Wow, so here I sit in my office... the same one as before I climbed Kilimanjaro, at the same desk in front of the same computer. Rode the same scooter to work, from the same house and got out of the same bed. And so I find myself wondering - people said that climbing Kilimanjaro is a life changing experience, but what has changed...
I reached the top of the mountain on the morning of the 19 September 2013, exhausted, not really completely "with it" and there was no great sense of elation, more of relief that we could get back down again to more oxygen. So yes in terms of that it was a success and with hindsight knowing that I reached the top, in spite of the extreme feeling of tiredness, is one of the greatest achievements of my life.
I can only answer by saying that nothing, and everything has changed. My day to day life may continue, but climbing Kilimanjaro helped me to reconnect with myself and with the people in my group. It was a challenge that we faced together and knowing that you can push yourself and succeed is amazing. Climbing Kilimanajro takes your mind to many places, some dark and some filled with brightness. On that mountain I began to believe that loving again was possible, that to live freely and fully does not mean living alone... I learned that success is as much as what you believe as what you do...that thoughts in themselves can be as powerful as actions... and that trying to put a glove on at 5865m above sea level is really quite impossible!!
My fund raising will continue, that mountain I am still busy climbing.
Thank you for reading and I will try and write more..
Tuesday 17 December 2013
Wednesday 21 August 2013
Lazy
Ok ok, so my blogging skills suck!!! What can I say, lazy in one aspect of my life I guess.
SO...its 22 days until I leave for Kilimanjaro and still over R 20 000 to raise !GULP! Thanks so much to all of you that have donated - to the rest, that's it - friendship is over :-)
I "celebrated" the psychological hurdle of the one year mark since those words "I want a divorce" totally changed my life's direction earlier this month, which also coincided with one month to go until I start actually climbing the mountain - interesting how life works.
I have been doing a bit of training, most recently at the gravity adventure festival in Kleinmond. Shucks, not sure how we survived that!! My good friend Margie and I started off with a puddle invested trail run, up to just above my knees in water at some points. Not been satisfied with just one pair of soaked shoes, we then did an adventure race. I honestly have no idea how far we went, but we ran through those same trails/rivers, then got on our mountain bikes and headed out - seriously we went UP the mountain. It was wet, windy and cold and we spent more time pushing the bicycles than riding them. Coming back down was a blast (literally and figuratively) with the rain feeling like little needles stinging our faces. The fun didn't stop yet, we then hiked back up the other side of the mountain as we looked for a silly wooden bridge to mark off our checkpoint. Down the mountain... and wait for it...we then jumped into the fast running lagoon for some tubing. By this point my lips were blue, I was shivering uncontrollably and I am surprised that I didn't crack a tooth with all the chattering! Then was back on our bicycles for the last 3 km back to base. Almost 6 hours after we left we were back were I think the coffee bought by Lols was more shaken than sipped but it helped!! SO COLD. Kilimanjaro is going to feel like a walk in the park - I HOPE!!
The fun for the weekend wasn't over yet. My friends did a tag team manoeuvre, with Margie tapping out as Teresa tapped in. T and I met some new friends and partied in the tent...then tried hard to keep warm and comfortable on our slowly deflating mattress. We awoke to more rain, and then bravely set out on a 36 km very tough mountain bike ride which took us over 3 hours. Luckily the rain stopped, but the depth of the puddles ensured that I was walking around barefoot for the rest of the day as had run out of dry shoes.
Oh, and all that was after both T and I had been sick the week before. We might not have done the Ironman, but we felt like Ironwoman I tell you!! I have a few more hikes,swims, runs and mountain bike sessions planned so lets hope I will be ready for Kilimanjaro.
Its amazing how far we can come by just taking one day at a time, putting one foot in the other, trusting in ourselves and hoping that our friends and family will support us. We just have to keep that goal in sight and do whatever it takes - be it beating TB, surviving a break up or climbing a mountain - to get there. We may fail to reach our destination, but as long as we try we are not failures!!
SO...its 22 days until I leave for Kilimanjaro and still over R 20 000 to raise !GULP! Thanks so much to all of you that have donated - to the rest, that's it - friendship is over :-)
I "celebrated" the psychological hurdle of the one year mark since those words "I want a divorce" totally changed my life's direction earlier this month, which also coincided with one month to go until I start actually climbing the mountain - interesting how life works.
