The year that was 2011...

My 2011 Wishlist & resolutions were:

RESOLUTIONS:

Be fitter than I was in the previous 3 years post transplant. Not that I was unfit, but I feel I have more in me. Obviously the fact that I work rather long hours suck, but that's where the self-discipline comes in. I want to swim more at the gym, and also do something I've always be too scared to do... attend a class at gym. Whether it's spinning or aerobics... try something in group format, because my lungs ARE AS GOOD AS EVERYONE ELSE'S, so I need to get out of the pre transplant mentality in that sense. I still think I won't keep up, although I just might.

I did 1 gym-class! Zumba... was easy to keep up with the rest of the class... should really go again!!! In general I might be a little bit fitter, started running a bit as opposed to just walking on the treadmill.

Go to the World Transplant Games in Sweden and bring back a medal again, it doesn't even have to be a gold one.

That I did, it wasn't a gold but a silver and bronze :-)

Continue to be vigilant about my health.

Check!

Make a change regarding work. Whether it's my job spec or my attitude/outlook, I want some sort of change.

Started a new job in June!!

Be a good wife to Chris! This is going to be the first year of living together, which is REALLY AWESOME! Definitely as great as I thought it was going to be.

You'll have to ask Chris, but I think so! Was good for me!


WISH LIST:

That this is a more successful year for lung transplant in SA than 2010 was in terms of numbers. I think they only did 4 lung transplants the entire year. I want Helen, Lucille, Salome, Gloria, Dominique and a few others to get lungs and have the same experience I've had.

They only did 4 again as far as I know, but 3 of those were my CF friends, Shaun, Ninette and Helen. Shaun is doing great, Ninette finally came out of ICU this week and is doing well! Helen is still holding on and fighting hard, please send prayers her way! Things seem to be improving though (she had a lot of trouble with bleeding and kidneys).

For my own health to stay as great as it's been thus far and even better in terms of my diabetes and gynae problems from previously. Or just not worse, LOL!

Check! Diabetic and gynae problems were a lot better!

For lots of fun and traveling!

Check! Apart from the overseas trip, we went to Klipplaatz, Drakensberg, PE, Cape Town and Clarens for short weekend trips.

Get a pet or 2 (at the moment thinking 2 kittens in the second half of the year).

Haha, we got the 2 kittens about 2 weeks after I posted this wishlist!!

That Chris and I can go to Sweden together and also visit Annelie in England afterwards.

Yup!!!

MEET BREE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND SEE EVLYN AGAIN!!!!

This was probably the saddest part of the year for me... Bree passed away from some mysterious brain virus thing... trust her not to die of anything "normal". The transplant games weren't the same knowing her and Eve were supposed to be there. Evlyn couldn't come as she's got chronic rejection and on the waiting list for a new set of lungs :-( Really hope she gets them in 2012, them maybe I'll see her in 2013 in Durban... she'll definitely be there if she's got new lungs again!

So all in all 2011 was a fantastic year, we were extremely blessed. May 2012 prove to hold it's own against 2011!

Christmas Eve @ our house and Christmas Day @ my parents place pics

Clarens, Eastern Free State

So our weekend away was great! Good weather, good company, good shopping :-) Had a bit of an accommodation issue, but they sorted it out and we ended up with extra credit AND a nicer room :-) See some pics below...

So glad Christmas weekend is finally here... been working crazy hard, so 4 days off is more than welcome!! My grandparents and sister arrived on Tuesday vening, so at least I've been spending time with them in the evenings.

Helen's still holding on, still on ECMO... PLEASE PLEASE pray that she pulls through and makes a full recovery. Ninette is getting there nicely, doing well!

12.12.11

Mid December ALREADY?? What the flip, can't believe it!!!! My Cape Town friend Helen got lungs on Friday night!!!!!!!!!! She had a rough start, lots of bleeding, also on ECMO, but seems like she's doing a bit better now. Please pray for a full recovery for her, and also Ninette, who is still on a ventilator and had some isuues the last week or so. I so badly want those 2 girls to be WELL and able to breathe and have a life! Their poor families are just waiting, not certain what the outcome will be :-(

Thank goodness this week is only 4 days (Friday is day of reconcilliation). Work been SOOOO cray these last 2 weeks. Last week I was working 12 hours a da without taking lunch for 4 out of 5 days basically! Didn't work quite as late today, managed to go to gym again after work which was nice. This weekend we're going away to a town about 3/4 hours away called Clarence in the Eastern Freestate. Very excited!

Please watch!!!!!!!!!!

