Barbara's photos

Hi all,

Well, it's gone quite quiet, but I think that's to be expected. I don't think we could all have kept up with the rate of emails which were first flying around.

Barbara has been going through her boxes and has come up with some classic photos. Thanks Barbara, I love seeing the photos and remembering all the times everyone had.

Don't forget, if you have any photos lying around which you want to share, send me an email and I'll get them on the blog just as soon as I can.

Sarah

Duran Duran - FINALLY!!!! :-)

Anyone who remembers me from school, will probably remember most my rather large obsession with a certain band called Duran Duran (in particular John Taylor :-) ) and it was always my biggest wish to go and see them in concert if they ever came to town. Well, when they did come to SA, I didn't have the money to go :-( So, when I heard they were coming to Atlanta during their USA tour, I hooked with up some friends who were going, and last night we had the most amazing time. I actually got chills when they were playing their old stuff - new stuff, not so much. Honestly, they were brilliant and I'm so glad I finally got to see them. It only took 20 years!!!

Sarah

Update from Yvonne

Hi guys

Just a quick hello before I go off to the hospital. Have attached some more photos, although they say April they are from end April and beginning May so very recent.

Unfortunately on Saturday Olivia went blue again and they had to resuscitate her so she is back in an incubator and nil by mouth, her oxygen levels were very low so needs 28% oxygen in her incubator, she also had another blood transfusion as her haemoglobin level was low which was also causing the low oxygen levels as your red blood cells carry your oxygen round your body. She is slowly getting better just going to take time, she has gone blue four times now and I was there for it three times and it’s a horrible thing to see as they are not allowed to resus them too many times and give them oxygen as the oxygen can cause problems to their eyes…..things fix things and damage others so it’s a case of them getting the balance right.


Ella is much the same but being very feisty, she is definitely a madam. Does very well at having a bottle and guzzles it in 5 minutes we have to slow her down a bit, but she cries now before her feed is due and lies there with her mouth open wide, all the nurses say she is like a little bird in a nest! The nurses say they are both so cute and love looking after them, nice thing to say J

Their gestation is 36 weeks yesterday now, should still not have been born and they are now 8 weeks old…amazing.

I’m ok, roller coaster ride and cry every day, they have actually arranged for me to see the counsellor at the hospital which they arranged after Olivia went blue again. It will help to speak to someone who is a trained professional counsellor at the hospital who deals with mothers of premature babies. Everyone says I’m really strong but I think a little help from the counsellor will help me see things a bit better, its day 60 today – I keep a diary of what happens every day which is also a record of what the nurses say and what medication they are on etc so we can look back and make sure everything is right.

Hope you are all well and have a great week.
Lots of love
Yvonne xxxx

Catterina

I matriculated at Joburg Girls in 1988 and then went to Wits to do a B. Nursing degree. After I qualified in 1992 I decided to specialize in Paediatric Nursing. I finished my specialization in 1994 after which I traveled overseas. When I returned I went back to work at the Jhb Hospital. I had a fantastic job working in a Paediatric surgical and trauma unit which I loved ( I nursed lots of babies with NEC with superb results….so please hang in there Yvonne!!!) . I had a disastrous relationship with a chef / Mr Know it all for 6 years too long. I met my husband to be in 1994. He was doing a surgical rotation through the unit I worked in. At that stage he was engaged to someone to be married and I was still hanckering after the chef ( silly me!). Any way to cut a long story short he returned to work with me in April 1995 and at that stage neither of us was attached any longer and we started dating. We got married in March 1997. I carried on at the Gen until February 1999 when my eldest daughter, Micaela was born. As much as I thought I would be able to go back to work the idea of leaving my new baby was not appealing. At that stage I was lecturing at the Nursing College. It also happened to coincide with my husband going into private practice. I then took the decision to resign and I started managing my husbands practice. It was the best decision I ever made as I am able to work and spend time with my daughters. My second daughter, Chiara was born in 2002. I now manage 2 doctors practices and I do locums at a Pharmacy running their well baby and general clinic to keep my hand in. It is awesome to be reconnecting with everyone from school again. It is very sad but I had lost contact with absolutely everyone. I am really looking forward to the reunion.

Barbara

my new baby - Katja is now 18 months old!

I left JGHS end of 1986 to do Std 9 and Matric at Mondeor High School. It was quite something to go from an all girls school to now have boys in the class. Needless to say the skirts got shorter (although I never got slimmer) and the school disco’s were a lot more fun! Sad to say I forgot about all the old girl friends and life went on.

I moved out of home (to Hillbrow) quite early in my life (the stubborn teenager who knows it all!) and found out that life is not all so easy on your own! But I survived – with lots of hard work and having up to three jobs at once (Secretary by day/waitress or baby sitter by night!

I travelled Europe for a year (with the dream boyfriend at the time) and came back to find he was just not the one!. He left me heart broken but I recovered and eventually met my hubby – Gary. He is too good for me I know – but I definitely won’t tell him that! My step son – put me off kids for life – but I have 4 dogs & a cat to make up for it!

Two years ago we decided to move to the coast to enjoy our lives! We live in Scottburgh but found the nice house by the sea costs loads of money and is high maintenance – so we still work all day and find ourselves too tired to joll at night (not that there is any exciting place to go in Scottburgh and Durbs is 45 minutes away!). But when you sit on the patio and watch the ocean and wonder “what if” - it somehow makes it all worthwhile!

Looking forward to catching up with old friends!

Anyone is welcome to contact me on 072 242 1635 / 039 978 1077.

Barbara's Brats :-)

Liz Damiao (Lourenco) (1989)

I left SA in 1993 and moved to Portugal. I managed to stick it out there for 7 years but never really adapted but one great thing about my time there was that I met & married my lovely ex-South African husband (with Portuguese heritage like me!). We moved to London in 2000 and had Saskia in 2002 and Colby 2006 and now live in Colchester which is a great town to raise children in. I work as a PA to a Paediatrician & love my job! I also sell The Body Shop products in the evenings & do parties in peoples' homes - considering I was never that great putting make-up on, it's quite ironic I've ended up as a skin care & make-up consultant! It's loads of fun though & I meet new people all the time, which is what I enjoy most! Am hoping to come out to SA next year & see everyone!

Liz & Clint

Saskia (5) and Colby Thomaz (19 months)