Thursday, April 16, 2009

I'm feeling it!

Well I've had a couple of good days but now I'm feeling what more than likely is the Neulasta shot effects from Tuesday. Really bad neck pain and lower back pain. Oh well!!!

Yesterday I did my rounds at Sinai. I took a gift to one of the RN's who was really helpful in having my records transferred to St. Joseph. I also took a small gift to Mary and went and thanked her , once again, for treating me so well over the past year. I will miss her.

We are also looking into a consult with Doctors at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Phil is helping us immensely with all her great contacts there. We are not trying to create a sense of urgency or doom and gloom with all these consults etc. but are just trying to leave no stone unturned for future treatment.

Friday morning our very good friends from Toronto, Spike (Mervyn) and Aviva, are coming to spend the weekend with us. It was Spike's mom who recently passed away after a very long and tough life. She is deeply missed.

Carpe Diem.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Chemo 1 (Round 5)

Today was my first day at St. Joseph Medical Center for the maintenance chemo 1 (Round 5). I think I have found my new Mary. As sad as it was to leave Mary at Sinai, Jen at St. Joseph will be the nurse I work with on a regular basis. She is wonderful as was the rest of the staff. It was a good day even though it took about 3 hours. It was longer because of the first day but it seems like the next few should be fairly brief. Hopefully I will tolerate this round fairly well!

Carpe Diem.

Zimbabwe update

I thought I would include Dennis's latest email to me just in case anyone out there has a lead or contact who would help in obtaining some of the medicines or medical supplies Dennis needs.
Hi Ade,
Got the money from Hylton. Terrific. Re medicines. Asthma inhalers, Ibuprophin (need alot), tylenol, anti fungal creams, anti-histimine eye drops, scabies shampoo and/or lotions.For sports related injuries need bandaids, rubber gloves, ace bandages, anti-bacterial ointment, hand sanitizer would be great for all the kids. Also, I am coming back to the states the week of May 10th. I am making all the necessary arrangements here to make sure the food deliveries are kept up as well as keeping the programs we have in place going and growing. Dr. Sashka Macsimovic will continue monthly visits. Daily home visits are being conducted to make sure we have all the correct info on the kids situations and to keep aprised of any needs. My website is being re-constructed by a Zimbabwean living in Toronto who is an orphan as well. He saw the video and wrote offering his services. When I return I need to find a good truck as mine died. Am using friend’s vehicles now. They will continue the deliveries in my absence. Zimkids is now a registered Trust in Zimbabwe and am working on getting a Forex bank account opened so that funds can be wired directly into the account. (Which is a mighty complicated task!) Formerly it was unreliable as the Federal Reserve just took the money andspent it on Mercedes cars and never returned it but now things seem to be secure.Life here is returning to some normality. With everything being run in Rand or Dollars there are many more cars on the road, Potholes are getting fixed, traffic lights are beginning to be restored but the vast majority of people have little access to foreign currency especially in the rural areas and especially my grandmothers who have no source of income. So it’s still quite tough for them. We tested all the caregivers for blood pressure and out of 100 only 2 had normal blood pressure. The rest had sky high pressure. Will be testing them periodically to get a baseline and then prescribe meds. Need to keep them healthy for the kids sake. Also we requested that all the mothers get HIV tests if they haven’t already. Then Sashka will test the children of those mothers who are HIV+.So we are getting a handle on things here while making sure food is on the table. Also bought 5 volleyballs/soccer/netball. Had 85 kids playing ball over the weekend. Many organizations don’t include regular “fun” things for the kids to do. They mainly concentrate on dramas about poverty, rape, AIDS, and death and the kids act it out. It’s a bit much. I find it so antithetical to being a child and think education can occur with positive activities interspersed with a message. for example, when a kid injures himself playing ball we make a point of gathering them together showing them we need to put on rubber gloves, how to protect from AIDS and use the opportunity for educating them. Anyway, I do go on!Got to run. Be well. Let me know if you need more info.
Best to you,
Dennis.
Carpe Diem.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Weekend update

Saturday morning was spent watching Man U beat Sunderland 2-1 to remain on top of the Premiership table by 1 point with a game in hand. Yehaa.


Saturday evening Rob took us to the first home game of the Washington Freedom women's soccer team. It was played at the Germantown soccerplex just outside Washington. She writes a blog for the team and so is a credentialed member of the press with a parking pass and a press ID. How cool is that. The game was pretty good but you can read all about it at her blog:


http://www.oleole.com/blogs/washingtonfreedom




On the way home we dropped her off at school and as usual, it was a bummer saying bye to her. It's always nice having her home!

Sunday was just a lazy mild shopping day. Sunday evening we watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition. This was a bit tough for me to watch as the father was dying of a brain tumor. Even though I try desperately to stay in the now I can't help thinking of what would happen if they told me I had a certain time to live. Would it be painful, would it take a while etc. etc. I simply have to follow my mantra and.............

Carpe Diem.