Our porcupine had his bandages changed on Thursday and Brian Jones of Moholoholo reports that he is very satisfied with his healing. Next bandage change is on Friday which I hope to be able to attend.
Brian has also expressed his thanks for the medicine and donations received from all those who have donated towards our Porky’s recovery.
Today, after collecting his new meds in town, I drove out to Moholoholo to visit our porcupine. He is now wearing a shiny yellow bandage around his middle and was not to happy with me for waking him up. Because he is nocturnal, he was having a really good sleep. Staff at the rehabilitation center say that he really seems to be feeling better as he is getting a little crosser with them now when they have to give him his injections and shows the will to fight. He apparently also has a wonderful appetite and is eating them out of house and home. I will be back with him on Friday when they will be removing his bandages.
A special thank you to all our kind donors who have contributed towards his medicine and care.
Pick n Pay has kindly donated money and are running a “name the porcupine”competition on their facebook page. Why don’t you pop on over and try naming our porcupine.
I have gently been making a few changes in my life. Taking a few steps towards living a little healthier. I gave up smoking on the 3rd of January, and have started cutting down on red wine consumption as my body really just doesn’t like it. I am now getting ready to go all the way when my food garden is producing. Ideally I eventually want to be producing at least 75% of my own food in a natural and healthy way. This will take some time and I am also not going to be an extreme purist about this. There will be times when I will just feel like having a pizza in town and I will then do so.
Towards this goal I have been given a little gift. A friend of mine here in Hoedspruit was caught between homes while she is building her home and over this same time, I have had to keep Jackal’s Den closed due to our ongoing water problem, so she and her husband and young daughter have moved onto my farm to stay with me. Karen is a whole food cook book author and a trained chef, so in exchange for accommodation, she has taken over my kitchen and provides and prepares all my meals for me. What a blessing!
This week we started on a detox, with the menu provided to us by her co-author Heidi who is a nutritionist. I am currently on day three of my 5-7 day detox (depends what I can cope with) and am eating only fresh fruit, veg and brown rice.
So far, everything is going really well and I enjoy the foods I eat. I have never been one for eating much fruit, but love my veggies. I have to push my boundaries a bit because I usually add butter to most of my vegetables and that is not allowed this week and I have had to increase my consumption of fruit (I battle a bit with fruit texture).
Tonight will be quite a test of my endurance because it’s art group and I must forgo all the wine and snacks.
Wish me luck!
The Bean is currently writing her final school exams so our stress levels are a little high here in paradise. Last week she came to show me a spot on her leg where she had found a tick. We have been watching the bite site closely as a blue-black spot in the middle of the site is indicative of tick bite fever.
Image via Wikipedia
Today when I collected her from school after she wrote an exam she was walking with a slight limp and told me her leg muscles were a bit achy. I asked her to show me her bite and the tell-tale blue-black mark had appeared. We went directly to our local GP who said after an examination that her one lymph node was already inflamed and that it is almost guaranteed that she has tick bite fever albeit in the very early stages. He prescribed antibiotics and pain killers for her which we started right away.
I am so worried that this will affect her studies and exams as she is trying really hard for good marks to get into university. I hope that because we have caught it early we will be able to keep her symptoms to a minimum.
Here is a little more information on the disease for those of you who may be interested.
(summarised from an article on Health24.co.za)
Tick bite fever
Tick bite fever (rickettsia) is caused by a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks. This condition occurs in many areas of the world and is often known by a variety of names (see table below).
The organism that causes tick bite fever belongs to the Rickettsial family of bacteria. As can be seen from the table, there are a number of different species of Rickettsias.
These organisms are relatively small and are only able to survive inside cells. They are found in certain wild and domestic animals, and ticks acquire the organisms when they feed on these animals.
When the tick bites a human, the bacterium is transmitted in the saliva.
In various parts of the world, different species of tick and Rickettsia are involved in causing tick-bite fever, and these forms of the disease are also given different names.
| Infection | Organism | Location | Other names |
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever | R. ricketsii | USA | |
| Boutonneuse | R. conorii | Africa, Meditteranean, India | Marseilles fever, Mediterranean spotted fever, African tick bite fever. |
| Queensland tick typhus | R.australis | Australia | |
| North Asian tick typhus | R. sibirica | Siberia, Mongolia |
In South Africa, the cause of tick bite fever is either R. conorii , or R. africae.
The organisms are transmitted in the saliva of an infected tick when it bites humans. Being bitten by ticks usually occurs in rural or wilderness areas i.e. when you are out camping, hiking in long grass etc.
If you get bitten by an infected tick, the incubation period (the period between being infected and displaying symptoms) is about five to seven days. Symptoms can vary, depending partly on the organism involved. Your age and underlying health may also influence the severity of the infection.
