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!

I Am Still Blessed.....

After all I have been through since coming to Duke in June, I have to say I am very fortunate to still be here. Just a recap of my journey I received my double lung transplant on July 1st. Not long afterward I developed a seroma which is a fluid filled pocket, this was located in my groin area. I wore a wound vac pump for three months until it finally healed. In the meantime, I battled a bout of mild rejection which formed as fluid around my lung. Once that was taken care of, I was on the mend, until my left hip developed a stress fracture. The only assumption is that I got it from prolonged steroid use. Currently, I am still recovering from the hip surgery and it is going great only now I have a bowel blockage from too many pain meds. I've had an ng tube down my nose into my stomach with no food only ice chips, until earlier today. I finally got cleared to have clear liquids and laxatives and an enema. Oh yay! I also had mild rejection again with the last bronchoscopy. I've been treated again with solumedrol (iv steroids). This is not uncommon after lung transplant so I am not alarmed. I am breathing good and this is another techicallity keeping me from getting home to MS. At least I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel again and hopefully will be getting out of here by the weekend (back to the hotel). I am still optimistic because compared to how sick I was before I got here, what I am dealing with now is minor compared to where I was only four months ago. God Is Great!

I haven't been on the computer for a couple days so when I logged back on to check blog updates I see inspiring and heartbreaking news. It makes me stop in my tracks and say a prayer for the families that are having much harder times than my own. People like myself tend to be selfish when we don't feel good physically or things aren't going the way we want them too. That was me until today. I read about a fellow Cfer who lost his battle waiting for a lung and liver transplant. I also read of the great progress another fellow Cfer is making from receiving her double lung transplant. I'm so happy for her and her family and so sad for his lose to this terrible disease.