Dosage: 30mg per day

Skin issues: My skin is still slightly red and a little bit swollen on the sides of my nose, I’m not sure if its a remnant of the cyst or if its some scaring under the skin but I’m not too worried.

Side effects: My lips are very very dry, and in fact, I woke up the other morning with blood on my pillow from my lips.  I am using Lansinoh (a pure lanolin nipple balm for breastfeeding moms) at night since it is so thick and lasts the whole night. During the day I use LipIce Med+ or whatever I can lay my hands on.

My skin is very dry, especially my arms and I am bathing myself in body lotions.

Improvement: Touch wood, spit on the ground, cross all my bits, I haven’t had any new cysts!!

You have to head on over to Cats blog and enter her Big Blue competition!

Do it! Do it right now!!

~

1. If you had a super power, what would it be?

I think I’d like to be able to do magic, like be able to make inanimate objects comes to life.  (I’m kind of into Dynamo: Magician impossible right now).  Or control the weather.  Storm was my favourite Xmen character.

2. How do you pronounce Siobhan?

Sh-ah-von.  It is Irish and means a gift from God or God is gracious.  That being said, now everyone will understand why I call myself V.

3. What made you decide to ‘create’?

I’m a very creative person so I always need to be creating.  I started jewelry making because I wanted to give other people the chance to wear unique pieces to make them feel special and unique.  I create to make someone else feel great and inspire them to be unique I’d say.  (Did I answer this creating correctly lol?)

4. Where do you draw inspiration from?

From everywhere. Sometimes I dream things up, sometimes I see things, shapes or colours in shops.  Sometimes while reading a book or listening to music.  Even from pinterest at times.

5. When you were 10, what did you want to be?

When I was 10 I wanted to be a dancer.

6. What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever been given?

Communicate.

7. What is your favorite quote?

I have 2 actually:  For we walk in faith not in sight – 2 Cor 5:7  And, God dwells within you as you – Eat, Pray, Love.

8. If you had R1mil what would you do with it? (You can’t give it to charity or pay off debts, it must be purely for you)

This is the hardest thing for me to answer because I’d give to an animal shelter & my family before I got to myself BUT ok… Let’s think.  I’d buy a house (like houses go for nearly a mil so um yes) and have a quiet/meditation/prayer/creative room…  Shit…  Ja that’s all & maybe a VESPA scooter.  The rest I’d probably bank I guess.

9. Where do you see yourself in 20 years time?

In 20 years time, I’ll be 45.  I hope to have my business successful – own an etsy shop, be making good sales online as well as at craft markets or in stores.  I hope I’ll have a baby growing up.  And I hope to still be holding hands with G.

You can find V at the following places:

Twitter

Facebook

Beadie Creations

So a few photos and a bit of text (I spent most of the time running around after the kids so not that many photos)…

We started at the SLOW lounge at the airport.  Highly recommended if you can get in.  I loved these clocks as you walk in

We stayed at the Southern Sun (Tsogo Sun) Newlands and the kids made themselves right at home.

We befriended some seagulls at the waterfront and unfortunately didn’t get to go on the Wheel of Excellence, I could just see the total meltdown from Aaron if we had tried.  Next time we will make a plan for the adults to have a go.

We spent a lovely day in Hout Bay, we took a walk in the harbour, had a fish and chip lunch and even saw some seals getting fed.  In fact Paul caught a seal and a seagull having a fight over a fish.  The seal got the fish and the gull got away so I reckon they were both happy…

Seal versus sea gulls from Paul Jacobson on Vimeo.

We ended that afternoon with a walk through Kirtenbosch Gardens.

Faith ended the day enjoying an ice cream

We went to Butterfly World on our way to Franschhoek.  It was beautiful.  We saw butterflies, a bat, a monkey, iguanas and a whole lot more.  I definitely recommend going if you are in the area.

In Franschhoek we had lunch at our favourite pancake place.  This sign in their courtyard just says it all

On the way back from Franschhoek we stopped at Fairview for a bit of a cheese tasting, let me tell you, Aaron had the ladies in a flutter, tasting all the different cheeses and telling us which he liked and which he didn’t and which tasted like pizza ( I wish I could remember which one that was!)  We also got to have some fun with some very hungry fishes.

On the Friday night the entire family (and the retinue) from the brides side and the grooms side got together for dinner and Aaron was such a star, he even wore the ‘fancy’ shirt and his new black smart shoes.

On Sunday the family gathered together for the wedding of my brother in law, Asher and my new sister in law, Megan.  The day was absolutely beautiful.  The weather played along, the food was outstanding, the decor absolutely stunning.

The wedding was held at the Vineyard Hotel and Spa and the venue was so beautiful.  We all met there for breakfast the following day and afterwards took a stroll through their gardens.  So pretty and tranquil.

Even though we didn’t do a proper tweet up, I did get to meet Lovely Light on the morning that we left for Johannesburg.  I had won a competition on her blog for a pair of hand beaded earrings and instead of having them posted to me I collected them in person.  It was great meeting Lovely Light and I hope that the next time we are in Cape Town we can do a proper tweet up and spend more time chatting.

