Its Not Measles!

Doctor Frik says its not measles, that is just an allergy.

Celestimine was given and this morning her spots look 10 times better. We don't know what caused the allergic reaction.

Now the trick is to find out what caused it.

Suspected Measles at Home

We have an appointment with Dr Frik later this afternoon to confirm whether our Kaylin has measles - but I'm pretty sure its measles.  She had it as an infant and contracted it when she was in the hospital for pnuemonia.  Can you really get measles twice?  I guess the first time was baby measles...this looks the same though.

Och we'll have to wait and see what doc says...

I'd love it to be an allergy of some sort it because that will mean we can treat it and less time off work.  If it is measles, I'm at home with her for at least one week.

Here she is:

First Thing This Morning

About 5 minutes ago

Tampons vs pads....no, MOONCUP!

The battle of pads versus tampons is an age-old one but there is evidence that pads are better - especially while sleeping but there is another option that is THE BEST


The common denominator that plays a role is choice. 

The choice to move from pads to tampons is personal to most adult women and Nampak Lifestyle research studies show that this choice is often influenced by friends at school and siblings, rather than the way sanitary towels are introduced into a woman’s life, which is mostly influenced by mothers and grandmothers.


This influencing factor also has an impact on sanitary towel brand choice.

Using tampons: pros and cons

The tampon alternative does have its advantages, especially on those summer days when swimming and sports comes into play.  However,  these advantages have to be exercised with responsibility.

All tampons have instructions as to the frequency to which they have to be changed as there are severe adverse effects for not following the instructions to the letter.

Tampon use has the potential to change vaginal microflora

If abnormal bacteria are harboured in the vagina, menstrual blood which is accumulated inside the vagina above and within a tampon can act as a culture medium allowing micro-organisms to multiply, thereby promoting infection.

Another common concern is Toxic Shock Syndrome

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening illness, believed to be caused by infection with particular bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Menstruating women are most susceptible and it is thought that the infection is associated with tampon use.

The underlying mechanisms aren’t fully understood, but one theory is that the bacteria naturally present in the vagina can overpopulate in the presence of a blood-soaked tampon. However, one-third of menstruating women who develop toxic shock syndrome are found to have Staphylococcal bacteria already present in their vaginas.

The toxin produced by the bacteria that causes toxic shock syndrome, rather than the presence of the bacteria themselves. Staphylococcus aureus is a common type of bacterium that lives on the skin and inside the nose.

In most cases, it is harmless. However, it can cause a wide range of infections if it gains access to deeper tissue and the blood stream. For toxic shock syndrome to occur, particular strains of the bacteria must first overpopulate and produce large amounts of the toxic shock syndrome toxin as a by-product. Then, the toxin has to enter the bloodstream.

It is therefore important for woman to sleep with pads at night

Most women have at least six hours of sleep per day and those hours that you sleep with a tampon inside your body places your body in a very compromising state.

The Best Option - Mooncup


With the Mooncup Menstrual Cup, you do not have to worry about Toxic Shock Syndrome and you will not have the feeling that you're walking around with a surf board between your legs.


Mooncup is safer and its cheaper and its environmentally friendly!  With everyone going "green" its the way to go.


Made from medical grade silicone, the Mooncup is latex-free and contains no dyes, toxins or bleaches. It’s also great for women with sensitive skin and who are prone to getting regular infections.


On average, one woman will use over 11,000 tampons or pads in their lifetime, which will ultimately end up in landfill or in the sea.

One woman uses up to 22 items of sanitary protection every period. Regardless of your flow, you only need one Mooncup, and it lasts for years and years, making it the most economical sanitary product you can buy.

Unlike pads or tampons, because the Mooncup menstrual cup is reusable you eliminate the need to carry bulky spares. With proper care your Mooncup will last for several years.  I've had mine for over 7 years now and its still perfect.

Go check  out The Mooncup and make the change today.

December Road Trip and Namibia 2003

December is around the corner and our close group of 30-odd campers have been planning a 3-week camping Road Trip for 18 months. 

We've planned out the best route, organised cool places to stay, adventure activities to do and we leave in less than 40 days!

Unfortunately, my Boerewors and I are unable to enjoy all the activities of the trip because with him loosing his job earlier this year, we really can't afford it as we're catching up on the debt we racked up while we didn't have his salary. 

Oh yeah, I know its sad but that's life..

However, the camping group of wonderful ladies and gents invited us to the "40 Days to Go" party yesterday.  They said, seeing as we were heavily involved in the organising of it all, we could attend the party, even though we're not going on the Road Trip anymore :-(

It was a great party!!

They took us down memory lane of all the camps we've been on since 2003 making up a DVD collage of photo's we've taken along the years on our various camping adventures. 

Fiona and Steve hosted the party at their warehouse and went to a lot of trouble with the decor.  We all slept over in our tents in the warehouse and we enjoyed Ostrich Potjie made by Ria and Rassie.  After that, the music pumped and the dancing started.

The Ladies Toilet

Megan on the toilet

The Windhoek Car Wash

The Men's Toilet

Hog on a Leash

Washing Line and Shower

Steve had suspended a thick towing rope from the rafters of the warehouse and we used it as a big swing. 

What fun!

Megan on the swing

Norman on the swing

Justin showing us how its done.

Even Wee Kaylin felt brave enough to have a go on the swing

We also had to have a meeting to finalise all the trip details

Then the dancing started.  Here's the girls doing line dancing

Boogie on Down!

Our last Road Trip with all of us together was Namibia 2003, yeah we normally go away on short trips and weekends together, our long 3-week road trips are definintely not the norm. 

Namibia 2003

Anyway, our Namibia trip was awesome.  All of us often still speak of the trip very fondly. 

The trip consisted of every day staying in a different place;  tents put up and the next morning tents taken down and camp packed away.  It was a hectic and harsh trip but a memory I will never forget. 

It was hot as all fucking hell - 43 degrees C in the shade in some places and the dry heat took your breath away.  And all this with our wee Megan only 11 months old at the time. 

Oh yeah, there were times early on in the Road Trip, when I wanted to turn back because of the hectic schedule but we changed plans slightly to fit in our wee Megan and all worked out okay. 

Every place we stopped we'd empty out her toy box and fill it up with water so she could keep cool and have a wee swim. 

At other places we even filled up the sinks at the ablution blocks just so we could keep her body temp down. 

We soon got used to the heat and thoroughly enjoyed having massive beautiful sand dunes on one side of the road and an icy choppy ocean on the other side. 

Truly magnificent!

Everything is bigger in Namibia - espeically the bugs.  The spiders, roaches and mozzies are ten times bigger...it took a bit of getting used to but in the end we all saw it as the adventure of a life time.

One thing I will NEVER forget is the gorgeous sunets.  You don't experience them anywhere else in the world.  They are so huge and so spectacular!

Namibian Sunset

Me and Megan at Fish River Canyon

Sunblock is one of the first things you put on when  you get up in the morning, especially with my fair Scottish skin.

Sunset on the Namibian Etosha Pan

We've been invited to our Year-End Dysfunction

This year our year end function is Shake, Rattle and Bowl.

Yeah we're doing it 50's style this year and everyone who reads my blog knows I LOVE dress-up parties.  This year is no different and, now that I know who will be in my Bowling Team, we've decided on costumes, props and other exciting details.  I can't reveal much just yet as there are colleagues who read by blog and the Fuckers will probably steal my ideas.

I can tell you our team name is "Bowl me Over!"

Looking forward to another year-end function letting our hair down and full of fun, laffs and cute costumes...