4th Lungaversary

This Sunday (5th March) marks 4 whole years since I received my 2 beautiful lungs! 

Memoirs ~ 2 ~

Hello Independence, Goodbye Independence 

Memoirs ~ 1 ~

My First Milpark Admission 

Goodbye 2015

As we draw near to the end of another year, it's time to reflect on 2015, the good, the bad and the unexpected....

Sasha and I at our epic birthday party in June

RIP Jenna Lowe

It's been a month since the extraordinarily inspiring, Jenna Lowe passed away.

Life Expectancy

Before my transplant, no one really asked me what my life expectancy was. It was just a socially unacceptable question to ask someone who was dying. My doctors also didn't discuss it with me as we all knew the answer all too well. The answer was "any day".

Forever In My Heart

As Movember comes to an end, something made me think of this picture:

Caleigh (left) Dominique (right)

The Saturday Star 26.07.2014

Check-up

Every 3 months I have to go for a check-up to make sure everything is still fine and no adjustments need to be made to my anti-rejection medication. The check up includes blood tests, xrays, lung function and a consult with my pulmonologist.

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Reflection

I know I celebrated my Lungaversary a while a go but my life didn't actually start until I got out of hospital 3 months later. I wish it was as simple as "Right, there we go, we've given you new lungs, go forth and live" however, if you have read my transplant story then you will know that, that wasn't the case!

A year ago today, I had fought for months in hospital to beat the odds to survive and finally go HOME! During the 3 months in hospital after my transplant, the doctors gave me no indication of how much longer I would have to stay. My case was very unique and I had to go through a lot of different procedures, none of which seemed to be working. The doctors tried to keep my spirits high without giving me false hope that I would be able to go home anytime soon. Unfortunately, I am a pretty smart girl and I knew that I would be stuck in hospital for some time, so to ensure that I wasn't disappointed I stopped hoping all together.

This isn't the same as giving up. I knew I would get out of hospital at some stage but I had been disappointed so many times with 'good results' that in the end, no matter how 'good' things were looking, at the back of my mind I prepared myself for the worst...and I knew I would not be discharged when planned.

However, with my birthday coming up on the 8th of June I told the doctors that no matter what condition I was in, I WOULD be going home. At that stage I think they were equally as keen to get rid of me, even if I had to take all the big machines that I was on, with me.

4 days before my birthday I was finally well enough to go home. My punctured lungs had healed and although I was still very sick and throwing up non stop the doctors were confident that a bit of home time would sort the rest of my problems out. As soon as I got home I stopped throwing up and my health in general improved at a rapid pace!

Driving home from the hospital was very emotional. I had been home a few weeks after my transplant, just for the weekend and then admitted back into hospital, so it wasn't the first time out with my new lungs. However, it was just as special and as scary as the first drive. I was overwhelmingly excited but also extremely anxious that something would set me back and I would have to return to the hospital. Thankfully I have had a clean bill of health and I have not been admitted since.

Treatment before my transplant included admissions into hospital every 3 months for 2 weeks. I had done this routine since I was 13 and of course later when I was very ill, I spent more than half of my life in a hospital bed. To think that I have not been in hospital for a year is absolutely incredible!!! I dread the day that I have to go back, for any sort of procedure!

For now though, everything looks good and there are no words for how happy I am to be LIVING.