Happy birthday Chris xxx

Chris turns 30 tomorrow!

Last night I'm married to a 20 something year old! Tomorrow night we're going out for supper and this weekend we're off to Mabalingwe Game Reserve.

Happy Birthday... love you lots and lots, hope there will be many more for us to share!!!!!!! xxxxxxxxxx

5 years 8 months!!

Today marks 5 years and 8 months with the lungies... only 4 more months till 6 years!!! Six years sounds almost impossibly long, have been so blessed beyond measure. The rest of last week was fine, had supper with friends on Wednesday eve, and went to the movies and had some steak with another friend on Thursday for a girls-night. Weekend was relaxing, yesterday I went to Pretoria to visit one of my lung-friends who had her tx in December, had a really great afternoon. Today I hit the gym again and it went well, and church tonight. So not much to report.

This week is going to be great... Tuesday is a public holiday so no work, yay!!! On Thursday Chris turns 30, so I'm taking him out for supper, and next weekend we're going to a Game Reserve! Hoping we'll see lots of animals, get to swim a lot, chillax and eat a lot!!! Trying to gain weight and STRUGGLING!!!! Thought I had gained a kg but when I weighed myself at the gym today it was gone :-( Very frustrating.

Also seeing the psychiatrist again for 3rd time tomorrow but at least that one Drs appointment not involving stress or needles or bad news so it's no biggie.

ECP # 7 & 8 done... yay

So photopheresis sessions nr 7 and 8 are done. Yesterday's session (7) went fine, femoral line in groin went in and all was well. I was home just after 5pm. Today was a different story though...  the line started giving problems immediately, and even on a slow setting the machine harvesting the cells kept on beeping and being unhappy. So the sister decided to put the line taking out the blood into my arm and kept the returning line in my groin (after taking out the stitch keeping it there and jerking it around a bit.... ugh). So the rest of the harvesting session went fine, although it was a bit more uncomfortable having to lie dead still with one arm being hooked to machine and other arm restricted by the blood pressure cuff and oxygen sats probe on finger. But they collected everything they needed and groin line came out.

We waited the usual 2 hours or so for my bits to come back, and as my cells started going back via line in arm it burn like acid running into my vein. I started crying and freaking out immediately and line was removed even though pain stayed for a while. ANOTHER drip was put in (into hand this time) and cells were finally returned. Ironically we left there probably the earliest we ever had so got back home early but it was not pleasant at all :-( Luckily my break is 2 days longer than usual this time, next sessions are 2 and 3 October. Lots of stuff happening before then though so it feels AGES away. Really hoping and praying this treatment works and this is not all for nothing!

Spring is here :-)

Spring is here and the weather has warmed up overnight. Love this time of year in Joburg, soon the afternoon thunderstorms will start and the Jacarandas will be in bloom colouring the city purple. Check out some of the flowers in my garden below...

The weekend's been great, bought some more plants for the garden, bought a swimming costume for our weekend away in 2 weeks time (Chris turns 30 and we're going away for the weekend... more on that later!!).

Went to gym 5 times this week, but it's been tough. Don't know if it's because I've become unfit, or if the photopheresis is making me tired, or if it's because lung function might be dropping again or what. It's frustrating but I need to keep on going. Also, not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I'm not allowed to go to gym the week of the photo, so I try to get in as much of it in the other week. Off to my parents place for a family lunch now, should be very nice. Tomorrow and Tuesday it's off to Pretoria again for the photo...

Enjoy your weekend!

 

Weekend pics

Insane Week!!!

Wow thank goodness this week is over. It was so busy and draining! Monday I worked late and then went to gym so came home pretty late! Tuesday and Wednesday was ECP (photopheresis), Thurs and Friday was spend working my butt off to finish month-end at work and to top it all off we had a power failure on Thurs eve as well.

At least it all ended well with seeing my sis and Pierre last night!!!! They're busy today with seeing Pierre's family and attending a wedding but tomorrow they're visiting us for lunch again. Can't wait. Miss them so much.

Pics below are obviously me and my sis (then and now!) and an ECP one... the naughty and freshly-punished cells coming back into my body...

29!

So yesterday was my birthday.. last year as a 20-something... Hopefully it's a good year. My day started off with a 40 min motivational talk at Netcare  Head Offices in Sandton for a Spring Brunch that went very well luckily! Afterwards I had brunch with Chris and some cake and coffee with my parents. Last night we went for supper at one of my favourite restaurants and a stand-up comedy show called Mass Hysteria, which was great.

I also got spoilt with some amazing gifts, feeling very lucky! Too many to mention but I posted a pic below of the Kindle Chris gave me. Today we had lunch at my parents' house, and went to visit an old friend who had her baby this week... tooo cute.

I've also been back at gym 3 times so far, and it's been hard after a month off!!! Going to try and go again tomorrow after work but month-end is probably going to be pretty crazy so will have to see how the day pans out. Tuesday and Thursday is photopheresis again, and then Thursday and Friday is going to be insane at work. At least I get rewarded by my sister and Pierre visiting next weekend!!! Can't wait to see them again.

Have a good week!

Swaziland!

Our weekend away in Swaziland was amazing! Quite a different experience! The accommodation was nice, the people were all friendly, and weather was nice! The wedding was also great, first Catholic wedding I've ever been to. So all in all a fantastic break.