Very Happy Me!!

In a bit a rush so going to try and keep this brief(ish)...





Sunday was 9 years since my liver tx, can't believe how fast the last 9 years have gone, it's crazy! Wasn't feeling too good but went to the cinema and saw 'Marley and Me' really sweet feel good movie! Next to the cinema is Virgin gym, popped in and had look round... AMAZING! More about that in a minute though!





Yesterday was my check-up at Heartlands, was really expecting to have a crap lung function and need IV's as have been feeling quite crappy for the last week... no by some miracle my lung function has increased! My FEV1 has gone from 1.79 to 1.87. Have been given some oral antibiotics (Flucloxacillin) to deal with my infection and go back in a few weeks to see if they have worked or if I need IV's but I'm hoping I can go a little longer till I get my port, meeting my surgeon tomorrow morning to have tests and sort out a date and stuff! But I was so stunned, 1.87!! A few months ago when I was feeling lots better I only blew 1.51 so was only expecting about the same, maybe all these really hard sticky bits I'm getting off my lungs are unblocking some airways! Anyway its great news, I didn't even have to see the dietitian, 60.2kg from 50.1kg at the beginning of the year kinda shows my weight isn't really a problem!





So back to the gym, I'm about to go join it in about an hour, it's £41 a month, off peak!! So why am I joining the most expensive gym in town?

1. It's beautiful, yes I'm a sucker for things that look good! But as well as beautiful it's very very clean, I couldn't go if it wasn't clean, I don't want to exercise in someones sweat!



2. The power plates. As far as I know it's the only one in town with power plates. As I do acapella for my physio, which basically sends vibrations into my lungs to shake the mucus out, standing on a vibrating platform for 10min's should really help, plus I have heard it is good for joint pain which I have in both knees now



3. The exercise bikes have TV screens in them, this will be a good... I don't really want to say motivator but I can't really think of another word! Basically I hate the bike and I get bored very quickly but once in hospital I was reading whilst on the bike and I did 30min's before I knew it so I think watching TV while on the bike will have the same effect.



4. The distance, I walked there on Sunday and it's not as far as I thought, possibly a bit closer than the council gym. And the bridge at the end of my road has nearly been rebuilt which is a direct route (pretty much as the crow flies) so will be even easier to get to.



5. The pool, the pool is pretty quiet and the council pool is mainly packed as it's the main swimming pool for the town and post transplant I have been twice and picked up bad chest infections just after twice so I won't go there anymore. I still use quiet pools whenever I can and don't seem to pick up anything!



6. I get a free massage from their masseuse when I join!


7. I don't have to sign a minimum contact, I can cancel after just one month if I chose.

I may still get exercise on prescription from my doctors which will make it cheaper but even if not I would rather pay a little extra to get the results I want than pay for somewhere I won't be motivated to go to! (and if I don't go I can just cancel and try somewhere else!)

The stupid and the expected!

I want to join my local gym and as my flatmate is a member I asked her to get me a price for the gym-only membership when she was there. She asked at reception and was told she would have to ring. Which I think is quite stupid but hey! Turns out you need to speak to someone else, not the receptionist, someone from sales I think. So I googled them and got a number which I couldn't get through on! Asked my flatmate if she could ask for the proper number and they have given her the same one! GRRR! There is another gym nearby but the opening hours are not as good. All the others are quite a walk away and I don't drive. Might go in and ask to speak to the person I need, if they say I need to ring, get my mobile out and do it there and then!

It's bonus vouchers time at work, to get them you need to firstly get a good staff review, secondly they look at your sickness record, 0-3days in the last year gets you 100% of your weeks wages, 3-5days gets 75% and 5-7days gets 50%. I had 56days off meaning I will get either £7.50 or £12.50, same as last year and the year before, oh and the year before!

Haven't felt too great today, quite tight and breathless. Have been feeling quite tired all week, thought it might have been cus I over did it last week but after today think it might be an infection creeping in :-( Have got clinic on Monday so going to see what happens over the weekend, keeping my fingers crossed!

Back from Spain and major congrats to Sally-Anne for her new lungs!!

