, but this also did not materialise. I think he feels completely exhausted most of the time.
I also enquired today whether or not they had the results back of his Myeloma bloods which were taken but they expect these back on Monday. We are looking forward to these results as this will give us some indication of where we stand as these results will be compared to his count prior to his stem cell transplant.
So basically we are still just taking each day as it comes. The good news is that he is now off all his nausea medication and not feeling nauseous at all and he also doesn't have any back pain.
Megan arrived home last Thursday and it has been fabulous having her here. We have spent a lot of special time together talking for hours about everything. She has matured so much in the 8 months that she has been away. NCL Jade have given her another contract and she needs to be back on the ship on the 30th of May. I am very proud of her as she also got another promotion so goes back in a more senior position. She really spoilt us all with beautiful gifts.
I finished my second crochet blanket on Wednesday evening and it didn't take Jimmy very long to start using it. The first one I made I called my chemo blanket and this was my transplant blanket. I had an excellent idea from Kate that the next one should by my remission blanket. I had planned on making 2 of these as a matching set to snuggle up with during the winter months while watching TV so I had better get started or it won't be done before winter.
The mornings and evenings are definitely getting a bit cooler in the Cape now and it is also getting darker slightly earlier in the evenings now too. Easter weekend is always renown for rain and then the weather usually takes a turn quite soon after this so I suspect we might be enjoying our last few weekends of warmer weather.
2015/03/19
Thursday, 19th March
After having so much information on a daily basis to share with you all I don't know what I am going to have to say pretty soon as Jimmy gets stronger each day. Which brings to mind how true the saying ' no news is good new' is.
Jimmy had his post discharge check-up with Prof yesterday as well as his Zobone which is basically calcium to strengthen his bones. Prof is very happy with Jimmy's progress. He did a physical too and all seems in order. He said that we must continue to take his temperature daily which I had been doing but not the last 2 days so we started this again this morning.
Because his counts have come up so nicely from the bloods they did on Monday the clinic did not think it was necessary to do them again yesterday. Prof informed us that there is no need to come in for weekly blood tests and we made an appointment for Jimmy to have his bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday the 21st of April. This is a month earlier than we thought. The clinic will contact me in the next few days to let us know when we must go in to have Jimmy's Hickman removed. This needs to be done as soon as possible as it is a risk area for infection and the clinic nurses confirmed that his veins are still there, just enough, for any other procedures so no use in keeping the Hickman. So apart from this appointment we don't even need to return to the hospital until his bone marrow biopsy appointment.
We did discuss with Prof what the next steps are after bone marrow biopsy results but there are too many things to consider depending on too many possible results so Jimmy and I have decided to not even go there for now. The important thing now is to get Jimmy's strength up and for him to put on some weight but this will all come in time. Prof is happy for Jimmy to return to work after the bone marrow biopsy. He did say that Jimmy will have to understand that after being home for a year even starting work again is going to be exhausting for the first bit, without even considering the effects of the chemo on his system. He also explained that one of the side effects of the chemo is a lack in concentration and he can't predict with each patient when this will be normal again. But Jimmy is super excited at the prospect of going back to work in a month and I am sure he understands that it will be better for himself to ease into it for the first week or two rather than overdo things and end up at home for a month again due to exhaustion or an infection. I mentioned on a couple of occasions in the blog that the chemo continues to work for a few months post stem cell transplant and this is why there is this waiting period before the bone marrow biopsy is done. I was however not completely correct in this explanation. Prof explained to us yesterday that the heavy dose of chemo that Jimmy had prior to stem cell transplant has in fact done its job. "A message has gone out to all the cancer cells that they will die but not all the cancer cells know this yet so the delay is actually due to the time it takes the cancer cells to die". I always find it interesting how the staff explain these things as they are usually from a completely different angle.
For the month ahead of us we are taking each day as it comes. Understandably Jimmy was tired yesterday after the hospital visit but much better again this morning. He has already fired up his laptop and downloaded 1700 emails and been in contact with his staff at the branch as well as head office.
Megan's flight lands at 17:25 today and I am so excited....I can't stop smiling. I have missed her so much these 8 months and although she is just here for a visit it's going to be wonderful to catch up. It will also be good for her to see Jimmy as it has been very hard for her worrying about him and not being here to see first hand how things are going.
Emma is taking part in the Variety Concert at school this week and sings a solo song. I am so proud of her as I couldn't even stand up in front of a group of people and talk, let alone sing a song. I'm looking forward to watching on Friday night.
Loren scored a goal in indoor hockey this week so I am super chuffed with her. She is looking so forward to their matric outing which they are going on next week to do some white water rafting up on the Orange River for a few days. Jimmy and I spent 4 days over New Year's doing this a couple of years back and it is absolutely exhilarating.
Life is good.....
Jimmy had his post discharge check-up with Prof yesterday as well as his Zobone which is basically calcium to strengthen his bones. Prof is very happy with Jimmy's progress. He did a physical too and all seems in order. He said that we must continue to take his temperature daily which I had been doing but not the last 2 days so we started this again this morning.
Because his counts have come up so nicely from the bloods they did on Monday the clinic did not think it was necessary to do them again yesterday. Prof informed us that there is no need to come in for weekly blood tests and we made an appointment for Jimmy to have his bone marrow biopsy on Tuesday the 21st of April. This is a month earlier than we thought. The clinic will contact me in the next few days to let us know when we must go in to have Jimmy's Hickman removed. This needs to be done as soon as possible as it is a risk area for infection and the clinic nurses confirmed that his veins are still there, just enough, for any other procedures so no use in keeping the Hickman. So apart from this appointment we don't even need to return to the hospital until his bone marrow biopsy appointment.
We did discuss with Prof what the next steps are after bone marrow biopsy results but there are too many things to consider depending on too many possible results so Jimmy and I have decided to not even go there for now. The important thing now is to get Jimmy's strength up and for him to put on some weight but this will all come in time. Prof is happy for Jimmy to return to work after the bone marrow biopsy. He did say that Jimmy will have to understand that after being home for a year even starting work again is going to be exhausting for the first bit, without even considering the effects of the chemo on his system. He also explained that one of the side effects of the chemo is a lack in concentration and he can't predict with each patient when this will be normal again. But Jimmy is super excited at the prospect of going back to work in a month and I am sure he understands that it will be better for himself to ease into it for the first week or two rather than overdo things and end up at home for a month again due to exhaustion or an infection. I mentioned on a couple of occasions in the blog that the chemo continues to work for a few months post stem cell transplant and this is why there is this waiting period before the bone marrow biopsy is done. I was however not completely correct in this explanation. Prof explained to us yesterday that the heavy dose of chemo that Jimmy had prior to stem cell transplant has in fact done its job. "A message has gone out to all the cancer cells that they will die but not all the cancer cells know this yet so the delay is actually due to the time it takes the cancer cells to die". I always find it interesting how the staff explain these things as they are usually from a completely different angle.
For the month ahead of us we are taking each day as it comes. Understandably Jimmy was tired yesterday after the hospital visit but much better again this morning. He has already fired up his laptop and downloaded 1700 emails and been in contact with his staff at the branch as well as head office.
Megan's flight lands at 17:25 today and I am so excited....I can't stop smiling. I have missed her so much these 8 months and although she is just here for a visit it's going to be wonderful to catch up. It will also be good for her to see Jimmy as it has been very hard for her worrying about him and not being here to see first hand how things are going.
Emma is taking part in the Variety Concert at school this week and sings a solo song. I am so proud of her as I couldn't even stand up in front of a group of people and talk, let alone sing a song. I'm looking forward to watching on Friday night.
Loren scored a goal in indoor hockey this week so I am super chuffed with her. She is looking so forward to their matric outing which they are going on next week to do some white water rafting up on the Orange River for a few days. Jimmy and I spent 4 days over New Year's doing this a couple of years back and it is absolutely exhilarating.
