2 years 5 months

Tuesday marked 2 years and 5 months with these second transplanted lungs. Coincidentally that miracle also happened on a Tuesday! (As well as my first transplant!.... it's my lucky day!)

Being in lock-down has obviously given me loads of time to think. And the recurring though is I'M SO F@CKING LUCKY AND BLESSED. How am I almost 36 and still here and doing better than ever? I'm still the only person in SA who has survived a redo lung transplant (which sometimes leads to survivor's guilt, but that's not what this post is about.) Is there another shoe waiting to drop? I was trying to count all the surgeries I've had earlier today with some Facebook quiz, and I got to roughly 20ish.

• 2 Bi-lateral lung transplants
• 2 Nissen Funduplications
• 2 Achilles Tendon Repairs
• Wisdom Teeth removal
• At least 6 Lung Biopsies
• About 5 gynae ops (immunosuppression related issues!)
• 3 Gastroscopies, one which included a colonoscopy 

Not all of them are significant but it's still under General Anesthetic (except maybe wisdom teeth, I think I was only sedated... and possibly 2 of the gastroscopies).

I've also had a renewed gratefulness for being able to sleep on my stomach. It's my preferred position for falling asleep, and I've been remembering many times when I've been unable to do so. I remember specifically quite a few times where my lungs struggled too much to lie on my tummy. This was with my original CF lungs, where I often had to sleep on 3 or 4 pillows to breathe better. I remember my back getting sore and just wanting more than anything to lie on my tummy but when I did, I either started coughing up blood or it just felt like I was drowning. The other significant times were after my transplants, due to the incisions. At least those were "positive" reasons, but it kept me awake at night, and with my Nissen Funduplications. I know this is REALLY random, but like I said... blame the lock-down.

I've also been thinking of stuff that's happened since my second transplant... in other words things I would have missed out on if I didn't get a second donor. This was what I could think of (in no specific order):

• Holiday in Ballito
• Two holidays at Storms River Mouth
• Family holiday at Evelyn Game Lodge close to Mapungubwe
• New York trip
• watching my nephew Adriaan go from being 6 months old to turning 3 tomorrow
• getting a divorce
• moving into a flat and living on my own for the first time in my life
• working for Andrew
• joining a running club and doing Parkruns
• going to the UK and Scotland
• dating
• getting a new boyfriend
• Two trips to Cape Town
• going back to gym
• started playing squash again, tore the Achilles tendon twice and now don't play anymore
• co-founded a new NPO, TELL
• holiday with friends in Mauritius
• in lock-down for a global viral pandemic!

I added the good and the bad, because it's all part of being alive. And I wouldn't have wanted to miss any of it. I hope everyone's lockdowns are going well. I'm still all good, trying to stay sort of active. Sleeping a lot. Eating a lot. Be prepared for more random posts relating to stuff that pops up in my memories!