Visit to Lentegeur

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to hospice patients for the first time. Although I have been visiting numerous hospices over the past few months I have not been able to work with patients until I had received full ethical approval.

Last Thursday I had the fortune to speak with a cancer patient based at Lentegeur in Mitchell’s Plain. I was not interviewing him, rather, I just wanted to hear some of his story, and he was glad to share. 

He told me of his times working as a seaman around the world, of where he lived before the Group Areas Act, and where he lives now. He told me about his family and shared his guava flavored sweets with me. We spoke of music and although he says he usually lacks the energy to sing, he sang for me. His favourite singer is Elvis.

We also spoke about God, and he was adamant that “God is always there”, and was encouraged to be supported in this view by the staff around him. For me, it made it all the more evident how the spiritual aspect of palliative care is essential. I have seen its importance among the staff, where nurses and caregivers alike live out their faith in practice, through service in palliative care. This was the first time for me to see, firsthand, the importance of spiritual care from the perspective of a patient.

I'm BACK

To make up for the lack of posts over the last two months I have decided to insert brief excerpts from emails I have sent out to try and share what my life in Cape Town is like:

Random lists about life outside of work I send my sisters:

(26th October 2010)

1. My room smells like lavendar because I have dried lavender in a pot (made out of a purse) on the wall and in my closet - this is from the Lavender Festival I went to and performed at.
2. I am getting really good on crutches, fast - slow, side to side. I got it down. 
3. At my house we drink mainly spring water.
4. I only need one shoe these days, all my right shoes are lined up by my door. 
5. My new favourite snack in the world is this: take a date, take out the pip, stick in a brazil nut, and add a little almond butter on top. 

(12th November 2011)

1. I can buy 6 grapefruit, a lemon, a box of cherry tomatoes, and a bag of carrots for R23 (thats like 3 dollars). 
2. I'm growing butternut squash in my garden - they're doing FABULOUS.
3. I cooked beets that I harvested out of my garden.
   
4. I make sushi - its my new go to lunch. 

Strange how most of this seems to revolve around food.