Life is good.....
2015/03/16
Monday, 16th March
Oh and how life is coming back to normal. Well.... our Multiple Myeloma normal for now.
I cannot begin to explain how absolutely wonderful it is to have Jimmy home. Home really does feel like home again. We spent a lazy weekend sleeping in and watching lots of movies. After being a daily customer at our local video shop before Jimmy had his stem cell transplant I hadn't been while he was in isolation as my evenings were spent catching up on paperwork and running 2 businesses after hours. On returning this weekend I was very happy to see that the next seasons each of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones have arrived so at the moment we are watching Downton Abbey and then we'll watch Game of Thrones. I know....Jimmy watching Downton Abbey instead of golf???
It has been a bit of a let down not being able to have visitors but I think it has also been a good opportunity for Jimmy to slip back into the home routine. He is still very weak and sleeps a lot during the day and is also managing a good nights sleep on a sleeping pill. Our day at the moment comprises mostly of lots of pill taking at various times of the day as well as temperature taking. It was our plan to get into the morning walk routine again but Jimmy is still too weak for this. Hopefully from next week we can but I will need to drive to a flatter area as we have lots of hills here in our suburb.
Saying this though, he is coming on in leaps and bounds. On Thursday when he came home he almost did not make it up the stairs and earlier today when we got back from the hospital he managed them much better. I was also helping him to shower for the first 2 days and he is now managing this by himself but he is pretty exhausted after and usually falls asleep in his chair for an hour or two. I have banned him from using the guest loo which is closer to where he sits in the lounge so he has to walk to our on-suite bathroom and he also does a daily walk or two to stand in the sun outside. His appetite is so much better than in hospital but he still complains that everything is very salty. We had his bloods done this morning at the clinic and the sisters wanted to know what his nurse had done to him over the weekend. His white blood cell count has come up from 1.6 to 4.4, Platelets from 60 to 135 and his HGB has come up from 9 to 11.1. This is wonderful news because apart from the fact that it means his body is producing nice strong stem cells he is now also less at risk of getting an infection. Please note however, that any visitors must please make sure they have not been in contact with any sickies or feel off colour themselves. Our blood cell counts are all normal and we still get sick and Jimmy's system is still very weak and his counts are still on the low side. Getting an infection now would be a huge setback and jeopardise his recovery.
We have an appointment to see Prof on Wednesday and need to go in a bit earlier so that Jimmy can have his Zobone infusion (Calcium) which strengthens his bones. And we are hoping that a day or two after this he can have his Hickman Line removed.
Everyone is so excited and counting the sleeps now as Megan flies in on Thursday just after 5pm. I can't believe she has been away a whole 8 months already and I can't wait to give her a hug and hear all about her travels and work and the young man in her life.
I cannot begin to explain how absolutely wonderful it is to have Jimmy home. Home really does feel like home again. We spent a lazy weekend sleeping in and watching lots of movies. After being a daily customer at our local video shop before Jimmy had his stem cell transplant I hadn't been while he was in isolation as my evenings were spent catching up on paperwork and running 2 businesses after hours. On returning this weekend I was very happy to see that the next seasons each of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones have arrived so at the moment we are watching Downton Abbey and then we'll watch Game of Thrones. I know....Jimmy watching Downton Abbey instead of golf???
It has been a bit of a let down not being able to have visitors but I think it has also been a good opportunity for Jimmy to slip back into the home routine. He is still very weak and sleeps a lot during the day and is also managing a good nights sleep on a sleeping pill. Our day at the moment comprises mostly of lots of pill taking at various times of the day as well as temperature taking. It was our plan to get into the morning walk routine again but Jimmy is still too weak for this. Hopefully from next week we can but I will need to drive to a flatter area as we have lots of hills here in our suburb.
Saying this though, he is coming on in leaps and bounds. On Thursday when he came home he almost did not make it up the stairs and earlier today when we got back from the hospital he managed them much better. I was also helping him to shower for the first 2 days and he is now managing this by himself but he is pretty exhausted after and usually falls asleep in his chair for an hour or two. I have banned him from using the guest loo which is closer to where he sits in the lounge so he has to walk to our on-suite bathroom and he also does a daily walk or two to stand in the sun outside. His appetite is so much better than in hospital but he still complains that everything is very salty. We had his bloods done this morning at the clinic and the sisters wanted to know what his nurse had done to him over the weekend. His white blood cell count has come up from 1.6 to 4.4, Platelets from 60 to 135 and his HGB has come up from 9 to 11.1. This is wonderful news because apart from the fact that it means his body is producing nice strong stem cells he is now also less at risk of getting an infection. Please note however, that any visitors must please make sure they have not been in contact with any sickies or feel off colour themselves. Our blood cell counts are all normal and we still get sick and Jimmy's system is still very weak and his counts are still on the low side. Getting an infection now would be a huge setback and jeopardise his recovery.
We have an appointment to see Prof on Wednesday and need to go in a bit earlier so that Jimmy can have his Zobone infusion (Calcium) which strengthens his bones. And we are hoping that a day or two after this he can have his Hickman Line removed.
Everyone is so excited and counting the sleeps now as Megan flies in on Thursday just after 5pm. I can't believe she has been away a whole 8 months already and I can't wait to give her a hug and hear all about her travels and work and the young man in her life.
2015/03/12
Thursday, 12th March
Day 70 - Stem Cell Transplant
Jimmy's 52nd day in hospital and he was discharged this morning. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to have him home. I wanted to park in the top driveway but he said coming up the stairs from the garage would be fine. He almost didn't make it! He sat outside on the veranda for about 15 minutes and enjoyed the view and took in nature and the smell of fresh air and could not stop smiling. From there he moved to his lazy boy in the lounge, which has been a stark reminder of his absence, and passed out. He has been sleeping for 2 hours now and looks so peaceful.
We have to go to the chemo clinic on Monday so they can do his bloods and it sounds like this will be a weekly thing until they are happy with the counts. It is also to keep an eye on whether or not he needs platelets or a blood transfusion. Sister Wendy in the chemo clinic said that the record for an isolation stay is 72 days and they started getting worried that Jimmy was going to be the new record holder. Jimmy also needs to see Prof within a week but we are waiting to hear from Sister Wendy as he is full for Monday and Wednesday and then he is away on a conference so she said she would come back to us as to whether Prof would cancel an appointment to see Jimmy before he leaves. We have come home with a huge bag of medication and hopefully these will tick all the boxes for a smooth recovery.
I don't think I will have enough news to blog each day as I have been, so I will see how things go and maybe do a weekly blog to keep you all up to date.
I could never have done this part of the journey without all your messages, emails, phone calls, visits, meals, invitations out (apologies if I turned you down)....the list is absolutely endless. Thank you so much.
Jimmy's 52nd day in hospital and he was discharged this morning. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to have him home. I wanted to park in the top driveway but he said coming up the stairs from the garage would be fine. He almost didn't make it! He sat outside on the veranda for about 15 minutes and enjoyed the view and took in nature and the smell of fresh air and could not stop smiling. From there he moved to his lazy boy in the lounge, which has been a stark reminder of his absence, and passed out. He has been sleeping for 2 hours now and looks so peaceful.
 |
| Jimmy leaving high care this morning. |
We have to go to the chemo clinic on Monday so they can do his bloods and it sounds like this will be a weekly thing until they are happy with the counts. It is also to keep an eye on whether or not he needs platelets or a blood transfusion. Sister Wendy in the chemo clinic said that the record for an isolation stay is 72 days and they started getting worried that Jimmy was going to be the new record holder. Jimmy also needs to see Prof within a week but we are waiting to hear from Sister Wendy as he is full for Monday and Wednesday and then he is away on a conference so she said she would come back to us as to whether Prof would cancel an appointment to see Jimmy before he leaves. We have come home with a huge bag of medication and hopefully these will tick all the boxes for a smooth recovery.
