I’m Back! And now it’s time for Africa!

I’m back! Did ya miss me? Did you even know I was gone? Ha ha.

In case you have been wondering what’s been going on and why I have been M.I.A. over the last two and a half weeks (bar a few random Instagram and Facebook posts), I’ve been quite because my health needed some attention. Sometimes life throws us these curve balls and we just have to stop what we’ve got going on, breathe and deal with it. This was one of those moments for me.

About 2 and a half weeks ago I was put in hospital for a week with a severe allergic reaction to some penicillin. Yes, I’ve had penicillin a million times before. And no, I’ve never had a reaction before now. But all of a sudden, my body has now decided that enough is enough and it doesn’t like penicillin anymore. I was covered from head-to-toe in a very angry, welting and itchy red rash, my eyes swelled up and there was some blistering as well. My cancer arm also blew up with fluid as the limited lymph nodes were overloaded and found it difficult to cope.

Wardrobe Wednesday in hospital. The day they admitted me into hospital. Believe it or not, I actually got worse than this before it got better!

The dermatologist were watching me very carefully and even took a total of 6 biopsies from my skin (which meant stitches in 6 places) before they could confirm what type of reaction I had. I felt like I was in an episode at HOUSE for a while there as I was proving to be a bit of a riddle to the dermatology team. What a way to start my school holidays and Long Service Leave that I have been looking forward to for over 12 months!

After 8 days of scratching, the swelling finally subsided (you could start to see my dimples again when I smiled), my arm started to go down, my normal colour started to return and the doctors agreed to let me be an outpatient if I promised to rest like I was still in hospital.

But the most important question I had for the doctors wasn’t about what lotions and potions I had to lather on me 4 times a day, nor was it when could have the last of the stitches taken out. It simply was….. Could I still go to Africa in one and a half week’s time? I think I must’ve asked every single doctor they sent my way that week. Would I be able to go? Could I go? Will I be ok in time? Thankfully, all of them were fairly positive. Only one got a little negative at one point and said, “You have about an 85% chance of going” (which was still good odds in my books).

Fast forward a week and a half and what a difference a week and a half makes! I still have some red blotches and my skin has been peeling like I’ve had a major dose of sun burn all over my body, but I’m doing well. In this time I have been for 2 dermatology check ups, 3 physio appointments on my arm to get it back down into normal fluid levels, 1 visit to the GP to get the last of my stitches out and I’ve lost count how many trips to the chemist to spend quite a few $$$ on the right type of lotions and potions to use on my skin that wouldn’t irritate the remaining blotches that are left.

Every time I saw a doctor I would still ask them… can I still go to Africa? Finally, I got confirmation that I have healed enough and I am well enough to travel to Africa on Monday (3rd October). YAY!!!!!! Not only was I cleared to fly, but I was also cleared to meet my new niece, Elsie, who was now 1 week old (I’m a first time aunty). DOUBLE YAY!!!!!

Aunty Trina cuddling her niece, Elsie.

So today’s the day! Today’s the day I head off on one of my ‘bucket list’ adventures. I’m heading off to Africa for 3 weeks. While I’m there I am meeting my World Vision sponsor child in Zimbabwe that I have been sponsoring for the last 15 years! Oh my – that’s a long time! He’s not so little anymore. He’s just become a mechanic and is now 20 years old!

I’m also visiting my school’s sister school in Zimbabwe. The kids at my school have been fundraising to help out a little remote school in a drought stricken village called Humani. I even get to teach a few lessons while I’m there! (A dream of mine since I became a teacher almost 20 years ago).

Then there’s the tours through Soweto and Johannesburg. I have had a fascination with South African history since studying it in high school. And let’s not forget the infamous safari tours in a couple of different countries. I hope I don’t get eaten by a lion… or a hippo… or a croc… or stampeded by an elephant… ummm…. I think I might just stay in the jeep! Ha ha.

Oh… and I also get to have a very special day while in Africa… I will be turning 40 while I’m there! Maybe someone will give me a pet giraffe to bring home for my birthday??? My sister has graciously offered to keep it at their farm for me if I do manage to smuggle one home. If you didn’t know, giraffes are my favourite animal and are also the mascot for this blog site. Read all about it here.

So there you have it. Consider yourself caught up to date. I’d love you to follow along as I post blogs and pictures from my trip. Better yet, why don’t you write in the comments below if you have been to Africa and if you have some travel tips for me. Maybe you have some advice about the animals? Perhaps you are wanting to go and want to know where you should visit. Do you have a favourite animal that I can be on the lookout for? Let me hear it, sistas!

But for now, I better dash. I’ve got to get to the airport to catch my flight. EEEP!!! As the singer Shakira says, WAKA WAKA – IT’S TIME FOR AFRICA!!!!

P.S. – You may notice in the upcoming Africa pics that my hair is not so blonde at the moment. This is because due to the reaction I had to the penicillin, I am not allowed to put such harsh chemicals on my hair/scalp for another month (nor am I allowed to wax as it strips the skin). Therefore, I couldn’t do my usual platinum blonde at the hairdressers this week. So we’ve gone with a temporary toner to blend my blonde and my regrowth. I call it “mocha”. Like it?

My “mocha” hair!