Chrislie's 'birthday outing'!

Our first outing was this cute pink Bakery in Melville, very close to my hosp, called The Chef... really a lovely little place with yummy stuff!!

The second place is this funky coffee shop in Parktown... Their coffee is AMAZING!!! And the best part is that you get a voucher to gym at MY GYM for free... SOOOO tomorrow the 2 of us are going gymming together!!! And we're taking my phone with, so will have a gym photoshoot!!!!!!

HOPE YOU'RE FOLLOWING MY SHORT-STORY.....

Instablog articles and tomorrow

I realised that I haven't linked my articles for quite a while!! (realised this while having a fight with some idiot who is slamming me for saying Mandela is a great man...) So here are the others I have written...

HIV rate declining

Does IQ affect your health?

Celebrating Youth Day...

Homeland for Afrikaners?

Amy Winehouse slowly killing herself?

The day Mandela dies

Today was nice, my Aunty Dine came for tea, I had lunch with Peter and met his wife and son, and had a great gym session. Not doing much tonight... just a bit of ironing! We're celebrating my sister's birthday tomorrow... her b-day is actually only on the 29th (she turns 21), but I won't be there, so we're doing our own little thing tomorrow... watch this space for pictures!!!

Good Monday

So... my lungies are fine! My FVC (forced vital capacity/volume) is 108%, and the FEV1% which was 91% was 95% today. But as the volume increases the FEV1% goes down a bit, because the total volume affects the FEV1%... so it's all good. The FeNO (nitric oxide) value was 19 (20 on Friday), so it would be good if that can still come down a bit more...

Played squash again this afternoon, and was great, even though I lost!!! Didn't play last week, as Craig was sick. The sis and I are watching DVD again tonight, and I HAVE to write an instablog article, because I'm WAY behind with all the visitors I've had!!

The first part of my story has also been released today, so if you haven't registered yet, please do!!!! And may I just add: ALL names used are coincidential!!!!!!

Wonderfull Weekend!!!!

My weekend has been really awesome! Had breakfast with the church people on Saturday morning, was REALLY delicious... Then I spend time shopping with Patricia in the afternoon! She is my ex-ex-ex boyfriend's sister, and it's his birthday next Sunday, so we went shopping for some prezzies for him!! Was very nice and I'm sure he'll love it! Can't go into details because he'll be reading this!!! (Hello Andrew!!!)

Today I had lunch with Paul and Jenny and the family... was really nice, and haven't had such nice food in ages. Beef, lamb, rice roast potatoes, broccolli in cheese sauce, roaster veggies, dessert... not having supper tonight, still too full!!

Seeing Paul tomorrow for an appointment, hoping my FEV1% will be better!!! 91% just doesn't do it for me, although I probably should take lung volume etc into consideration too... will get the low-down tomorrow... having x-rays and everything done! And getting my blood results back.

REMEMBER to register to get my short-story over e-mail every day this week!!! YOU HAVE GOT TO READ IT AND VOTE FOR IT ON FRIDAY!!!!!! PLEAAAASSSSEEEEE......

Lots of stuff...

I've got a lot of random updates... so here goes...

Gina seems to be doing OK, she has had to go back into surgery because of bleding, but that happens quite a bit, and isn't unexpected, especially considering how sick she is. Keep praying for her, please.

Just got back from the hosp now, had blood taken for my appointment on Monday, and blew on new test that measures NO (nitric oxide), and FEV1%. My NO was 20 again, same as 2 weeks ago (was 18 last week), but FEV1% only 91%, compared to 96% last week. I bumped into Dr Pahad (he looked after me when Dr Williams was overseas, and is also standing in for him this week while he's on holiday), and he says it's not a significant drop, but I have to increase my cortisone by 7.5mg for the weekend. So it's up to 15mg now. I'm not TOO worried, as I feel the same as always, nothing different. Going to gym again this afternoon, haven't been there for a while, with all the visitors I have!! Oh, and I saw two helicopters land at the hosp while I was leaving!! Was quite exciting!! The one was a police helicopter, and I don't know about the second one... almost looked like a scene out of Greys...

I got a very surprising e-mail 2 days ago... wanted to blog about it yesterday, but forgot! The boy who got my donor's heart's dad (you'll have to read that sentence twice, lol!!) mailed me!! He's 17 years old, and he reads my blog!!!! How cool is that?? He got his transplant in Cape Town, and I had to wait at the hosp the whole day for teir team to come and fetch the heart first before they could harvest the lungs for me. Hope we can meet someday... imgine what a cool article that would make!!

AND... for some BIG news... For the past few weeks, I've been working on a story... I've been invited to take part in a short-story competition... along with 5 other female bloggers!!! The story is split up into 5 parts, and each one of us gets a week in which our story will be published. Then YOU GUYS have to vote, and the winner gets R10 000!!! I'm putting up a button thingy on the RIGHT-hand side of my blog, so go register yourself, because my story will be featured first!!!! STARTING THIS MONDAY!!!! THE 7TH!!! SO PLEASE READ IT AND VOTE!!!! I'M UNEMPLOYED I NEED THE MONEY :-)

My sister just left for the weekend, so I'll just get a dvd for tonight and something yummy to eat... a bit sad, but I'll survive!

Enjoy your weekend, and happy Independance Day to all the Americans!!!

Just me and the sister again...

Dropped Ant off at the airport, so it's just me and Chris tonight. And tomorrow night it'll just be me!! Chris's boyfriend is coming up, and she'll be spending the weekend with him at his parents house.

Ant's visit was so good, it was just over so quickely!!! Can't wait to go back to PE for a visit again sometime...