I don't think I will have enough news to blog each day as I have been, so I will see how things go and maybe do a weekly blog to keep you all up to date.
I could never have done this part of the journey without all your messages, emails, phone calls, visits, meals, invitations out (apologies if I turned you down)....the list is absolutely endless. Thank you so much.
2015/03/11
Wednesday, 11th March
Day 69 - Stem Cell Transplant
After coming out of isolation on Monday Jimmy enjoyed a relaxing day in high care yesterday. A nice change from being isolated to being able to hear and see the goings on in the ward. Although his spirits still seemed a bit down he had a nice shower after I got there and did a couple of stints walking from one end of the high care ward to the other. He is getting out of bed to go to the toilet and he sat sitting up nicely for most of the day. He enjoyed a deep sleep while I was there too and looked so much more relaxed.
Dr Fine had told us on Monday that if he didn't spike a temperature they would take down his antibiotics yesterday but he did unfortunately get a temperature during the night on Monday and this was stable for yesterday and still fine this morning so they have now taken him off the antibiotics. He seems to be coping without 2 of the nausea meds too. If his temperature plays ball today and during the night tonight then he will be DISCHARGED TOMORROW morning. His temp was fine all morning and then just as I was getting ready to leave at 2pm it did go up slightly so I am keeping everything crossed that it doesn't go any higher. His weight has also remained the same since Monday afternoon.
Jimmy's appetite is definitely getting better, still not eating as much as he should but he is eating more than he has been. The food in high care looks far more appetising than in F4 isolation ward and it is also not heated up to death. He was a bit more talkative today and had another sleep while I was there and he is not staring into nothing as much as he has been. I asked him this morning if he thinks he is feeling a bit down and he said he is but the biggest problem is that his mind is in over drive and he can't turn it off, he says he just keeps thinking about all things cancer related all the time. I think coming home and being in a different environment with the normal day to day stuff going on will do him good.
Jimmy's white blood cell count is still at 1.6 which Dr Fine says is fine for if you are in hospital but she went through a couple of the things that we need to know for his home coming. He will be given an appointment date to see Prof Novitzky on the day of discharge for about a week later and if everything is going well and there have been no problems then he will have his Hickman line removed a day or two later. His first month at home is vital that he does not get an infection and he is at high risk for this as his white blood cells are still very low and will take a while to come up. He is not allowed out and only minimal visits from friends and family and anyone that does come and see him cannot have been in contact with anyone that has a cold, sore throat or tummy bug etc. Or that works in an environment where they are dealing with a lot of public and come into contact with someone who might have been sick without knowing it. This also goes for people working in jobs such a teachers and creches, doctors reception etc etc. He is not allowed to come into contact with children. For the first week he may still not eat anything that has live cultures like Bulgarian yoghurt, mushrooms etc. He is allowed some fruit and it has to be things like a banana which is inside a peel and he can have an apple but this must be peeled. Dr Fine says it takes about 3 to 4 months to recover from the chemo and for his body to build itself up again as his stem cells are all still very young but the fantastic news is that Jimmy will see Prof again in about a month and they are quite sure that he will be able to return to work after this appointment.
So....all good, positive news. The things that Jimmy and I are most looking forward to is the change from being at the hospital every day for the last 51 days and starting Monday morning we will enjoy his morning walk around the block and slowly build this up again, having dinner together in the evenings and just think, I might even be able to moan about the toilet seat being left up again.
After coming out of isolation on Monday Jimmy enjoyed a relaxing day in high care yesterday. A nice change from being isolated to being able to hear and see the goings on in the ward. Although his spirits still seemed a bit down he had a nice shower after I got there and did a couple of stints walking from one end of the high care ward to the other. He is getting out of bed to go to the toilet and he sat sitting up nicely for most of the day. He enjoyed a deep sleep while I was there too and looked so much more relaxed.
Dr Fine had told us on Monday that if he didn't spike a temperature they would take down his antibiotics yesterday but he did unfortunately get a temperature during the night on Monday and this was stable for yesterday and still fine this morning so they have now taken him off the antibiotics. He seems to be coping without 2 of the nausea meds too. If his temperature plays ball today and during the night tonight then he will be DISCHARGED TOMORROW morning. His temp was fine all morning and then just as I was getting ready to leave at 2pm it did go up slightly so I am keeping everything crossed that it doesn't go any higher. His weight has also remained the same since Monday afternoon.
Jimmy's appetite is definitely getting better, still not eating as much as he should but he is eating more than he has been. The food in high care looks far more appetising than in F4 isolation ward and it is also not heated up to death. He was a bit more talkative today and had another sleep while I was there and he is not staring into nothing as much as he has been. I asked him this morning if he thinks he is feeling a bit down and he said he is but the biggest problem is that his mind is in over drive and he can't turn it off, he says he just keeps thinking about all things cancer related all the time. I think coming home and being in a different environment with the normal day to day stuff going on will do him good.
Jimmy's white blood cell count is still at 1.6 which Dr Fine says is fine for if you are in hospital but she went through a couple of the things that we need to know for his home coming. He will be given an appointment date to see Prof Novitzky on the day of discharge for about a week later and if everything is going well and there have been no problems then he will have his Hickman line removed a day or two later. His first month at home is vital that he does not get an infection and he is at high risk for this as his white blood cells are still very low and will take a while to come up. He is not allowed out and only minimal visits from friends and family and anyone that does come and see him cannot have been in contact with anyone that has a cold, sore throat or tummy bug etc. Or that works in an environment where they are dealing with a lot of public and come into contact with someone who might have been sick without knowing it. This also goes for people working in jobs such a teachers and creches, doctors reception etc etc. He is not allowed to come into contact with children. For the first week he may still not eat anything that has live cultures like Bulgarian yoghurt, mushrooms etc. He is allowed some fruit and it has to be things like a banana which is inside a peel and he can have an apple but this must be peeled. Dr Fine says it takes about 3 to 4 months to recover from the chemo and for his body to build itself up again as his stem cells are all still very young but the fantastic news is that Jimmy will see Prof again in about a month and they are quite sure that he will be able to return to work after this appointment.
So....all good, positive news. The things that Jimmy and I are most looking forward to is the change from being at the hospital every day for the last 51 days and starting Monday morning we will enjoy his morning walk around the block and slowly build this up again, having dinner together in the evenings and just think, I might even be able to moan about the toilet seat being left up again.
2015/03/09
Monday, 9th March
Day 67 - Stem Cell Transplant
We had the best news today!
At 8:30am Jimmy sent me a message to say that I need to get to the hospital earlier this morning because they are moving him to high care and I need to pack his bags. This is the best news I have had in a long time. So off I rushed to pack up all his things. Three bags after being in isolation for 49 days. Half of it I packed and put in the car to bring home because I seriously doubt he is going to use any of it in the next week if he hasn't for the last almost 2 months.
They put a mask on him and wheeled him through to high care while I went down to the car and the porter took his laptop bag and personal things and then I came back up and met them in high care. Jimmy was supposed to be booked into one of the isolation wards in high care but he begged Mr Brown to be in the big ward and Mr Brown kindly obliged. There are 2 other patients there at the moment that we know from the chemo clinic so it is quite nice for Jimmy to see them again. They are both in with Pneumonia.
So now Jimmy has to get up as much as possible and build his strength back. He is allowed to take a walk with me down the passage outside high care as long as he has a mask on and during the quiet times. He has to get up to go the to toilet too. Dr Fine explained that his body is using all its resources to build up all these extra cells and he should be eating more than normal to keep up with the demand when in fact he is hardly eating at all. He has lost another kg. She said it's not as important for him to weigh what he did when he came in (as long as he doesn't go any lower) as they look at the trend but the problem is that the trend at the moment says he is losing weight. If he doesn't spike a temperature by midnight then they will take down the antibiotics tomorrow and he has to go 2 full days without getting a temperature or else they will put him back on the antibiotics again. They are also going to stop 2 of his nausea meds tomorrow to see if this might help his appetite.