I have been doing a bit of training, most recently at the gravity adventure festival in Kleinmond. Shucks, not sure how we survived that!! My good friend Margie and I started off with a puddle invested trail run, up to just above my knees in water at some points. Not been satisfied with just one pair of soaked shoes, we then did an adventure race. I honestly have no idea how far we went, but we ran through those same trails/rivers, then got on our mountain bikes and headed out - seriously we went UP the mountain. It was wet, windy and cold and we spent more time pushing the bicycles than riding them. Coming back down was a blast (literally and figuratively) with the rain feeling like little needles stinging our faces. The fun didn't stop yet, we then hiked back up the other side of the mountain as we looked for a silly wooden bridge to mark off our checkpoint. Down the mountain... and wait for it...we then jumped into the fast running lagoon for some tubing. By this point my lips were blue, I was shivering uncontrollably and I am surprised that I didn't crack a tooth with all the chattering! Then was back on our bicycles for the last 3 km back to base. Almost 6 hours after we left we were back were I think the coffee bought by Lols was more shaken than sipped but it helped!! SO COLD. Kilimanjaro is going to feel like a walk in the park - I HOPE!!
The fun for the weekend wasn't over yet. My friends did a tag team manoeuvre, with Margie tapping out as Teresa tapped in. T and I met some new friends and partied in the tent...then tried hard to keep warm and comfortable on our slowly deflating mattress. We awoke to more rain, and then bravely set out on a 36 km very tough mountain bike ride which took us over 3 hours. Luckily the rain stopped, but the depth of the puddles ensured that I was walking around barefoot for the rest of the day as had run out of dry shoes.
Oh, and all that was after both T and I had been sick the week before. We might not have done the Ironman, but we felt like Ironwoman I tell you!! I have a few more hikes,swims, runs and mountain bike sessions planned so lets hope I will be ready for Kilimanjaro.
Its amazing how far we can come by just taking one day at a time, putting one foot in the other, trusting in ourselves and hoping that our friends and family will support us. We just have to keep that goal in sight and do whatever it takes - be it beating TB, surviving a break up or climbing a mountain - to get there. We may fail to reach our destination, but as long as we try we are not failures!!
Tuesday 16 July 2013
Nelson Mandela International Day
MANDELA DAY
The overarching objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately it seeks to empower communities everywhere. “Take Action; Inspire Change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
Nelson Mandela International Day is on 18 July. The main concept is to do something linked to 67 as this is the number of years that he dedicated to service for South Africa and the world.
While I hope that everyone will still do something for 67 minutes, I also request that you consider making a donation of R67 via www.tbhivcare.org. Click on donate and chose the cause kileighmanjaro.vs.TB
We all know that Madiba had Tuberculosis, and that he is currently hospitalized for a lung infection - doesn't it make sense to help celebrate Madibas birthday by directly helping people in Brooklyn Chest Hospital that are hospitalized with Tuberculosis?
Please help these patients be able to spend valuable time with their loved ones.
Tuesday 9 July 2013
The Wall
So, about 3 weeks ago it felt like I had hit that proverbial wall. The Wall is usually something spoken about by marathon runners and other long distance athletes. Its that moment when you go from cruising along to suddenly feeling like you have run head first into a concrete barrier. The Wall can be physical, and it can also be psychological. In South Africa many of us have six foot high walls around our property, designed to keep our loved ones in and "baddies" out. Walls are not always bad, they can help to designate boundaries, to protect and to create privacy. However, like most things, when something is no longer effective, and no longer helping you to achieve goals then maybe its time to consider a change.
My wall that I hit was partly physical, mostly psychological. I just ran out of oomph. I didn't feel like updating my blog, going for a run seemed as hard as going to Mars, in fact just getting out of bed every morning took an enormous amount of effort. If it wasn't for the laughter of my house mates precious daughter echoing down the passage my afternoon naps may have carried on for the whole weekend. And lets face it, the giggles of an eight year old (sorry almost nine) are infectious.
Anyway, back to my wall... I was tired, demotivated, kept getting headaches and was just feeling uninspired. The wall that I had hit was protecting me from being hurt in that I was isolating myself from others, it was giving me safety and peace and privacy, but was also resulting in a feeling of emptiness. It was time to get that hammer out and knock down some bricks...
So I did, I got back out there, meeting new people and participating in the activities of the world. I was in the newspaper last week, and it is amazing how many of the patients are cheering me on. Life is what it is, and it is filled with hope and love if we are prepared to let down our guards (within reason!!)
