By Gordon Levine. Originally featured in the Winter 2025 issue of Ostomy Canada Magazine.
It is dawn on the Chobe River in early September, 2024. We are in a small motorboat heading down the river as the sun makes its first appearance on the horizon. The boat begins to slow down and then we see them: a large breeding herd of elephants, over a dozen adult females accompanied by numerous juveniles, emerging on the shoreline on the Namibian side of the river. Our boat comes to a stop. And then something magical happens; one by one, in single file, the elephants enter the water. We look on in wonder as these majestic animals begin to gently swim across the river. Using their trunks as snorkels, the elephants effortlessly glide through the water and then climb out onto the Botswana shore and head inland where they will feed for the day. As I witness this amazing display of nature, I think back on the journey that has led to this moment.
Eleven years previously, in the fall of 2014, at age 48, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. During the subsequent years, I underwent several surgeries and multiple lines of chemotherapy. By early 2018, the cancer had metastasized to my abdomen, liver, lungs, and bones. A bone lesion in my right leg was so painful that I could barely walk. My prognosis was extremely dire. After running out of treatment options in Canada, I obtained a second opinion from an oncologist in the U.S. who recommended a combination of two immunotherapy drugs. Miraculously, after 18 months of immunotherapy treatment, all of the cancer, save for a resistant area in the sigmoid colon, was eradicated. In the spring of 2021, I underwent total colectomy surgery to remove the remaining disease and create a permanent ileostomy. For the first time in many years, my scans showed no evidence of disease. I began to recover and return to the active lifestyle I had enjoyed before my cancer diagnosis.
My wife, Pam, and I always enjoyed travelling. From early on in our marriage, we agreed that instead of expensive presents to commemorate special milestones, we would “gift” ourselves a trip, which could be anything from a simple getaway to Montebello or Quebec City to more elaborate Caribbean and European vacations. While undergoing chemotherapy, following my initial diagnosis, I would distract myself from the horrible side effects by looking at all of the exotic destinations I wanted to visit if given the opportunity. The trip that topped my bucket list was southern Africa; the combination of natural beauty, cultural diversity and, of course, the adventure of a safari was irresistible.
The most common piece of advice that ostomates give each other (usually referring to new food items) is to take it slow and see how it goes. This advice is also important for experiencing air travel, hotel stays and guided tours. Begin with smaller trips to gain confidence before attempting bigger trips. We started with short visits to see our daughters in Toronto, moved up to a road trip to Louisville and Nashville, and then took a cruise on the river Danube. In this way, I learned how to prepare for a trip, how many supplies to bring, and how to manage unforeseen problems like untimely bag changes and digestive issues from new cuisines.
Upon our return from Europe in the spring of 2023, Pam and I decided that the time was right to take on the bucket list trip that I had been dreaming of for nine years.
Travelling to Africa requires a lot of planning. The best time to view animals on safari is in the dry season of late winter/early spring, between August and October. These trips are very popular and must be booked at least a year in advance. With the help of a safari travel specialist, we found a small group tour that included tours of Cape Town and Johannesburg, three nights in a lodge in the Greater Kruger area, Victoria Falls and three nights on a houseboat in the Chobe River which borders Botswana and Namibia.
In addition to booking the tour, arrangements need to be made with a travel clinic to ensure that your vaccinations are up to date, as well as getting the additional vaccines required depending on the destination. The clinic also recommended that I bring anti-diarrheal medication and electrolyte powder, which, luckily, I did not need to use but was glad I had brought just in case.
On August 23, 2024, we boarded our seven-hour overnight flight from Montreal to Amsterdam, where we had a two-hour layover and then took an eleven-hour flight to Cape Town, South Africa. I will admit that this was challenging; it is difficult to sleep on airplanes and the time change and disruptive eating schedule was hard on my system. The only good thing about the long flight to Cape Town was that I did finally conk out for a few hours and felt much better after getting some sleep.
We arrived a full day before our tour began, which gave us a chance to visit the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront area at our leisure and to begin to get over some jet lag. The hotel had a very nice lounge where, for our first dinner, I enjoyed grilled ostrich accompanied by a local beer. The next morning our tour began. Over the next three days, we toured the city and surrounding region. Highlights included a beautiful hike through the Kirstenbosch botanical gardens, a full-day tour of the Cape Peninsula, with a stop at Boulders Beach to view the African penguins, and a tour of the nearby wine region where we sampled the amazing local wines.
