So nearly half term!

Was up early yesterday as a friend treated me to a visit to the hair dresser which was fun. They used a new hair relaxing product - was a bit nervous as we were the first people to have it tried on. At one point it did start burning and I think it burnt my hair slightly in that spot. Has given my hair more volume though, and it feels silkier. I was supposed to have my hair steamed but by this point I needed to get home to pick up birthday presents and pick up my boyfriend Matthew to treat him out to lunch at Aroma. Saw quite a few people I knew at Aroma and the beetroot and pecorino ravioli was flower shaped and yummy. I hope Matt enjoyed his panini. Watched some rugby and cricket with him and then came home and did some more clearing and some school work.

This morning I went to church at the Base Church with my mum. I haven't been in a long time (I tend to go to St Georges with Matt). A whole lot of the children I used to teach in kids church were so much bigger than when I saw them last. I had also forgotten how much more participation from the congregation is required and how much more emotional people can be. It was good to see people though and people from the Base have been so good to my mum and I. Guy Veldman from the church in Ballito was preaching.

After church I visited my friend Kim and it was really nice to have girly conversations and catch up. Was lent a book written by a friend, Hayden Eastwood, and already dipping into it. I remember when he shared the first chapter in writing group a while ago. Found a stray dog on the way home and took it to the 24 hour vet. Luckily it was microchipped and was returned to its owners promptly, so there was a very happy ending. It was a lovely dog and so friendly. My mum was going to stop at each house along Edinburgh to try find the owner but I told her we didn't have the petrol or time. The 24 hour vet was a much better bet.

Have a three day week of school - YAY!! Then off to Kariba at 5 am on Thursday. My students are doing their presentations on plastic pollution and what they can do to reduce their waste and one alternative to plastic packaging on Wednesday. Apparently my one student went to his mum and said they needed to talk. She thought oh oh, what is coming next, but he launched into did she know that the earth is drowning in plastic and it all goes into Lake Chivero and then the sea and what are we going to do about it? Glad my lesson was so effective. We will see what they come up with on Wednesday. I will make little eco-warriors out of them yet. I started with wetlands and now it's plastic. Next up, climate change.

Post Valentines

Well my Friday nights haven't looked like the top for a while. Am so glad it is Friday though. This week has been a bit of a killer. Six weeks of term down, eight to go, but next weekend is half term and I will be in Kariba (Yay!) Went to two pharmacies yesterday to ask about anti-malarials.  The one I have opted for isn't 100% effective BUT I had some at home already and the other, which is apparently much more effective costs US$60. I will take Peaceful Sleep too and hope for the best on Deltaprim.

At break yesterday, the head said my class was all lined up in "the petrol queue" waiting to read when I got there. As she went past my classroom, I drove in and the one boy called out, "Mrs Bernade the petrol tanker has arrived." This did make me laugh when she told me at break, but is possibly not the most flattering nickname I've had. Am wondering how much further this fuel queue line is going to go.

My mum despite objections went to school yesterday and taught. My sister had a very stern word with her last night but she doggedly went in again today. She did see the specialist today and my good friend Warren in Cape Town, who is a medic, kindly answered some questions my mum had. Thank you Warren! Need to contact the specialist down there and make a booking and then go from there with organising flights etc.. We are skyping my aunt just now, as soon as load shedding ends and she is online.

The student who was violently ill everywhere last week brought me a very sweet Valentines card and choccies yesterday. I think I have forgiven him now for making me clean up :P Matt, my boyfriend, took me for dinner at Mojo's which was lovely. The first Valentines I've ever had with my own real Valentine. It was special. It is his birthday this weekend so I need to finish making something and I'm taking him to lunch at the restaurant owned by the family of the Sardinian boy I used to tutor.

Am feeling a teeny bit shattered and it's only Wednesday!

Well my boys today continued with the petrol queue quips, while lining up to read. This time the one boy was a mini bus taxi or commuter trying to jump the queue (too funny). They have all finally caught on that the quicker you do your reading, the more time you have to play before the bell goes (and it makes my life easier instead of having to keep calling them in).

