Can I beat Myeloma?

We were lucky to catch Mount Sefton 3151m (highest peak on left) and Mount Cook 3593m (peak on far right in the distance) on a clear warmish morning. We had split our trip to Christchurch with a stay overnight in Twizel, near Ben Ohau. It always takes us far longer to pack up things in our home for a long trip away so an overnight stay allowed us to take in some of the sights along the way and have a more leisurely trip. Weather was cold and cloudy. Our route took us over the Lindis pass. (above: 971m in mid of Southern Alps on State Highway 8 between Cromwell and Omarama) There is nothing there; only a tourist look out. Both of us have new styles: Sarah looking very sporty and fit; I look like I have had a fight with Eric Culley’s Westie clippers and lost. It is hard to do justice to the sense of vast open space and dry desolation in photos. There is the odd car but at this time of the year not too many people around. Just long straight roads and the mou...

We were blessed with a glorious day for a game of golf at Queenstown GC today. It was only 7C but it felt much warmer as there was only a little breeze. The grass is not at its best yet as it is still winter; neither was the golf, but it was good to get out while I have the energy. Surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on two, the course has some beautiful scenery. Sarah and I played golf with another lady from Cheltenham Ladies College who not only went to the same school, but also the same school house as Sarah. To prove it is a small world, her son in law installed our double glazing and she lives on the same hill in Queenstown. While Sarah was busy finding all this out, I was hacking my way down a few holes, in and out of bushes and trees getting my money’s worth. My hair has started to fall out. I knew it was going to happen but it still caused me despair when I found large chunks of it in my hands. The loss is not so noticeable on the outside, havin...

I am a bit short of hair. Decided to take control of the chemo induced hair loss and instead of waiting for it to fall out, I went for a no.3 buzz cut. It looks a bit shocking and my head feels like an ice cream cone in 0C without my beanie on, but I am gradually getting used to it. It still seems to have a life of its own and acts mostly like a strip of Velcro. As an alternate we decided to try on a few more wigs. Sarah almost wet herself laughing but not just at me at herself too. We settled on just the one wig as Sarah decided that she would borrow mine when I got fed up with it. Not sure I will wear it much as it is like having a rug on your head. We are back at home in Queenstown after our first hospital holiday in Christchurch and a successful stem cell harvest.  The stem cell harvest was quite an ordeal. After 8 injections of stem cell growth factor, my larger bones started to pulsate. I had some sleepless hours when it felt like someone was playing th...