Some more good news is that his white blood cells are slowly coming up. They were 1.6 this morning (normal is 4 to 11). Dr Fine is over the moon with his platelets and HGB count. His platelets are 60 (normal is 150 to 400) and his HGB is 9 (normal is 13 to 18). She says this is very good news because they were expecting him to have to come back daily for platelets and blood transfusions once he gets discharged. She says it is no uncommon to come back for months for platelets but Jimmy has had a sudden rise in these two since Saturday.
It's still difficult to say when he will come home as they will monitor him from tomorrow without antibiotics and the nausea meds but the rest is up to Jimmy now. It really is very difficult because I know he is feeling down but he needs to be strong now and push forward. I sometimes feel like he has given up but maybe it is difficult for him to get out of this kind of rut that he is in. 49 Days is an awfully long time to be in hospital, away from home comforts and the people you love.
We had the best news today!
At 8:30am Jimmy sent me a message to say that I need to get to the hospital earlier this morning because they are moving him to high care and I need to pack his bags. This is the best news I have had in a long time. So off I rushed to pack up all his things. Three bags after being in isolation for 49 days. Half of it I packed and put in the car to bring home because I seriously doubt he is going to use any of it in the next week if he hasn't for the last almost 2 months.
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| This is one door we are closing, never to open again. |
They put a mask on him and wheeled him through to high care while I went down to the car and the porter took his laptop bag and personal things and then I came back up and met them in high care. Jimmy was supposed to be booked into one of the isolation wards in high care but he begged Mr Brown to be in the big ward and Mr Brown kindly obliged. There are 2 other patients there at the moment that we know from the chemo clinic so it is quite nice for Jimmy to see them again. They are both in with Pneumonia.
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| Goodbye isolation |
So now Jimmy has to get up as much as possible and build his strength back. He is allowed to take a walk with me down the passage outside high care as long as he has a mask on and during the quiet times. He has to get up to go the to toilet too. Dr Fine explained that his body is using all its resources to build up all these extra cells and he should be eating more than normal to keep up with the demand when in fact he is hardly eating at all. He has lost another kg. She said it's not as important for him to weigh what he did when he came in (as long as he doesn't go any lower) as they look at the trend but the problem is that the trend at the moment says he is losing weight. If he doesn't spike a temperature by midnight then they will take down the antibiotics tomorrow and he has to go 2 full days without getting a temperature or else they will put him back on the antibiotics again. They are also going to stop 2 of his nausea meds tomorrow to see if this might help his appetite.
Some more good news is that his white blood cells are slowly coming up. They were 1.6 this morning (normal is 4 to 11). Dr Fine is over the moon with his platelets and HGB count. His platelets are 60 (normal is 150 to 400) and his HGB is 9 (normal is 13 to 18). She says this is very good news because they were expecting him to have to come back daily for platelets and blood transfusions once he gets discharged. She says it is no uncommon to come back for months for platelets but Jimmy has had a sudden rise in these two since Saturday.
It's still difficult to say when he will come home as they will monitor him from tomorrow without antibiotics and the nausea meds but the rest is up to Jimmy now. It really is very difficult because I know he is feeling down but he needs to be strong now and push forward. I sometimes feel like he has given up but maybe it is difficult for him to get out of this kind of rut that he is in. 49 Days is an awfully long time to be in hospital, away from home comforts and the people you love.
2015/03/08
Sunday, 8th March
Day 64 & 65 - Stem Cell Transplant
Apologies that I am 2 days behind with this blog but daily hospital visits and these fires have taken their toll. Loren and Emma are also here for the weekend and I am trying to spend as much time with them as I can. We had 3 new fires start up yesterday...one between the Red Hill Camp and Scarborough, one at misty cliffs and then early evening behind Lake Michelle. The fire at Cape Point was a huge one. At about 11pm on Friday night the fire fighters stood down as there was nothing more they could do until the helicopters could come back at first light. The fire line was 11km long and they spent the rest of the night saving the houses in Cape Point. This morning I am pleased to say that all the fires are contained and we now have volunteers keeping an eye out for hot spots.
Arson is being suspected and some reports have come in of residents in the various areas seeing 3 suspicious men, one dressed in an orange all in one suit, leaving an area in the bush where a plume of smoke can be seen. When I have more time I will start a separate page on the left hand side of the home page and post some links and information there regarding the fires. It really has been an eye opener learning to understand all the behind the scenes stuff. I so hope this is the end of it.
Today is the Argus Cycle Tour, now called the Cape Town Cycle Tour, and this has been shortened from 109km to 47km. It is our tradition that we go down to the bottom of Chapman's Peak and spend the day skotteling and watching the cyclists but sadly this year they don't ride any of the section of the Southern Peninsula. A friend was speaking to a doctor who explained to her that it would be very dangerous for even the fittest cyclists with a big lung capacity to breathe in the smoke and ash that is still in the air. Our house still smells like a bush fire.
Jimmy is hanging in there. He doesn't seem to be as sick as he was with previous infections but I think this is because they caught it early. He was put on antibiotics as soon as his temperature spiked and it looks like they chose the correct one. While I was there yesterday they came to do more chest x-rays and were asking when the first lot was taken and by who, so it sounds like they couldn't find them. By the time I left we had not had the results back yet. I'm hoping for some news when I go through this afternoon.
I can see that Jimmy is trying very hard to eat but if he doesn't vomit then he gags all the time, his stomach muscles must be so sore. So he has a tiny morsel of food to show the staff he is trying and we are trying to get him to drink 4 shakes a day so that he doesn't lose any more weight.
He is feeling extremely down but I suppose this is to expected as we both thought there was a possibility that he might have come home this weekend. He finishes the antibiotics on Tuesday and then I would think at least 2 days of monitoring to make sure the infection is gone and then he has to get his weight up before he can be discharged. I am sure I will have a better idea by Monday or Tuesday afternoon how things are going.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has sent him messages. They really do mean so much to him. He has been in isolation in hospital for 47 days already and it is easy to forget normal life and the people who are in it. He has started reading the odd message and sending me a message here and there but please don't stop sending them if he doesn't reply, he just doesn't have the energy to type replies or even talk much. I read each and every message to him.
I'm hoping that the week ahead will be a week with lots of positive news. He is very conscious of wanting to come home and mentions it more now too and this can only mean good things.
Apologies that I am 2 days behind with this blog but daily hospital visits and these fires have taken their toll. Loren and Emma are also here for the weekend and I am trying to spend as much time with them as I can. We had 3 new fires start up yesterday...one between the Red Hill Camp and Scarborough, one at misty cliffs and then early evening behind Lake Michelle. The fire at Cape Point was a huge one. At about 11pm on Friday night the fire fighters stood down as there was nothing more they could do until the helicopters could come back at first light. The fire line was 11km long and they spent the rest of the night saving the houses in Cape Point. This morning I am pleased to say that all the fires are contained and we now have volunteers keeping an eye out for hot spots.
Arson is being suspected and some reports have come in of residents in the various areas seeing 3 suspicious men, one dressed in an orange all in one suit, leaving an area in the bush where a plume of smoke can be seen. When I have more time I will start a separate page on the left hand side of the home page and post some links and information there regarding the fires. It really has been an eye opener learning to understand all the behind the scenes stuff. I so hope this is the end of it.
Today is the Argus Cycle Tour, now called the Cape Town Cycle Tour, and this has been shortened from 109km to 47km. It is our tradition that we go down to the bottom of Chapman's Peak and spend the day skotteling and watching the cyclists but sadly this year they don't ride any of the section of the Southern Peninsula. A friend was speaking to a doctor who explained to her that it would be very dangerous for even the fittest cyclists with a big lung capacity to breathe in the smoke and ash that is still in the air. Our house still smells like a bush fire.