Typical features may include the presence of a black mark where the bite occurred, and fever, severe headache and a rash. The black mark at the site of the tick bite is called an eschar . It may look something like a spider bite. The eschars can be single or multiple and can sometimes be very difficult to find. The eschar usually appears once the fever appears, as does the headache and malaise (general feeling of ill-health). Lymph nodes near the eschar may be enlarged.
A rash is usually, but not always, a feature of tick bite fever (it is supposedly less likely to occur in someone infected by R. africae), but when it is present, it consists of small red marks on the skin, sometimes raised slightly above the surface. It typically starts on the limbs and spreads to the trunk, and can involve the entire body, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
African tick bite fever is usually mild, and death and serious complications are very uncommon. This is in contrast to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is usually a more severe illness.
The presence of the rash and an eschar is a very strong diagnostic sign for tick bite fever.
How is tick bite fever treated?
Some forms of tick bite fever are fairly mild and self-limiting – people may get better on their own without specific treatment. This can take up to two weeks however, and treatment with an antibiotic can shorten the duration of symptoms and reduce the chance of a serious side-effect.
The easiest may to prevent tick bite fever is to avoid being bitten by ticks. Avoiding rural or wilderness areas where ticks are likely to occur is one way to achieve this, but not a great solution if you enjoy hiking and camping. Other measures are generally common-sense, such as wearing insect repellents and long trousers and sleeves. There is no vaccine against tick bite fever, and taking prophylactic antibiotics (as one does for malaria) has never been shown to be effective or necessary.
Not having normal working hours, I find that my body clock is reverting to its natural rhythm. Unfortunately my natural rhythm is a bit wonky, as I function best late at night. Over the past few weeks I have been staying up well past midnight getting much more work done late at night than during the day. Because the Bean still has to get to school, I am still up at 5.30am to drive her to the end of the sand road where she gets her lift. The morning ride is done mostly in silence and in my pajamas as I am really half asleep still. Contrary to what I would have done a few years back, I don’t get back into bed after I have dropped her, but plod along not getting too much done due to being quite tired.
Last night we went out to friends for dinner. We had a super time and I had some good red wine (which I love but have not had much alcohol lately). This resulted in me going to bed early for a change at around 11pm, and at 5 minutes to 5 this morning I was wide awake. The first light was just beginning to seep through the trees when Cleo and I took off into the bush for a stroll. While I stood in awe and watched the sun come up to the music of hundreds of birds calling, I realised that I need to make some changes.
I am missing out on the beauty of the day especially the early mornings. My wonderful environment is here to be enjoyed, so to motivate me I have added this picture that I took this morning as my blog header – I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
How to Use Feverfew for Healing
Feverfew is the herb that has been given eleven different names. References to the plant were found in the works of ancient Greek physicians.
Numerous studies, conducted over the past several years, have shown that feverfew has numerous healing properties. One of its most common benefits is the ability to reduce the frequency and severity of recurring headaches, such as migraines. This is due to the presence of tanetin and parthenolide. One of its active ingredients is borneol which improves general circulation and also helps to stimulate the production of gastric juices. Feverfew also contains camphor, which is an expectorant.
Growing feverfew is easy and although the plant originates in Europe, it will grow in most climate zones except for where it is really cold. In these cases it can simply be grown indoors. . It has attractive light green leaves with a pungent scent and many clusters of pretty white flowers. Feverfew favours full sunlight in well drained soil and will flower from early spring through to the first frost. Flowers, leaves and stems can be harvested for medicinal use. The most simple and the fastest way of getting the most out of the medicinal benefits of Feverfew is to make an herbal tea.
Tea
Simply add an ounce of the fresh or dried flowers to a pint of boiling water.
Allow to steep for 5 to 10 minutes then strain.
It can be drunk either warm or cool and can be taken as a general tonic to boost well being or to ease anxiety or depression. If you drink half a cup twice a day, you should begin to notice the benefits within a week.
Another way to use feverfew is by making a tincture.
Tincture
To use this method you will need a large jar and fill it with either 300 grams of fresh chopped flowers, leaves and stems or 200 grams of the dried herb.
To this, add 1 liter of liquid – usually a 25 percent alcohol/ water solution is used made with vodka, which helps with preservation and also sweetens the taste.
If you prefer to make a non-alcoholic tincture then you will need to replace the vodka with distilled water or vinegar.
Cover the jar with a brown paper bag and leave it to steep in a cool place for 2 to 3 weeks.
Feverfew tincture can be taken in a dose of 4 to 6 drops every half hour.
You can also make an organic cream from feverfew, for topical use.
Cream/ointment
Mix together
gently heat the blend
stir into the mix to obtain an even distribution.
allow to stand for a few minutes
Strain the mixture and pour the cream into an airtight jar, sealing the lid once it has cooled.
Use caution when eating the fresh leaves as they can cause inflammation of the mouth. To prevent this problem, you can sauté the leaves before eating them.
