A speed bump on the road of life

Well, the results came back from the lung tap. It was not quite what we wanted or expected but, nonetheless, we have to deal with it. The fluid that they removed from the pleura surrounding the lung came back positive for cancer cells on the cytology test. Dr. Erlich told us not to panic as we still have many options to achieve a remission again. Those were his words. We still took it kind of hard but it was wonderful to be surrounded by so many of our close friends. Once again, my family was fantastic passing messages back and forward and reassuring us that every cloud has a silver lining. We have hit a speed bump on the road of life but our journey continues.

Carpe Diem.

We're baaaaaack

Hi all. Boy, it's been a while. I have so much to show and tell. I will catch up in the next few days.

Carpe Diem.

Dulini update

We're sitting here at Johannesburg airport. I can't believe how 2 weeks has flown by. We had an amazing holiday and an amazing last game drive. Last night, we followed a pride of 6 lions on the hunt. If Diana had swung her foot over the side of the land rover, she would have touched the back of a lion. We also almost reversed into a lion as he was waiting for the rest of his pride. This wouldn't have bothered us that much had we not been sitting in the last row of the rover. What an adrenaline rush! Yesterday also marked the 1 year anniversary of Diana's mom's death. What a year it has been.

Carpe Diem.

The people who made this special

Carpe Diem.

Ngala and Dulini accomodation

Both places were simply amazing. Ngala was bigger with 20 thatched huts and Dulini only had 6 suites. The food was incredible at both places with Ngala having the slight edge. From a game viewing standpoint, they were both awesome but once again, Ngala got the nod. The staff at both places were marvelous ( I sound like Billy Crystal doing Fernando Lamas). I'm running out of superlatives!

Carpe Diem.

The others!

Carpe Diem.

Ngala update

After 2 brief bush plane rides (B1900 and Cessna 206) we arrived in Ngala (NW Kruger Park). Immediately on a game drive, we saw a plethora of animals, including civet, lion, elephant, rhino and hyena nursing her cubs. 5am and 5 pm game drives - it doesn't get better than this! Monday was leopard day - in the morning, she was on the run; in the evening, up in the tree with her prey.
After lunch today, we took a short Cessna ride to Dulini (SW Kruger). During the evening game drive, we finally saw it - the cheetah. After a delicious ostrich dinner back at the lodge, we got some more bad news. Michael (our son) suffered another seizure. It had been 14 months since his first one (we were hoping it was also his last). Seems that Mike is quite the social butterfly and with 4 friends sleeping over, combined with sleep deprivation, he had another seizure, albeit briefer, due to the medicine he has been taking for it. A bit overwhelming for my poor wife. My mom did an admirable job handling the situation and Mike's friends were amazing.

Carpe Diem.

Getting around

Carpe Diem.

The big five

Carpe Diem.