Jimmy is hanging in there. He doesn't seem to be as sick as he was with previous infections but I think this is because they caught it early. He was put on antibiotics as soon as his temperature spiked and it looks like they chose the correct one. While I was there yesterday they came to do more chest x-rays and were asking when the first lot was taken and by who, so it sounds like they couldn't find them. By the time I left we had not had the results back yet. I'm hoping for some news when I go through this afternoon.
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| Having x-ray in his room |
I can see that Jimmy is trying very hard to eat but if he doesn't vomit then he gags all the time, his stomach muscles must be so sore. So he has a tiny morsel of food to show the staff he is trying and we are trying to get him to drink 4 shakes a day so that he doesn't lose any more weight.
He is feeling extremely down but I suppose this is to expected as we both thought there was a possibility that he might have come home this weekend. He finishes the antibiotics on Tuesday and then I would think at least 2 days of monitoring to make sure the infection is gone and then he has to get his weight up before he can be discharged. I am sure I will have a better idea by Monday or Tuesday afternoon how things are going.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has sent him messages. They really do mean so much to him. He has been in isolation in hospital for 47 days already and it is easy to forget normal life and the people who are in it. He has started reading the odd message and sending me a message here and there but please don't stop sending them if he doesn't reply, he just doesn't have the energy to type replies or even talk much. I read each and every message to him.
I'm hoping that the week ahead will be a week with lots of positive news. He is very conscious of wanting to come home and mentions it more now too and this can only mean good things.
2015/03/05
Thursday, 5th March
Day 63 - Stem Cell Transplant
Unfortunately the temperature that Jimmy spiked yesterday afternoon spiked all night. He has been put on intravenous antibiotics for 5 days and had x-rays done today because Prof Novitzky and Dr Fine are concerned that it is his chest again. When I left we had not had the results of the x-ray back yet.
Jimmy is not in a good place at the moment. As you can imagine, he is feeling extremely down because he thought he would be coming home in the next few days. I explained to him that it is better that he got sick whilst in hospital because I am sure it would be much worse if he had been at home. They can also catch it so much quicker in hospital. He did manage to get up and have a shower and then spent some time sitting in the lazy boy but his energy levels are very low and he was very out of breath. After lunch today his temperature was fine and Dr Fine is happy with this as it could mean that he is on the correct antibiotic. They have sent off bloods for a culture but these take a few days and only show up about 50% so will consider anything coming back a bonus.
Jimmy is not eating at all and we are trying to get him to drink 4 shakes a day so that he gets some nourishment and doesn't lose any more weight but I think Jimmy is just so tired of being sick and wants to come home now. He didn't even want to talk today and was very close to tears a couple of times.
This has been an extremely long road for Jimmy and I just wish he would have a positive turn now. I am so disappointed as I really thought we were moving forward.
I had the most amazing night's sleep last night. A whole 7 hours without any funny helicopter dreams or interruptions. Our fires in Noordhoek have completely settled down. The wind is howling but we have spotters on duty for the next 2 or 3 days to make sure that any flare ups are dealt with quickly.
Some of the other areas are still battling fires but nowhere is as bad as it was 2 days ago. Unfortunately a fire that started in the Cape Point Nature Reserve yesterday morning as a result of the lightning bolt that we had just before the heavens opened, and we were all so thankful for some rain, took a turn today and emergency personnel and helicopters have been there all afternoon trying to fight it. As I said the wind is very strong and at this point it is heading toward Scarborough.
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| Here you can see the extent of the fire damage - over 3000 hectares |
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| The Cape Point fire is indicated by the flame and the wind is pushing it towards Scarborough/Kommetjie. You can see where this is in relation to where the fire has already burned just above Fish Hoek. We are on the bottom edge of the black area (Noordhoek) |
http://m.ewn.co.za/2015/03/04/Inside-the-flames
We were all so thankful for the little bit of rain that we had yesterday which helped a lot to put out all the little smouldering areas. Quite sad to think that it was a lightning bolt just before it rained that caused this new fire.
2015/03/04
Wednesday, 4th February
Day 62 - Stem Cell Transplant
Jimmy did not have such a good day today. He is still much better than he has been but he wasn't as good as yesterday. He said that he just didn't feel right today. He tried 3 mouthfuls of lunch and vomited again. He has lost 3 kg since Sunday and they are concerned about this because he can't keep food down so worried he is going to lose more. At 2pm he spiked a temperature out of the blue and he didn't want to get up or sit in the lazy boy today. He dropped the back of the bed and turned onto his side and went to sleep. It's the first time he has actually gone to sleep, like he wanted to. Usually he just fades in and out of sleep in whatever position he is sitting or lying. I hope we don't have another bug coming and I just so wish he can keep some food down.
We experienced another hectic night with the fires last night. After such a hot day yesterday and not a breath of wind it picked up suddenly at midnight and within 10 minutes Chapman's Peak was ablaze in front of my eyes. The fire ran down the side of the mountain. Most of Noordhoek below Chapman's Peak and back had to be evacuated at 2pm. It was like watching the peak hour traffic as all the cars were driving out along Beach Road and then past the common. They all parked on the Noordhoek sports fields and slept in their cars for the remainder of the night. I saw a photo this morning of all the cars parked there and it looked like one of those storage facilities where new cars go to be stored as they come off the production line. As I stood on my veranda I could see houses burning down and after Sunday night's fiasco here in my own street, which was not half as bad, I knew just how all the residents were feeling. I felt so helpless.
Then after 2pm sometime we had another flare up on the mountain side in our street. I took a walk up to the fire engine and went to check that it wasn't too serious. The fire department was here in no time and they managed to sort it out. At 4:15am I got into bed and fell asleep to be woken up by Emma phoning at 5:15am to find out if I was okay. There was a huge fire on the Clovelly mountain side and she was concerned it had come back over the mountain my way again. I actually fell asleep with my phone in my hand and woke up an hour later and this was my sum total of sleep last night. The fire was still blazing at 6am but it didn't take the helicopters long to put it out. I could still hear people with electric saws cutting down trees which had started at about 3am.
For those who do not live in CT, I have been focusing on the fire in my neighbourhood but there have been fires even worse than this all over the South Peninsula. It has been absolutely devasting.
Loren and Emma are here with me tonight and I am looking forward to a good night's sleep with some company in the house. I haven't had more than 6 hours of sleep since Sunday night altogether. I tried to have a quick nap while I was sitting with Jimmy today but each time I close my eyes I can still hear helicopters in my head and see smoke. A bit weird! I mentioned to the girls this evening that I am so glad the fire smell is out the house and they both laughed and said my nose has become immune.
Thanks very much to Patsy, Colleen and Andrea who popped around yesterday morning to come and check on me and this morning Antony joined me for coffee, in my pyjamas, to come and make sure I didn't need any help.
Everything is very quiet tonight and I cannot see any smouldering spirals of smoke anywhere so I think we are over the worst.
Hopefully tomorrow I don't have anymore fire news to tell you but rather some good positive news about Jimmy.
Jimmy did not have such a good day today. He is still much better than he has been but he wasn't as good as yesterday. He said that he just didn't feel right today. He tried 3 mouthfuls of lunch and vomited again. He has lost 3 kg since Sunday and they are concerned about this because he can't keep food down so worried he is going to lose more. At 2pm he spiked a temperature out of the blue and he didn't want to get up or sit in the lazy boy today. He dropped the back of the bed and turned onto his side and went to sleep. It's the first time he has actually gone to sleep, like he wanted to. Usually he just fades in and out of sleep in whatever position he is sitting or lying. I hope we don't have another bug coming and I just so wish he can keep some food down.
