Chemo 17 (Round 8)

Yes indeed, it’s that time again. If you are keeping score here is the summary:

35  radiation treatments
89  chemo treatments
28  various scans
2  port installations
1  port uninstall
2  “talc” procedures
Numerous hospital visits both routine and non routine and…still around after 5 ½ years.

Carpe Diem.

Bulawayo accommodation

With regards Bulawayo, Zimbabwe accommodation I am looking for a well appointed/ luxury/ up class townhouse in a secure community. Two bedroom, two bathroom, located in the Khumalo/Suburbs general area for year long rental. Furnishings a plus. Top dollar paid for right rental. 

If you have a property in mind or know of anything available please let me know. I would really appreciate it. Feel free to spread the word.

I am also looking for a car. Something like a Honda CRV 4WD.


Email me at: asuskin@hotmail.com

Carpe Diem.

And the word is……….

from my oncologist following my latest scans; “Scans overall stable. No significant change”. While I am truly thrilled with this I just wish this shit would go away! However, the alternative to all of this is worse.

There is also an ongoing issue with the elevated protein levels in my urine. This is as a result of the side effects of Avastin. My last dose of Avastin was July 19th. My past 2 chemo sessions I have only received the Alimta and will also skip the Avastin at my next chemo session on September 18th. While this is not ideal, it is the only way for the protein levels to return to normal. The other downside to continued  elevated levels of protein in my urine is kidney damage. Not great!

Now, which way is New York City?

Carpe Diem.

And now for something completely different……….

Mike started his new job today here in Baltimore.

Robyn started her Masters in Occupational Therapy today at NYU in New York City.

I will be moving to New York City in the not too distant future.

So there!

Carpe Diem.

I’m baaaack for Chemo 16 Round 8

Wow, 2 wonderful months in Southern Africa and I was able to throw in 3 chemo treatments while I was there.

Off to my USA poisoning now and what a poisoning it was. Things went more or less ok. The protein in my urine is still elevated so I never got the Avastin again. Just the Alimta. I have to do another 24hr wee wee test next week and then my scans September 4th.

Carpe Diem.

Africa

Tomorrow I leave for Africa.

I will try and update the blog from there with relevant and interesting stuff.

To all those faithful followers, thank you for sticking around.

Carpe Diem.

My upcoming travel plans

I am leaving for Africa on June 24th. At this moment I plan to be there until about mid August. Obviously things are flexible and (for now) I am not planning on moving there full time. 

I have arranged to have some of my chemo treatments done in Cape Town. I have also organized for Robyn and Michael to visit me in mid July. I'm really excited about that. I’m setting up lots of stuff for them and me to do.

I just had chemo yesterday and all went smoothly. My last scans done a short while ago showed stable and no spread. So, off to Africa for a while.

Carpe Diem.

Chemo 12 (Round 8)

Huh ?

All went smoothly. Until next time………….

Carpe Diem.

Happy birthday Bobba

Mike and I spent a few days with Bobba the Bear (aka mom and grand mom) in Boca. And no, Bobba wasn’t standing in a hole and Mike and I are not giants :-)

Carpe Diem.

The latest Zimkids update

Thanks Dennis.

"Hello friends! It’s been a great few months at Zimkids thanks to your continuing support. I just arrived back in the States to begin meetings with our friends across the country. Here’s the latest news!

Over the past two months, we’ve built the welding training program into a serious operation. We’ve now constructed a covered welding area, with the donation of our good doctor’s metal carport. Our boys and girls over 15 years old are becoming great welders. And they just finished Zimkids’ first commercial welding job: the construction of railing, a bookcase and wardrobe for a private client, using her old railings as the materials.

Meanwhile, the older boys and girls also built a stunning obstacle course, complete with a tunnel made from enormous old tires, balance beam, swinging tires, hanging rings, a tightrope, and a climbing structure.

As if they weren’t busy enough, Foster and Collen who joined Zimkids 7 years ago, who were a big part of our building team and are now on staff installed an electric fence to further secure the property, thanks to the continuing generosity of private donors and the Independent Pilots Association. Foster and Colin, also installed our solar array under the guidance of a local solar energy contractor, needed no guidance this time. The contractor was so impressed that he asked if he could train them to install solar hot water heaters for his company in the hope that he can spin them off into their own business, to serve as a subcontractor for him.

They’re facing some pretty serious choices since we’ve enrolled them in professional courses, Colin in electricity and Foster in boilermaking. For the moment, they’ll work at Zimkids during the work, take their courses on Saturdays, and work for the solar company as needed, which gives other Zimkids coming up time to hone their skills and replace Foster and Collen as they set out on their own. You can imagine how proud we all felt that our plans for these young people are turning into realities. Our dream to enable our kids to gain myriad skills and eventually go into business is becoming a reality. We are thrilled.

Meanwhile, Sithabisiwe is continuing her counseling training with Contact, currently interviewing HIV-positive teenagers to develop her technique. Week by week, we’re watching her understanding grow – and being brought to bear with our own kids.

The new program we began for children ages 3-7 years is thriving. The kids are clearly gaining weight and energy thanks to the feeding program. They are all now happily playing games on our computers and beginning to write as well. The incredible Julie Tazzia of Michigan sent underwear for the girls, none of whom had ever HAD underwear. We could use more underwear for both girls and boys, all sizes. (Contact me at dennis.gaboury@yahoo.com for further information)

We had another amazing clothing moment with a 6-year-old boy named Francis who lives with his 78-year-old grandmother and grandfather. He just joined ZImkids and always appeared in the same rags every day. So we reached into the suitcase filled with clothes dropped off by a donor from London and outfitted him in bright lime green soccer shoes, red shorts, a yellow T-shirt, and a bright yellow fleece hoodie and his first pair of underwear. As he walked home that afternoon, the neighbors all began cheering. He’s a different boy now, not hiding in a corner but smiling and playing with the others.

Our garden has fully recovered and is yielding bountiful tomatoes, chimulia, butternut and spinach. We use our drip irrigation system in the greenhouse and upturned 2-litre soda bottles to water vegetables that are planted in maize meal sacks to conserve water.

We’ve been receiving an increasing amount of local support, which is extremely gratifying. A local NGO that is installing water tanks – and delivering water to fill them monthly – offered us the same water supply. Drought conditions continue so this will help a lot. Then a church in northern Zimbabwe sent us a full set of marimbas – musical instruments that are sort of wooden xylophones – and Energy Maburutse, the former lead marimba player for the band Liyana and one of our trustees, will be spending part of his summer break from Lynn University in Florida teaching our kids to play. Drillwell, the well digging company, appeared with more playground equipment, this time monkey bars to add to the swings, see-saw and merry-go-round that they’d already built for us.

The biggest news about local support came from the foundation funded by Strive Masiwa, the owner of Econet, the largest cell phone company in Zimbabwe. They are coming to install Internet at the site and are giving us the money to pay for it for three years. So now our kids can skype schools in the States from the site, receive and send emails, learn to google and see the world.

In January we shipped 68 boxes of books, sewing equipment, games, sports equipment, etc and it will be arriving at the center the last week of May. So it will be a big holiday when they arrive!

I’m leaving, then, filled with pride, excitement and a little bit of exhaustion. But mostly, I’m relaxed, knowing that things are moving ahead beautifully, thanks to a fantastic staff and extremely loyal donors.”

Carpe Diem.