Treetop Canopy Tours (bucket-list item DONE!)

Off to PE tomorrow!

Tomorrow after work I'm off to PE (my hometown). It's a bit of a break plus I will be helping my sister with the last bit of her move up to Jozi. Can't wait, need the break so badly. Since my sister will be moving up now I also don't know when I will be down in PE again. So going to make the most of it.

Prepare for lots and lots of pics when I'm back!

Crap week so far.

So this week has been crap... Lung function down another 2%... which now puts it at 63% FEV1%. FVC (volume) 100%. Very disappointed... just doesn't want to go up or STOP going down, even if deterioration has slowed down. Feels like there is no point in going to gym and working out anymore but I know I'll persist. UUGGGHHHHH

Photopheresis was fine today. No hassles and they used the new machines on me for the first time today... apparently it does a better and more accurate harvest. So that's cool.

Now just to survive another 3 days of work then then off to PE for some FUN. Much needed fun.

PUMPKIN!!!!!!!

Seems like I'm in a habit of posting on Sundays only now, but the weeks are just SO BUSY! Big news for the week is.... WE GOT OUR KITTY PUMPKIN!!!! He is such a sweet and brave little one. When the bigger cats hiss at him he just hisses right back! He is EXTREMELY playful and just SO DAMN CUTE. Our Christmas pressie...

This weekend I also did the 5km Organ Donor Foundation walk at the zoo, we had the SA Transplant Sports AGM, I had lunch with Jessica today to celebrate her 1 year lungaversary and had a friend stay with us for the weekend... so busy times!

The past week at work was pretty gruelling.... and traffic was HORRIBLE. Did manage to get to gym twice at least but hoping the pace of things will slow down a little bit for the rest of Dec... can't keep going at this current rate and not burn out!

Tomorrow is lung check-up again, Tuesday is photopheresis and Thursday I see the pshycologist. Also need to get some quarterly reports done and Friday I fly down to PE for a short break with my sis! So hoping for a successful week before my mini-break. Will report back on the lung function later in the week!

DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December is here at last!!!!!! After a pretty crap year, yay!!!! This week is going to be hell at work but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel! This past week has been fine, photopheresis went fine... once the needles were in! Getting the big needle in was a different story... UGH, let's just say I am BRUISED again :-( Thursday I went for an impulsive hair appointment and had hair dyed! The pic doesn't show the colour accurately but it's got more red in. They also straightened it which looks really nice but IMPOSSIBLE for me to maintain... starts curling again after like an hour! But fine for special occasions :-)

We also went to watch The Nutcracker ballet on Friday eve... it was my first ballet and I enjoyed it A LOT. I've known the music since I was at school and it was so nice to finally see the "big picture". Very cool. Yesterday we had lunch with friends that are moving down to PE for the last time... we will miss them and their CUTE twin boys so much! But at least my sis and Pierre also drove up yesterday and Pierre is starting work on Monday so he has officially moved up to Jozi now.

My sis drove up with him yesterday and flew back today... so we had lunch at my parents place today and just came back from dropping my sis off at the airport. But at least in 2 weeks time I'll be there in PE with her packing up the last of their stuff! And next weekend we get the kitty! YAY!!!!!!!

GREAT weekend!

So instead of having a quiet weekend we had a very busy one!! But it was awesome and at least I relaxed. Yesterday we went to the Hartbeespoort Dam cableway. Very cool and great views. We had pizza and ice cream up there. Afterwards we went to swim at a friend of a friend's house, and had supper till 00:45 in the morning with other friends!

This morning we went to the Fourways Farmers Market which was very nice, will def go there again. Dogs are allowed there so my friend from university Brendan brought his 2 spaniel pups along... they are soooo cute. And I managed to squeeze in a gym session this afternoon so that's good.

Hopefully the week will be a good one too!!

 

 

Save Seven Lives Walk on 7 Dec!!! Please take part!!!!!!

5 years 10 months

Survived another crazy week and finished those reports that were due yesterday in time (after working for like 12 hours straight yesterday ...ugh). SOOO tired today! Looking forward to a good night's sleep! Went to gym as well today but it was a case of Alice - 0, Gym - 1.

Had some great rain too this week, which is awesome for the stuff I planted on Sunday. Tomorrow we're going to Hartebeespoort Dam with some friends to try out the cable car, and spending time with other friends of ours who had a baby recently in the evening. No plans for Sunday yet.

Oh and as you can deduct from the title it's 5 years 10 months with the breathers today, just another 2 months before we celebrate properly again!!! Not much other news!

Where has the year gone????

I can't believe it's 19 November already!!! A year today ago I returned to work after my Nissen Funduplication surgery. Right now I'm trying to survive the coming month... need to survive the following before 13 Dec (when I fly down to PE):

• 3 reports due at work this Thursday
• Photopheresis on the 27th and 11 Dec
• 5 days of month-end mayhem for the first 5 days of December,
• Bloods and x-rays on 7 Dec
• Organ Donor Foundation's 5km Walk and SATSA (SA Transplant Sports Assoc) AGM on Sat the 7th of Dec
• Dr's visit and lung function on 9 December
• Psychiatrist appointment on 12 Dec
• A few year-end functions for work and cell-group from church

Out of all of these work is stressing me out the most! At least something good as well.... on 7 Dec (along with the bloods, x-rays, 5km walk and AGM) we're getting another KITTY!!!!! His name is Pumpkin... see pics below! He will be 9 weeks old then. SO EXCITED!

Gym has been better this week, however with the way work is going I'm not sure how often I'll get to go in the next 3-4 weeks... will have to be disciplined!!!

WHAT A WEEK.....

This week has been VERY productive...

• went to gym twice
• saw vascular surgeon and got good news there
• supper out with friends
• after lots of fighting with medical and Dr's rooms photopheresis for the next 6 months has been approved
• had the first of these 12 new sessions yesterday and all went well, no issues. They're going to be using my arms for now and avoid the groin as it's less invasive, less risky, and I can gym again the next day instead of having to wait for 5 days.
• met a fellow-CF'er and her mom... she is facing transplant and was great chatting to them.

Don't have TOO much planned for this weekend, my car is going in for a service tomorrow, want to go to gym again, and on Sunday we're having a mini school reunion!! Five school friends who all live in JHB now are meeting with our partners/kids for an afternoon of coffee and cake! Should be GREAT, haven't seen 2 of them since school... so it's 11 years!

Have a great weekend

Draining week of victories...

Victory nr 1... I can stop Warferin, the blood thinning med that makes me bruise like crazy and requires weekly blood draws! YAY!!!

Victory nr 2... photopheresis for another 6 months approved after many phonecalls and frustration. Starting TOMORROW!!

For the rest it there has been one gym session and supper out with friends last night.