I see it in my patients here too, how they also "hit the wall". After taking treatment for several months, putting up with vomiting, painful injections, hospital food (which I must say does look and smell really good, but can never taste like what is made with love at home), separation from family...they sometimes too just feel that they can't keep going. Getting out of bed becomes difficult, every day just becomes the same as the other and finding a reason to keep fighting is not always easy. They build psychological wall of dissatisfaction and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and often try overcome these feelings by moving away from the physical walls of the hospital. They run away, or abscond completely, or give up and stop taking their treatment, or just escape in a bottle of beer...
There is no simple solution, I am sure I will hit a completely different "wall" on Kilimanjaro. For now I am going to focus on doing the best that I can everyday. I firmly believe that with sufficient funding, and with the patients realizing that they are not forgotten and that people out there do care, that we can empower our patients with skills that will lead to a greater sense of purpose, and ensure that families are able to visit each other to offer support.
Please help me to help them by donating at www.tbhivcare.org and choose the cause Kileighmanjaro.vs.TB
Thanks
My wall that I hit was partly physical, mostly psychological. I just ran out of oomph. I didn't feel like updating my blog, going for a run seemed as hard as going to Mars, in fact just getting out of bed every morning took an enormous amount of effort. If it wasn't for the laughter of my house mates precious daughter echoing down the passage my afternoon naps may have carried on for the whole weekend. And lets face it, the giggles of an eight year old (sorry almost nine) are infectious.
Anyway, back to my wall... I was tired, demotivated, kept getting headaches and was just feeling uninspired. The wall that I had hit was protecting me from being hurt in that I was isolating myself from others, it was giving me safety and peace and privacy, but was also resulting in a feeling of emptiness. It was time to get that hammer out and knock down some bricks...
So I did, I got back out there, meeting new people and participating in the activities of the world. I was in the newspaper last week, and it is amazing how many of the patients are cheering me on. Life is what it is, and it is filled with hope and love if we are prepared to let down our guards (within reason!!)
I see it in my patients here too, how they also "hit the wall". After taking treatment for several months, putting up with vomiting, painful injections, hospital food (which I must say does look and smell really good, but can never taste like what is made with love at home), separation from family...they sometimes too just feel that they can't keep going. Getting out of bed becomes difficult, every day just becomes the same as the other and finding a reason to keep fighting is not always easy. They build psychological wall of dissatisfaction and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and often try overcome these feelings by moving away from the physical walls of the hospital. They run away, or abscond completely, or give up and stop taking their treatment, or just escape in a bottle of beer...
There is no simple solution, I am sure I will hit a completely different "wall" on Kilimanjaro. For now I am going to focus on doing the best that I can everyday. I firmly believe that with sufficient funding, and with the patients realizing that they are not forgotten and that people out there do care, that we can empower our patients with skills that will lead to a greater sense of purpose, and ensure that families are able to visit each other to offer support.
Please help me to help them by donating at www.tbhivcare.org and choose the cause Kileighmanjaro.vs.TB
Thanks
Wednesday 5 June 2013
Countdown
How exciting I am into double digits of days to go until I fly to Kilimanjaro thanks to www.souladventures.co.za99 days to go! Which means that I need to raise R500 per day to reach my target. To those of you that have already donated thank you very much - to the rest of you... What are you waiting for? It's easy just go to www.tbhivcare.org and click on the red donate block and chose kileighmanjaro vs tb. Easy as that.
Since I started my kileighmanjaro journey I have managed to achieve quite a lot. I have done 2 trail run competitions (one 10km in the pouring rain wearing my hiking boots), a mountain bike race, a sprint triathlon and my first half marathon. I have been in the newspaper, been interviewed for two publications and been on the radio twice. So I am doing my training and marketing, and while donations have been slow, I hope that I am achieving my goal of improving awareness about tuberculosis and encouraging adherence to medication.
So now I ask you to please try to help the patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital. Every bit helps and just R50 will help a patient to get a visit from a family member. It will also help with essential life skills and work skills to be used after discharge from hospital.
Thank you and please encourage friends and family to view this blog and to like my kileighmanjaro vs tb Facebook page.
Since I started my kileighmanjaro journey I have managed to achieve quite a lot. I have done 2 trail run competitions (one 10km in the pouring rain wearing my hiking boots), a mountain bike race, a sprint triathlon and my first half marathon. I have been in the newspaper, been interviewed for two publications and been on the radio twice. So I am doing my training and marketing, and while donations have been slow, I hope that I am achieving my goal of improving awareness about tuberculosis and encouraging adherence to medication.