Got back from Spain yesterday, really didn't want to come back but here I am! I went on Monday and arrived late pretty much went straight to bed! Came back yesterday lunch to an empty house, John is in Gran Canaria until Saturday and it might sound a little sad but I just feel quite lost with out him!

Anyway whilst in Spain I checked my facebook and saw that Sally-Anne has had her transplant on St. Patricks Day! Haven't spoke to her but I have heard she is doing well! Have got her a card to send. Also got a message last night on facebook from a friend AJ, who had a lung transplant not too long ago but had been back in hospital with rejection, telling me that he is back home, feeling like he has been ran over by a truck but is OK.

So with Sally-Anne having had her transplant in the UK I am now doing the walk for the CF trust. Have got a lot to sort out in a short time although there is a small chance I will have to cancel/postpone the walk as I have got my appointment to see the surgeon to have my port put in on the 1st April so I may be having IVs prior to it been put in or recovering after. My appointment is at 8.40am and it can take up to 2hours to get to the hospital on public transport so not really looking forward to it! Anyway I am in clinic the day before but I'm gonna ring up and see if I can get an appointment on the 1st even if I have to hang around for a few hours still better than going over 2 days in a row! I will be quite curious to see what's happening with my lung function. When I had IVs in Jan my FEV1 was 1.76 mid IV it was 1.81 then at the end it was down 1.49 even though I felt really good. Was put on a new neb and it went back up to 1.83 so I was discharged and my follow up was down to 1.79 but I was feeling amazing and had put on loads of weight so they weren't too bothered. I'm not completely sure what the % is because after my IVs in Oct my FEV1 was 1.9 and that was meant to be 51% but for my 1.79 it says its 56% so I need to question it find out the proper one! It kinda feels weird to feel so well with only a bit over 1/2 of the lung capacity I should have, it really makes me wonder how amazing it must be to not have CF! Anyway I think I might be losing a little weight as I'm struggling to eat properly at the moment with feeling sick! Hoping it doesn't last long as I drop weight very quickly when I'm not eating properly (nearly 4kg in a few days after Xmas)

Have been sleeping a lot better, still not perfect but loads better... and talking about sleeping I think that my bed is calling me!!

Night Night!

Sleeplessness!

OK so my sleeping has been getting me down over the last few days... I have, for quite a while now, been unable to sleep before 4/5am, some days this can be 8am, and I tend to wake up between 2 and 3pm. Then Monday night I just could not get to sleep... I wasn't at all tired, at 7.30am I was singing (well sounding like a cat been tortured!) so anyway the later it got the more I realised that I wasn't getting any sleep! So all day yesterday I was shattered but refused to have a nap! When I got in from work I had something to eat and about 10.15pm I took some herbal sleeping aids and about an hour later I dropped off... till just after 1am, by 3am I was really frustrated and had some toast and after the toast I just dropped back off again till 10.45am! Today I feel really refreshed so I'm going to try these herbal tablets again and make sure I eat something before I go to bed cause I think I was only awake cause I was hungry. Hopefully they will help sort out my sleeping to something resembling normal!

Another thing is that I have decided that 60mins just isn't enough to do the walk in as that gives me just 12mins which I would have to jog, now I know I want to push myself but there is pushing myself and killing myself! Have now decided between 75-90mins is slightly more sensable, but still going to be a challenge!

Spider and George

Some pics of Spider and George from last summer! Spider is at the top and George is at the bottom

Jack.

Some pics of Jack when we first got him about a year ago, he is so huge now though! Will try and get some recent pics soon!

Bit of fresh air

Made it down to the field today after it stopped raining but only really stood in the shelter and sat in the car because it was bloody freezing! Still at least I got some fresh air! Plus saw somthing funny, the foals kept sticking their heads into Spiders side of the shelter and eating his hay when they had their own haynets on their own side! Will try and add some pics of them when I can.

Bloody Weather... and bingo!

