Jan. 31, 2019

I thought about what the doctor said and began to think that waiting till October means that I will be grinding that knee every day, so better I check when he can do the op and get it over with early so that I have time to practice and exercise. But I have a lot of commitments in between.

   I leave for Mthatha on the 12^th of Feb and come back on the 17^th. We have a board meeting for the Sabelani young men on Sat. the 16^th. These are Fr. Guy’s guys. We want to keep the project going as long as possible. I will be bringing some old clothes to the village at Landsend and will be keeping in touch with others who have been helpful and supportive over the years.

    From the 18^th to the 21^st of Feb. A friend is coming from Rome to do some interviews with those involved in the struggle against apartheid. He organization supported the anti-apartheid movement in Italy way back then and they want to know how these old activists feel about the post-apartheid South Africa.

     My Grand niece, Katrina, who is now volunteering in Kenya (Kibera, the biggest slum in Africa) will be coming for a few days from the 6^th to the 10^th of March.

     From the 11^th to the 14^th that group is coming from LA and I have tried to organize some interesting visits during that time. They leave on the morning of the 14^th and I go into the hospital on the afternoon of the 14^th. The operation is the next day on the 15^th. Then, they say, one day in ICU, and 5 or 6 days in the hospital learning how to walk with the new knee and doing the exercises to make it strong.

    I intended to go to Cape Town from the 3^rd to the 9^th of April ( that is when the air fare has to be used or lost). But since it is so soon after the op, I thought that I had better check with the doctor to see if he approves. Here’s what I wrote.

Dear Dr. Naidoo,

     I was supposed to have a wedding on Dec. 2nd, last year, but because of the surgery by Dr. V.D.Merwe, the flight was posponed till April 3 to 9, 2019 . That would be about 2 weeks after getting out of the hospital and going home (to Mariannhill). I am planning on using that air ticket but it would mean going to the airport, getting on and off the plane and then doing my exercises wherever I would be staying in CT. 

    But, considering the seriousness of the situation, even if , as I intend, use a wheelchair, do you think it is OK to make that trip?

    I don't intend to drive at all but I just wanted to have your opinion, yes or no, before I make a move. People are waiting for me, especially the couple that I disappointed, but my present and future health is the main focus now.

    Please let me know if you will allow it or if you think it is pushing things too much.

    Many thanks. Fr. CAs. (James) Paulsen

I should get an answer tomorrow, so the secretary says. Then I can plan more surely,the way forward.

   Some friends are coming from the States and will be here on the 9^th and 10^th. They arrive in the afternoon of the 9^th and I get back from Cape Town on the morning of the 9^th. I tried to organize for them a meeting with the Cardinal as they know each other from before. Vern was a representative of the Catholic Charities and they were happy to finance HIV Aids projects for many dioceses.

   I am not sure how this is all going to work out with a “fake”knee, but we shall see. I already told my friends in CT that I won’t be able to drive so they will have to come and fetch me and they are lovingly agreeable. I will know, I hope, tomorrow what I can and can’t do.

Hey, you all, stay well and keep up the prayers.

   Tomorrow is my grand niece’s birthday, 31 or 32 I think. (Oh, to be so young again.)

And Feb. 5^th is aunt Rose’s 101^st birthday. Wow. I hope that she hangs on so that I see her when I go on my home leave later in the year.

    Oh, one other thing. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the quotation for the hospital. R156,000. The doctors was kind enough to cut down his charge from R50,000 to R20,000. That was very kind of him as the operation takes 3 hours and means that he has to do a lot of studying to know exactly how he is going to tackle the problem. Any way, I figure that at the going forex rate that comes out to about $15,000. So, again, if your parish wants to support a good project, let me know.

     I look forward to seeing most or all of you this coming summer. I am a family/friend junkie.

Love and Peace, Cas.

Jan. 27,2019

I was advised to get Handicap Parking so I don’t have to walk (waddle) so far. Because of what the doctor said about lifting ( a no-no) I was also advised to get a suitcase with 4 wheels that I can push and not pull (supposed to be twisting the back). I did it. About the same size as my old one.

I also visited a friend (together with his parents) in the hospital who had just had his 2^nd kidney removed. He was on 24/7 dialysis. He went from 124kg to 67kg. Holy Moses. But he is trying to make a comeback and hoping to be able, eventually, put his name on a list for a donor kidney.

    Since the doctor gave the go-ahead, I took the service at Savannah Park. The community prepared a great celebration with lots of food and drink to celebrate Fr. Des’ 28^th anniversary of priesthood and my 83^rd (belated) birthday. This community is really a community, they are sensitive to occasions, (birthdays, sickness, deaths, etc.) and they all pitch in either to celebrate of the comfort as the case may be.

     I went to the Srs. Of Mother Theresa and their patients for a service on Monday evening and took two services at the hospital, one on Tuesday Morning 6am and the other on Thursday Morning 6am. It seemed to work OK.

    Tuesday, 23^rd, dentist appointment (I am sure that our all powerful and creative God could have done a better job with our teeth) to have a filling after having repaired a tooth that was falling apart earlier.

    I managed to arrange for some home-schooled kids from La, who will be visiting, to visit several classes of senior students at St. Francis College, a very highly structured educational system, and also a meeting between a friend and Cardinal Napier when the friend and his family come for a visit later in April.

