Life Is Short, Live It!

It has been a while since I have updated my blog, and I apologize to my readers who already asked me several times when I am writing another update. But you will soon understand why I have been so silent in the recent weeks and I am sure you will all understand.

So let’s get started: my one and only objective was to get my weight loss under control, which wasn’t so easy. My doctor prescribed me “Opium drops” to get my dysentery under control and I was lucky that it did its effect. You may think I am a lucky devil that I am getting Opium legally, but the dosage is so minimal that you don’t even feel it and it doesn’t make you high at all. It’s just sufficient to “block” my tummy. Foods wise, I had a very good talk with the nutritionist who was initially against intravenous feeding, as she wanted me to try to at maintaining my current weight at least. I actually managed quite ok by eating more soups enriched with additional calories shakes and slowly ate more than before. But I was still not gaining weight and the side effects did not stabilize enough to let me go on another trip.

Now I’ve got to tell you that I have the most incredible doctor here in Stuttgart looking after me, who understands my urge for traveling and supports me 100%. In order to make it happen, he suggested taking me off the medication during the time I am traveling so that I can enjoy my holidays without any side effects. The moment we agreed on this, I had booked my plane tickets to South Africa and a week later I was in the air.

For 7 years I haven’t been back to South Africa, my other home country, as most of you know. It’s been years that I kept telling myself “next year I go to South Africa”, but as usual and that’s how life is something came in between: too much work, no time, no money etc. A piece of my heart always remained in Africa and that will never ever change. So this trip was something big and special for me, and I was so excited to finally going back again. I had left so many special friends and family of mine there who I couldn’t wait to see and spend time with. This journey was indeed a dream come true, as I desired it so much.

Hence, on 19 October 2016 my mum and I boarded the SA flight 261 from Frankfurt to Johannesburg, and the next morning I set foot on African ground. It was an emotional feeling for me to be suddenly back “home”. Eventually by noon we reached Durban and already inhaling the sea air made me feel healthier than ever before. We had booked a cottage on the South Coast in Pennington where my South African family lives so that we spend lots of time together.

I’ve got to disappoint you though, as this holiday didn’t include any big five safaris, road trips, sight seeing or deep sea fishing adventures. This trip was all about meeting up, visiting and catching up with family and friends who I haven’t seen for 7 years and also because you never know if this may be the last time I see them. The time with them was so precious and I enjoyed every single minute.

The first week we stayed in Pennington on the South Coast catching up with Rina & Buks who are like my second family. One evening we also had a “braai” (South African word for BBQ) with the other family members Kotie, Riaan, Francois and Cecelia who we all know since 1997. I was happy like a little kid that evening as they prepared my favorite fish dish on the braai spiced with lemon, garlic pepper. A week after my arrival, the big surprise: I had promised my doctor to check my blood counts whilst in SA (to ensure all is ok after stopping the medication) and of course my HB level (red blood counts) were low whereas my platelets were increasing! The HB was at 7.2 (normal value 11-13), which was obviously way too low. So I also had my first hospital experience in South Africa, as I received 2 blood units. The oncologist I went to see in Amanzimtoti was simply amazing and I immediately felt being in good hands. I stayed overnight at Kingsway Hospital whilst receiving the 2 blood units. All works a bit different there, as one unit needs to run into your body within 5 hours and as I needed 2 units it took the whole night. Also every 15 minutes they checked my blood pressure making a sleep impossible. Overall all went well and the following day I was released from hospital.

More friends and family were on the list to visit, so in the second week we headed inland and spend 3 nights in Mooi River on Riaan’s farm. It was a real fun weekend, as listening to Riaan’s jokes are just so entertaining that by the evening when we went to bed all our tummy muscles hurt. Two of Riaan’s and Kotie’s grandchildren were on the farm, as well as Rina’s and Buks’ grandchild Liam, and we played all day with them. We drove along on the farm and saw some Eland antelope, zebras and horses. Just a week prior they had found a wounded baby duiker that was caught in a barbwire, which they now bottle-feed until it is strong enough to be released again. I have to admit that I got overly spoilt during those days and all my favorite meals were prepared and cooked: porridge for breakfast, fried fish and my all time favorite “lamb Potjiekos” (similar to a stew, but still different) or melktert for dessert.

What would be a South Africa holiday without a car breaking down or a flat tyre? Even that I got to tick off from my list. When we were meant to leave the farm to go to Pietermaritzburg, we noticed an oil leak underneath of Rina’s car. Turned out that a stone scratched a hole into the oil tray. Hence the car had to be towed to a garage in Pietermaritzburg, and we all left with my rented SUV Toyota. In PMB (short cut for Pietermaritzburg) we stayed with “Ouma” who is Rina’s mother, and we also reunited with Linda, Jerry, Kyle and Tyla with whom we have been with on our “Transkei” holiday in 1998. Sharing such a long history together all these people are not just friends for me, but family. Whilst I was living in South Africa from July 2005 till February 2006 they were my family and everyone has a special place in my heart.

My dear friend Lisa

On my must visit list were Lisa and Mike and their two daughters in Nottingham Road. I know them from Zululand Rhino Reserve days, when we still used to have our farm Mavela. We share so many memories together and we had an amazing evening together just looking at old pictures: from spending NYE together in Kosi Bay, No-clothes parties or playing drinking-strip games. I wish I had more time to spend with them, but I am certain that I will see them again soon.

Unfortunately, after this week away inland I got a sinus infection and spend a few days in bed. Luckily during our last week in SA we had some nice sunny days, and I managed to spend a few hours in the sun on the beach.

Leopard Rock

One day we went on a day trip to Leopard Rock, located around 1 hour further South close to Port Shepstone, with Francois, Cecelia, Rina and Buks spending the day in nature. The view is just magnificent and we enjoyed an amazing lunch there. I also got to see Izelle for a cup of coffee that I really wanted to visit in Cape Town, but due to the sinus infection I couldn’t travel and I was lucky that she came up to Durban visiting her family. Finally on our last night in SA the family was complete, as Rikus made it down from PMB, as well as Tiaan who just returned from a job in Angola, and we had a final braai all together.

Tiaan and Rikus

I have to admit that this was a very emotional trip for me: reconnecting with friends and family and simply sucking in the beauty of one of my favorite countries in the world. There is something about South Africa that makes me revive and makes my heart beat faster! I am thankful that I was able to make this trip and my goal is to do it again. If there is something I have learnt from this horrible illness such cancer is that life is short and we should live it as long as we can. What’s the point of saving all money until we reach the age of retirement and we may not be healthy anymore to do the things we always wanted to do? We live in the here and now, we should live in the presence and not in the future. We need dreams and goals that gives us the motivation to work towards something, and that’s what will keep us going.

I am glad that I have a doctor here in Stuttgart who supports me exactly in my goals and my way of thinking. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, and I don’t know how long these medications may work for me. It could be 1 year, but it could be as well 10 years…

So now let me share with you my next dream: 3 months on medication and then off again for another travel journey! Where to? I don’t know yet… let me get inspired and let me start dreaming for the next months! All I practice now is by following the meaning of the saying:

“Life is short, Live it!”

PS: I got two very special gifts before my departure. My family, the Breytenbach’s, gave me a necklace with an African shaped pendent with a heart in it… I wear it close to my heart everyday. And the other gift I got from Lisa: a bracelet with a rhino pendent, which shall remind me on where we met. That was at the Zululand Rhino Reserve where we lived on neighboring farms. The rhino shall also be a symbol on how I am trying to survive cancer, just the same way as the rhinos try to survive from being poached. The two gifts touched me and brought tears to my eyes.