It is Wednesday 7 September. In South Africa we celebrate springday on the first day of September. On this day a week into our spring, after agrueling hard, unforgiving winter, I was on my way to UNITAS Hospital, toundergo admittance for “disease modification treatment”. Stewart took me andassisted me in checking into Hospital. Luckily, my Doctors rooms already filledout most forms on my behalf and I just needed to ensure that all of the “t’s”are crossed and “i’s” dotted!
Everything happened at such a fast pace. Monday I had myconsultation and my MRI scans. Tuesday, I received the diagnosis of mycondition. Then on Wednesday, being admitted into Hospital for the next fivedays. The advantage about situations in your life happening at such a fastpace, you either swim, or you sink like a rock to the bottom of the pond.
I was uncertain what would happen with me whilst in hospital and Iwas scared and anxious. But from the minute I stepped into the hospital I wastreated like a Royal! What a professional environment, and what a pleasuredealing with the Administration staff at UNITAS Hospital.
I was admitted into the Oncology ward, which is the cancer ward.Once again, the nurses and staff working in this ward will close their eyes onearth and open them in Heaven. What a pleasure and such a fantastic welcominghere at the Hospital.
One of the first things the Hospital do with you is to startmonitoring your vitals like blood pressure, glucose and temperature. After allthe checking in was complete and vitals checked and settled in, the nurse toldme that they are going to perform some blood tests as well and one of the moreimportant test that I need to undergo is a Lumbar Puncture (LP). This is thepart where I started getting really scared, but once again, the Doctor thatperformed the LP was so professional and knew what he was doing. He explainedexactly what I must do; lay on my side in a fetal position, and try to relax asmuch as possible. I made a point not to look at the needle the Doctor and thenurse used.
A Lumbar Puncture is an extremely common, and informative,procedure in the world of neurology, where they take a sample of cerebro-spinalfluid (CSF) and test it for everything they can think of. CFS is the fluid thatbathes the brain and spinal cord. If you have been referred to a neurologist inrelation to the loss of sight in one eye, a lumber puncture would not be anunusual investigation. In basically gives them an idea of the physiologicalstate of environment in which your brain and spinal cord float. Available: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/lymphomas/626850-what-lumbar-punch.html
After the LP, I was ready for my bed in ward 5D. Breakfast wasserved and right after breakfast, I started with my first Solu-Medrol intervein treatment. I will tell you a bit later about the Good, the Bad and theUgly about Solu-Medrol.
Even though that this episode was a very dark chapter in my lifeand no one can predict the future, I was, and still am lucky to have amazingpeople in my life. Stewart, my Family and my Wonderful Friends, which you willget too know as well throughout this journey with me. (I hope they don’t mind,since they are in this with me :-) )
Today's Picture
Pins and Needles...
This is a desert tree in my garden, it is called a “Half Man –Tree”. It is beautiful but it has the most amazing thorn covered bark.
November 2007
Pretoria
South Africa
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