We experienced another hectic night with the fires last night. After such a hot day yesterday and not a breath of wind it picked up suddenly at midnight and within 10 minutes Chapman's Peak was ablaze in front of my eyes. The fire ran down the side of the mountain. Most of Noordhoek below Chapman's Peak and back had to be evacuated at 2pm. It was like watching the peak hour traffic as all the cars were driving out along Beach Road and then past the common. They all parked on the Noordhoek sports fields and slept in their cars for the remainder of the night. I saw a photo this morning of all the cars parked there and it looked like one of those storage facilities where new cars go to be stored as they come off the production line. As I stood on my veranda I could see houses burning down and after Sunday night's fiasco here in my own street, which was not half as bad, I knew just how all the residents were feeling. I felt so helpless.
Then after 2pm sometime we had another flare up on the mountain side in our street. I took a walk up to the fire engine and went to check that it wasn't too serious. The fire department was here in no time and they managed to sort it out. At 4:15am I got into bed and fell asleep to be woken up by Emma phoning at 5:15am to find out if I was okay. There was a huge fire on the Clovelly mountain side and she was concerned it had come back over the mountain my way again. I actually fell asleep with my phone in my hand and woke up an hour later and this was my sum total of sleep last night. The fire was still blazing at 6am but it didn't take the helicopters long to put it out. I could still hear people with electric saws cutting down trees which had started at about 3am.
For those who do not live in CT, I have been focusing on the fire in my neighbourhood but there have been fires even worse than this all over the South Peninsula. It has been absolutely devasting.
Loren and Emma are here with me tonight and I am looking forward to a good night's sleep with some company in the house. I haven't had more than 6 hours of sleep since Sunday night altogether. I tried to have a quick nap while I was sitting with Jimmy today but each time I close my eyes I can still hear helicopters in my head and see smoke. A bit weird! I mentioned to the girls this evening that I am so glad the fire smell is out the house and they both laughed and said my nose has become immune.
Thanks very much to Patsy, Colleen and Andrea who popped around yesterday morning to come and check on me and this morning Antony joined me for coffee, in my pyjamas, to come and make sure I didn't need any help.
Everything is very quiet tonight and I cannot see any smouldering spirals of smoke anywhere so I think we are over the worst.
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| This is what Ou Kaapseweg looks like now. This used to be the most beautiful spectacle of Protea bushes and wild flowers |
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| A view of Chapman's Peak for Hout Bay Harbour |
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| Fire above Monkey Valley on the slopes of Chapman's Peak. This is the area that flare up again at midnight last night. |
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| My brother Stan and Michelle are brilliant photographers. This is one of Stan's photos |
2015/03/03
Tuesday, 3rd March
Day 61 - Stem Cell Transplant
Today was Jimmy's 43rd day in isolation in hospital and yesterday was the first day that I did not go through to see him. I didn't really have time to think about it yesterday because it was one of the most hectic days of my life. I couldn't really give Jimmy much thought but when I arrived there this morning I realised just how much I missed seeing him.
Now that he has been off morphine since Saturday or Sunday he is so much more alert. I was telling him all about the fire and packing etc and he was asking me lots of questions. He looked at all the photos too. He got up just after I arrived and went to the loo and then had a shower. He showered himself, I just held the sprayer for him and the only other thing that I had to help him with was drying his legs as he is not strong enough to support himself and bend over and then I just helped him step into his shorts. He sat up in the lazy boy for most the time that I was there too.
He is trying very hard to eat but not managing very well. He has no appetite and everything tastes funny and salty and every now and then he still vomits. He has lost 2 kg since Sunday and had diarrhea today. But other than this he is doing well. His mouth is looking very good too. When I left this evening he said 'can't I just come with you'. I am happy that he is feeling that much better that he actually wants to come home now because this means that he will try harder to overcome the last hurdles.
Jimmy asked Prof this morning when he thinks he can come home but Prof did not want to commit,
Today was the hottest day in Cape Town in 100 years. It was 42 degrees at midday and in fact we were the hottest city in the world today. It got to 43.5 degrees while I was driving home from the hospital early evening.
On the fire front....
We still had a couple of hot spots on the mountain side behind our house last night but this was being closely monitored throughout the night. These has been a thick haze of smoke hanging over us for most of the day today. The house still stinks like fire. So much so that I could not fall asleep last night. At 3 am I was still awake and had been for almost 24 hours. It had been so noisy here all day with helicopters that the noise of them was still ringing in my ears. There is also ash settling all over everything and suspect it is going to be like this for a while. Each time I heard emergency vehicles passing the house I didn't know if the fire had started up again and once I did fall asleep I kept waking up to the smell of smoke and didn't know whether this was old smoke or new smoke. I was tired because I couldn't fall asleep but I didn't want to sleep in case I didn't wake up if the fire did start again. Some friends and I had been discussing that I need to watch out for things like snakes and spiders coming off the mountain in search of water and last night when I got into bed there was a scorpion on the bed next to my pillow! The fire burned throughout the night on Chapman's Peak which is on the opposite side of our house. First thing this morning the helicopters were back water bombing the mountain side and then they left here to go over to the Tokai Forest side where there has been a raging fire all day. The fire engines left the Chapman's Peak area just before sunset this evening and at about 8:30pm I could see that some were back and seeing to the hot spots.
Driving over Ou Kaapseweg this morning was so eerie. There is almost no green vegetation left, this all used to be beautiful Protea bushes where ever the eye could see. It feels like you are driving through the end of the world. It is so desolate. We are expecting a little rain tomorrow morning so hopefully this will put the last of the fires out. Tonight the fire from the Kalk Bay side has come around and burning above Clovelly. They flew in 300 fire fighters from the Eastern Cape today to come and help fight the fires and expect that it will take a few days to get them all out and more than a week before the areas will be safe with no chance of any hot spots flaring up again.
There has been some amazing photography since Sunday, so I thought I would share some of these photos with you.
These are photos of the fire on Boyes Drive
Today was Jimmy's 43rd day in isolation in hospital and yesterday was the first day that I did not go through to see him. I didn't really have time to think about it yesterday because it was one of the most hectic days of my life. I couldn't really give Jimmy much thought but when I arrived there this morning I realised just how much I missed seeing him.
Now that he has been off morphine since Saturday or Sunday he is so much more alert. I was telling him all about the fire and packing etc and he was asking me lots of questions. He looked at all the photos too. He got up just after I arrived and went to the loo and then had a shower. He showered himself, I just held the sprayer for him and the only other thing that I had to help him with was drying his legs as he is not strong enough to support himself and bend over and then I just helped him step into his shorts. He sat up in the lazy boy for most the time that I was there too.
He is trying very hard to eat but not managing very well. He has no appetite and everything tastes funny and salty and every now and then he still vomits. He has lost 2 kg since Sunday and had diarrhea today. But other than this he is doing well. His mouth is looking very good too. When I left this evening he said 'can't I just come with you'. I am happy that he is feeling that much better that he actually wants to come home now because this means that he will try harder to overcome the last hurdles.
Jimmy asked Prof this morning when he thinks he can come home but Prof did not want to commit,
Today was the hottest day in Cape Town in 100 years. It was 42 degrees at midday and in fact we were the hottest city in the world today. It got to 43.5 degrees while I was driving home from the hospital early evening.
On the fire front....
We still had a couple of hot spots on the mountain side behind our house last night but this was being closely monitored throughout the night. These has been a thick haze of smoke hanging over us for most of the day today. The house still stinks like fire. So much so that I could not fall asleep last night. At 3 am I was still awake and had been for almost 24 hours. It had been so noisy here all day with helicopters that the noise of them was still ringing in my ears. There is also ash settling all over everything and suspect it is going to be like this for a while. Each time I heard emergency vehicles passing the house I didn't know if the fire had started up again and once I did fall asleep I kept waking up to the smell of smoke and didn't know whether this was old smoke or new smoke. I was tired because I couldn't fall asleep but I didn't want to sleep in case I didn't wake up if the fire did start again. Some friends and I had been discussing that I need to watch out for things like snakes and spiders coming off the mountain in search of water and last night when I got into bed there was a scorpion on the bed next to my pillow! The fire burned throughout the night on Chapman's Peak which is on the opposite side of our house. First thing this morning the helicopters were back water bombing the mountain side and then they left here to go over to the Tokai Forest side where there has been a raging fire all day. The fire engines left the Chapman's Peak area just before sunset this evening and at about 8:30pm I could see that some were back and seeing to the hot spots.