We went shoping at Sandton City today, as the Winter Sale has begun! Got some nice stuff...

Something amazing... a few months ago, I posted about a girl called Gina's blog (http://friendsofpepe.blogspot.com/) She is EXTREMELY sick... so bad that she has been in an induced coma since yesterday or so. She is so sick that I'm sure basically NO transplant centre would transplant her... WELL, she got the call for lungs, and is in surgery now. This will be EXTREMELY risky surgery, so PLEASE pray for her. I've NEVER heard of someone that has been through so much. Ever. She deserves those lungs more that anything.

something funny to end off with...

Our day @ Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens

We spent the morning at the botanical gardens, and had a picnic there! The weather was beautiful! We also had coffee at the restaurant there. We then went for a bit of speed-shopping, after which Ant went to see her uncle, and I cleaned the carpet... my mom will be so proud of me when she sees the pic!

Tonight the two of them are coming with me to our church cell group! Looking forward to that! Don't have any more news, will blog again tomorrow, after I have taken Ant back to the airport... So sad that she's going back again tomorrown :-(

Antoinette's first full day in Jozi (with me anyway)

Today was very busy and great! First we went to visit Ant's grandma, then we went to The Mall in Rosebank, and The Zone. I've never been there before, but she has. We also took my car in for his 15 000km service, and he feels brand new! They even washed him for me, so he's all shiny! Then the two of us went to Melville, where we browsed around in the bookshop, and had some AMAZING fudge ice-cream (me) and hot chocolate (Ant).

After supper, we went to have coffee at Suzanne's place! Ant and Suz haven't seen each other in years... And they have the CUTEST kitty cat!!! Miss mine SO MUCH... :-(

Not sure what we're doing tomorrow... but it WILL be fun!!!!

hahaha!!!!

Saturday and The Zoo

For some reason I didn't really take any pics, so you'll just have to live without it! Will remember next time I go to the zoo...

So yesterday was great! Went to the zoo with Jenny and Aerin, who is just too cute and smart for words. It is really big, so we only checked out about half of it, and watched the polar bears being fed. I really don't like the idea of animals in captivity, but these animals were all rescued, and have large enclosures. No cages or anything.Then we had lunch, and Paul, Byron and Caitlin joined us. Very nice and lazy in the sun!!

I went to a party last night. Didn't know anyone there, except a friend of Annelie's. It would have been better if I knew some more people, as the music was too hard to really have a conversation with anyone, and it was too cold to be outside for long. So I didn't stay too late, which would please my mom when she reads this.

Today is just a lazy day... went to buy some food, and now I have to do some writing (WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!!), and we might get KFC or something for lunch. Can't wait for tomorrow, when ANTOINETTE IS COMING!!!!

The parentals are on their way to Italy so we're FREE for 2 weeks!!!!!!

YYYAAAAYYYY!!!!! Two weeks of freedom!!! Just me and Chrislie... in our own little appartment... bliss...


What else? Yesterday we went to have coffee and did some window shopping. We also went to the same mall for supper this evening, to celebrate our 2-week independance. Had the most delicious chicken kebabs, and afterwards browsed around in a bookstore, which is a horrible idea, because I just want to buy all the books... A lady also came up to me asking if I was Alice Vosloo... first I thought someone recognised me from the O article, but turns out she's my aunt who stays in New Zealand's sister, and just recognised me from pics! Almost though I'm a celebrity there for a moment, lol!


My blood results also came back last night... Everything is fine, but the Prograf level still low, although it has improved from last time!! Also blew on the new machine that measures Nitric Oxide, and the result was 18 this week (was 20 last week), so that's also good.Tomorrow we're going to the zoo!!! I've only been to a zoo once before in my life, and never to the Joburg Zoo, so looking forward to that a lot!



I appologise for the quality of the pics, my parents have taken the camera with them, so the only thing we have to take digital pics with is my phone!!


P.S. Someone asked about an autographed copy of the O mag... I am really flattered SO MUCH by it, but my financial situation due to my unemployed-ness does not allow for me sending mags to the states!! However much I would love to do that, really!!!

I'M IN THE OPRAH MAGAZINE!!!!!!!!

So I FINALLY managed to get hold of the July issue of the O Mag!!! For the past 10 days or so, every time I enter a shop, I would first check to see if it's out yet. I think it's a very good article, and I'm very pleased with it. Even the picture is quite nice! Although I'm wearing a lot more make-up than I normally would, lol! And even Aviva can say she's been in the O Mag now!!

Last night Aviva came over for supper, and we went to see a movie first.... Forgetting Sarah Marshall... it's pretty crude (which we didn't expect), but it did have it's funny moments. So all in all it was a great evening.

I was paging through my diary the other night, and came across something that I had written on the 25th of June 2007. It was obviously written in Afrikaans, but will translate as best I can:
"It will be so great if my dad gets the job in Joburg, and I can stay with him after transplant. Can't stop day-dreaming about the first time I come back to PE for a visit after transplant. How awesome will it be if everyone sees me with pink lips and nails, for the first time in years. And I'll be fatter, and strong, and not all weak and coughing my lungs out all the time. And I'll be able to keep up with everyone, and be able to help around the house and not look like the lazy one."

So now it's SOOOO COOL to realise that everything I had written had in fact come true. My first visit home was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. I really am SO blessed.


Went for bloods this morning, and will get the results tomorrow. Hopefully my Prograf levels are up!!! And my parents are leaving for Italy tomorrow as well!!! So it's going to be just me and Chris for 2 weeks...yay!!!!! (although please don't get the idea I don't love them!!! just nice to be alone sometimes!!)