Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The difference...

This morning while getting ready for work, Bree and I were chatting about what it feels like to be able to breath etc. Well she was asking me what it feels like to wake up and breathing easier, and actually feeling BETTER than you did the night before because you're rested. As opposed to waking up feeling like you've had a cement block chained to your chest etc... And how it feels to be able to get ready for someting in a short amount of time. As opposed to having to do nebs for hours first, and needing a nap again afterwards. So I decided (in a moment of genius at work today) to draw up a comparrison (having though about it at work, where I'm drawing up comparisons all the time, lol!) I will be comparing my day on 14 January 2008 to 14 Oct 2008... Luckily I'm pretty annalytical and write everything in my diary!

14 Jan 2008

  • woke up probably at about 8am, due to not being able to breath while sleeping anymore.
  • drag myself to my desk, where I nebulise Venteze, to open up my chest to be able to walk downstairs for breakfast. Takes about an hour in the end, as it triggers massive couching/semi-vomiting fits.
  • go downstaits, rest at the kitchen table for a few mins. Stand up, make toast or eat the porrigde my mom force-feeded me (in the nicest possible of ways!!!) in order for me to pick up some weight.
  • 'walk' to the PC, facebooked a bit and checked e-mails.
  • dragged myself back up to my room, decided I neede some more Venteze, chest felt like it's closing up again. Then did about 1 minute of hypertonic saline but made me want to vomit, so I stop. Nebulise Colistin.
  • get dressed, after which I have to sit to catch my breath.
  • had physio at 12h00 for about an hour.
  • get back home, lay with head on cool kitchen counter for a while, drag myself back upstairs to lay on bed for a while.
  • feel better after that, and hang out with Antoinette and someone else for a while. Not sure where or who the other party was, didn't write it down...
  • blogged: http://livinglifebreathlessly.blogspot.com/2008/01/finally-some-news.html
  • BIG news for the day though: heard that if a woman waiting in the US for lungs decides to come back I could go to Florida to get my lungs there, where the waiting list is shorter... ( that woman eventually got lungs a week later... and so did I)

14 Oct 2008

  • woke up at 5:45am, full of energy, lay in my back for a while (couldn't do this before), just because I can.
  • get up at 6am, and within 45mins I wash my hair, eat, decide what to wear, get dressed, wash the dishes, chatted to Bree, tidy my room and pack my bag for gym.
  • leave for work at 6:45am, and arrive there at 7:30am.
  • spend the entire day being normal and not coughing and working and drinking coffee etc... and trying not to eat too much as I'm so normal now I can even get fat, lol!!!
  • Apart from the 4 or so people who knows about my transplant, everyone thinks I'm normal.
  • Leave at 5pm and head for gym.
  • Gym for about 1h20 mins, still have lots of energy. Got home at about 7:15pm.
  • eat, relax, blog...
  • and will go to bed at about 10pm WITHOUT HAVING TO NEBULISE. Just have to brush my teeth, take my pills, and fall into bed.... thinking lots of wonderfull thoughts ;-)

Don't think I need to say more...

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Superwoman!!!!!!!
What a huge difference 9 months makes. It also helps if your a little nutty too like you - don't you think? You mention a lot of guys names on your blog girlie, so who's the REAL DUDE responsible for distracting your blog time huh huh, who's he, what's his name?? PL

Jen said...

I HATE the hypertonic saline too!! It makes me feel worse every time I do it. Its so bad that I told my doctor I just can't do it anymore so he said I didn't have to!! :) I can't wait for the day that I don't have to get ready for things HOURS before everyone else...awww the little things in life people take for granted.

Alice Vogt said...

Peter, I specifically mentioned his name next to the part saying I went on a date... READ. ;-) But you'll see it many times still in the future, so be patient.

Alice Vogt said...

That's in the previous post of course...

Jennifer said...

I remember when you blogged about that. I think I had just started reading your blog at that time.

Bree said...

I do think you need to add that despite my attempts to slow you down as i talked to you all the way from Canada, where it was only midnight, I failed to do so. So yes, I agree with "anonymous" that you ARE Superwoman.

I specifically enjoy the bit about resting your head on the counter to get cool. Made me think of a chopping block almost with the sound of a melon dropping. Why? B/c i'm morbid that way.

Thanks, darling!

Alice Vogt said...

Been watching too much Tudors by any chance Bree??? Mmmmmm, can't blame you!!!

LouMS said...

Wow, Alice is all full of energy with her responses. It amazes me how quickly (in my mind) your life changed after the transplant. Glad you continue to do so well.
Lou

Gizela said...

Nou as hierdie post nie mense inspireer om orgaan skenkers te word nie, dan weet ek nie! Wonderlik om dit alles te lees.
Lekker werk.

Anonymous said...

Ons is baie trots op jou Allie.
Ek sal altyd in dankbaarheid leef vir die nuwe lewe wat jy ontvang het; prys ie Heer!!!
Baie liefde
M

Jac said...

It's funny how quickly you adapt to life post tx isn't it! I sometimes have to remind myself how hard it was before, so I can continue to be amazed by the difference :-)

Go girl :-)
jac x

Jac said...

Was just leaving a comment on my own blog for you! Just to say that the other UK tx centres do not do routine bronchs - i think it's just a newcastle thing. i don't mind though because I had no symptoms during my rejection so was glad of the bronch. I would prefer the nitric oxide thing though - sounds much more sensible!!
jac x

Pete, Ali, Charlie and Rosie said...

Hi Alice! Just thought we'd drop in to say hello and to thank you for visiting Charlie's blog and leaving that all important red dot on the African continent for him! He was so excited at breakfast this morning when I told him we'd had a visitor from South Africa! It really is a small world - I've followed your blog for quite a while now, I think I found you via Nate's blog, so we were watching and praying all the while you were having your transplant! (I may even have left the odd comment!) So it was doubly lovely to hear from you in person. I'm so pleased that life is so good for you now - it's amazing how much your life has changed. Charlie's heart condition means that it's pretty likely he'll need a transplant at some point in his future, so it always does us good to hear such positive transplant stories as yours. Thanks again for visiting Charlie's blog - pop back again anytime! Love from Alison (and cheeky Charlie!) xxx

Anonymous said...

Hey well done Alice!! So good to have a full time champion of transplantation and organ donation! We are proud of you! PGW

Anonymous said...

That just sounds ridiculously awesome, I want that! =) glad its so much easier. don