New fantastic TV advertisement. Hopefully it screens quite a lot during 2012!!!!

http://vimeo.com/31359689

Finally December :-)

My favourite month has arrived :-) Although the first day wasn't very successfull! Work was BUSY, got there just before 6h30 am and left at 17h15 without a lunchbreak. And traffic was horrible because it's raining a bit. Tired now and ready to do as little as possible for the rest of the evening.

Yesterday's check up went very well, lung function (fev1%) was 99%/100%. (first and second blows respectively). Very relieved, had a horrible nightmare on Monday night about have bronchitis and not being able to breathe :-( Stupid brain can really mess things up! That's why I really NEED to go for a check-up every 3 months!

The CF walk on Sunday was great, had a really good time walking it with Shaun and Alet (Shaun had his transplant earlier this year), and had brunch afterwards. Pic below is of me and Shaun... (I'm wearing my "recycle" lung shirt that I bought in Sweden!)

46 months

Tuesday marked another month with the lungies and another month closer to the big 4 years! Celebrated by going to gym (well would have gone to gym anyway), but wasn't particularly impressed with my workout, felt tired! Went to gym again today and was a bit better at least.

I attended the first year-end function at my "new" work last night. Was quite nice, didn't stay till late or drink, as I was driving home, but the food was nice and everyone enjoyed themselves (judging by facebook status updates this morning some people enjoyed themselves TOOO much, LOL).

This morning I spent 3 hours at the Dept of Home affairs to get a new ID document and passport (haven't officially changed my surname to Vogt yet, had to wait until after the Sweden/UK trip because my passport was still in Vosloo, and is expiring beginning of 2012 anyway, so decided to stick with the old passport until it expired.) Was not a fun experience, but at least it's DONE now.

Tomorrow morning is the annual CF walk at the zoo, looking forward to it! Always nice seeing friends and familiar faces again, and it also reminds me to be gratefull that my stunning lungs don't have CF anymore :-) Speaking of lungs, I have a check-up again on Wednesday. Would have been on the 5th of Jan, but got a call this week saying that the Dr's rooms will be closed, so had to reschedule, and 30 Nov turns out to be exactly 3 months after my previous check-up. Hope it goes well!!!

Will be posting pics of the walk...

Drakensberg and week

We left the Friday just after lunch, it's a 3.5 hour drive from Joburg to get there. We stopped for a burger as well and did some "adventure driving" on some really BAD roads!!! We got there just as the sun set, so couldn't fully appreciate the views until the next morning.They were however burning the mountain (controlled fire for the vegetation and safety) which made the air a bit smokey, but provided some amazing sights. Two of our friends from Joburg also arrived about an hour later, and we had pizza for supper at the resort followed by some card-playing until midnight. On the Sat monring we were hit by the breath-taking views. We made some nice brekkie and set off for the pool. Unfortunately the wind was quite bad and the weather HOT, so we couldn't really go hiking or anything. The afternoon was spent drinking and playing Monopoly instead! We did at least manage to go for a nice little drive before setting off to a YUMMY buffet supper.

On Sunday morning the weather looked promising.. no wind! We set off to the pool again, but about 30 mins after getting the the wind started again... It wasn't quite as bad as the previous day, so we also played some mini-golf, before going for another swim. Suzanne and Marcel set off back to Joburg after lunch on the Sunday, but Chris and I spent another night as we had put in leave for the Monday. We just relaxed and watched a movie, had supper and went to bed early. We left on Monday after breakfast and still had enough of the day left to do gardening and go to the bank once back in JHB! Very relaxing weekend indeed! http://www.alpineheath.co.za/

The rest of the week flew by, and last night one of our good friends who moved to Australia a year ago stopped by for a night before going to PE and Capr Town to see family! Was so nice to see her again, really miss her :-( Need to go visit them in Aus sometime... Don't know when though!!! So much stuff planned for next year already!! Maybe 2013?

Ninette is still improving slowly but surely!!! All the drains are out, lungs looking better every day on the xrays, and vent settings going down... The poor thing is bored out of her mind in ICU, so please pray that the vent comes out soon and she can move to a much nicer room in the ward!!!

What else? Oh I want to start my xmas shopping tomorrow! Before the shops get too crazy!! In a month's time my grandparents and sister will be flying up for Christmas!!! Can't wait :-) Will be working right through Xmas, but there's a long weekend in the middle of Dec (16th is Day of Reconcilliation) and then we'll be going away again to Clarence. Real Jetsetters :-)

Next weekend is the annual CF walk, also at the zoo. Always nice to see familiar faces again! I also need to go to the Dept of Home Affairs on Sat morning EARLY, as I need a new passport and ID book, in my not-so-new-anymore surname! Exciting time of the year ahead, will be putting up the Christmas tree soon!!!

Drakensberg!!!

Will do a decent post shortly, just thought I'd post some pics in the meantime!!!