I haven’t eaten in eight days and I feel on top of the world. Right now I am standing in the shower, letting the watercourse down my body. It is close to scalding but I need the heat. I am cold to my bones. It is mid-summer but when I get out I will rub myself down and pull on leggings, a thermal vest, and a sweater. Low body temperature is a side-effect of my current health regime. I am on a medically monitored water fast.
Water fasting is a pretty simple concept, really. Nothing but water passes your mouth for a period. Nothing. You can do it for 12 hours or 30 days. Illusionist David Blaine survived on only water in a glass box for 44 days in 2003. Surely I can do 10 days at a clinic in Mossel Bay?
As I get out of the shower I hop on the scale. I’ve lost 7kg since I started, my mouth tastes like a skunk may have died in it and my sweat stings like acid coming out of my body. I am sure I smell skunk-bad all over. This morning what looked like a cluster of luminous green pods of algae exited my bottom. I’m having serious second thoughts. But I am eight days in, with two days left, I paid a small fortune to be here and I’m determined to finish what I started.
I didn’t sign up for a 10-day water fast to lose weight. I signed up because I had cancer. The insidious thing about cancer is that living with it is for the long haul. Cancer is the Sword of Damocles that hangs over my head all the time. Is that a cold sore or is it the cancer coming back? Is that an aching bone or is it the cancer coming back? Is that a bruise or could it be the cancer has spread? You can drive yourself mad. I drive myself mad.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'DESIRE IS NOT WHAT MATTERS'
Emily Nagoski wrote the book on women and desire - literally. And then her own sex life dried up. Here's what a prolonged sex drought (and a load of research) taught her about maintaining intimacy in a long-term relationship.
'We have to tell HARD STORIES'
Theatre director and playwright Yaël Farber is spending time in South Africa after her critically acclaimed run of King Lear at the Almeida Theatre in London. We chatted to her about the importance of the pursuit of truth.
THE WHY, THE WHICH & the wardrobe
We really got into it this month! Read on for more on the allure of a loosey-goosey jumpsuit, vintage-hunting and jingle-jangling jewellery, the best places to find quality African design and short-girl styling tips.
LIFT your GAME
Thought weightlifting was just for bodybuilders and powerlifters? Not so. In fact, 'lifting heavy shit' may be the secret to longevity, hormone regulation and mood for women through perimenopause and beyond.
TREATMENT PLAN ON YOUR MARKS
Armed with a six-month programme from Dr Nerina Wilkinson + Associates, Jennifer Morin set about tackling her sun damage and melasma.
PLAYING YOUR CARDS RIGHT
Here's how to get the most out of loyalty cards.
BIG SKY Country
Namibia. Twelve friends, five vehicles, 4000 km, thirteen days. Eight punctures, one angle grinder. One martial eagle, one full moon, one ghost town. Plenty of top-quality braais, maybe not quite enough oysters... and the best time ever.
IS YOUR HOME MAKING YOU SICK?
Leaks, damp and poor ventilation in old or poorly built new homes are being fingered for a growing health concern: mould.
HOW TO REALLY GET TO KNOW SOMEONE
The Korean word 'nunchi' describes 'the ability to be sensitive to other people's moods and thoughts'. It's an underrated skill that we seem to have lost.
How to write a memoir
Whether you want to share your experiences and insights with the world, leave a legacy or track pivotal experiences for yourself, writing your memoir can be a grand and worthwhile adventure. Here's some advice on how and where to begin.