Driving over Ou Kaapseweg this morning was so eerie. There is almost no green vegetation left, this all used to be beautiful Protea bushes where ever the eye could see. It feels like you are driving through the end of the world. It is so desolate. We are expecting a little rain tomorrow morning so hopefully this will put the last of the fires out. Tonight the fire from the Kalk Bay side has come around and burning above Clovelly. They flew in 300 fire fighters from the Eastern Cape today to come and help fight the fires and expect that it will take a few days to get them all out and more than a week before the areas will be safe with no chance of any hot spots flaring up again.
There has been some amazing photography since Sunday, so I thought I would share some of these photos with you.
These are photos of the fire on Boyes Drive
And these photos are of the fire on the mountain side on our street
2015/03/02
Monday, 2nd March
I will not be going through to see Jimmy today (due to road closures) so I thought I would update you all on the huge fire.
You will have noticed that I posted some pictures of the fire on the mountain which were taken around the time that I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and sunset.
Over night the wind picked up to gale force conditions and pushed the fire over the mountain to the whole stretch right behind our house. I woke up some time before 5 am coughing as a result of all the smoke in our house. Loren was sleeping with me and I shook her awake to tell her I can smell smoke. With that our neighbour phoned me to find out if I was awake. I told him I had just woken up and he calmly explained that the fire had come over the ridge and we need to pack important personal belongs and be ready for an evacuation.
I got dressed and I packed laptop and external hard drives and any paperwork I could think of including passports, birth certificates and my jewellery box. I yelled to Loren to get dressed and pack some stuff. Funny how teenagers are...she came down with 2 bags full of clothes and when I asked her if there isn't any important stuff she needs to pack she politely told me clothes are expensive. We moved the cars out of the top drive way down to the other side of the house and Jimmy's father started hosing down the property. In hindsight there are so many things that we do not think about or don't think are important. While Jimmy has been in hospital I had the irrigation system repaired and a new computer installed. It would have been useful to know how to set it to manual so that the water sprayers could have been left on to soak the ground.
We had fire engines and emergency vehicles and personnel up and down our street. There is one row of houses between us and the mountain and it was extremely close. Our road is 'upside down horse shoe shaped' and we live on the left hand side going down the hill. The houses on the straight section on the boundary of the mountain side had all been up since 1am. Everyone's cars were packed with engines idling waiting to leave.
The wind kept dying down (for very short periods of time) and then picking up again and each time it would change direction. At one stage it was blowing from right to left passed the back of our property and the next it changed direction and was blowing directly off the mountain in a direction of directly down our street. Clive and Maureen had been trying to phone me but I didn't realise that I had no cell phone reception. I can only think it was due to all the smoke hanging in the air? Loren I and were standing outside on the pavement when Clive pulled up to come and check on us to see if we needed any help. On this note I would like to say thank you to everyone that tried to phone and left messages and all the text messages I received...Andrew, Patsy, Matthew, Kate, Kathi, Rohan, Sharon, Colleen...forgive me if I left someone out. I even had a message posted on facebook and my name was tagged asking if we are okay...thank you Donne.
The fire started yesterday on the other side of the mountain and this morning the fire fighters were exhausted. The geography of the situation is very difficult to explain here for anyone that doesn't live in the Valley or Cape Town. Within a kilometre of our house are 2 old age homes and the stories we are hearing are all different but the frail care patients were all evacuated at 4am already, some taken to hospital and others accommodated in a church hall further down in our suburb.
This picture is not too clear but in the middle, under the green belt you will see Crofter's Valley. We are in San Michel which is just above this and hidden by the red icons. The fire started on the other side of the mountain (indicated by the green belt) in the Westlake and Muizenberg area.
A summary from the Volunteer Wildlife Services:
- 300+ firefighters
- 30 vehicles
- 4 helicopters
- 2 water bombers
- 1 spotter
- Area affected 3000+ hectares
- Homes have been evacuated - mass care set up at Fish Hoek Community - 5 homes burned to the ground
As I am typing I can hear the helicopters are back again....
The following are photos, some of which are mine and some I have uploaded from the Volunteer Wildlife Services:
These 2 photos are taken from the other side of the mountain, Westlake and Muizenberg, where the fire started and heavy winds blew it over the mountain towards us.
The next photo is taken from our side of the mountain at The Lakes. Our street is just under the line of fire just to the right hand side of the centre of the photo.
I took the next batch of photos in the street outside our house.
Here are some aerial photos taken of the area at lunch time today.
City of Cape Town Media Release a few hours ago:
MEDIA RELEASE
2 MARCH 2015
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service is leading a multi-agency team in trying to contain a fire in the South Peninsula.
The fire started just after 02:00 on Sunday 1 March in Muizenberg above Boyes Drive and was fanned by the strong wind. It is now burning over an extensive area, including Ou Kaapse Weg and Chapman’s Peak, heading in the direction of Hout Bay.
As at 12:00 today, five homes were destroyed along Silvermine Road in Noordhoek and numerous bungalows were alight at the Tintswalo Lodge at the foot of Chapman’s Peak.
One member of the City’s Fire and Rescue Service sustained burn wounds and was transported to hospital, while at least 52 residents at the Noordhoek Manor Retirement Village were treated for smoke inhalation.
At least 10 private homes, an old-age home and a retirement village have been evacuated in Noordhoek. Three mass care centres have been set up to accommodate those who have been displaced: at the Dutch Reformed Church in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek; the Dutch Reformed campsite in Noordhoek; and the Fish Hoek Community Hall.
Resources on scene currently include 97 City firefighters, 28 firefighting vehicles, 18 support vehicles, four helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft from Working on Fire, a spotter plane, and 50 Working on Fire ground crew. Agencies involved in the firefighting effort include the City’s Fire and Rescue Service, Disaster Risk Management staff and volunteers, Table Mountain National Park, Working On Fire volunteers, Wild Land Fire Services and Wild Fire Services.
Members of the public are advised to hose down thatched roofs, keep all windows closed and to call the City of Cape Town’s 107 Public Emergency Call Centre in the event of an emergency. They can dial 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.
Chapman’s Peak Drive remains closed, while Boyes Drive is partially closed between Old Boyes Drive and the golf course. Ou Kaapse Weg also remains closed due to poor visibility.
‘The focus of the firefighting efforts right now is on the protection of properties on the urban fringe and the firefighters on the ground are working all out. Fortunately, the wind has subsided somewhat, so that is a welcome relief. At this stage we have not established the cause of the fire, but that is a secondary concern. Right now the priority is protecting lives and property,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Members of the public who would like to make donations can drop them off at the Fish Hoek and Lakeside fire stations as well as the Dutch Reformed Church in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek; the Noordhoek Farm Stall; and the Dutch Reformed campsite in Noordhoek. Cash donations can be made to the Volunteer Wildfire Services.
End
Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication, Branding and Marketing Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1311 or Cell: 083 675 3780, E-mail: jean-pierre.smith@capetown.gov.za (please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za)
Some photos by ELSA HOFFMANN of the fire fighters working on the blaze above Boyes Drive in the early hours of this morning:
You will have noticed that I posted some pictures of the fire on the mountain which were taken around the time that I came home from the hospital yesterday afternoon and sunset.
Over night the wind picked up to gale force conditions and pushed the fire over the mountain to the whole stretch right behind our house. I woke up some time before 5 am coughing as a result of all the smoke in our house. Loren was sleeping with me and I shook her awake to tell her I can smell smoke. With that our neighbour phoned me to find out if I was awake. I told him I had just woken up and he calmly explained that the fire had come over the ridge and we need to pack important personal belongs and be ready for an evacuation.
