Weekend Report Back

Apart for the horrible weather the weekend was very nice!!! The wind was gale-force THE WHOLE TIME, couldn't go down to the beach at all... definitely not the best wedding weather :-/ Nevertheless, the wedding was beautiful (even though the poor bride had to have her hair re-done after the photo's outside!!) But the wedding was still great, Elette looked STUNNING. And so special to see my grandparents and other family too.

Was also good to see some old friends again, really miss them, although not much the city at all... it just looked so bare and dead against Joburg with all the pretty Jacaranda's flowering right now! Was also nice seeing my sister's flat, so cute!

Yesterday the week started off with a bang, so much work! Today was much better at least, got to leave normal time and go to gym again. Can feel I haven't been there in like 10 days! Had a lovely random braai this evening (just me and hubby), I made yummy salad and potato bake and he braaied (BBQ for those who still haven't caught on) some sort of lamb thing which was DELICIOUS!!!

We're going away again this weekend to the Drakensberg, never been there before, can't wait! Have put in half-day leave on Friday and a whole day on Monday.

3 more sleeps!

Until I go to PE!! I almost typed "until I go back home", but PE hasn't been my home for a while now! It's already been 14 months since our house there was sold. Going to be my first time back there not going "home" to the house I grew up in :-( BUT going to see my sister's flat for the first time :-) Transplant has definitely changed my perspective on change... Even changes that make me sad (like the old house) has the positive side to it that I would not have been alive to experience this change was it not for the lungs. And the thought of completely missing out on any of those things make me MUCH sadder. Obviously possitive changes are even better!!! As is being alive to se my cousin and sister getting married!!

Ninette is still doing well, she's off the ECMO, but still has the ventilator (trachy). She's wide awake, standing, sitting in the chair, eating solid foods :-) The next big step is to get her breathing on her own!!

This week's busy at work, month end! So gym hasn't really happened yet, maybe tomorrow? Or Thursday hopefully. Friday we're flying so no gym :-) Hope you have a fabulous weekend too! I definitely will :-)

Garden & Kitties

45 months :-)

Ninette update: she's had a very tough week and was put on ECMO (machine that oxygenates the blood basically) to give the new lungs a rest. She's still on the ECMO but was doing a little bit better yesterday. I haven't had any updates again today. Went past the hosp this morning after the walk to visit some friends, and all I heard was that she's "hanging in there". I really pray that she survives this...

Work's been going well, gym's been great, weather is great, love summer!!! So all in all I'm a very happy camper! Our kitties are also soooo cute, and my garden looking good, although lots that I want to do still. Also have a few weekends away with Chris and friends planned in the next 6 months, including a week off for my sister's wedding :-) CAN'T WAIT!!!!

The Big Walk had an awesome turnout, more than a 1000 people! And loads who signed up as organ donors. See some pics below... Don't have much plans yet for the rest of the weekend, but sure it'll be good!

This Saturday.... on my lungaversary date

Ninette got lungs yesterday!!!

Good CF friend of mine Ninette got her call late Sat night, she came out of theatre just before midnight last night, and as far as I know she's stable and all's well. I REALLY pray it stays that way!!! It's only the second transplant I know of this year (there might have been another one but I don't know the recipient involved). Donor rates have really gone down :-( Please pray that she has a quick and hassle-free recovery!!!

My sister's visit last weekend was great! We bought some plants, had supper at my parents place and a braai at our place. Shopped for a dress for my mom to wear to the wedding next year (unsuccessfully :-/) All in all a very nice weekend. This past weekend one of my best friends from school, Carli was here with her fam, so got to see them on Sat, which was awesome. Yesterday I had a girls-afternoon... Chris and my friend's hubby went to the SA VS Australia cricket game, so we had lunch, went to the movies and coffee afterwards. Perfect way to spend a sunday afternoon! Got home rather late though and then didn't sleep too fantastically, I kept up waking up thinking about Ninette. Luckily her boyfriend (who also had a double lung tx http://livinglifebreathlessly.blogspot.com/2010/02/post-444-new-lungs-for-francois.html last year in Feb kept me updated!

This Saturday is the annual Organ Donor Foundation Walk at the Joburg Zoo. Always a nice event. But before then still 4 more working days!!! Going to gym tomorrow, Will try to visit Ninette (or Francois most probably) on Wednesday, gym again on Thursday. Hopefully a good weeke then, and even if it's not, it ends with payday on Friday :-D

October *shock* :-0

October?? Where did Sept go??? Wow this year has less than 3 months left. And in actual fact only 2... AAAHHHH!!!! In exactly a months time we'll be in Port Elizabeth for the first time since we got married there for my cousin's wedding. CAN'T WAIT!!! Will be seeing my sister's place for the first time, and will definitely have to squeeze in a walk on the beach! Also seeing some old friends again, and very importantly my gransparents, who I also haven't seen since our wedding :-)

This week is month-end at work, and think I've been doing a lot better than last month, so that's good. Things are generally getting easier with the "new" job. My unpaid leave that I had to take for our overseas trip is also done now, so my salary for Oct will be looking a bit better, YAY!

The kitties are doing awesomely, almost fully grown, if not already there. The girl froze up in the tree on Sunday evening when we had our first PROPER thunderstorm for the summer. I think all the rain and thunder completely freaked her out. I tried getting her out of the tree with some tuna, but only managed to attract the neighbour's cat, which didn't exactly help! Eventually Chris had to chase the other cat, get a ladder and poke her down with a rake! Poor thing was wet and traumatised afterwards. Oh and the grass we planted has FINALLY started to grow, hope it continues that way! Will probably have to do another batch of seeds next summer, as it's not a creeping grass and not very thick right now.

My sister is also here this weekend, will be nice to see her again, and then in November and then in December and then in Feb for her wedding :-) Good times ahead!

Happy birthday to my hubby!

It's Chris's birthday today!!! Taking him out for supper later tonight, hope he enjoys it! Our weekend away was great, apart from the wind! Was unexpected and didn't go so well with sleeping in a tent!! Second night was better though and we slept through it. Posting some pics below. I wouldn't have been able to go there with my old lungs, as there's no electricity, everything is run off gas and batteries, and I wouldn't have been able to do my nebs. Sooooo amazing not having to be bound by things as simple as a plug-point anymore :-)

27 so far...

So far 27 has been pretty boring, hence the lack of blogging, but sometimes boring is good! At least it means no health issues! Had gynae check-up and results came back good :-) Spring is here and been doing quite a lot of gardening, we even planted grass on Sunday. Really hope it grows! Gym also been going well, although I haven't been able to go this week yet so far, but hopefully tomorrow and Thursday.

We're going away this weekend with my parents, YAY!!!! To a place called Klipplaatz, not too far out of Joburg. Really looking forward to it, will be nice to get out of the city for a bit. Hopefully I get to swim as well, haven't done that in ages (not that my body is bikini-ready!!! But who cares...). So yeah... not much happening, will post some pics of the weekend next time.

27 today!

Wow 30 is creeping up on me! We went away for the weekend to a hotel in Limpopo Province with 2 friends which was very relaxing. Weather turning into summer which is awesome too. This evening Chris took me out for some ribe which was YUMMY. Also had 3-month Dr check-up yesterday and got a clean bill of health so to speak :-) All bloods and lung functions were normal :-) Awesome birthday present!!! Not much other news, work hectic, kitties cute, all good!