Projects

So I've decided I'm going to be more active. I mean that in multiple ways.

1) I am going to start taking care of my diabetes. Honestly, I am not the best when it comes to checking sugars or taking my insulin. I go in phases where for about a month, I'll be really good about things. Then I miss a day, and that day turns into 2, which turns into a week, which turns into a month. Then I realize that I haven't been taking care of myself, and start the pattern over again. Well I've had it with myself. I'm going to start being responsible. I am going to watch my diet and avoid excessive sugar (like having 4 sodas in one day) hopefully that won't have an impact on my weight.

2) I'm going to start running. I got it in my head that I want to run the Flying Pigs Marathon. Right now, I'm just going to train for next year (2012) and I'm aiming to run the half-marathon. If I get really good at running and really enjoy it, I may do the full... but I wouldn't get your hopes up on that one. I'm a little nervous about doing this though. Mostly because I don't have great joints from all the years of dance and I am also worried that such an increase in my cardio will cause me to loose weight. I have been trying to do my research about diets to have while running and ways to not injure myself. We'll see if I can manage that much.

I have a theory with the running though. I have been hovering around 70% with my FEV1 post transplant. I have been disappointed by that, since most people I know that are post have a lung function in the 100s. I am hoping that by running and breathing deeper that I can get my lung function to increase in volume.

I'm really hoping that now that I have these things down in writing that I'll keep myself accountable. We'll see!!

And the Craziness Continues!

The Winter quarter was rough!! I had Literature (the topic was travel writing during the Romantic period) which I got an A- in, Cell Biology (the HARDEST class I've ever taken!) which I got a B- in, and the 2nd quarter of Anatomy and Physiology which I got an A. Overall, I was happy with how my grades turned out. That was pretty much all I've done in the last few months.

I did go to a couple of Kelly's dance competitions. Sad to think that these are her last ones since she graduates. I'm sure I'll see her dance in college though. She's already planning on joining the dance team at the school she decides on. She hasn't picked a school yet, but I'm sure that decision will come soon :)

Had another appointment in Cleveland last week. Everything went well and I don't have to go back for another 6 months. Finally, I have been pushed to every 6 months!! I have been waiting for that for a while since it means that I'm far enough out and that I'm stable. It makes me happy :)

I started the new quarter today. I'm taking Ecology, which is going to be rough since I am not interested in this subject at all, the last quarter of Anatomy and Statistics. My Stats class is Tuesdays from 6-8:50. That's going to be the eternal class :( Wish me Luck!!!

One quarter ends.... another begins!

Since my last post, I've had sinus surgery (verdict is still out on whether or not it was successful), written a research paper on the gene that codes for alpha-1 antitrypsin, taken 2 final exams, and started my new quarter at UC.

The sinus surgery went well. The recovery was quick, which was all I was really hoping for. I'm still super congested and having headaches. The doc put me on a steroid rinse, so that hopefully will help with everything. Also on the health front, I went back to Cleveland for a checkup. All is well again. PFTs were actually a little bit higher, so the goal is to keep moving and maybe they'll go up some more! My white blood count was a little low when I was up there, so they had me re-check it a few weeks later, and it was back in normal range.

School went well. I was proud of how I did with my first quarter back. I got an A in anatomy, and a B in genetics. The B in genetics was the hardest B I've ever earned! But I think a lot of it had to do with the paper I wrote on alpha-1 antitrypsin. It was the hardest paper I've ever written due to the fact that I couldn't find information that was on my level of knowledge. Everything I found was written for people doing research on the gene. Definitely not meant for an undergrad genetics student! Somehow I made it work though and got a 100% - yay!

Had a good break and a wonderful holiday season. Spent a lot of time with family and a good amount of time catching up on sleep and relaxing with my poodle. During that time, a friend of the family, Tina, received her double lung transplant and is doing wonderful! She got out of the hospital in 10 days and is now back at home. AMAZING! I'm so proud of her and reading her story on her caringbridge site just brings back all of the emotions I had when I went through my transplant.

