Today marks 13 years since my life was saved by donor lungs for the first time. Even though those lungs were replaced 10 years later, it doesn't take away from what they gave me. More time with friends and family, and a much more "normal" life. As with every 22 of Jan, my thoughts are with my donor's family.
My last x-ray with the original lungs and most recent x-ray with current lungs... Will always be a miracle.
I almost feel bad celebrating stuff at the moment, with all the sadness that is happening around us every day. People passing away due to covid. people struggling financially for the same reason. A helicopter crash that happened yesterday with members of my transplant team involved. Seeing friends who work as frontline workers being drained and exhausted, seeing people suffer from depression due to everything that's going on. Life is really hard right now. And it doesn't feel like there is an end in sight regarding Covid.
Yes we'll eventually get the vaccine in SA. Much later than we should have, because we're not a first world country where things are efficient. Even then, it's not 100% effective. The one we're expecting to get is 70% effective. Combined with all the people who are going to refuse the vaccine (according to one article I read, 53% of SA's population), there will be no herd immunity and it definitely won't be safe to have a normal life again. Covid has really cast a spotlight on how many stupid, uneducated idiots live among us.
I was supposed to have a transplant check-up today, but it was cancelled due to the current wave of Covid. I'm just glad that I had my hysterectomy when I did in Nov last year, and that it's over and done with. For now, all is good with my health and I'll take it. 2021 looks like it will be rather bleak, but I think you just have to take it a week at a time. I've been through worse, even though this is very different.
