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After a fairey tale 2008, 2009 has just failed to take off so far. Terry's been in theatre twice already and bone and joint deterioration is causing considerable pain and discomfort and restricted mobility. I'm also feeling the consequences of the last couple of years and have required medical attention, I guess it's some kind of delayed stress backlash.
So, we had no choice really, but to book March by the sea and get this bloody year kickstarted!
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Hi all, we're back.
Good trip down until we reached 'maritzburg and had to drive through torrential rains and zero visibility until well past Durbs. Several cars didn't make it through, including a larny SUV which streaked passed us like he was driving a speedboat and which we saw parked, buckled and battered, at a jaunty angle on top of the guard rails further on. As a bonus, no blue-light bandit incidents either.
We arrived at the BP garage where we were supposed to pick up our cabana keys but they weren't there. Seems the agent cocked it up and the place wasn't ready but he did good and put us up in a B&B, organised a lock-up garage so we didn't have to unpack the car, threw in breakfast and gave us a full day's cash refund, with which we had a hearty dinner. We moved in the next morning and the cabana was great, showing excellent attention to detail to ensure a great holiday. Fully serviced too, so no washing dishes, making beds etc., for 3 weeks!
We had an unrivalled sea view from anywhere inside and outside the cabana (except the toilet):
I commented about the view, the proximity to the sea and not much higher either to the agent and mentioned my nervousness about a Sunami. Apparently, until the end of last year, the sea view was limited to this:
I was informed that during last year's storm surges, the sea rose up and smashed through the Admiralty Reserve flora, removing it and their front fence and was lapping against the cabanas' patios. So nature gave them the current views which they were not allowed to give themselves and the authorities could do nothing about it. When they did their repairs, they planted low plants and ground covers in the Reserve to ensure they kept the sea views.
The weather was fab, we had 1 DVD day due to rain and 2 DVD days due to gale force winds, caught up on several 'missed' movies. The waves were awe inspiring in the first week, the NSRI issued a big wave warning and the beaches were closed, although 5 people still drowned. Biggest waves I've ever seen in KZN.
Terry was on top form, walking the beaches with no aids, including conquering the beach where I had to rescue her last year without even stopping to rest. The rocks were a bit different and I had to be the walking aid, but she managed the flatter rocks. Here is Terry doing what she loves:
...and me, spoiling her view:
We had one scare. A dialysis session took off a bit too much water and further fluid loss from sweating in the heat and getting violently sick (happens, we and the doctors still don't know why), caused a serious blood pressure crash. Took her to Margate hospital at 3am that night for them to put up a drip and rapidly rehydrate her. They wanted to admit her but she stubbornly refused. They got her pressure up out of the death zone but the next day was a dead loss, spent in bed too exhausted to move and me taking her blood pressure every half hour in case I had to rush her back to the hospital. By that night she started to come out of it and with a huge sigh of relief, we resumed our holiday the next morning.
We had a great time and Terry is definitely stronger and in better shape after this holiday than before we went down. 2009 is starting to look a whole lot brighter.
Sadly, when I took her to dialysis back here this morning, we learned they'd lost 2 more patients and are scrambling to save a third whose veins are collapsing so they're battling to dialise her. One guy who died, after waiting for many, many years, got to the head of the queue and received a new kidney. Everyone rejoiced with him but soon after the transplant something went wrong, the new kidney failed, attempts to restart dialysis failed and he was gone, just when he thought his long struggle was over.
Nevertheless, we are not they and we shall continue to wring the last drop of joy out of this life and not worry about tomorrow.
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