Life can change any day

In November 2008 I got the news that one of my friends had a tumor that's got to be removed as soon as possible.
Now J and I have been friends since gr 8. We stayed friends all along, and are still good friends.
Our husband liked each other as well, so it was easy to maintain the friendship 27 years after we left school. Our children are good friends as well, Anel was 18 month older than C, our second children is 2 weeks apart, and she has a 3rd boy, which I luckily didn't want to match!

She a DR, assisted with both my girls ceasearian births. With Ilse she was 38 weeks pregnant & huge, but she wanted to do it for me. After we moved to KZN, we spend many holidays together to make up for the friendship.

She had moles removed that were malignant, and she was treated accordingly. New years eve of 2000, we spent at their holiday home in Gordons Bay, and saw all the flares lighting up the sky.......and said that that is how our lifes is still to be: lots & lots of light in the world as her cancer was clean.

When I got the news about her operation, I was devasted. Especially after the op, when her husband phoned to say that although they removed the tumor, there were 9 branches into her brain that couldn't be removed. I couldn't function properly for about a week. I had all these thoughts running through my head. What if something like that would happen to me......my girls?
......my parents?......my hubby? I was so emotional and couldn't deal with it. Every time I got a call from her hubby, or phoned him, I was crying, and then when I phoned my mom to update her, I was also crying. Now I don't cry easily, and I don't share my emotions!
With time & lots of prayer I realised that I must accept it, and live my life to the fullest.

Then on 25th December I got the news that she was admitted to hospital in Cape Town and tings aren't looking to good, so my emotional rollercoaster started again.

This is the article that was in BEELD news paper
Sterwende ma hoor dogter kry 10 A'sDec 30 2008 08:18:22:520PM - (SA)

Sonja van Buul
Vereeniging. – C se vreugdetrane oor haar tien onderskeidings en tweede plek in Gauteng is met trane van hartseer gemeng.
C (18) van die Hoërskool Vereeniging het die nuus oor haar uitstekende matriekuitslae gister met haar sterwende ma, Jenny (45), in die Medi-City Vergelegen in Somerset-Wes gedeel.
“My vrou het vir my gesê sy sal nie sterf voordat Celesté se uitslae bekend is en my skoonma, mev. G van Vereeniging, by haar was nie,” het haar pa, dr. M, gister hartseer gesê.
“Jenny, ook ’n mediese dokter, het tydens C se eindeksamen in November skielik siek geword en breingewasse is gevind. Sy is ’n dag nadat C haar eindeksamen klaar geskryf het, geopereer.”
Haar toestand het ná ’n tweede operasie verbeter en hulle het in die Kaap gaan vakansie hou.
“Op Kersdag het Jenny breinbloeding gehad, sy is dié nag in die hospitaal opgeneem en sy is sterwend.”
Dr M was gistermiddag besig met reëlings om sy vrou vandag op ’n mediese vliegtuig na die Vaaldriehoek te bring.
“Wees die beste dogter wat jy kan wees,” was ma Jenny se raad.
Afhangende van haar ma se toestand moet C op 4 Januarie by die Universiteit van die Vrystaat aanmeld vir oriëntering. Sy gaan in dieselfde koshuis bly waar haar ma 25 jaar gelede die onder-primaria was.
Sy gaan medies studeer en wil daarna in neuro-chirurgie spesialiseer om mense soos haar ma te help.

I had to pull myself together, I am still a wife & mom and very much healthy!!!!!!
New years eve of 2009, I will always remember, just as the 2000 one.
I couldn't believe that something could affect me as much as this has.

Yet it wasn't the end yet.

The last Saterday of January her hubby phoned to say that she is going to theatre again, to remove another tumor. This was after 10 radiation treatments. She was exhausted, and by now dependant on drip medication.
I phoned my mom with the news, and just couldn't stop crying. My mom didn't know what was wrong and thought something happened to one of us. My poor mom, she doesn't know me as one to be so emotional. I am their "strong" daughter

This was in the regional news paper on 26 January 2009
26/01/2009 10:59 AM - (SA) Dr. Jenny herstel na derde breinoperasie
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'Ek het altyd gewonder waarom dit nou juis met haar moes gebeur, maar nou besef ek dat haar siekte baie mense tot stilstand geruk het om weer oor hul le?wens te besin.'
So sê dr. M (47), 'n bekende mediese dokter van Vereeniging, nadat sy vrou, dr. Jenny, Sondagoggend haar derde breinoperasie ondergaan het. Volgens dr. M het sy vrou se toestand die afgelope tyd agteruitgegaan en dr. S.A.H. Fatmi, die neurochirurg, het besluit dat die gewas links agter in haar brein wat op Kersdag aan die bloei gegaan het, verwyder moes word. 'Sy was Sondag na die operasie nog in die hoësorg-eenheid in Vereeniging Medi-Clinic, maar toe ek haar Maandagoggend besoek, het haar toestand so verbeter dat sy toe reeds na 'n privaatsaal oorgeplaas is. 'Dit gaan baie beter met haar as voor die operasie en hoewel sy nog baie swak is, lag sy reeds weer en maak grappies,' sê hy. 'Ons besef nou eers hoe sy mense se lewens verryk het en is baie dankbaar oor almal wat vir haar bid. Haar siekte het almal wat haar ken of net van haar siekte gehoor het, aangeraak en mense van so ver as Saoedi-Arabië, Australië en Nieu-Seeland bid vir haar,' sê dr. Van Drünick. * Dr. Jenny het in November verlede jaar skielik siek geword en breingewasse is toe gevind. 'n Operasie is op 4 Desember uitgevoer, waartydens 'n gewas verwyder is. Op 8 Desember is die drukking tydens 'n tweede operasie verlig en tydens Sondag se operasie is 'n gewas links agter in haar brein verwyder. 'Ek en Jenny praktiseer reeds die afgelope 20 jaar saam as vennote, waar ons mekaar ondersteun en aanvul. Haar siekte is vir ons swaar, maar ek glo dat al die gebede en ondersteuning ons daardeur sal dra,' sê dr. M. Vaalweekblad het verlede week berig dat die egpaar se dogter, C*, met haar tien onderskeidings in die afgelope matriekeksamen, die Vaaldriehoek se topmatrikulant vir 2008 is.

She is now so much better, and went home after more than a month in hospital, most of the time in ICU. After the third operation, they started with physio again, to get her strengh back to walk again. Her muscle weakened so much, and started weaning her of the medication, to be able to go home. When I phoned on Friday, she went to her daughters prize giving at the Gauteng Education Department. When I spoke to her, I could hear the determination to be with her family. Imagine somebody that was almost "gone" on christmas day, now she attends a lenghy prize giving ceremony.

It brings me back to being so totally out of control emotional about this. I am alive, I am healthy and we must live life to the fullest. You never know when it could be taken away from you.
I received so much support from the women at 24, and the prayers never stopped for this family. They still need the support. Her mom is nearly 80 years, and says that she is strong for the grand children, but she is tired. Her hubby has to work in their practise alone, and deal with all the emotions & extra responsibilities. He also says he is tired. The daughter is at varsity, and is coping, the 16 year old boys seems to be ok, but the 13 year old boy is suffering. Please continue to pray for them.