So now I ask you to please try to help the patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital. Every bit helps and just R50 will help a patient to get a visit from a family member. It will also help with essential life skills and work skills to be used after discharge from hospital.
Thank you and please encourage friends and family to view this blog and to like my kileighmanjaro vs tb Facebook page.
Monday 20 May 2013
Life and death
Synchronicity is a strange concept. Similar things that happen at the same time that make you sit up and take notice. My Dad was diagnosed with prostrate cancer which was a huge shock. My Dad is kinda like a superman he drinks but never gets drunk, gets angry but seldom looses his temper, can see through things that others can't, and well is pretty indestructible in my books. So yes the concept of cancer was not easy to grasp, and one of the greatest people I know, Dave Jeffrey lost his life to cancer. Fortunately my Dads seems to be slow growing so all is good for now. Within the same two weeks a good friend told me that she believes she may not have long to go.... Then today a patient asked me if she was dying. I have been asked this before... And I can't help but wonder, at what point do we start dying and stop living?
Wow such deep questions! But I guess what it comes down to is for every day we are alive, we are getting closer to our demise. I did my first half marathon last Sunday, and from about the 3km mark people were clapping and saying "nearly there"! I laughingly pointed this out to a fellow runner, and she responded by saying "well we are closer to the finish than when we started ". So the point I suppose is just to keep trying everyday to do what we can to live well and die content. For me that means not having regrets, for others it may mean something different.
Climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about tuberculosis and to raise funds for the patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital is something important to me. I have a wonderful and supportive family. In spite of what my Mom is going through, she is still trying to help me raise money and her latest mission is to get onto the local radio station (ECR). I know how important the support of my family and friends is to me, which is why I want to enable patients and their families to be together whether they are living or dying. Please help me achieve this by making a donation through www.tbhivcare.org. And like my Facebook page kileighmanjaro.vs.tb.
I sign off with the advise my Dad gave us every morning "work hard and play hard. Think before you do" Words to live by
Wow such deep questions! But I guess what it comes down to is for every day we are alive, we are getting closer to our demise. I did my first half marathon last Sunday, and from about the 3km mark people were clapping and saying "nearly there"! I laughingly pointed this out to a fellow runner, and she responded by saying "well we are closer to the finish than when we started ". So the point I suppose is just to keep trying everyday to do what we can to live well and die content. For me that means not having regrets, for others it may mean something different.
Climbing Kilimanjaro to raise awareness about tuberculosis and to raise funds for the patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital is something important to me. I have a wonderful and supportive family. In spite of what my Mom is going through, she is still trying to help me raise money and her latest mission is to get onto the local radio station (ECR). I know how important the support of my family and friends is to me, which is why I want to enable patients and their families to be together whether they are living or dying. Please help me achieve this by making a donation through www.tbhivcare.org. And like my Facebook page kileighmanjaro.vs.tb.
I sign off with the advise my Dad gave us every morning "work hard and play hard. Think before you do" Words to live by
Thursday 2 May 2013
Is Tb a problem?
Since starting my Kilimanjaro quest, people have sometimes asked me “is TB really such a big problem?” Well, according
to the WHO, approximately 8.7 million people became ill with TB in 2011, 1.4
million people died and 10 million children were left orphaned after their
parents succumbed to this disease worldwide. It is estimated that in the 22
high burden countries there are 10 million people living with active TB. Sub –
Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of new cases per population in the
world. In 2011 it was estimated by City Health that there were nearly 30 000 people in the City’s metro suffering from TB.
This is a frightening situation. Most people with a reasonable immune system would be able to fight off this infection, but wants it starts to grow and symptoms manifest then treatment is required.
Today is one of those days when I just feel so powerless in the face of this disease and it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. This happens to us all - yes even to psychologists:-) I know that tomorrow, or the next day this feeling will pass. It helps to know that I am going to leave work today, go and have a great horse riding lesson, and can then choose what I do with my evening. I sometimes feel guilty feeling down when I know that I have so much and yet the patients here have so little. We all have our burdens to carry, and most of us in essence just want to feel that we are loved, that our lives are important and that we are worthy. My patients and I share that struggle- within us we are not that different after all.
The core difference is in our external circumstances - I can go home!!
I am asking for individuals to
make a donation to the cause at www.tbhivcare.org.