Had a very good environmental science lesson with them on plastic pollution. Found the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Friends of the Earth websites very useful and they found the statistics hard hitting. I played them the video below and a clip from Blue Planet II and they now have to prepare a presentation for next week telling me ten things that they can do personally to reduce their plastic waste and to find out about one new alternative material which has been developed to replace plastic. They all got quite passionate and enthused.

Had a much better maths lesson and my student that gets anxious grasped the concept today and had a smile on his face. Just need to try get him to not get his knickers in a knot the first time.

Our friend Veronique has been amazing and ferried my mum to the doctor today while I was at work and also made us a meal which will actually do us for three. She is the closest thing we have to family here, and we actually do see her as family. She was at university with my mum and they have been friends ever since. The specialist was called out on an emergency, so didn't see my mum today but my mum was given info to start getting pre-authorisation from BUPA and we have the names and addresses of five possible surgeons in Cape Town. BUPA will cover everything, including the air fare. There is a special on at the moment for British Airways - you can pay $500 in swipe/bond (that's amazing!) BUT you have to pay by tomorrow and you have to change planes in Joburg. We don't know yet how long it is all going to take and RwandAir flies directly to Cape Town, which would mean my mum doesn't have to walk in OR Tambo, so probably going with them.

OK, I better finish marking. Skyping some friends who will be in Zim again from Germany this evening. Am drinking coffee in the afternoon to stay awake (haven't had to do this in quite some time). Half term can't come soon enough.

She's out, but claims she can go back to work tomorrow

School was a bit of a whirlwind again this morning. I had a long queue of waiting readers at my desk and the kids started saying, "Miss Lannas there's a fuel queue." One boy came late and said he was a diesel engine, could he cut in front of the petrol cars? Shows which country these children live in. The boy wanting to be the diesel engine was told he is treading on very thin ice at the moment with his work ethic. He promptly asked what he can do to make the ice thicker. My one boy who suffers from depression burst into tears again in maths. Saw his mum at lunchtime and she said this is part of his anxiety. Need to gently try again tomorrow and maybe try a different angle.

So the big news, my mum is finally home. But ... she claims the doctor said it was OK to go back to work tomorrow. She does have a follow up appointment with him tomorrow morning though at his surgery and she said he said she must look at going down to Cape Town next week. I find the two things rather contradictory. Am trying to get her to sit with her leg up. She's not really listening. Her cellulitis has to come down for her to fly but if she doesn't rest it won't! I can only do so much though.

Am supposed to be going to Kariba next week Thursday for half term with my boyfriend and some other friends. Our gardener should be able to take care of things if we are both away, but just have to now plan for my mum's imminent trip for surgery and liaise with my aunt. My mum could be gone at least three weeks.

Has sort of flipped things upside down a bit. Made me suddenly think about life without my mum. She has never been in hospital or really sick apart from pneumonia once.

I may have to lock her up

Getting going this morning was a bit of a juggling act and I felt like I was dropping balls, but it got better when I got back into routine. Two of my boys made me laugh. They told me they were going to play video games after school at one of their houses, so I said, "Oh, so you're having a play date?" The look I got! The one said, "No Miss Lannas, we call it bro-time or socialising. We're not in grade one." Alrighty then. Those terms are new to me.

From my post last night, lots of people got in touch to either offer pressure stockings or to all refer me to a supplier on Kingsmead in Borrowdale. I decided it would be better to get new ones as they need to fit exactly to work properly. I phoned the supplier and they had the size I needed for my mum. They quoted US$55 or 250 bond. Gulp. I planned to go after school but teachers at break said on my way I should try the Village Pharmacy and QV in Sam Levy's. I did this and guess what? They also had the exact size AND they were 3 bond cheaper - it made me feel better even though it was such a small difference and it also meant I didn't have to try find the other place and I managed to go get my mum a new SIM so she can use the phone my sister gave her and be on Whatsapp finally. So I killed several birds at once. I did nearly lose it though in Econet when I thought the assistant was trying to tell me I couldn't queue and fill out a form at the same time. He actually was trying to tell me I could process getting a SIM on the side and didn't need to join the main queue but I misunderstood him and nearly became very angry.