Do not use feverfew while you are pregnant or if you are on blood thinning medication.
Recommendations from users
This last weekend I took part in a bush retreat run by Lisl and Jenna from Hoedspruit Holistic. It was held at Walker’s River Camp in the Timbavati Game Reserve.
The retreat was fully booked – with 10 participants – a small group to keep things focussed. We had a fantastic time, ate the most amazing vegetarian food and I had an introductory lesson to Tai Chi and QiGong.
I was looking forward to the yoga and meditation and fully intended to bunk the Tai Chi and QiGong – however because the group was small and I thought they would miss me – I forced myself to attend and I am so glad I did.
It is so different to what I expected and I intend to do more of it as my finances and time allow. I felt rejuvenated and refreshed by the time I got home. A great weekend – thank you Lisl, Jenna and Jacqui (our chef).
If I get the opportunity I will make sure to attend more of these retreats. Hoesdspruit Holistic offer many types of retreats to suit all budgets so if you are in need of a little time out – take a look at their separate Bush Retreats website to find a retreat that suits you. The next retreat is a “Story-telling weekend“ where participants will learn how the stories we tell shape our reality and expectations. They will craft new stories and learn the art of the spoken word.
It might be a good idea to take some time out from your busy schedule and unlock your creativity.
Photo credits: Lisl Bennett
This is an automatic post. Slowvelder leaves for a retreat today to relax, unwind and reboot. It is a bush retreat being held by Hoedspruit Holistic at Walkers River Camp.
She will be eating wholesome vegetarian meals, and participating in Tai Chi, QiGong, meditation and yoga sessions. She will also go on a game drive in a Big 5 Reserve and may even get some painting done.
She will be back in time to post on Monday provided she does not get eaten by huge animals or carried off by mosquitoes. Lets hope she brings back some decent photos and a painting that has progressed.
photo by dtrimarchi on flickr
Further to my posts on Tristan Smit which you can find here and here, we have received this great news.
As you know Tristan is now in Texas under the care of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was declared terminal by doctors here in SA. After many tests and scans the doctors in the US can find no evidence of the cancer in his spine (which had supposedly spread there from his brain tumour). This is such great news as he now has an 80% chance of survival after he has a course of proton radiation which is not available in South Africa. Unfortunately this is going to cost a tremendous amount of money.
Here is a message received on my friend Mark’s blog written by Tristan’s mom Helen.
Hi I’m the mommy of this little angel. We are in Texas at the moment. In SA dr ‘s told us Tristan is terminal and we must let him go with no pain. We found a hospital in US Texas, M D Anderson. They diagnosed him correctly and can treat. Will get 31 sessions op proton radiation, it s not available in SA. Dr told us 80 persent chance of never coming back. Better than terminal or what do you say! Only problem, proton is $80 000, and believe it or not annestetics $80 000. Then still dr’s costs. My baby has got a chance now. He will live and survive!
Further to this, we got this news on the weekend. It must have been terribly frightening for his parents.
Cancer takes a person on such a roller coaster ride. We were on the top of the world a couple of days ago with the good news and then yesterday the tracks just took us back down to earth….
Tristan has got a VP shunt in his head. After the first tumour was removed a shunt was placed into his head to help with the drainage of brain fluid. Without the it the brain fluid builds up and causes intense pressure in his head. This leads to headaches, vomiting, eyes not dilating and can even cause seizures. Very serious if not treated as soon as possible.Little Tristan started vomiting yesterday morning before sun rise. At this point we thought it was just baby feeling sick and nothing serious. He went back to sleep. Pierre and myself woke up later and got ready, but Tristan was still sleeping. Eventually I went into the room and picked him up, but He really did not want to wake up. He’s eyes looked very funny and later turned wild and really big. He was very lethargic. I was in tears because I expected the shunt was blocked and it was not part of the plan!!! If he got operated on would this could set back his proton therapy, as the proton dr wanted to start as soon as possible with the mapping and we were fulled with what if’s?
As we were still with our friends Mike and Wendy in Austin, Wendy then raced us off to ER room see a specialist at the DELL Children’s Hospital (built/sponsored by the DELL computer company). To make a long story short, after the Neuro surgeon saw the CT scans that were taken, Tristan was rushed into the operating room before we could even proses anything. The shunt starts in the head and ends in the tummy. I did not want my baby to go through another operation on the head. But like my friend Wendy said: “God has got Tristan’s back”.
The Dr came out and told us that the blockage was only at the bottom of the tube that leads into the tummy and he only had to open Tristan’s stomach and not his head. Thank God again! As this was an emergency we are hopeful that our medical aid should cover this procedure, because it is an emergency of a pre-existing condition. We have overseas cove for emergency’s. They want to observe him for another night and hopefully we will be discharged tomorrow if all goes well. This little setback will not influence anything. Not us coming home or Tristan starting his proton therapy. Which he really needs urgently especially now that we know that it has not spread and we want to prevent it from spreading anywhere!
