Life as you know it can change in the blink of an eye!
Creative Block
My last blog post was way back in June of this year! In fact I have not gone anywhere near a can of paint or a paint brush in what seems like forever. My garage is stuffed full of furniture, but I just cannot find the time or energy to tackle the re-do's.
Moving House
We were looking at downsizing in 5 years so that I could spend less hours working for a corporate and do more of what I am passionate about...reviving furniture pieces. Anyway our plans were fast forwarded when we received an offer on our house that we could not refuse. And that's without even putting the house on the market!
We started house hunting and found a 4 bed, three story house with potential. Our offer was accepted for below the market value. We started packing up our house and planning the big move. My family thought I was crazy buying a house that needs work, but heck I love a challenge. Although this house is on three floors it is more compact than our previous house and its definitely crying out for some serious TLC.
Our New Neighbourhood
We now live in the peaceful area of Walmer Estate, Woodstock, situated a mere 5 min drive to the V&A Waterfront, City Bowl, the famous Long Street mile and the Vibey De Waterkant Village. We are blessed with unsurpassable views of both Table Mountain and the ocean.
The architecture in Walmer Estate has been heavily influenced by the Muslim heritage of many of its longstanding community members and families. What makes Walmer Estate so desirable is the sense of community amongst its residents. An unobtrusive, quiet community that goes about its business and leads a relatively modest existence which belies its splendour. Some houses date back to 1900.
Walmer Estate could be described as a quietly 'high-end' suburb where beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Anyhow we took quite a while to get settled in and soon began making plans for giving our new little nest a face lift and injecting our personality. But sometimes life throws you a curve ball and forces you to re-evaluate the road ahead!
The Curve Ball
My sweet, loving husband started feeling ill. Headaches, dizzyness, losing his balance and forgetfulness. He suddenly started losing his way on routes that he had travelled many times before. Alarm bells started going off in my head. When he complained that the headaches were getting more severe, we rushed him to the ER. That was Thursday 18 October....the day our lives changed!
The doctors put him through a barrage of tests...scans, MRI's and blood tests. After all this, hubby whispered in my ear "They found something".The bottom of my world dropped out from under me! The next couple of days felt like an out of body experience, like all this was happening to some other people. But the harsh reality soon crept back. I went through a miriad of emotions and so did hubby.
The Diagnosis
The tests showed a large tumour and smaller metastasis in the brain. The cancer originated in the lung and spread to the brain. On Friday 19 October hubby underwent a 5 hour operation to drain the large tumour and he spent the next couple of days in ICU. I thank God everyday that he recovered so well from the operation. He just finished a course of radiation and this will be followed by chemo starting on 10 December.
The Mindset
There is a long road ahead, but we are both positive and committed to the journey. We firmly believe in the power of prayer and we are putting our faith and trust in the Almighty!
I love his attitude, his positive mind and his determination to fight this disease. He is a real trooper and I am proud of him!
I will keep you posted on his progress.
Please say a prayer for us!
Blessings
Sumaya
