Tim's professional photos! 22 Aug 2009

Two hunks!


I love these dreamy eyes.




a smile!

Looking after our munchkin.

Don't these two look so happy?

These photos have been taken by Leandre Warren photography http://www.lwfotos.com/

She is very clever to have got a smile from Tim!

Thank you Leandre!

Gratuitous baby photos, cos I can!

Timothy

Tim went back to the hospital yesterday. He was 'quarrentined' again, in the Dr's room as some bright spark had taken their child in to the oncology unit suffering from swine flu - I ask you with tears in my baby blue peepers, what does that sign on the door say? - ' if you have a fever or temperature do not go beyond these doors'.

What with that and the chicken pox last month, I think there is a language barrier! (Sounds a bit like a barnyard). (And what do I keep saying about our major problem in SA - it is the language barrier - 11 official languages is ridiculous).

Anyway, Tim is on TB meds, and has to pick up some weight to start his treatment. 3 kilos sounds easy to you and me, but that is half his body weight.

So, things are going to quieten down and Tim needs to eat!

quilts at RCCH

Here are some photos of some of the quilts at the Red Cross Children's Hospital. I love most of them.

This should be turned! This is lovely.


my fav! I just love this one.










Red and white





oops, a bit fuzzy!

I cannot turn this!

Boats!

Teddy alseep

Sean's finger.... no, not The Finger!

Sean went yesterday to have the pin removed from his finger. I had no idea that he would be under anaesthetic for it!

He arrived home yesterday at supper time to tell me he had just eaten a lunch and a supper!

He wondered why they had given him so many pain killers; this morning he knew.

I told him to go in and leave early. He isn't home yet!

Tim photos!

In the bath with my daddy.


Thumb sucking in hospital - too sweet! (And very loud)!



Showing the lump under his arm and his swollen abdomen, casused by his liver and speen being inflamed.

Edgar Cayce

I have recently finished a book which touches on the work of Edgar Cayce. Pronounced Kay - cee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Cayce He was a chap who during the 20th century was psychic and diagnosed people's dis-ease / s (his word) whilst in a trance. Most of his cures involved a hot pack of Castor oil. As we all know Castor oil is an eliminating oil. He said that most of the problems of the human body always led back to a blockage or an elimination problem. He used Castor oil packs for just about everything; ankle sprains, sore throats, chest infections.

I read in the book that the author Jess Stern, used Castor oil to remove age spots on his hands. Now my hands are usually smooth, because of my cross stitching, but since trying the Castor oil, and just using it like a hand cream I have noticed a definite improvement. And this in only 2 days!

Tim updates will occure when happening, as there will be a lull in activity there, for just a while. He will have to pick up some weight. Lucky lad!

How could I forget?

Forgot to mention, they have found two possible bone marrow donors for Tim. How could I forget?

Big excitement as that means they are one step closer to treatment.

xxxx

The latest...

Whew what a journey!

I slept in the plane on the way down on Wed morning, then Coralie picked me up from the airport and we went directly to the hospital. We then found out that Coralie was expected to stay overnight with Tim, and she had not been told. So we worked out that she did not have to go back to Paarl to pick up clothing as I still had my suitcases with us. So we did manage. But then of course it was a mission to get Henk around as we had their car.

The one Doctor said it was okay for me to stay overnight too, and to use one of the day room beds. Unfortunately the staff did not convey that message to the night staff and they were not ‘best pleased’ as Sean would say. So the first night, they were okay, using the ward toilet and leaving the light on, which wasn’t too much of a hassle. The second night they switched on the ward lights to go to the loo. Pack of witches!! I worked out why; if things are quiet, they will nap on the beds!

Tim; on Wednesday they said he may get the operation on Thursday. At this stage it was still on that they would remove the whole lump. On Thursday they had 8 burn victims scheduled for surgery, so he was again bumped to Friday. (This whole thing was starting to feel ridiculous). Friday morning he went for his op at 7h30, and was back really quickly. It works out that they only took an aspiration of the lump to see what it was as it is too close to nerve and vein bundles to remove. So Coralie was pretty distraught.