My mum moves back home tomorrow. The specialist will tell her before she is discharged details for booking for surgery in Cape Town. She will probably be away for at least three weeks. I am worried though that if my mum doesn't go almost immediately she is going to start over doing it. She is already muttering she needs to go into school and tidy up her classroom before she goes - NO! So if you hear stories of my mother being locked in the house, you know why. I did tell her tonight she can't afford to undo all the treatment she has just received and the principals from school said she needs to just get better.

Very special, long time family friends, the Makings, had me over for dinner this evening. It was nice to have some company and have a long chat and unburden a bit.

OK I need sleep. Good night.

Looks like she'll be out Tuesday

I need to get to bed as it has been a long day and I have school tomorrow. My mum needed her cream for her veins - didn't realise she didn't have it. Unfortunately I dropped it in the car park and quite a bit went all over the paving. Hopefully it will stop her veins getting agitated. The doctor reckons she should be able to come out of Healthpoint on Tuesday. I walked in on her having a meeting with the two principals of the International School. Luckily they have said she must get better and there is no rush to get back to school and they are OK with her going down to Cape Town (I should have maybe not have posted that before that was discussed with them).

I had a frustrating time after that trying to find a pressure stocking from pharmacies in Avondale and the Avenues. I went to about 10 chemists with no luck. A lady at church though has and it may be the right size for my mum. It has to be the right size. Failing that one pharmacy gave me a number to order it on directly and another friend saw my Instagram post and has given me the number of the lady who imports them for Zimbabwe. Afraid by this point I started feeling a bit sorry for myself and the full impact of everything seemed to hit me full in the face. I think I need to up my lithium tonight as this is the second time this week I have become tearful and emotional. I think it is PMS too.

Tomorrow is a full day of school. I have stuff packed already for my class to use to make Valentine cards and have a whole lot of Pinterest ideas. Hopefully will be fun and my class will show some enthusiasm. I think I am in for another week of Fortnite. One boy had his birthday on Friday and brought a Fortnite cake to school. One of the other boys came and wrote down the number of the bakery so he can also order such a cake for his birthday at the end of February.

My one student gave me a very different version of nocturnal as a spelling. I got "knock terminal". I did get what he was trying to say though.

So it looks like surgery in Cape Town

My mum is in high spirits on her comfy hospital bed with a stream of visitors and good hospital food. She has requested a slice of cheesecake though from Classic Desserts tomorrow. I will oblige. As a joke she asked the nurse for champagne and the lady next door asked for wine - between the two of them :P Well the news was not so good from the specialist today. He has concluded it is my mum's varicose veins and faulty valves in her legs. This could lead to ulcers on her veins - not nice and future bleeds (I don't think I can handle more of those). It is a worry that when I am at work and if she is at home and had another one, I wouldn't be there). Well Dr Magaya has said he wants the cellulitis to clear up first, but as soon as it has, she needs to get on a plane and go down to Cape Town for laser surgery on her veins. It will take two to three weeks. Once again, THANK GOD we're on BUPA ... and, my mum's sister lives in Cape Town. I don't think I will be able to go down with her.

So there's my news. I joined a short petrol queue in Kensington and thankfully got a full tank. My dogs at home are very confused about where my mum is and they followed me through to the bathroom which still smells a bit even though I used Jik and Handyandy in large quantities. The dogs looked at me as if to say, "did you kill your mother?"

A big thank you to all, both near and far who have lent support. In particular the Lomagundi home group from the Base Church have been amazing with visiting my mum and keeping her spirits up, as well as praying for her and our friends Vee, Carolina, Deborah and my boyfriend Matthew. People have been very kind.