Long Overdue Update

Not even 4 months since my last update, and so much to report on. I don't really blog anymore, but don't want anyone to think I've died, so I'm trying to leave proof of life here every few months. 

Mauritius was heavenly. I miss it! We had the best time... snorkelling, drinking rum cocktails, EATING local food, driving around the island. Some pics below...

We got back just in time for the Omnicron variant... perfect timing! My sister, brother in law, niece and nephew all got this Covid variant, but luckily they were all OK. The baby was first to be diagnosed! Thank goodness I hadn't seen them much in that window of time, so I didn't get it. One of my very close lung transplant friends Talia wasn't as lucky though, and has been fighting for her life on ECMO and a vent for about 6 weeks now :-( Heart-breaking. She has triplets who are almost 18 months old at home... as well as a husband. I want her to survive this soooo badly. So many people that I know are not doing OK at the moment.

In much better news, I met the most amazing guy as soon as I came back from Mauritius. His name is Arno. He's 34, also from PE, and all round brilliant. I'll be moving in with him on the 19th of March. Which means moving to Pretoria! I'm not a stranger to Pretoria at least, my grandparents lived there (in the same neighbourhood as Arno actually). Very excited, but I'll still be coming to JHB a lot for family, work, and my many Doctors. I feel like I've won the Lotto with this one!

We spent Christmas in PE, with Arno's parents, and I did my first bit of camping EVER! It was very cool, even though we got soaked in our tent, Definitely an adventure!

Lungs are doing fine on the new meds, lung function was up 2% last time - 94% FEV1. Not bad!!! Gynae will be doing a biopsy again later this week, dermatologist has been burning tiny warts as per usual, had a tooth break. Not much news. Very very thankful to have avoided Covid thus far. Literally all my "normal" friends have had it now. And half my family. Very grateful for the vaccines I've had (as well as all my friends. None of them who got covid post vaccine were very sick. )

I'm also doing a post graduate diploma this year and next. In Financial Planning. Nervous and excited to be studying again. 

I'm hoping to go to my 20 year High School Reunion in April, if time and finances allow. 

I realised the other day that when I was this far out from my first transplant - 4 years 4 months - I had my first bout of rejection. I've had no rejection with these lungs yet, so hopefully that's a good sign. Life is good... I'm thankful every day.

Relief

I had my follow up lung function test today. The previous one was just over a month ago, and it had dropped a bit from the previous time. It was a bit scary because there has been a few drops since Sept last year. It was 97% at the end of Sept, 94% in Dec, 92% in Feb, when I was a bit sick with Rhinovirus, and then last month it was 89%. So my Dr suggested I repeat it a month later. I haven't actually SEEN my Dr since the beginning of Feb due to Covid, but at least there is whatsapp. He didn't seem too concerned, but I was.

I had to do a Covid test last week, before being allowed to blow on the lung function machine. The results came out on Friday evening so did the lung function this morning. It was back to 93% FEV1% at least and 118% FVC! Yay! Feeling SO relieved!

The Comrades 10km was fun. I did another 10km yesterday with my mom. It's nice to slowly see some improvement!

My nephew is being super cute as always. So nice to be on the same property as them! It's been extremely cold this past week, and winter still has a long way to go. Although at least technically the days are getting longer again from today. 

2 years 7 months

Sunday marked 2 years 7 months with the new lungs. It was also a year since Chris and I decided to get divorced. It feels like a whole lifetime has happened in that year. Grateful of course for another month of easy breathing. I've really been enjoying running outside again. I'm even in a better spot now than I was fitness wise than before lockdown started.

I managed to have a lung function test done 2 weeks ago. I was 2 months after my previous appointment was supposed to be. I could only do the lung function test, and only after I had done a Covid test. My lung function was down a bit - FEV1 of 89%, FVC 115% (and has been down tiny bits at the last 4 check ups, so that's really annoying). It's such small drops that it's barely considered a drop, but with my history of rejection of the previous lungs it makes me anxious. So I have to have it repeated again in another 2 weeks' time. In the meantime I'm just trying not to think about it.

I had to go to the dentist on Tuesday morning, An old filling fell out while I was eating over the weekend, so had to have that fixed. Work is back to normal capacity, and Andrew is back from PE. It's nice to have small things return to "normal".

I'm loving the new home. Most of the stuff I've ordered online have arrived, and it's feeling very cosy. Also loving being able to do some gardening again. It's a pity that we're going into winter, but hopefully everything I've planted so far will look amazing in 3 months' time.

Don't have much else to say. Preparing to do a virtual 10km Comrades run thing on the 14th of June, so that's something to work towards.

Deaths, statistics and lung functions!

This past few days, two people that I knew in the lung-community passed away. Amber was 14 years post transplant. I've had contact with her since my first transplant, and she sent me a copy of her book when I had that transplant. She's had chronic rejection for a while, and from what I can see on Facebook, picked up an infection over the last few days and passed away. My heart breaks for her husband and little boy Noah.

Gontlafetse was a Pulomary Hypertention patient here in Joburg, who got lungs a few weeks back, but didn't make it :-( I've met her a couple of times when she's been in hospital. RIP girls...

“There are three types of lies -- lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

I'm really hoping the above quote is true. The statistics for a redo bi-lateral lung transplant are pretty terrible. In about 6 weeks' time I'll be part of the 32% of people who've made it 24 months post second transplant.

In any case, I had my best lung function EVER with these lungs today! Soooo chuffed. Been stressing because I've had a sore throat for the last 2 days that I've been doctoring. Lung volume was 120% and FEV1% was 97%. WHOOP WHOOP! Soooooo relieved. To hear your lung Dr say "There is NOTHING about your health that is a concern right now." is like a miracle. Next appointment is on my 2 year lungaversary!

