What A Day!

We were supposed to fly out to Durham today for a checkup on Thursday. After getting up at 6am, which I don't do unless I have to, and getting to the airport by 9am to get checked in etc., our flight got delayed. No problem, so we'll be there a little later than planned. Our flight was supposed to leave at 10:49am. It got pushed back to 11:34, then 12:29, then it was cancelled altogether due to aircraft maintenance. Turned out to be a mechanical failure. Thank you airline for cancelling our flight I would hate for the plane to have mechanical failure while we were in the air. So we get the opportunity to change flights without being penalized with a change fee of $150 per ticket only there are no more flights available today. Oh wait, there was one more flight leaving at 6:49pm, but there was only one seat available. Was I supposed to ride in Philip's lap? Anyway, I spent the rest of the afternoon cancelling airline tickets, rental car (which cost a $50 cancellation fee), hotel, and re-scheduling doctor's appts. Pain in the buttocks :) Once I got everything cancelled and rescheduled I got home and took a nice long nap. Maybe next time it will go as planned, we'll see.

Bring On The Sunshine!

I know I haven't been blogging like I should, but I have been too busy spending time with my two babies, Joey and Andy. I have pretty much been camped out at my sis' house since Andy was born back in February. I am living life just as I pictured it, playing with Joey in the backyard, holding sweet baby Andy, walking the doggie, and helping out around the house/shopping. I have enjoyed a great deal just being with my sis. We have always been close, but after I got so sick we were only able to spend time together by phone unless she came down to my house or to the hospital. It is wonderful to be able to spend time with her at her house for a change.

I have returned home since I started this entry and I am missing my babies. I go back to Duke this Thursday so me and Philip will be flying out on Weds. I am praying I get a good report and able to come back on Friday. I'm going to check on my friend Kerry while I'm there. She is STILL in the hospital, but I think she is finally headed in the right direction.

I heard from my friend Jessica N. that she got a good report with no rejection in her new lungs and she doesn't have to have a bronch for 1yr. Awesome! She has had a lot of stomach problems since her transplant so hopefully she is on the mend.

I went to see my CF doc that I have been seeing since I was a baby. She was sooo excited I came to see her. I told her when I left for Duke that I would be back too see her, but she said most people that have tx never come back.

I went back to church today. I haven't been to church since before transplant. I was waiting for the weather to warm up because I knew people would want to hug and shake my hand and with it being flu season I didn't think it was a good idea. It felt great to hug or shake hands with friends today and let them know how much I appreciated their many prayers they prayed for me. Our pastor made an announcement at the beginning of church about having me back and what miracles God gives. Then he asked everyone to applaud my return. It's a good thing I don't get embarrassed anymore because there was no way to be inconspicuous.;) It felt good knowing everyone cares so much. After church we went to Long's Fish Camp. It was soooo good. The last time we went I was on the medication that made everything taste terrible and because of my liver problem I was nauseated along with the distasteful food. Today I made up for it and it was wonderful! Afterward, we came home and took a nap, then went walking. It has been a great day. I still miss my babies and my sis, but I'll be back up there with them soon.

I am so glad it is Springtime! I love this time of year. I have had Spring fever and am ready for it to get warm and stay that way. Bring the Sunshine because that is the way I feel inside. Bright and Shiny! Love To All!

Yes! I'm Living Life

I have a lot to catch up on since my last post. I've been helping my baby sister for the past couple weeks. She had her second baby on February 9th. Andy weighed 6 lbs 10oz and was 20 1/2 in. long. She also has a two year old sweet baby boy, Joey. He is my heart and now I have two babies to fill my heart with joy. This is one of the many things I've wanted to do since I've had my transplant is to be able to spend time with my baby and now I have two babies to spend time with and spoil. It feels great to be able to play in their backyard pushing Joey around on his tricycle and in his swing. My middle name is Louise so he calls me Aunt Lu. It is so sweet to hear him call my name. I'll be going home this weekend to give my sis a chance to see how things go without a third hand, lol. I know she'll be fine, I'm just not looking forward to leaving. I've had the best time with my babies and spending time with my sis.

I am still doing great since my last appointment at Duke. I'm still loving food again, maybe too much ;). I'm getting strong again and feeling better than I can ever remember feeling. The weather has been wonderful the past week. It has been in the mid to upper 70's and I have spring fever! Last year all I had planned was hospital stays and trying to survive from one day to the next till I got a transplant and this year I can plan on fun things to do again.

Also since my last post, my friend Kerry got her call on February 3rd for her new lungs, liver, and pancreas! What blessings God gives us! Kerry is doing great. She has had a few setbacks, but that is to be expected. I can't wait to see her at the end of March when I go back to Duke for my 9 month bronch. Awesome! Time flies because it will be eight months on March 1st since my transplant. I have been truly blessed and am thankful to God everday for my breath of life. Please keep me and all of my transplant friends in your prayers. Save a life. Become and Organ Donor.

I Love My Life

I feel so thankful to be living life like I've never lived before. All my life until July 1st 2010, I've always had hours of breathing treatments before I could even think of functioning. Without the meds to open me up, I was useless. Even after taking meds to open up to get the day started, I still had to take more in the evening or else there was no having any kind of life after five. Anyway, it still amazes me how I can breathe now without those meds. I do take a handful of pills at different times throughout the day, but that is too easy compared to life before. I'll soon be 7 months old because my life started over on july 1st. I am so blessed. After months of setbacks I finally feel like I am getting back to my old self. Part of my meds have been discontinued and thanks to that food and drinks are tasting like they should again. I hated eating because nothing tasted good. I lost close to ten pounds when my liver was giving me problems. In addition to food tasting terrible I was also nauseated so I ate even less than normal. Now that my liver is functioning normally again, I can't get enough to eat, lol. I am grateful for my donor and the selfless act they gave in order that others could have a second chance at life. I pray everyday that my friend Kerry will soon get her call. It will come, we have to have patience and trust in God's will. I know that is easier said than done for Kerry since she's the one waiting. I know how she feels and like Tom Petty says, the waiting is the hardest part.