When you consider that our patients are unable to work while in hospital, and
while they qualify for a disability grant of just over R1000 per month, the
transport cost of R50 for one family member to visit is often a luxury that
they cannot afford. Screening for distribution of travel grants will be done by
our social workers – but we need your help in the form of a donation. Every bit helps
If you have any further questions, comments or concerns please email
me at leigh.rynhoud@gmail.com
Wednesday 24 April 2013
Fun, Family, Flights
So, there are some F words that are good!!! This has been an interesting few weeks - when "they" said that life begins at Forty they weren't kidding:-) I wonder if I can meet "them" one day, or maybe by having a blog I am actually one of them - anyway I digress (must be the age). So to focus where was I, oh yes the F words.
Fun.... Thanks to Marizanne who took me cycling at Meerendal Wine Estate for the first time. It was such fun and then I followed that up by going with Ang, Teresa and Margie the following week. Ang was testing out her newly acquired cleats (clip on pedals) and shame she tasted the dirt a few times. But what a trooper she just got up and tried and fell and tried again. What an inspiration!!
I did my first orientation to wild fire fighting at Newlands Forest near the beautiful University of Cape Town and Rhodes Memorial on Sunday. It involved going for a 4 km hike carrying a back pack with 4 L of waters and a beater. It was awesome!! We then learned some basics of using a GPS navigation system and how to handle the hoses. The power of pressurized water is quite something I had images of me flying around in the air behind a crazy hose - but it wasn't that bad and my partner for the day was supporting me.
Family... "they" (see how clever they are) say that friends are the family that you choose. Well, I have certainly made a few fine decisions on that front lately. Some friends have donated to Brooklyn Chest Hospital fund at TB/HIV Care and some haven't quite gotten around to it yet, but the support and encouragement they give in sharing in my excitement is fantastic. Even the patients here at Brooklyn Chest Hospital know that I am climbing and will give me the thumbs up when walking past. Many have already asked me for my boots that I am busy walking in around the hospital grounds - but I am going to need these babies.
My fantastic brother and his wife have kindly made the biggest donation to date! He truly is a legend.
Happy birthday to his beautiful and amazing wife Helen
I am so so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends
Finally flights... I HAVE BOOKED MY TICKETS TO KILIMANJARO!!!!!!! How super duper exciting!!
So - this is all really happening!! Thanks again to:
www.souladventures.co.za
www.tbhivcare.org
Please consider making a donation for these patients! For some of them we may be the only way that they can get to visit with their friends and family while in hospital. Our patients need the psychological support and motivation that only loved ones can give.
Fun.... Thanks to Marizanne who took me cycling at Meerendal Wine Estate for the first time. It was such fun and then I followed that up by going with Ang, Teresa and Margie the following week. Ang was testing out her newly acquired cleats (clip on pedals) and shame she tasted the dirt a few times. But what a trooper she just got up and tried and fell and tried again. What an inspiration!!
I did my first orientation to wild fire fighting at Newlands Forest near the beautiful University of Cape Town and Rhodes Memorial on Sunday. It involved going for a 4 km hike carrying a back pack with 4 L of waters and a beater. It was awesome!! We then learned some basics of using a GPS navigation system and how to handle the hoses. The power of pressurized water is quite something I had images of me flying around in the air behind a crazy hose - but it wasn't that bad and my partner for the day was supporting me.
Family... "they" (see how clever they are) say that friends are the family that you choose. Well, I have certainly made a few fine decisions on that front lately. Some friends have donated to Brooklyn Chest Hospital fund at TB/HIV Care and some haven't quite gotten around to it yet, but the support and encouragement they give in sharing in my excitement is fantastic. Even the patients here at Brooklyn Chest Hospital know that I am climbing and will give me the thumbs up when walking past. Many have already asked me for my boots that I am busy walking in around the hospital grounds - but I am going to need these babies.
My fantastic brother and his wife have kindly made the biggest donation to date! He truly is a legend.
Happy birthday to his beautiful and amazing wife Helen
I am so so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends
Finally flights... I HAVE BOOKED MY TICKETS TO KILIMANJARO!!!!!!! How super duper exciting!!
So - this is all really happening!! Thanks again to:
www.souladventures.co.za
www.tbhivcare.org
Please consider making a donation for these patients! For some of them we may be the only way that they can get to visit with their friends and family while in hospital. Our patients need the psychological support and motivation that only loved ones can give.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
40 years
Wow, well I have had a great few days holiday. My brother and his wife and three wonderful children visited from Dubai, and my Mom and Dad came up to stay in Cape Town. What a spoil to have them, my very special friends and my "cape town family" all together to celebrate my 40th birthday on the 1st April.