Please pray for Tristan’s quick recovery and that the pressure in his head goes down quickly. Will keep you all informed.
God bless.
Lots of Love.
The Smits.
If any of you are in a position to make a donation please click on the link below. No amount is too small.
http://jacarandafm.amazee.com/node/20542/sponsoring
or his bank account details can be found on this website. http://www.tristanagainstcancer.com/
Thank you to all of you who kindly donated to help Tristan get the treatment he needs for his cancer. (For more information on Tristan’s plight please click on the image of Tristan to the right of this page.) Please note that the donations listed on the donation site are purely those that were collected online. The community has really pulled through on this one and there have been benefit concerts and also many donations made directly into the bank account set up for his treatment. We are still some way away from collecting the funds needed for his costly treatment, but because of what has been collected, Tristan is now in Texas and will be getting his scan results today.
Below is an email from Tristan’s mom – I have not edited it in any way. Please continue to pray and send healing thoughts Tristan’s way.
Hi all.
Today is Friday. I would be lying to you if I said that I had a good day. I actually think it started yesterday. We are setteling in nicely and we are getting to know other famillys. As we exchange names it is always followed by a very suttle how long have you been here and then the big quistion:”Why are you here, what is wrong with your child”.
You reallised all the faces you see around you carrie so much pain with them. Each and everyone. The kiddies here in the Ronald Mc Donald house are really sick or have something really seriousely wrong with them. Most of them have been here for months and you can see it is killing the parents to be spilt into two. In Houston, fighting for the life of their child and at home, the other kiddies, mostly emotionally neglected.
They are tired of fighting the system, which they even have to fight here at M D Anderson, which is so supperior to the rest of the world. And where even I had to experience it today.
Wednesday the dinner was sponsered by Ronald Mc Donald. I think all the famillys came out of their rooms because Mc Donald’s really makes it so special for the kids. As we qued up for dinner there were so many children in wheelshair’s and their mouths covered by a mask. No immune system…. Chemo! It was such an eye opener. We were actually shocked and had to pretend that we are so use to seeing this, like everyone around us. Our baby looks so amazing. The reason, he has not started his chemo yet. We still have to walk the road that they have walked. My heart was broken being surrounded by reallity. My favourate saying these days seems to be “reallity sucks”. It sure does.
We met a familly here that has got the exact tumour as Trissie, but has not spreaded down the spine. He’s one eye does not react well because the tumour is pressing against the eye nerve. This mom has been fighting for her little ons’s life since he was seven months old. They did the run and is still fighting for her son. Another little boy has also got a brain tumour, you cant believe how many of them are here. He gets proton radiation theraphy. The same as which Tristan would get. It looks like he got bad sunburn on his head and spine. But that is it. Just bad sunburn. I will include a photo of the 2 boys standing next to each other. He is actually one of a twin. He got it, brother did not. If we only had the answers.
We went to the hospital today. Little Tristan got anesthetics for 2 hours. They did head and spine MRI scans with and without contrast. Shoe, you sure can take a lot of scans in 2 hours. When my angel woke up we took him to the cafteria where he just loved a piece of piza. At least no more noodles! It was once again so sad seeing all this sick people. M D Anderson just treats cancer patients, so can you imagine all the cancer patients around you. My hart just broke for all these people and everyone has got a story, a life. So, so sad.
Our appointment to see the dr was 13:30. At about 3 the resaults of the scans were still not available. We were told to come back on MONDAY…….
I know we have a long, long difficult road ahead of us. I wish I could tell everyone that we got the resaults right away and we got our miracle that we asked for. I wish. We just got to wait. I think I just got to prosses everything of the last few days. Realizing that we are also part of them. The victims of the horrible disease known as cancer. Denial worked very well for me for a very long time.We decided to leave Keagan with my mom and dad. He’s tickets were booked and we were ready to take him with us. My mom pleaded with me that we must first settle in and she will keep him in our routine. She will fly him over later. I was so confused. Everyone had very valid reasons why I should do a or b. I decided to leave him behind. He actually thought it is Christmas now. Staying with Ouma and Oupa where he is king. I really thought it was the best but I have so changes my mind. I miss him so much and he would have been so good for Tristan. It feels like I am oxygen deprived without him by my side. I feel the pain that so many mommys here are living every day. I need both my babys by my side.
We have a weekend to get thru. Today was my off day. Luckely it was a good day for Pierre. He lifted me up and I do forget sometimes what is happening. Its great. It is like he said:”They can not tell us anything worse than what we have already heard before.”
Thanks for everyone’s prays. Thank you very much. Please keep on begging the Lord.
Love.
Smit family
Tristan now has his own website where you can get more information.