One last pic of the happy couple!

So while I work on the Cape Town and wedding post I thought I would update you on the skin issue.

Day: 55

Dosage: 30mg per day

Skin issues: The cyst that was opened and drained took about a week to calm down (I totally forgot to take any photos, sorry), it was, and still is,  a little red and tender but unless you look closely you cant really tell.  I think Im going to have a small scar where the dermo made the hole but Im fine with that.  The main issues I have at the moment are that the sides of my nose are still reddish but there have been no new cysts.

Side effects: My lips are extremely dry and chapped and I am trying many different balms to keep them moisturised.  My skin in general is dry but not as bad as I expected.

Improvement: No new cysts since being on the 10 day course of antibiotics and having the last cyst drained.

I called my dermo’s office this morning and after a bit of a chase around they told me that I could come see her this evening.  I fetched Aaron from my mom and she offered to come with me, so we dropped Aaron at home and off we went.

I walked into the office at about 6:30pm and she took one look, shook her head and said that she wanted to try drain it.

Let me just tell you that this chick, this chick is a freaking liar!  There is no way in heaven, hell or purgatory that she fell asleep while having those stars tattooed on her face.

Thank heavens my mommy came with me.  I cried the entire time the dr was working on me.  From the time she injected the anesthetic, through making a hole (!) in the cyst, to draining it and then injecting cortisone directly into it.  Sore does not even begin to cover the pain!

So I am now on hectic once a day antibiotics for 10 days and an increased dose of Roaccutane as well as a topical cortisone cream.

Lets just hope that I look like a normal person by next Sunday for my brother in laws wedding.

~~~

Day: 35

Dosage: 30mg per day

Skin issues: Massive cyst on left side of my nose (drained as per above), small drained cyst under right side of nose (she also injected cortisone into that one, just in case)

Side effects: Nothing different, my hands and the top of my feet are a little dry but other than that all is ok.

Improvement: Watch this space!

I am stopping the Roaccutane and going back onto the antibiotic my GP had me on before.

I know I should probably wait to speak to the dermo, and I *will* call her on Tuesday and discuss it, but I just know that this is the right thing to do.

Before, I would get 1 cyst maybe every 2/3 months (sometimes more sometimes less), in the last month I have had 3 major cysts and that isnt including the small ones on my lips.

Im hoping the antibiotic will sort out whatever infection is making the current cyst so angry and that when I speak to the dermo on Tuesday we can figure out another solution.

I really thought that after the first week or two (even 3!) the getting ‘worse before it gets better’ part of Roaccutane would be over.  We are now at the end of week 4/beginning of week 5 and this last cyst is so bad I would classify it as one of my top 3 BAD cysts.  I also have a small one forming under my nose too.

Hopefully the antibiotic kicks in quickly cause my nose (and left side of my face) is excruciatingly sore.  Smiling, yawning, brushing teeth or anything that causes movement of my cheek makes me want to scream.

Im going to keep updatin but am starting from day 1a (on antibiotics, no Roaccutane).

My skin is so much worse. I feel like burying myself in my duvet and not coming out. Left a message for the dr on Thursday and she never called me back. I will call again on Tuesday. Something has to change!

You see Cadbury had set up a stand in the square to promote it Fairtrade chocolate.

What is Fairtrade you may ask? Well from the Fairtrade Label South Africa website:

Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and a global movement that stands for sustainability and development through trade.

Dating back to the 1960s, Fairtrade started with small initiatives by individuals or groups (usually faith-based organisations or social entrepreneurs) that wanted to make a difference in developing countries by buying their products in an ethical manner. This included paying fairer prices and establishing direct trading partnerships with producers, thereby sharing knowledge and information on production and market and quality requirements.

You can read a more in depth description here.

The stand at Melrose Arch involved moving from station to station learning about what Cadbury and Fairtrade are all about.  Justice, Cocoa and Joy each gave a brief and informative talk as we moved to each station and then Aaron got to make his very own Cadbury Faircrow

Fairtrade Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate bars are for sale in store as we speak and I for one am very excited to be able to buy them.

I think the whole Fairtrade organisation is a wonderful example in empowerment and in alleviating poverty.

Unfortunately Cadbury South Africa doesnt seem to have their own Facebook or Twitter profiles but you can follow Fairtrade Label SA on Facebook and Twitter if you like.

Note: Neither Cadbury nor Fairtrade Label SA asked me to write about this, I stumbled upon the entire thing by accident and it has struck a deep chord with me.

I am so over the moon super excited to have my new car.

Dont get me wrong, I adore my old Tazz (and am quite pleased that she is still with us, Paul has taken over driving her).

But having, power steering, central locking, electric windows and aircon is amazing!

Also, my little Tazz is over 12 years old and I have had her for just over 10 years.  She really was a ‘student’ car.

The new car is a real Mom-mobile  Its a Toyota Innova and can seat up to 7 people.

Its an absolute pleasure to drive and Paul and I half joke about who gets to drive it.

In fact I find myself making up excuses to go to the shops etc just so that I can take it out for a spin