I started the winter quarter today, which so far is looking promising. I'm taking Topics in Literature (writings about travel in the romantic period - yawn), Cell Structure and Function (could be promising, but mostly boring so far) and Anatomy II (Getting more in depth on other systems we didn't cover last quarter) so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for straight As. We'll see.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and best of luck to everyone in 2011!!

Oh My...

So I just realized that it's been a LONG time since I've had a post. Most of that is due to the fact that I moved out of my parents' house.

Cameron and I bought a house in Westwood! :) It's already been a month since I've moved in and it has already been a lot of work. We haven't had to deal with yard work or any major repairs yet. Just little things, but it's still been a lot! The worst has been working on the kitchen sink, which despite our best efforts, is still leaking. I think it may be time to call in a plumber... or maybe a Daddy :)

The other thing that has been going on is I started school again! Yay! I'm only taking 2 classes, but it's 8 credit hours, which is a good amount considering it's been 3 years since I've been in school. Genetics and Anatomy I. Anatomy isn't too bad since I took it in high school, so a lot of it is review for me. Genetics on the other hand... wow, way more difficult than I was expecting! So far I'm doing OK in my classes. As and Bs, which I can't really ask for more since I'm re-learning how to learn.

On the health side, I've been having recurring sinus infections, so it's back for some sinus surgery for me! November 17th... and I'm going to have my dog vaccinated around then so he'll be at my parents' house for a week during that time. Figured it'd be best to have him out of the house while I'm recovering so I don't have to care for him while I'm trying to heal. It shouldn't be more than a day or two until I'm mobile, but it just times out well.

Hopefully I'll write more again when the quarter ends. Just don't have a ton of time right now!

Spoons - Revisited

I was talking to Cameron the other day about my blog and have come to realize that my favorite blog entry, the one I always get the most comments about, the one that was the most personal to me was the one where I referenced the spoon theory. I wrote it about a month before my lung transplant and I was re-reading it tonight. Wow, what a difference a new set of lungs makes!

I said that on average, I had 10 spoons a day. Now, I have an easy 20 on a bad day. A BAD day... I don't think I could even comprehend that when I wrote the original! A bad day for me is when I am not getting sleep because the meds have kept me awake, the meds have upset my stomach, exhausted because my EBV titers are high from the donor lungs, but all in all, I still can breathe, I can run up the stairs if I wanted to, and the amount of care that I need is next to none. The most help that I need to take care of myself now is the occasional preparring of meals or running upstairs for me to fetch something. And that really, is because I'm too lazy to do it myself, not because I can't do it.

It's an amazing feeling to take a look back and see how far I've come. I've come so far that I'm getting ready to move out on my own... something that I wasn't sure if it was possible pre-tx. I'm making plans to travel down to Knoxville to visit my college roommate, Stefanie. Plans that are WEEKS in the future, not DAYS. I was always so scarred to make plans before. I never knew how I would be feeling, if I'd be on IVs again, plus... having to lug all of that equipment around. Seesh! Even when I went to Cameron's family reunion, I only had a duffle back and another small extra bag for toiletries - leave it to being a girl to add bags to my packing :)

Anyway, for those who would like to know... a typical day for me:

I wake up at 8am and take my morning pills. Sometimes I fall back asleep, but most days I'm up for the day. I sit around, sometimes do some house work (or, atleast I did until my dad lost his job and took those over to keep himself busy).

Come lunch time, either Dad or I make lunch for the both of us. Right now we've been trying to sit outside with the dogs and eat it if it's not too hot.

Then I run my erronds or do some more sitting around or sometimes, exercise... depending on how the weather is.

Then comes dinner and hanging out with the family and Cameron. 8pm I take my evening pills. Then I hang out with everyone until it's time to go to bed.

Once a month I do an inhaled antibiotic in the afternoon, but that's the only extra medical thing I do.

That's it... that's my post-transplant living. You have to admmit, compared to all that I had to go through on a daily basis before, it's pretty sweet living :)