Moving forward slowly!

              Patches, the couch potato, keeping me company through this rather dismal summer. She is crazy for David Attenborough and watches him every afternoon, that is when she is not keeping an eye on me.
August has been very slow. I  did the urine test and had the lung function test 2 weeks ago and will get the results when I go back to the Doctor on the 2nd September. which is also when I have the heart scan........  all that being well I will be upgraded to the Beatson in Glasgow where I will have my veins tested....... hope they are not found wanting.
Meanwhile back at the GP I have discovered that I have a couple of lumps in my breast...... will have a mammogram soon  and hope that is nothing gloomy. Also having problems with my urine , to much or too little not sure which is worse. Slight lung infection and sore ears......... Lets not mention the toes and the knee. I am a walking disaster area.

Moving forward slowly

The first hospital visit after my trip to the stem-cell transplant Doctor was  easy. I did not need to continue with the Chemo  and was told that  my next step would be tests, (I am, however, still getting the bone strengthening  injections once a month.) Lung function, Urine and a Heart Scan...... all to be arranged ASAP. Walking on air about the no Chemo and looking forward to moving forward but still very very tired and a little dizzy.  Oh well can't have everything.

First stem-cell consultation

It's the third of July and my much loved son Robert and I are on the way to the Victoria Hospital in  Glasgow for the first real Stem-cell Transplant consultation. I am nervous to say the least. The threats of loosing my hair....... my only real beauty asset - the length of stay in hospital and all the other stuff I had read on the web had  double de-clutched  me into reverse gear.

The wait to be seen was short the Dr (McDonald) was charming and very reassuring  He basically talked about the procedure but was also very honest about the side effects and the problems that I might have to face. He gave me some sheets of paper which had all the problems listed. I have tried to convince myself that the NHS had to cover itself but reading through the indemnity document my heart stopped - anti-biotics for the rest of my life, chance of leukaemia, platelet transfusion and other equally awful prospects!
The interview ended and I was sent for blood tests.

I had survived round 1 almost unscathed!

I now had to decide if I wanted to go ahead or not.

Robert feels that I have no choice as done my son in SA Philip. Will now have to set about deciding and perhaps finding out what the alternative is.

In the beginning.

This Great Stemcell Transplant Adventure  started, in fact, with quite another transplant. In June 2014 I had a donor knee transplant at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary ( the 5th in Scotland I believe)............ this transplant was the final solution to 8 years of pain and suffering caused by a fall in Pick and Pay (a large grocery chain in South Africa with whom I have an ongoing court case.)
In the lead up to the knee transplant  I was subjected to endless blood tests and the Myeloma showed up in one of them.
 As soon as I was out of hospital but still on crutches and  still in great pain I was given a bone marrow biopsy which confirmed the  Myeloma diagnosis.   With one thing and another I could not start the Chemo treatment till the February of 2015 and until a week ago have been on the Chemo injection, Steroids and Thalidomide.
 I have reacted well to the treatment and my Doctor has seen fit to suggest that I am a suitable candidate for the Stemcell Transplant.
The knee is not 100 percent  but I am doing as well as can be expected and once the Stemcell Transplant is over I will focus on getting the knee up and running. Its no good have an athletic knee when I don't have the energy to walk.
I am sure that everybody who had ha Chemo Therapy will agree that it is exhausting and for  the last 6 months I have felt very tired, nauseous and dizzy..... I believe that this will continue into the Stemcell Transplant but at the end I will start feeling terrific again.

A little bit about me.

South African born I have enjoyed a career in the theatre and related arts spanning 50 years.  

I have  worked in all branches of the performing arts both in South Africa and more recently

 in Scotland. 

I have directed Opera, Musicals, Drama and for children, Conventional theatre and educational theatre. 

As Jacky Vermaas – I  was  Head of Drama at the Natal University of Technology for 7 years. Having moved to Scotland  I worked in Arts Development for both the Cumbernauld Theatre and the Inverclyde Council directing  Opera and Drama, creating public art works, music projects in the community and developing projects designed to improve the quality of life for both young and old.

 Working in Arts Development out of the McLean Museum in Greenock I was responsible for exhibitions, workshops and concerts related to the Museum and Inverclyde.

On the death of my  husband,  Opera Singer Lawrence Folley, in 2007 I returned to South Africa where, for five years, ( Until major damage to my knee caused by a fall in Pick and Pay stopped most of my physical activity.)    I was lucky enough to  tbe able to teach acting  and Movement ,in the  Opera School at Cape Town University and was Museum Director at the Casa Labia in Cape Town.

I am  currently working on my second book for young people. The first was called From the Kalahari to the Clyde..... the adventure of an intrepid Meercat.

I have  two  sons one living happily in Johannesburg with his partner and the other living  in Scotland with his partner. I have a Siberian cat called Patches and am  the proud Grandmother of Rachel, Louise, Samuel, Naomi and little Oliver

I am surrounded by family and friends who all  standing by to support me  through this Stemcell Transplant Adventure.                     

Patches: Companion, confidant, comfort and

Nurse