Not to mention that the Dr’s had a misunderstanding between the two of them and there was an amount of tension there too. Words like “I throw my hands up!” and “I wash my hands of it”, were said – with appropriate actions (giggle), we threatened the calmer Dr with us as a work load if they did not come to an agreement as to what was going on. He is pretty busy and the kids love him. Anyway the best surgeon dealt with Tim, so that was all that mattered.

Anyway the lump is either BCG-osis, from having a BCG injection when he did not have the immune system to deal with the infections. Or it is leukaemia. If it is BCG-osis, he will have to go on TB treatment for 4 to six months. If is leukaemia, he still has to be at 9 kgs to commence treatment.

We all caught a cold from the one Sister – thanks for sharing!

So, I slept one night at Coralie’s, and straight to the airport on Saturday morning. Tim had a nightmare night on Friday/Sat night, this kids still aren’t over that. I had a 14-hour night last night, and I am still tired. I am sick of saying that!!

Happy birthday Jorja, 4 years old!!

Happy birthday Mat

To Mathew, my brother, he is 40 today.

He was born just after the lunar landing. I watched the lunar landing, with my mom. She must have been hugely pregnant with Mat, but I don't remember that; I just remember some very grainy footage of people bouncing around the moon. I was pretty lucky as I had woken up in the night and joined my mom in the lounge - I would have not seen it other wise as it was a 'middle of the night' thing in the UK.

Mat, enjoy this one! Now life gets even better, I promise! I hope you get 40 presents!

xxxxxxxx

more to say...

I am flying down to CT on Wednesday morning early.

Monday is a holiday, Wimmins Day. (That is howyou pronounce Women, South Africans). They call it Woman's Day, but it is Women's Day.

Tuesday I work.

Wednesday I fly and take Tim to the hospital. Coralie is still in training.

I am not sure how things will work out whilst we are there. What with the kids working 60 kms from home.

I will let you know.

a message from Coralie

"I just Dr Desai to now regarding Tim's lump. Tim needs to go in on Wednesday and he will be staying overnight and having the procedure on Thursday. Depending on how it goes on Thursday he might have to stay overnight again. Feels like a huge mission, but she said coz it’s a government hospital things don’t work as quickly as a private hospital would. They cant do it this week coz they got chicken pox in the ward. That makes 3 days I won't be able to go to
work!!!!!!!"

I have offered to fly down, let's see what happens.

Poor, poor Coralie, this is her first week back at work, and now this! She is still in training.

ready to scream?

Coralie has more problems, her nanny for Tim walked out - Coralie's first day back at work. Flipping cow, she gave up three jobs to go to Coralie, she was getting R3000 - plus minus $300 a month - a large salary for a maid here. And when Coralie gets back to work drops her! When you consider the little guy moans all the time, he has flu like symptoms all the time, a side effect of the L, it must be so hard for anyone to look after him. But really, she knew what to expect, she had been with them over 2 weeks already. I think she thought it would be a breeze as it was only a nanny posistion and no cleaning required. And Coralie was telling her to only get in at 9, now Coralie has started work she needs to be there 6h30, so C can get to work. Part of their agreement; but now C is stuck. I don't know what she is to do.

back home

With Granny


with Nicole



family shot, no, I am not going to smile!!




yum, yum!




I have got back, but I am so tired, I think I have had too much sleep the last 24 hours. I slept on the plane, all the way, about 2 hours and then went to bed REALLY early, about six thirty!

I feel fuzzy around the edges.

I have not yet started work, and I have been here nearly 2 hours already.

I have some lovely shots of Tim, on my cell phone, and I do not know how to down load them to my computer. He is a lovely little chap, but he cries weakly all the time. He is easily distracted, but that too is wearing.

I told him all kinds of stories about all kinds of things, and sent him off to sleep – see, I am boring! But he looked at my face the whole time. He loves his hair being fluffed around, too sweet! And he loves nappy changes, now he is all fresh! Coralie gives him special attention when he has a nappy change, she rubs cream on him, and chats to him and he loves that time.

He has a most swollen stomach, his liver and pancreas are both swollen and are causing him to look pretty fat, but he is not. He has a large growth bigger than a golf ball under his one arm. The Drs are monitoring that.

The tissue typing will take 6 weeks, then he will be on a donor list.