    On Thursday, the 24^th I paid a visit to the orthopaedic Surgeon who orthroscoped my knee about two years ago and get a progress report. Bad news. I need a knee replacement. I was hoping to be able to wait till they had perfected artificial cartilages, and they have, but it is very, very expensive, so….. The thing is when. I told him maybe when I get back from my home leave, e.g. maybe in October, but then, after noticing that I really have to use the cane to take pressure off the bad knee I made up my mind to make another appointment and try to have it done before my home leave. It will cost, he says, about R90,000 to R100,000. Ouch. That is about $10,000. I was thinking of suggesting to some of you to mention to your parish that they might have a project to put a new knee into an old (83 going on 84) Missionary’s so that he can keep going for some years yet as priests are as scarce as hen’s teeth around here.(and in many other places. If anyone is interested, you can let me know and I will give you the details of Fr. Tom Szura who will keep it till it is needed.

    I had a Mass with Fr. Des (who is helping us from time to time) today and will have a morning Mass at the hospital on Mon, Wed, and Fri, and an evening Mass at the Srs.of Mother Theresa on Mon. evening. Then I will sit back and have a look and see what I can handle and what I can’t and make a plan. Hey, it is almost 9pm and I still have some praying to do and getting ready for bed.  I am trying to get my body used to getting up at 4 or 4:30 again because I have Mass at 6 at the hospital. We shall see. Take care.

Jan. 18, 2019

I had my first appointment with the Neurosurgeon yesterday and most of what I will share is to answer what many of you are saying, e.g. how are you doing, is the pain gone away, etc. etc. etc.

But first, a few comments in general. I think that I have finally gotten rid of the addiction to the sleeping pills. I am actually getting some sleep now, not as much as I would like but it is coming.

    I had a nice visit from a couple whose wedding I officiated at, Heidi Kalidas (originally from Zambia…I know her mom and dad and the rest of the family very well) and Menzi Ngcobo (Menzi means…a doer). That was way back in 2013. I also baptized their first child. It was a beautiful reunion since they live far away past Pretoria near Hartebeesteport Dam. You can check google and see where that is.

 I made a good number of trips driving, always going a bit further until I finally went down the so-called south coast to Coolock House, a retreat house next to the Indian Ocean. It is about an hour and 10 minutes drive from the monastery and I stopped once to get out and stretch my back, but my little Hyundai’s seats are just the height of my buns so it is easy to slide in and out without twisting one’s back, and with a pillow in my middle back, it seemed to do the trick. It is about 110 km. from here.

   However, I heard from a friend that her son was taken to the hospital and had to have a kidney  . It is congenital. It runs in the family. Several have already died of kidney failure. His mom is living on a borrowed kidney (transplant). She then told me that he had to go for a probably second operation to remove the other kidney, which actually happened. When I managed to get to see him ,  his name is Brent, (he is 39 yrs. Old and has 2 children with his wife Leah). He once weighed 124 kg. but had shrunk down to 67kg. Wow. But he is a fighter and will keep on fighting until he can get out of the hospital (I suspect it will be a long time) and begin to look for a kidney donor. Otherwise he will be on dialysis for the rest of his life. Please pray for him. At such a young age it looks pretty grim.

     To change the subject back to what the doctor said when I say him yesterday. I said that I am going on home leave for three months starting at the very end of May for June, July and August. Is that OK. Will I be in shape. Yes, no problem

    I want to drive to Mthatha (5 ½ hrs. from here) for a meeting next month, is that OK. Yes, go.

I attended one service at Savannah Park two Sundays ago and led the service last Sunday, and it seemed to go alright. Can I start services again there and at the hospital? Yes, but listen to your body he said. If you feel that it is too much strain, don’t push it, just take it easy. If it goes alright, fine. So I told those concerned that I will be there for the 8am mass next Sunday, Jan. 13^th. Then I will take a Mass at the Srs. Of Mother Theresa on Monday evening at 5:30pm. And I will go to the hospital for a Mass on Tuesday and Thursday at 6am. Then I will do some assessing to see how I feel. If I think it is too much, I will cut down, but if I feel that I can handle it, I will continue. I am getting bored sitting around doing sweet nothing day after day.

    I told him that I would be flying on many planes and doing a lot of driving on my home leave and he wasn’t bothered by that…listen to you body.

    I used a wheel chair after I had the procedure on my left knee (orthroscopy… the cartilage seems to be gone there) on my way to Lourdes, almost two years ago. Many of the modern airports are getting bigger and bigger and at the pace I am able to move, I would probably miss the plane and would have stressed my bad knee. Can I use a wheelchair (I was supposed to only sit in hard chairs). Yes, in fact I would advise it, he said.

     How about an aisle seat. I am prone to DVT’s ( I had two of them already) and I have to get up every so often and just move up and down the aisle. Also, if I have to climb over others, I will be twisting my body which is not good. It seems that one has to pay extra for an aisle seat but if in need one for medical reasons, he said he would write a letter. Good.

    So, he was pleased with the progress I made and said to come back in 6 months. I reminded him that I would be leaving for overseas at the end of may, so he said to make an appointment for early may. It will be on the 7^th of May. Maybe he will take an x-ray to see how the spine is knitting together. So far so good. So, it seems that it is all systems go for now.

   It is only that past few nights that I actually got some sleep, 3 to 4 to 5 hrs. maybe. But it was good.

     Today, my friend of more than 50 yrs. Invited me, and he parish priest, for a birthday meal. As you may recall, Nov. 28^th, my actual birthdate, was the most miserable day I have ever had and told people just to leave me alone and let me die in peace…. Horrible diarrhea.

We had what is called here, prawn curry (like curried shrimp). I love all curries but this is special.

    I am organizing for several groups to come and spend a few days here so I will be happily busy for the days to come. I am happy.

Take care ( I have to go now as I have been sitting at this computer for far more than the 20 minutes that I was told. And it is getting close to my bed time.).

See you when I see you. Love and Peace, as always,   Cas.