My birthday was fantastic. I had a great time with friends and family, and attended a fancy event on the evening of my birthday on behalf of a fellow transplant athlete. I enjoyed the dressing up! Here's to 35 being the best year EVER!

Birthday month is here, and living on my own.

It's August! Yay! On the 31st I turn 35??!!!??? How did that even happen? I've also been living on my own since the beginning on the month, in my little apartment/flat that I'm renting in Linden. The first night or three was a bit strange, but I'm used to it now, and it feels like home. As of this morning I also finally have my internet sorted, so now I can REALLY settle in! On Friday eve Brendan, Andrew and Marius were here for a housewarming, which was very nice. Some pics of the new place below... just a rough idea and not staged at all! Will post decent pictures once everything is properly unpacked and hung etc.

The cats seems to have settled in nicely at my parents' house. Very relieved that that is going well.

Last week Monday I had a lung check-up. My CMV viral load is finally negative again, yay! Lung function was great, FEV1 was 94% (last time 95%), and FVC was 118% (last time 112 or 116% I think). Very relieved that so far these stressful few months haven't affected my health. Health problems are the LAST thing I need right now! Achilles tendon is also doing really nicely. I can run for short bits on the treadmill again! Yay! The helicopter pic was taken at the hospital on Monday... it was landing as I came walking down the hill. Always love seeing them land, and they make me emotional.

I was on TV on the 1st of Aug, which is the beginning of organ donation awareness month in SA. If you understand Afrikaans, watch the video here.

Other than that, the weather has been a bit warmer, and last week Sunday I had a great afternoon at Marius and Brendan's house, eating potjie (stew made on the fire for those who don't know).

And lastly... what would a blog post be without a pic of Ads!

Car accident, divorce, and awesome people in my life.

So much is happening, please excuse if this post is all over the place.

Divorce update: We signed the settlement agreement yesterday. So from our side everything has been done. I'm moving out into a little loft style cottage in Linden on 1 August. The cats are going to my parents. I'm busy packing and throwing out stuff that I don't really want or need. At the same time I'm buying items that I WILL need. Emotions are up and down. It's sad, but at the same time the future is also exciting. It's really the end of a massive chapter, and I will miss all of this. I'm hoping that by my birthday (31 Aug), things will be much better and I'll be settled in. I'm also very glad that things aren't ugly and that everything is very civilised between Chris and myself.

As if all this crap isn't enough to deal with, I was in a proper car accident 3 weeks ago. I was driving a rental car, because my car was being repaired after a small accident that I mentioned in my blog last time. Another car skipped a red traffic light while I was turning right, and t-boned me. I was taken to hospital in an ambulance, but luckily I didn't get seriously injured. My left hip was super bruised and banged up, lots of random bruises on my legs, arms and right knuckle. The seatbelt buckle also cut into my tummy a bit.

Apart from the excess I had to pay for the first accident and this accident, the towing company who towed the car was not authorised to do so by the car rental company, and they charged a fortune. All I can hope for now is that the funds will be recouped from the other driver who was at fault. At best I'll get the funds back in 3 months' time. It's so depressing how much I have had to spend on cars this month!!! The pic of the bruise was taken on the day of the accident... it ended up looking much worse, but at least it's much better now.

I had a great lung check-up again at the beginning of the month, my lung function was the same as last time, still at the all-time high. Thank goodness THAT is going well right now. My CMV viral count is still positive, so Dr has adjusted my meds a bit.

Fawn and I was also on The Gareth Cliff show one Friday morning. I was on his show exactly 10 years ago, before the Australian World Transplant Games. So I kind of felt like it was coming "full circle" being back on air with the second set of lungs. You can listen to the interview here.... listen after about 28 minutes though.

http://cliffcentral.com/gcs/extraordinary-stories-of-organ-donation/?fbclid=IwAR36AOLFVnIzXL2Jn5iHcsB-SYidpfauyiQQlhsJMpdvgbKn06atndNuwe8

Just after my previous post, my mom and I went to visit my aunty Deanie, who we haven't seen in a while. Still the brightest 90 odd year old person I know! She googles, checks her e-mails once a day, still drives herself around JHB! A remarkable no-nonsense person.

Fawn and I also had a great catch-up lunch with Aviva at The Fireroom in Montecasino. Sushi and gin...... it was YUMMY.

I stayed in my parents' house for two weeks while they were in Greece earlier this month, and my friend Bonnie stayed with me some of the time. It was super fun just having a "girl's night" vibe and chilling by the fire.

This past weekend was Andrew's birthday, and 9 of us went away to a house he rented for the weekend. It was just what I needed. Getting out of the city, catching up on some sleep, laughing so hard your abs hurt. It was strange to go alone, and I guess it will still take some getting used to.

Lastly... despite all my complaints above, physically I feel like I'm in a better place than I have ever been. I'm not as fit as I've previously been, but on Tuesday I was able to run a little bit again for the first time since October last year before I tore the Achilles. (This was supervised by my bio! I wouldn't have the courage to try it on my own!) So my body is feeling strong overall.... no reflux... and lungs are pristine for now, I'm physically feeling better than I did for most of my life by far. In fact, I almost feel like I need to make up now for all the life I missed out on between the ages of 18-23 and 32-33, when I was waiting for lungs again. I was THAT person in the gym 2 weeks ago, who took a photo in the gym, because despite my accident-bruise, I don't think my arms have ever looked this strong :-) After these last two months, I think it will be more than just my arms that have grown stronger...