George, Lubanzi, Mountain-biking, and a few odds and ends.

NOTICE: This blog entry is Courtesy of my mom, because she guilted me into blogging! Hehe.



2000km, driving fatigue... I want chocolate.
So laaast weekend me, Linds, and 4 other guys from this side went to George (yes, that far away place near Knysna), here's how it all went down:

Thursday 18 February, a.m., Lisa and I loaded 4 wheelchairs into my Bakkie. Thursday 18 February, p.m., myself, 1 athlete and 4 wheelchairs securely fastenend in the bed of my little Corsa Utility (the chairs, not the athlete) headed off with 1000kms ahead of us, it sounded do-able :)

So we left on Thursday and travelled through to PE, staying the night with my family, which was so great! Then me, Linds, Sbu (assistant) and Nomasamaria (athlete) headed off to George to pick up Mute and Guguletu (more athletes). Why would we make this trip, you ask? Excellent question. There's a huge wheelchair race in George every year in February, and this year it was that weekend. Some disabled people from the Zithulele community went last year and wanted to go this year again, so me and Jess S (more Jess S than me) made it happened... I went along for the ride!

It was a great weekend and the athletes and Sbu really enjoyed it. I found it super stressful, but it was worth it in the end to see how much the others enjoyed the experience. I got to see my family and to spend time with Linds, so those were huge bonuses for me :)


THE DREAM TEAM: Sbu (assistant), Mute, Guguletu, Nomasamaria

I got back one the Monday evening, and was exhausted (although not too tired to squeeze in a game of frisbee, I'll admit it). My collegues gave me the Tuesday off - yes, I work in THE BEST place ever - and I spent the day relaxing, watching DVDs and doing a bit of work prep. Thank goodness I had that day off, because since then work has beed crazy!

So last weekend (the weekend after George) was the first weekend I didn't go in to town, and it was so great, I think I really needed the time to relax. On Saturday evening a whole bunch of us here had a braai. Sigh, it reminded me of camping! It's so quiet out here, we were all sitting around the fire on logs chatting and eating and soaking in the rural life. It gets so dark here at night... that night the stars were bright and there was an awsome full moon. Add that to the sound of frogs and crickets, and you get the perfect evening outside!

Sunday was my highlight though. I borrowed Karl and Sallys' mountain bike, and off me and Karen went! Man, I had a shakey start, clearly I have not been on an actual bike (the spinning ones don't count, they are stationary) in a loooong time! It was really great though, I was quite terrified of breaking bones a few times - the dirt roads are really bad in some places, and very steep, but my pride and desire to keep up with Crazy Karen prevailed! We rode down to beautiful Lubanzi beach, and the crew met us there for a swim and good game of beach Ultimate Frisbee. Then me and Karen rode back, which took about 3 times longer, as it was mostly up-hill! It was really fun, I'd love to get a bike, something I will save up for for sure.


Karen, the machine mountain biker! (That's her, ummm, trademark move)


The little Le Roux family: Baby Johan, mom Sally, toddler Emma, dad Karl in the background, and random not-related britt Kayleigh!

So this week has been busy as usual, I have worked over-time a few days to finish up with patients, and have skipped some breaks. You see, we did a presentation for the doctors on conditions to refer, and as a result they have upped there game on the referrals! Along with that, last week was the end of the month, which is when we award various Doctors prizes for that months referrals, so they are all keen to start REALLY well I think :) The winner for the most referrals gets a CUP, who wouldn't want that!? Hehe, it was really fun, we also read out some entertaining referral notes they have sent us, we definately have good humoured staff that's for sure! I also have had some very intersting patients this week, and was stretched as a professional today because I was overseeing the monthly O+P clinic (never mind, it's complicated)... so to all of you who think I'm having way too much fun, I am working hard too!

Hehe, anyway, so that's it for now. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday, I feel like this week has been extrememly demanding, and I am also feeling under the weather, so I think a Saturday sleep-in is in order :)

Have a great week, remeber to take some time out to do something you REALLY REALLY REALLY enjoy doing, live life, and remember the God we serve!

Isaiah 40:4-5 (New International Version)
"Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level,the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Runs on the Beach... This is the life!

It's been over 2 weeks since my last blog entry, aaaaaah, i am asham-Ed! So much for my "once a week" plan. Oh well, better late than never. I find that as the unblogged days accumulate, so does the guilt... hence, tonight it has reached a plateau and I am blogging.