Having all of my family and friends with me was a very real experience of how valuable support and friendship is. The ink on my divorce papers dried almost 6 months ago, yet still celebrating this milestone as a single person without my spouse at my side was a challenge. I found myself sitting in an amazing setting in Noordhoek just outside Cape Town both missing the life that I had, and at the same time enjoying the life that I have now. Looking at Silvermine mountain, and discussing my Kilimanjaro attempt naturally led me to thinking about some of "my" patients; the young 10 year old boy who was not able to go home for the long weekend in Easter as his family can't afford the travel expense, a 35 year old woman crying because she was too sick to go home, yet did not have funds for her family to visit her. Its hard not to just whip out my wallet and pay for them, but I know that this all had to be managed properly with the assistance of our brilliant social workers.
Most of our patients qualify for a disability grant of around R1000 per month. But would you be able to still purchase personal items and provide for your family on that?? In the type of situation spending R50 on transport to go home once a month or have family visit you is an extraordinary expense. So I am asking anyone who is reading this to PLEASE donate via www.tbhivcare.org. The moment you donate you will see that line towards our progress change. Even just R50 (that's not even 10 euros) will help a patient get to his or her family, or allow a family member to visit. This can really improve quality of life especially if you consider that many patients are here for up to 6 months and some even more. This money will all be spent with care and consideration and will not just be absorbed into some huge organisation.
Please encourage your friends and family to donate and Like my profile on facebook - kileighmanjaro.vs.tb.
BIG THANK YOU TO SOUL ADVENTURES AND CAPE UNION MART
www.capeunionmart.co.za
www.souladventures.co.za
Having all of my family and friends with me was a very real experience of how valuable support and friendship is. The ink on my divorce papers dried almost 6 months ago, yet still celebrating this milestone as a single person without my spouse at my side was a challenge. I found myself sitting in an amazing setting in Noordhoek just outside Cape Town both missing the life that I had, and at the same time enjoying the life that I have now. Looking at Silvermine mountain, and discussing my Kilimanjaro attempt naturally led me to thinking about some of "my" patients; the young 10 year old boy who was not able to go home for the long weekend in Easter as his family can't afford the travel expense, a 35 year old woman crying because she was too sick to go home, yet did not have funds for her family to visit her. Its hard not to just whip out my wallet and pay for them, but I know that this all had to be managed properly with the assistance of our brilliant social workers.
Most of our patients qualify for a disability grant of around R1000 per month. But would you be able to still purchase personal items and provide for your family on that?? In the type of situation spending R50 on transport to go home once a month or have family visit you is an extraordinary expense. So I am asking anyone who is reading this to PLEASE donate via www.tbhivcare.org. The moment you donate you will see that line towards our progress change. Even just R50 (that's not even 10 euros) will help a patient get to his or her family, or allow a family member to visit. This can really improve quality of life especially if you consider that many patients are here for up to 6 months and some even more. This money will all be spent with care and consideration and will not just be absorbed into some huge organisation.
Please encourage your friends and family to donate and Like my profile on facebook - kileighmanjaro.vs.tb.
BIG THANK YOU TO SOUL ADVENTURES AND CAPE UNION MART
www.capeunionmart.co.za
www.souladventures.co.za
Wednesday 20 March 2013
Motivation
Different things drive different people. As a clinical psychologist working in an environment where adherence to treatment and healthy lifestyle choices are paramount to cure, motivation of people is often high on my priority list when it comes to therapy. This is not however, always what the people diagnosed with TB focus on. Their concerns are often more about worry about children at home, is their spouse being faithful and the unfairness that no one visits them bringing treats while others get lots of visitors. Problem solving capacity and cognitive abilities also vary - and so the content of sessions is often very different, yet the process is often very similar. We are all trying to cope with the varies challenges we face, and trying to stay motivated to keep trying every day to do the best that we can.