Grr... its raining so I don't think it is such a good idea I go down to the field today! Was actually really looking forward to it. Now I have to think of something I can do exercise wise that involves staying in the dry. Still unsure as to whether this is a new infection or the end of the one I'm on Ciprofloxcin for! I'm steering slightly towards the 'end of the old infection' bit but that could just be wishful thinking! Although it does seem very easy to clear stuff out my lungs which I normally have at the end of an infection! Anyway I've got 3doses left on the Cipro so see how things go after that!

So yesterday had been a year since me and John got together and we had a cool day, definately different to what we had planned but we went over to Northampton with his mum and brother and played bingo! Didnt win nothing (apart from £5 on the slots!) but had a laugh and was quite chilled out! I did make dinner, was chicken, asparagus and sprouts! sprouts where a bit random to have with it all but I didnt have any other veg! Still was all cooked well, most of it eaten (I left a little bit) and no food poisoning so was all good! Once we got back from bingo watched one of the films we rented (Run Fatboy Run) which was really good. There wasnt as many gags as I had expected but they where very funny and not as 'cheap' as I expected them to be! Started to watch the other (The Life Of David Gale) but was getting tired and it was really long so went to bed! Anyway was all good fun, even Charlie coming in drunk telling everyone that her feet really, really hurt! Lol!

10 weeks today till the walk! 1 week tomorrow until going to Spain! Massive WOOP WOOP!!!

Quiet Few Days.

Ok feel like things arent really going as well as I would like. Havent been feeling amazing the last few days and have been doing extra physio cause I feel quite rattlely in my chest. I'm still on Ciprofloxcin and so I'm hoping that this is more to do with stuff moving around that was too sticky to before rather than a new infection! Because of this I've been feeling tired and havent done loads of exercise. Anyway I'm not too bothered at the moment cause I normally find that if I do lots at the weekend I end up having to call in sick to work at the weekend and I did quite alot last weekend and I've been to work all week (even though I havent done a lot else!)

Anyway Sunday I plan on going down the feild to help out, won't be riding Spider as Mum will be working but should still be kinda fun! Hoping we walk the foals out up the lane and possibly round the village! will have to wait and see though cause they are getting very big and are way to strong for me to handle... even Mum has a lot of trouble!

On Sunday it will be 10weeks until the walk... I am starting to get a little nervous and wonder whether I have bitten off more than I can chew! But then I know if I don't have something to work towards I'm more likely to push myself rather than be a little lazy! It's just about getting balance right... sometimes I feel like I'm really pushing myself even though I'm not really doing alot, then other days I feel better and think I'm superwoman and can take on the world so I over do it and then get annoyed when I can't do everything and get myself down, so definately need to strike the right balance!

I now have a few people walking with me which is pretty cool... at least I won't be lonely and the only one walking round a local beauty spot dressed as a fairy!



Anyway on another note, tomorrow/today (7th March) Me and John have been together for a year!! Wahoo! I won't use this blog to say that I love him because a) he knows and b) he never looks on here... he only knows how to use facebook! But anyway I know that he makes me very happy and treats me like a princess! So I'm going to cook dinner for us and we can watch some movies! Will let you know if I manage not give him food poisoning!


ONLY NINE MORE DAYS TILL I GO TO SPAIN!! YAY!! MEGA EXCITED!!

Why?

Why have I started this blog?

Not 100% sure...

Main reason probably for motivation! Over the last year I've had quite a drop in my lung function, IV's have brought it back up a bit but I've realised that the pathetic amount of exercise I do just isn't enough so I'm on a mission to get fitter and get my FEV1 back over 2L by the end of May!

Why the end of May? Because at the end of May I am due to become a big sister once more to baby Marcus and he needs a healthy big sister!

Also I plan to do a sponsored 5mile walk round Draycote Water in 10 weeks (May 17th) one week before Marcus is due to enter the world! I will be raising money to help a top chick (Sally-Anne Grainger) go to Duke in America for her lung transplant... http://ablazingstar.blogspot.com/ <--- this is the link to her blog!


Oh and I plan to do it in 1hour! I've walked it before but it took about 2hour30mins! So the 60mins will defiantly be a challenge! Going to try and get some people to do it with me as 5miles is a lonely walk!


Anyway thats all for now... will blog again with more progress soon!

Kate x x x