After Cape Town, we boarded a short flight to Hoedspruit, and then a jeep ride to our luxury lodge at Makalali Game Reserve. After a brief check in and welcome lunch, we were ready for our first game drive. It did not take long to witness seeing our first animals, since kudu, nyala and monkeys regularly visited the lodge throughout our stay. Out in the bush, our driver and tracker quickly spotted a herd of elephants nearby. We were amazed at how close we were able to come to view these huge animals as they foraged on grass and trees. And then just as the sun was setting, we sped to a more open area, where all of a sudden we saw a large pride of lions ahead of us. What a fantastic way to begin our safari!
Over the next three days, we had sunrise game drives at 6:30 am and sunset drives at 3:30 pm. We saw giraffes, buffalo, hippos, wildebeest, zebra, rhinos, more lions and elephants, as well as many types of antelope and exotic birds. One morning, after a long search, we came upon a cheetah resting with a full belly and bloody paws after a successful hunt during the night.
My normal routine is to change my appliance every four days, first thing in the morning. With a 5:30 am wake-up for the morning game drives, this was not possible. Instead, I took advantage of our room’s outdoor shower and effected the bag change in the afternoon when we had a good stretch of free time and did not have any pressure to be ready quickly. Our lodge was in the middle of the game reserve, which meant that we had many animal visitors. One afternoon, three giraffes appeared right behind the lodge to nibble on some nearby trees. In the middle of one of the nights, we were startled awake by a loud crash. The next morning, we saw that some elephants had taken down a tree a few meters from our front door!
After three exhilarating days out in the bush, we headed to Johannesburg, where we toured the city, most notably the Soweto township to view Nelson Mandela’s house and to learn about the horrors of apartheid and South Africa’s challenges in the post-apartheid era. One evening, along with another couple on our tour, we took a guided walk through the Maboneng district where we sampled authentic Nigerian, Ghanian, Ethiopian and South African cuisine along with various regional beers. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip.
The next stop on our itinerary was Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We arrived at our beautiful lodge on the edge of town in the afternoon; it was close enough to see the mist rising from the nearby falls. Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed a cruise along the Zambezi River, sipping white wine and spotting hippos, crocodiles and elephants along the shore. In the morning, we took a guided walk along the edge of the spectacular Victoria Falls.
That evening we had an incredible dinner by the banks of the Zambezi, with African singers and great food, including grilled crocodile which was actually quite mild tasting. Upon our return to the lodge, we noticed two large hippos right outside our room munching on the fresh grass moistened by the mist from the Falls. What an exciting end to a perfect day.
It was then time to travel to our final destination, a three-night cruise along the Chobe River. To get there, we needed to take a van ride to the Botswana border about an hour away, then go through Botswana immigration (both entry and exit), after which we would take a boat tender to Namibian immigration and finally to the luxurious houseboat parked on the Namibian side of the river. As our van neared the Botswana border, I felt that something was awry with my ostomy bag. And then, as I felt around the bottom, my fear was realized; there was a leak. Luckily, I was in the back of the van, out of view of most of the other passengers. I took out my ostomy supply kit, found my always useful surgical tape and managed to jury-rig a temporary patch that would hopefully get me through all of the upcoming border controls. What a relief it was to finally board our boat and head straight to our bathroom to change the appliance. As ostomates, we always prepare for leaks, but it can be startling when they happen at the most inopportune times. Knowing that we can handle ourselves during these challenging moments provides confidence to continue to experience life to its fullest.
Whatever difficulties I experienced at the border crossing were completely worth it, because the next three days were so incredible that it is hard to describe without experiencing it yourself. Imagine being transported into a BBC Earth documentary, in the middle of a river, surrounded by wondrous wildlife, all converging on the water. Large herds of elephants, buffalo and hippos. Crocodiles everywhere. Hundreds of baboons and antelopes. Giraffes and zebras looking for a quick drink. Numerous species of birds and other waterfowl. Lions heading out to hunt in the evening. We were even able to spot the elusive leopard, hiding under a tree, which was very exciting as we could now say that we saw the “Big 5”! And the sunrises and sunsets on the river were unparalleled.
After nearly three weeks of travel, it was time to say goodbye to Africa. We were tired but exhilarated. Accomplishing my dream trip, after a long battle with cancer, was incredibly meaningful and the memories will last a lifetime. The only question left is “Where do we go next?”
Gordon lives in Pointe Claire, Quebec.
This story was originally featured in the Winter 2025 issue of Ostomy Canada Magazine and was sourced by Lisa Gausman, Senior Editor, Ostomy Canada Magazine.