I got dressed and I packed laptop and external hard drives and any paperwork I could think of including passports, birth certificates and my jewellery box. I yelled to Loren to get dressed and pack some stuff. Funny how teenagers are...she came down with 2 bags full of clothes and when I asked her if there isn't any important stuff she needs to pack she politely told me clothes are expensive. We moved the cars out of the top drive way down to the other side of the house and Jimmy's father started hosing down the property. In hindsight there are so many things that we do not think about or don't think are important. While Jimmy has been in hospital I had the irrigation system repaired and a new computer installed. It would have been useful to know how to set it to manual so that the water sprayers could have been left on to soak the ground.
We had fire engines and emergency vehicles and personnel up and down our street. There is one row of houses between us and the mountain and it was extremely close. Our road is 'upside down horse shoe shaped' and we live on the left hand side going down the hill. The houses on the straight section on the boundary of the mountain side had all been up since 1am. Everyone's cars were packed with engines idling waiting to leave.
The wind kept dying down (for very short periods of time) and then picking up again and each time it would change direction. At one stage it was blowing from right to left passed the back of our property and the next it changed direction and was blowing directly off the mountain in a direction of directly down our street. Clive and Maureen had been trying to phone me but I didn't realise that I had no cell phone reception. I can only think it was due to all the smoke hanging in the air? Loren I and were standing outside on the pavement when Clive pulled up to come and check on us to see if we needed any help. On this note I would like to say thank you to everyone that tried to phone and left messages and all the text messages I received...Andrew, Patsy, Matthew, Kate, Kathi, Rohan, Sharon, Colleen...forgive me if I left someone out. I even had a message posted on facebook and my name was tagged asking if we are okay...thank you Donne.
The fire started yesterday on the other side of the mountain and this morning the fire fighters were exhausted. The geography of the situation is very difficult to explain here for anyone that doesn't live in the Valley or Cape Town. Within a kilometre of our house are 2 old age homes and the stories we are hearing are all different but the frail care patients were all evacuated at 4am already, some taken to hospital and others accommodated in a church hall further down in our suburb.
A summary from the Volunteer Wildlife Services:
- 300+ firefighters
- 30 vehicles
- 4 helicopters
- 2 water bombers
- 1 spotter
- Area affected 3000+ hectares
- Homes have been evacuated - mass care set up at Fish Hoek Community - 5 homes burned to the ground
As I am typing I can hear the helicopters are back again....
The following are photos, some of which are mine and some I have uploaded from the Volunteer Wildlife Services:
These 2 photos are taken from the other side of the mountain, Westlake and Muizenberg, where the fire started and heavy winds blew it over the mountain towards us.
The next photo is taken from our side of the mountain at The Lakes. Our street is just under the line of fire just to the right hand side of the centre of the photo.
I took the next batch of photos in the street outside our house.
Here are some aerial photos taken of the area at lunch time today.
Here is a link to Cape Town Fire - time lapse 19:39 to 21:32 (this is a speeded up version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN9pXs17GKY&feature=player_detailpageCity of Cape Town Media Release a few hours ago:
MEDIA RELEASE
2 MARCH 2015
The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service is leading a multi-agency team in trying to contain a fire in the South Peninsula.
The fire started just after 02:00 on Sunday 1 March in Muizenberg above Boyes Drive and was fanned by the strong wind. It is now burning over an extensive area, including Ou Kaapse Weg and Chapman’s Peak, heading in the direction of Hout Bay.
As at 12:00 today, five homes were destroyed along Silvermine Road in Noordhoek and numerous bungalows were alight at the Tintswalo Lodge at the foot of Chapman’s Peak.
One member of the City’s Fire and Rescue Service sustained burn wounds and was transported to hospital, while at least 52 residents at the Noordhoek Manor Retirement Village were treated for smoke inhalation.
At least 10 private homes, an old-age home and a retirement village have been evacuated in Noordhoek. Three mass care centres have been set up to accommodate those who have been displaced: at the Dutch Reformed Church in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek; the Dutch Reformed campsite in Noordhoek; and the Fish Hoek Community Hall.
Resources on scene currently include 97 City firefighters, 28 firefighting vehicles, 18 support vehicles, four helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft from Working on Fire, a spotter plane, and 50 Working on Fire ground crew. Agencies involved in the firefighting effort include the City’s Fire and Rescue Service, Disaster Risk Management staff and volunteers, Table Mountain National Park, Working On Fire volunteers, Wild Land Fire Services and Wild Fire Services.
Members of the public are advised to hose down thatched roofs, keep all windows closed and to call the City of Cape Town’s 107 Public Emergency Call Centre in the event of an emergency. They can dial 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.
Chapman’s Peak Drive remains closed, while Boyes Drive is partially closed between Old Boyes Drive and the golf course. Ou Kaapse Weg also remains closed due to poor visibility.
‘The focus of the firefighting efforts right now is on the protection of properties on the urban fringe and the firefighters on the ground are working all out. Fortunately, the wind has subsided somewhat, so that is a welcome relief. At this stage we have not established the cause of the fire, but that is a secondary concern. Right now the priority is protecting lives and property,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Members of the public who would like to make donations can drop them off at the Fish Hoek and Lakeside fire stations as well as the Dutch Reformed Church in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek; the Noordhoek Farm Stall; and the Dutch Reformed campsite in Noordhoek. Cash donations can be made to the Volunteer Wildfire Services.
End
Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication, Branding and Marketing Department, City of Cape Town
Media enquiries: Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1311 or Cell: 083 675 3780, E-mail: jean-pierre.smith@capetown.gov.za (please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za)
Some photos by ELSA HOFFMANN of the fire fighters working on the blaze above Boyes Drive in the early hours of this morning:
Another aerial photo
Well I think this is enough reporting for one day. I will see Jimmy again in the morning and look forward to the possibility of an idea of when he will be discharged.
2015/03/01
Sunday, 1st March 2015
Day 59 - Stem Cell Transplant
Each day I see a difference in Jimmy. He is still suffering with nausea but yesterday they took down the morphine drip and this seems to have reduced the nausea a little bit more today.
I saw Prof this morning and he said that it is all up to Jimmy now. As soon as he is more independent and eats he can be discharged. Prof was a bit concerned that Jimmy spiked a temperature last night but he said they will just keep an eye on this.
So now it's the hard task of getting him to eat and when he does, more than a few spoons. Prof told me no more soup, he has to starting eating solids and he must have 2 shakes a day. So we had a little pep talk. There was a fire on Ou Kaapseweg this morning and the road was closed so I had to go through Fish Hoek and then Boyes Drive was jammed with fire engines too and a long tailback of cars so I only got the hospital at 12:30. I asked him why he hadn't got up yet and why he hadn't showered. He also needs to stop using the bottle to wee in as he needs to build up his strength and walk to the toilet. He wasn't very impressed.
Each day I see a difference in Jimmy. He is still suffering with nausea but yesterday they took down the morphine drip and this seems to have reduced the nausea a little bit more today.
I saw Prof this morning and he said that it is all up to Jimmy now. As soon as he is more independent and eats he can be discharged. Prof was a bit concerned that Jimmy spiked a temperature last night but he said they will just keep an eye on this.
So now it's the hard task of getting him to eat and when he does, more than a few spoons. Prof told me no more soup, he has to starting eating solids and he must have 2 shakes a day. So we had a little pep talk. There was a fire on Ou Kaapseweg this morning and the road was closed so I had to go through Fish Hoek and then Boyes Drive was jammed with fire engines too and a long tailback of cars so I only got the hospital at 12:30. I asked him why he hadn't got up yet and why he hadn't showered. He also needs to stop using the bottle to wee in as he needs to build up his strength and walk to the toilet. He wasn't very impressed.
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| The fire on Ou Kaapseweg |
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| Another beautiful sunset over Noordhoek this evening |