We all need to find what drives us, what for us is gas for our tank, because without knowing what we need to put in to fill up, we can't stay motivated to succeed. My motivation to climb Kilimanjaro is that I want to feel that I am making a practical as well as psychological difference to the lives of the people who pass through Brooklyn Chest Hospital. I hope that more people will say things like "getting TB was the best thing that happened to me, because it helped me become a better person". If we can teach life skills and work skills with the money that we raise, and can assist with travel grants to facilitate families visiting patients we can go far to achieving this goal. Please consider making a donation at www.tbhivcare.org
If you, or someone that you know has any of the following symptoms: Appetite loss, Chest pains, Tiredness, Night sweats and fever, Ongoing cough or coughing up blood, Weight loss without dieting then please ACT NOW. Tuberculosis CAN be cured.
We all need to find what drives us, what for us is gas for our tank, because without knowing what we need to put in to fill up, we can't stay motivated to succeed. My motivation to climb Kilimanjaro is that I want to feel that I am making a practical as well as psychological difference to the lives of the people who pass through Brooklyn Chest Hospital. I hope that more people will say things like "getting TB was the best thing that happened to me, because it helped me become a better person". If we can teach life skills and work skills with the money that we raise, and can assist with travel grants to facilitate families visiting patients we can go far to achieving this goal. Please consider making a donation at www.tbhivcare.org
If you, or someone that you know has any of the following symptoms: Appetite loss, Chest pains, Tiredness, Night sweats and fever, Ongoing cough or coughing up blood, Weight loss without dieting then please ACT NOW. Tuberculosis CAN be cured.
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Progress
The slog has produced some progress yippee!!! I am now officially linked to www.tbhivcare.org and you can log on to donate to Brooklyn Chest Hospital. I have also managed to finalize the printing of 500 flyers - which I think Terry from Print Plus in Cape Town is rather relieved to have behind him. I will be doing a woman's only mini triathlon for +cansa on World Aids Day (24 March) at +Val De Vie Estate and Anthony the event organizer has kindly allowed me to put flyers in the goodie bags. One frustration is that I still haven't figured out how to get my facebook page up and running, but hey I will get there. In the meanwhile email any comments to www.kileighmanjaro.vs.tb@gmail.com
The patients, mainly the children had a great day yesterday when the Kick TB truck came out. Thanks to TB/HIV care for organizing it and for the soccer balls, cookies and juice that was given to the children. Seeing those sweaty little faces with huge grins brings such joy. Sometimes I really wish that I could just wave a magic wand and TB will be gone. All diseases are tough, but the infectious nature of TB means that months of separation from family and loved ones is an added hurdle.
We keep going though, one day at a time, helping one person at a time. It is amazing what the human spirit can overcome as long as hope is kept alive
The patients, mainly the children had a great day yesterday when the Kick TB truck came out. Thanks to TB/HIV care for organizing it and for the soccer balls, cookies and juice that was given to the children. Seeing those sweaty little faces with huge grins brings such joy. Sometimes I really wish that I could just wave a magic wand and TB will be gone. All diseases are tough, but the infectious nature of TB means that months of separation from family and loved ones is an added hurdle.
We keep going though, one day at a time, helping one person at a time. It is amazing what the human spirit can overcome as long as hope is kept alive
Monday 4 March 2013
The Slog
Wow, we had amazing weather in Cape Town over these last few days! Saturday morning saw me at the Two Oceans Aquarium where I am busy training to be a volunteer. What an awesome place and I am meeting some great people. So much to see and learn there - did you know that a Blue Bottle (portuguese man - of - war in Australia) is not actually a single animal, but a colony of smaller animals! It is really incredible what a sea urchin looks like under a microscope... Like life I guess, perspectives are totally different depending on what it is you choose to focus on and how closely you study something.
My title is the slog - and thats where I am at in this journey at the moment. I went home early yesterday with a massive headache, which was rather frustrating as wanted to go for a run as I am doing a mini triathlon on 24 March which is World TB day. Thanks to my wonderful housemate who went out and got me some headache tablets and a chocolate. She truly is a blessing in my life.
My Kili plans are slowly fumbling along and I am trying to keep a broad perspective and not become too stressed. There is still lots of things to organise and I am waiting for the link to TB/HIV care website so we can start with some fund raising.
Darren at Soul Adventures has been awesome, but I need to wait and see what date my climb will be based on when he can get a group of people together... So if you are reading this, and have ever had a desire to climb Kilimanjaro DO IT NOW!! Contact Soul Adventures, at this stage the two options are around the 19th September or 18th October. Don't study it too closely, just jump in there and make it happen:-).
I hope that you all have a great day and remember to zoom in and also out when you analyze life. How things are now are not how they will always be, nothing stays the same.
