Get Me to 21 by Gabi Lowe

Author:Gabi Lowe
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781928420712
Publisher: Jacana Media

CHAPTER 31

Reaching for a dream

A week later Heidi from Reach For A Dream arrived like an angel, bearing delicious chocolate cupcakes for Jen and a letter. It was done! We were going on a cruise liner in just three weeks’ time! It was daunting but very exciting and we were determined to grab some fun, special moments with our girls. It would be a logistical nightmare, but that wasn’t going to stop us. Jen’s beaming face could have motivated an army. Preparation for the trip began in earnest.

“I think you should take at least three days’ worth of extra Flolan and meds, Gabi, just in case,” Nurse Lizzie advised as we packed for the trip, bustling about in the drug den, making sure I had everything I needed for the morning mixing. “What if you get stuck there or something? Three extra days would at least give me leeway if we need to courier anything.”

It was April 2014 and cold and already wintry in Cape Town. This was madness. We both knew it, but we were doing it anyway.

“Okay, so ice-packs,” Lizzie went on. “How are you going to freeze them and keep the medication cold?”

“I spoke to Heidi,” I said. “There is a refrigerator on the same level as our cabin and they are happy to bring me fresh ice every morning.”

“Yeah,” Lizzie said, slowly, hesitantly, “but you know there can’t be anything else kept in that fridge, right? No food or anything, okay? You are going to sterilise it, Gabi? Aren’t you?”

“Yes, Lizzie,” I said cheerfully, “I promise. Don’t worry, it will be fine.” Actually, I was pretty damn nervous. “It’s going to be fine,” I said again, trying more to convince myself than her.

We packed slowly and carefully, triple-checking our lists to ensure we had all the equipment, medications, portable oxygen, new batteries, cannulas, cartridges, lines, pumps, dressing packs, syringes, biohazard bin, etc. I’d called ahead to order a version of Thunder to be delivered by medical suppliers directly to the guest house we’d be staying in in KwaZulu-Natal. Oxy-Jen would also come, but by now a bigger one was better as Jen was most comfortable on at least five litres of oxygen a minute.

While Lizzie and I fussed over all things medical the girls packed their clothes for the cruise. I could hear their squeals – they were SO excited. This was an opportunity to really dress up and not hold back. They packed long dresses, short skirts, high heels, jewellery, bikinis and all their favourite girlie things. Jen, who barely got out of her PJs at this stage, was delighted to have an excuse to dress up.

We headed off to the airport on a rainy Friday morning in April to fly to Durban. I had found a friendly guest house online right on the water’s edge where we would stay for four days before it was time to board the cruise liner. A very dear school friend of Stuart’s, Russell, lived in Durban and ran a successful helicopter business.

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