Wonderland

On Saturday it was Pete's birthday, he is now the same age as me again. I don't like that few months gap where I am older than him! I'd already bought Pete some clothes for our holiday back in May as part of his birthday present so he wasn't expecting anything from me, however I got him some surprise tickets to go see Jack Whitehall (a comedian) in November so think he was pleased!

On Saturday night we went to someone else's birthday party, it was fancy dress, Alice in Wonderland theme or wear a funny hat. I went as Alice as Tori lent me her outfit which is currently getting disinfected to return back to her. If you remember, Tori got a lung transplant last year in May and I don't want to give her any of my infections, so I am cleaning the outfit with Vanish oxi hygiene which claims to kill 99.9% of bacteria, it's in the washing machine as I speak after having a soak for an hour. Pete was boring and wore a hat or mine, he ended up looking like someone from N-Dubz haha!
Then on Sunday we went to the Lakes for a few days away, we are so lucky that we can go to the Lakes as many times as we like, within reason of course! Alfie can come with us and it doesn't really cost us anything. The Lakes will always hold a place in my heart, its where we got engaged!

The walk we went on, on Monday was too long, I over estimated myself and had strop half way as I was too tired and my lungs were on fire. The walk was on really rocky ground and it was so tiring, poor Alfie struggled at times and had to go in the bag for a rest at one point. Sadly I didn't fit in the bag and Pete had to give me a telling off when I refused to go any further. We turned back once we saw a hill we had to walk up, no way was I going up there, Norman let us down this time, the walk was poor and was not on the level! To finish the day off the pub we really like and was looking forward to going to, doesn't do food on Mondays (!) so we tried this other pub and the food was rubbish!
However Pete and I are not ones to be put off, so we tried another walk on the Tuesday, shorter and alot more friendly! I have learnt my lesson, my body and lungs will only allow me to do walks of 3 miles or lower on level, none rocky ground!
Needless to say I am exhausted now. I think overall I have spent more time sleeping this week than not, I've woken up at about 10am or later every day and slept in the car when travelling whenever possible! Even though walking totally tires me out, I like to go on walks as it reminds me that even though my body is poorly, I can still breathe and walk and although not as good as others, I'm alive and functioning! Feeling tired means I know I have tried my hardest and I've pushed myself, I suppose its a feeling of self satisfaction like someone who does a sponsored run, its my version...! In a way if I don't feel tired I feel like I'm lazy, it's my way of knowing I've done all I can for the day.

Pete has taken the rest of the week off work and today we have bought some plants for the garden and planted them. We bought a strawberry plant, I know it will probably die within a month as I have no idea what to do with it, but it will be fun to try..! I wore a mask when digging in the compost as I've read lots of bacteria are in there including cepacia which is a CFers worse nightmare from what I've heard, patients with this on their lungs aren't even allowed on the CF ward! So call me paranoid but I wore a mask left over from when we decorated.

OK So Far!

Well I'm half way through my IV's now and it hasn't being too bad. That's why I haven't blogged because I have been quite busy and then couldn't be bothered the rest of the time!

The nurse called me earlier in the week to see if I wanted to increase my ceftaz dose to 3g three times a day for the second week, I had no idea they had put me on a lower dose of 2g, three times a day, which probably explains why I haven't felt so sluggish or got sore eyes! So I agreed and hopefully because my body has gotten used to the antibiotic, it won't hit me like a ton of bricks like it did last time I was on IVs!

My cold has gone, my nose is no longer runny, there is still gunk at the back of my nose/throat, however I get this all the time anyway so I'm not expecting it to go. I must admit my sinus rinse has been a godsend whilst I've had this cold, it has helped me to clear my nose and prevent headaches. Infact thinking about it, since I started doing the sinus rinse months ago, I have hardly had any headaches, it's great!

The hypertonic saline nebs are going well too. I'm coughing more up during my physio sessions, I've usually filled the bottom of my sputum pot just doing the nebuliser, before even moving onto physio! This means my chest feels clearer in between sessions and I'm not coughing as much. I've noticed that the hypertonic saline soon wears off, perhaps 15 minutes after doing it, which means that physio does get harder towards the end of a session which isn't great, however it also means the effects don't carry on once I have finished which is obviously a good thing. Don't want to spend the next three hours coughing my guts up, I don't think that would be very helpful!

