Marisa 'eM' Louw

  It's been a while since my last real social interaction with a group of people and this weekend's social activities made me realise it may be a good idea to give everyone an update on my health. Living a normal life I am blessed not having experienced any chemo side-effects so far after four sessions. I shaved my hair by choice and am keeping it short, just in case it starts falling out. I am up and about and am not quite sure why people were so surprised to see me at work this weekend. My cancer diagnoses is not a death sentence and there is no reason for me to be bedridden. My body is recovering from four surgeries since August 2019, all under general anesthetic, and the side-effects from anesthesia and all the antibiotics are leaving me slightly fatigued and with a little 'brain fog' at times.  I have a healthy appetite, I sleep well, I go to gym, I play outside with my animals, I wash the car, I work in the garden... I’m pretty much living a normal life. And I am ...

  Friday, 1 November 2019 - Over the last three months Fridays have almost lost that ‘happy’ feeling because hubby and I have been spending them mostly in doctors’ consulting rooms or in the hospital. But it is strange how one gets used to it. Very much the same way I had to get used to spending between four and six hours in the car every other day to drive to and from Parys for client meetings in Johannesburg. Some projects required me to make the commute daily. Although it is a pretty relaxing drive for most of the trip, the traffic in Johannesburg can be brutal and at best unpredictable. If you are feeling ill, or had a bad night’s sleep, or in a bad mood the trip feels extra long. And no matter how ‘good’ the day has been, one is generally exhausted by the time you get back home, especially if you have been the driver all day long. But this blog post is not about commuting; I just wanted you to know that my medical team is not 10 km away, but 130 km. This is my reason for bein...