So this has in fact been an awsome 2 weeks! I went to Cape Town for a Seating Course, which was really great, and helpful, and interesting, AND fun... but for the sake of my non-therapist friends and family I will not blog about it. It was a great week, I stayed with Sarah-Jane, and got to see Hanco and most of my friends quite a bit, which was so nice. Unfortunately, I had serious stomach problems on the flight and drive back home (food poisoning).... that was by far the WORST trip I have ever had to endure (Mom, I think it was worse than when I travelled to USA alone and passed out, and when I was sea-sick on that cruise). Man, if we weren't driving along one of the most remote road routes on this Earth I would have asked Lisa and Jess to leave me on the side of the road to walk home. But thankfully I made it, and after a day "in bed" I was back at work, Tuesday 9 February 2010.

Sarah-Jane and Marley, the 2 Crazies i stayed with in The Strand while I was doing the Seating course in CT... I love those girls!

So, it turns out, I picked an excellent day to come back to work! A patient of mine arrived with a puppy for me. It was a very cute puppy, all white and fluffy... i couldn't take it though. At this point, I know many of you are asking WHY! Don't judge me as a heartless human being, hear me out. 1) We are not allowed to keep pets where I am staying 2) I am working close to 10 hours most week days and 3) the only thing i have managed to keep alive is a cactus, and that's because it's staying in PE with my Mom! So really, it's for the puppys' own protection! Anyway, this patient is very sweet, he comes in with minor injuries so it's not like I ever save his life or anything... but he also gave me buscuits and chocolates (the man knows his Physio), plastic flowers and a series of other things, including what we deduced was something similar to weed. Someone took that from me though, to, ummm, dispose of it as they saw fit! Today he came in with a papaya for me... I convinced him to keep it though. This patient is also clinically Crazy (that is not my professional diagnosis), haha, but it's kind of kewl to have others refer to him as "your crazy guy", he's really sweet!

Anyway, so it's been an interesting last week... 5 new staff members arrived, including Megan, a Physio from England. She and her Doctor husband (Joff) are working here for 4 months, so our rehab department is 8 strong! Well, a few people will be on and off leave quite a lot, but hy.

Last week a bunch of us went to Lubanzi, a beautiful beach a 7km drive away... it was great fun! We swam, and a group of local kids randomly asked me to "uyajima" (gym) with them, so for about half an hour we were sprinting up and down the beach, it was great, I enjoyed interacting and having fun with them, and I'm telling you now, there is some serious running talent hidden in these hills :)


Sam (acting "Natural"), Kayleigh, Kate and Jess sitting on the grass just above Lubanzi Beach.

Tom in the kayak being pushed into the sea by the little kiddies... hmmm, they started maybe too far from the water (over eager), Jo is trying to coach them, maybe.

On Sunday me and Asanda went through to church. The church had a Valentines Banquet afterwards which we stayed for. There was entertainment and really good food, and it was so great to spend more time with the church members, the Mthatha COC is such an encouragment and so welcoming - a great group of disciples!


Mthatha Valentines banquet... This is where the party's at!!!

This week has started slowly. There haven't been many outpatients, but I've been organising our trip to George, so the free time has been good (that will be in next weeks blog) - me, 3 patients and an assistant are going to George Thursday to Monday for a wheelchair race! Yesterday after work me, Karen, Karl, Megan, Joff, Tom and Jo ran to the beach and met some other staff for a game of ultimate frisbee... it was great! It was a beautiful evening, me and Kayleigh rode on the back of the bakkie back to the hospital... it reminded me of trips to my holiday house :) The air is so fresh out here, and there are no bright lights so when it's dark and clear the stars are beautiful, it is very easy to be content out here, I can see why people come for a year and end up staying!

So, my Xhosa has been slipping a bit :( I'm learning to count though, not an easy task!

Inye - 1 Zimbini - 2 Zinthathu -3 Zine - 4 Zinhlanu - 5 Zithandatho - 6 Zinxhenxhe - 7 Zibhozo - 8 (i may have looked that one up) Zithoba - 9 (i may have made that one up to) eShumi - 10

Like I said, I'm LEARNING! hehe...

To my Christian buddies: I listened to a great sermon on CD today about THE MISSION of Evangelism... the preacher said something challenging but great -

"If we want to save the world, we've got to pay the price, we have got to be willing to become comfortably uncomfortable"

2 Corin 11:23-29 = Paul was comfortable with living an uncomfortable life for God, and the gospel spread because of it! Let's be people who can say we have given whatever has been required of us to spread Christ's love... every encounter is someones eternity on the line.