Since I am on my IV's at the moment I have not been doing my tobi neb, so it will be interesting to see how I cope doing five nebulisers a day, I'm sure it will be fine, it just means i'll have to get up even earlier on a morning if I need to be ready by a certain time! It does get ridiculous how long it takes me to get everything done on a morning!

I've been thinking about how I would cope if Pete and I were to have a baby and how much help I would need. I've discussed with Pete that he wouldn't be able to stay at work so late everynight and then I was thinking about ways that my family would be able to help me. It's hard to plan for something that A) you don't know is even going to happen and B) you have no experience of! The things I'm mainly worried about are: lack of sleep and it resulting in me having the energy to do nothing and arguing with Pete because I am grumpy and also not having the time (and energy) or ability because I have a child jumping on me etc, to do my physio and nebulisers etc. Also, how would I have time to watch all my TV shows?! Important things need to be considered!

I went to Ikea this week with my friend, oh the joys of following arrows around the WHOLE shop when all you wanted were a few bits and bobs... I really do hate that place! I have also planted some bulbs in the garden, tulips, daffodils etc. So hopefully next spring we will have a nice colourful garden! I walked Alfie with my dad and his dog this morning, Alfie hates my dads dog and now I think my dads dog hates Alfie too! Alfie did calm down throughout the walk, he stopped trying to attack him and even sniffed him abit, but that was as far as it got. A few more meetings are required I think!

Ouchie

On Thursday my brother and I took the dogs for a walk, it was so warm! We considered throwing the dogs in the lake to cool them down but decided that would be nasty, since they both hate water. Loads of people were in the lake though, braver than me!

Here is my brother and the dogs in the car, note my car roof is down, my car is in it's element at the moment! Look at Alfie admiring my brother, I think it's love haha!

After the walk I developed a terrible headache, it eventually went with the help of two paracetamol and ibuprofen, just before I was due to meet my friends to go see the Sex and the City film. I really thought I was going to have to cancel. However like I say, it went just in time but meant I hadn't done my physio. The film was really good, I didn't like the first film as it was nothing like the series, however I think this film has gone back to its roots, not totally, however more than the first film which I hated. Towards the end of the film my headache started to return and by the time I got home I was in pain again, I tried to do my physio but only managed half then went to bed.

Friday morning my headache had thankfully gone, I went to the hospital to have my needle put back in and start on colomycin. Then in the afternoon I did some gardening, I pulled up some weeds and planted some seeds, not sure if they will do anything but here is hoping! I then got another banging headache! It went after about 2 hours and another dose of pain killers, thankfully!

So far I feel OK on the colomycin, colomycin always makes my face feel funny, like my muscles are all relaxed. You know when you go to the dentist and they numb one side of your face? My face feels abit like that! It's also affecting my coordination which was interesting yesterday when I was at the shop cutting hair, lets says I had to concentrate alot! I'm making sure I drink loads of the energy drinks and I had a re hydration sachet yesterday. So, so far so good. I am going back to hospital on Monday to start on the ceftaz. I feel like I live there at the moment!!

This morning I woke up with the worst pain in my chest I ever remembering having. It was in my left side and when I breathed in it felt like I was getting stabbed just under my boob. The deeper breath I took, the more the pain spread. I tried laying on my back and it was hurting so much I started to cry, I didn't want to breathe but obviously a person has to breathe! I sat up and Pete got me some co-codamol and then I needed to cough but I didn't want to because I knew I would need to take a deep breath! Anyway I didn't have a choice and once I started I couldn't stop, my god it was painful! But afterwards the pain felt alot better, it's still there but hardly hurts now. Must have been some mucus that needed moving! Ouchies!

Its arrived....drums please!!

I've had a good weekend, probably like everyone due to the fabulous weather!

Saturday night Pete and I stayed in, we watched Seven pounds with Will Smith in (who I swear gets more hunky by the day). It made us both cry although Pete said he had hayfever and only cried because I did! I think they did quite well with the whole transplant issue, for a start I think it was good the way they portrayed the woman as needing a transplant but not looking like she is about the keel over any minute which is how people always expect people needing transplants to appear. I wasn't sure about the bit where they told her she was going on the list, they were kind of like 'here's a beeper, good luck'!!!, I would hope they give you abit more information than that! I won't say anymore anyway as don't want to ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it! I'll just mention that even though I have labelled this post with lung transplant the film is not actually about lung transplant, it just fits in with my categories thats all!