Please drop me a line: kileighmanjaro.vs.tb@gmail.com
My title is the slog - and thats where I am at in this journey at the moment. I went home early yesterday with a massive headache, which was rather frustrating as wanted to go for a run as I am doing a mini triathlon on 24 March which is World TB day. Thanks to my wonderful housemate who went out and got me some headache tablets and a chocolate. She truly is a blessing in my life.
My Kili plans are slowly fumbling along and I am trying to keep a broad perspective and not become too stressed. There is still lots of things to organise and I am waiting for the link to TB/HIV care website so we can start with some fund raising.
Darren at Soul Adventures has been awesome, but I need to wait and see what date my climb will be based on when he can get a group of people together... So if you are reading this, and have ever had a desire to climb Kilimanjaro DO IT NOW!! Contact Soul Adventures, at this stage the two options are around the 19th September or 18th October. Don't study it too closely, just jump in there and make it happen:-).
I hope that you all have a great day and remember to zoom in and also out when you analyze life. How things are now are not how they will always be, nothing stays the same.
Please drop me a line: kileighmanjaro.vs.tb@gmail.com
Friday 1 March 2013
Challenges
We all faces different challenges in our daily lives. For some (like my housemate this morning), its dealing with the chaos of waking up 20mins before your child should be leaving for school !GULP!. Was all good they made it on time. For others the challenges are longer lasting like living with type 1 diabetes or the pain of loosing a loved one. All challenges, those that seem small and insignificant, and those that test us a little more are all part of life and training for bigger challenges.
When I train for Kili, I will need to start with smaller hills (like beautiful Lions Head in Cape Town) before attempting a bigger challenge like Table Mountain so as to increase my chances of success. The TB patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital also face different challenges. Its Friday today, yet for many that makes little difference as families live to far to visit and weekends are just a prospect of boredom. Getting through a weekend might be tough for some... but they also know that if they want to be cured from TB they must take ecah day as it comes, taking their medication, dealing with side effects and keeping hope alive.
Today I count myself as lucky!! My biggest challenge is trying to encourage people to donate to this cause, and providing therapy to my clients aiming at installation of hope. The most frustrating thing that I am facing in the fact that I have a pimple the size of well, Lions Head on my lip... and today of all days when my gorgeous ex is visiting - thanks Murphy!! But hey if thats my biggest stress for the day, well then my life is pretty good I would say:-)
Thank you to those of you that are reading this.... watch this space for a chance to make a small contribution to the lives of our patients as we will be creating an online donation option soon.
Thought for the day: Life is not what it is supposed to be - It is what it is
When I train for Kili, I will need to start with smaller hills (like beautiful Lions Head in Cape Town) before attempting a bigger challenge like Table Mountain so as to increase my chances of success. The TB patients at Brooklyn Chest Hospital also face different challenges. Its Friday today, yet for many that makes little difference as families live to far to visit and weekends are just a prospect of boredom. Getting through a weekend might be tough for some... but they also know that if they want to be cured from TB they must take ecah day as it comes, taking their medication, dealing with side effects and keeping hope alive.
Today I count myself as lucky!! My biggest challenge is trying to encourage people to donate to this cause, and providing therapy to my clients aiming at installation of hope. The most frustrating thing that I am facing in the fact that I have a pimple the size of well, Lions Head on my lip... and today of all days when my gorgeous ex is visiting - thanks Murphy!! But hey if thats my biggest stress for the day, well then my life is pretty good I would say:-)
Thank you to those of you that are reading this.... watch this space for a chance to make a small contribution to the lives of our patients as we will be creating an online donation option soon.
Thought for the day: Life is not what it is supposed to be - It is what it is
Wednesday 27 February 2013
Step 2
A friend came around last night - she did Kili last year. We looked at photos and spoke about the experience... could hardly sleep knowing its all actually happening. Darren at Soul Adventures, www.souladventures.co.za is an absolute star! He is looking at options of reducing my costs significantly, and my friend has offered to lend me some of her Kili Kit. Its all slowly coming together. Next step is to have my profile linked to the TB/HIV Care web site so that people can start making donations. STOP TB in our lifetime. Know the signs and symptoms, get tested if unsure and TAKE YOUR MEDICATION UNTIL THE DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO STOP!! Have a beautiful day
The start
Wow, so this is it, its really happening. I am going to be climbing Kilimanjaro as a symbol of the physical and psychological challenges that people with TB face. Amazing what can be achieved by asking the right questions to the right people
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