I'm looking forward to going home to MS friday. I won't have to come back till March for my 9 month bronch provided everything continues to finally go in the right direction. Please say a prayer for Kerry that she will get her gift of life by Valentines Day if not before.

More from me later : - )

A Whiney Rant

I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've just been bummed out. So far so good with my lungs. The problem I'm still having is the pain in my pelvis down to my knees, in both legs. It won't be long before I go back to Duke, the 20th, so hopefully they can give me some answers. I'm tired of still feeling like an invalid. I can't exercise much because I can hardly walk so I feel like I'm not getting much out of it. I have these wonderful new lungs and I can't even enjoy them to the fullest. I want to go shopping, visiting friends, out to the movie, or just being able to walk at a normal pace instead of a snails. I know it will get better, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking "when this is fixed what else is going to fall apart". I'm thankful to be alive, but I'm still not living yet. I'll get there eventually.

Ok, I'm finished whining now, on to happier news. Christmas was great. Our family decided not to exchange gifts because of all the expenses we have all incurred due to me living in NC. I couldn't help myself and bought all of my family a Duke tshirt, lol! They were like "we said no presents" and I said "don't get excited, it's not much". I liked my newphew's the best. He's 2 and was so cute in his Duke tshirt.

Today I am looking forward to going out to eat with my family. We are going to Long's Fish House and I have been craving that place before we got home to MS. It has been open as long as I have been alive and it is the best. The coleslaw alone with crackers could be a meal in itself it is so good. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. Yummy!

Holiday Season

I hope everyone is having a great (or tolerable) holiday this year. I'm happy to be home, but it just doesn't feel like Christmas to me. I guess I never got into the Christmas spirit this year. Chronic pain can do that to you. My hips are hurting. I would expect the fractured one to be hurting because it is still healing, but the other hip is hurting too. I'm managing. I just feel like I am a lot older than I actually am. Hopefully when I go back to Duke in January they can give me something to ease the pain on a daily basis without narcotics!

Even though I was complaining above, I am very thankful to be home for Christmas this year. The past two years I was in the hospital and feeling like CF was robbing me of my life again. Our family Christmas was Monday and I was so glad to see my sis, bro, and my baby! It was a fun filled day, especially watching my nephew (my baby) opening his presents. It's always good when we can all get together.

I am thankful to God for giving me a second chance at life. I am always praying for my donor and donor's family. I am grateful that even through all the setbacks I've had, none have involved my lungs much. They are still working great!

I hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas and Have A Happy New Year!

Enjoying The Home Life

We finally made it home on Sat. Dec. 4th. It was a looong drive, but we made it in 10 1/2 hrs. We only stopped twice and drove straight through. It wasn't a bad ride, it just took forever, lol. We arrived very early in the morning, but mama had been saying how she felt like a kid waiting for Christmas, referring to us coming home. I went to their house and woke them up. I went to mama and whispered, "Merry Christmas" and she said "Oh my baby's home". She reached over and shook daddy and said "Our baby is home" and he about jumped straight up out of the bed. Mama's specialty is cooking and she offered to cook breakfast at 5:30 in the morning, but I told her to go back to sleep and we would eat later. We had brunch later in the morning. It was great to be back with my family!

I had a bronch on the day we left which was before the results came in. The reason for leaving before we got the results was that my dad was having surgery for prostate cancer the following week and I intended to be there. I had even re-scheduled my appointments so we could leave earlier than planned. Daddy's surgery went well and he is recovering at home, doing better everyday. He won't have to take chemo or radiation because the whole prostate was removed and not just the cancer itself. My family has truly been blessed. Even with all the things that have happened to us, it could always be worse.

I worry about my friend Jess and the suffering she is enduring now. She is currently in the hospital at Duke. She has had Gastro problems since her lung transplant back in April. It makes it a total bummer because it's right at Christmas. I hope she gets out of the hospital before then. I miss you Jess! Love You Cysta!

Being at home has been wonderful. After six months away from home makes me feel like my new home is brand new all over again. The results from my last bronch had no rejection so I don't have to go back to Duke till Jan 20th. I get to enjoy the holidays with my family. A week after getting back home we got a new puppy. We named her Niki, she's a solid black Shih-Tzu. She is a little chomper. She loves to chew on everything she can get her little teeth on, but she's also a cute little fur ball that I can't resist. I still get sad thinking of the two little dogs we had to give away back when I was so sick with bad lungs. I found out later, after transplant, that I can have an inside dog I just have to be careful about certain things. I can handle that. I like having a furry companion because when Philip goes back to work I certainly won't get bored with my four-legged friend, lol!

I was invited to a Christmas Luncheon today from the office that I used to work at. It was really nice to still be considered a part of the work family. I used to sell Avon so when I quit working there I still came by to deliver Avon and visit with everyone. They have all kept up with my transplant process and some of the ladies had a fundraiser for me. They are now in the process of doing another fundraiser for me. They are awesome ladies and I am Thankful to have them as my friends.

Well, that's all I've got to report for now. I'll post again soon. Love To All!