On Sunday we went over to a bbq Pete's parents were hosting, it was a nice day as you know! So we drove over with the roof down on the car. I put my cardigan over my hair like a scarf as it blows everywhere when the car goes fast! I looked an idiot but do I really care?!

Today I have done some weeding in the garden, those pesky buggers! I've sat indoors the rest of the time, I don't want to get sunburnt!

I am quite liking doing these videos on moviemaker, now I'm getting abit more skilled (if you can call it that). Here's a video I thought might tickle some of your fancies since I know you all like Alfie more than me!

Here it is..... drums please!!!!

Very Happy Gemma ! ! !

Hello it's only me!!

I am feeling so well at the moment and I'm afraid this means I am neglecting my blog and online friends abit. I have so much energy compared to normal so I seem to be doing more and I have also been reading the book Twilight, which if you have ever read then you will know it is obsessive and you simply cannot put the book down without feeling extremely miserable. I finished it today and shall be moving onto the next one (New Moon) tomorrow. I must admit, Stephenie Meyers has a way of making every girls heart melt and fall in love with Edward Cullen, I don't think anyone can read this book and deny they find themselves thinking about him the rest of the day and compare things to him. I have even found myself irritated at Pete at times because he doesn't live up to the perfect Edward. If you thought Edward was perfect in the film Twilight, try reading the book, I have even been dreaming about him, it's one hell of a crush! For anyone who has not read Twilight or seen the film, Edward it a vampire that falls in love with a seemingly quite boring, miserable girl. However Stephenie makes this 'dull' girl very interesting and beautiful, it's such a fantastic example of how beauty lies within and the brazen, loud girls are not always the ones that boys are intrigued in and want to chase. I also love the way that Stephenie makes pale complexions seem so attractive and pure. It has definitely made me rethink about my pale skin and I now feel quite proud to have 'porcelain' skin!

So yes, I am in love with a fictional character, don't laugh because if you read that book I think you will feel exactly the same (unless you are a man, I don't know about that....). Edward is the perfect gentlemen he wants to protect Bella, he listens to her. Some would argue it is quite anti feminist since he watches her in her sleep and follows her without her knowing, orders her what to do on occasions, rescues her and he is the ultimate bad boy but yet she loves him. Ladies you can't deny it, we all want to be swept off our feet and looked after by a drop dead gorgeous and strong man who is obsessed with us and notices no other woman, the way that he smells Bella and appreciates every small part of her is just skin tingling. Its so intense, obviously a relationship like this in the real world could never work and I sometimes have to remind myself that, but I can dream right?! Anyway enough of Edward Cullen.....

Other things I have been upto apart from drooling over a vampire that doesn't exist...

I did some gardening on Sunday, I planed some bulbs whilst Pete mowed the lawn. Some bulbs did not actually look like bulbs and I wasn't sure what to do with them. They were all stringy with no obvious top and bottom, so I put them in and hoped for the best! Pete then put some lawn feed on the lawn, we bought this thing you put on your back and pump it then it sprays the feed on the grass. Pete looked like a ghostbuster with this thing on his back, it was hilarious! I also went around attacking all the weeds with the weed killer, it is strangely satisfying killing the weeds, its like a gun and I imagine myself shooting them and saying 'take that you damn dandelion!'. They are now all going brown and crispy, its great! You can't outsmart me you stupid weeds!

In the evening I went out for a curry with my friend, she is learning to drive and has her own car so she drove us there. Abit scary at first she is pretty good, just abit jerky with the starting and stopping!!

Monday I did loads of washing because It was really sunny and I read my book in the garden and got slightly sun burnt. I forgot that voriconazole makes you burn easily! I had an incident where Alfie escaped into next doors garden as the woman next to that garden has a dog and Alfie seems determined to get to it! As soon as he came back in our garden he gave away his secret escape hole as he tried to escape through it again, the smallest gap ever! I've put a brick there now so he can't escape anymore, sorry Alf! I've been walking Alfie nearly everyday, like I say I feel so well so I am making the most of it, I even did 30 lengths as the swimming pool on Friday which is apparently half a mile!!

Today Pete made my day, he bought me a present! He has bought me book on Henry the 8th so I can 'impress' him on our trip to London in June. Can't wait to read it, all these books! When only last week I was saying I didn't have any! Between my books and my story I'm writing, plus my walks etc I am a busy and very happy girl! To make my life even more fun, my mum and I are taking the dogs to start their training classes tomorrow night, exciting! ! !