2012 I am in to my second year with new lungs. If I thought 2011 was going to be a good year, baby 2012 is going to be the best yet.
I started a couple years ago a tradition of looking back on my year month by month. You can view 2009 here and 2010 here.
Here is my synopsis of 2011.
January brought me my six month lungiversary and my first run down a city block. My first run up city steps. January made me fall in love with being able to jog.
February brought ear infections, headaches, fevers, and other infections. February brought me to a haemotlogist for low blood counts. February I experienced a bone marrow biopsy. Something I don't reccomend. It is MOST uncomfortable and sends my body into spasm shakes. February my results came back saying I had a healthy bone marrow and that I did not have Lymphoma. Later in the year, I would learn I did have lymphoma, it was just lurking somewhere else ready to attack.
March brought my first hospitalization. I had developed CMV virus and a psedumonus infection. March also brought with it the gift of being able to say "yes everything was worth it. Life is worth it now"
April brought my first adventure with my new lungs. I took my lungs to washington DC to visit my cousin. It was the best trip ever. It felt like I should have been in a movie, skipping and 'tra la la laing' the whole time. April brought the first time I blew up balloons post transplant. What a wonderful feeling to blow up balloons for a birthday celebration and not get winded.
May I played my first baseball game in years. I aced it.
May also brought my first tx tragedy. My friend Bree died. She was my age, my mentor, a fellow double lung transplant recipient, a guelph university alumni. She was my friend and I am so so so sad she had to leave this world only a year and 9 months after her life saving surgery. What a courageous and amazing spirit she was.
June brought summer and me having to fight another battle. A battle I never thought I'd have to go through, especially not so soon after transplant. June brought a false negative test to having lymphoma. A biopsy on the back of my nose. More hospitalizations. A cancelled jewellery show. A weakened girl. More CT scans. An MRI and finally a diagnosis of Lymphoma cancer.
July brought trips to the cottage. My first anniversary with new lungs. Planning of the 2nd annual CF for CF fashion show. July brought weekly visits to Princess Margaret hospital for doses of chemotherapy.
August brought me Tristan.
August brought the most successful to date CF for CF fashion show, raising over $30,000 and helping sponsor a family through transplant.
September brought me laughs and happiness with someone who I never thought would. September found us in a baseball tournament for Heather, a strong lady fighting sarcoma cancer.
October found me in Calgary visiting my friend. Another adventure. My first time seeing the rockies. October spawned an idea in my head...a move to vancouver? October was my first time going to a Leafs game.
November was a month of hope and renewel. My cystic sister got her call for new lungs.
December I spent in barbados with my family, Christmas shopping. Getting spoiled for my birthday. Snowboarding for the first time in years not being out of breath.
January 18th, 2012...I move to vancouver for a few months. What the rest of the year holds?...we shall see :)
This last year, I had my one year lungiversary, I beat cancer, I fell in love and planned a move to Vancouver. What a year! Man oh man oh man...what a freakin' wild year.
Showing posts with label a year in review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label a year in review. Show all posts
Monday, January 2, 2012
Friday, January 1, 2010
looking back over a year
so it's 2010...i'm kind of sad and happy to leave 2010 behind...sad because for five years, now someone so dear to me is no longer part of my life, and happy because 2010 is going to bring a whole ton of new adventures and opportunities for me.
January of 09 brought a new roomate at University for me. My third roomate went away to Sweden on an exchange, a new one moved in, who had an interesting out look on life, and I definitely took a lot from him.
February brought an amazing vacation with my cousin and aunt and mom in Barbados
February also brought me starting prednisone...and almost a year later I am still on. I was 103lbs last Feb 09, I am now a healthy weight of 115lbs.
February also was the month the doctors told me I should consider going for a transplant assessment since despite rigorous and constant IV's my lung function would just not improve over the last two years...
March brought me closer to finishing my business plan.
I started voriconazole for my apsergillius, this has been a savor drug as well as prednisone, because I have not had a coughing attack/fit where i have thrown up since this...i have not thrown up in 9 months from a coughing fit....amazing, considering before these two drugs I was throwing up every week from the attacks.
April brought me paratitis ...my face blew up to the size of monica geller in a fat suit...no one knew what was wrong with me...i thought i was having an allergic reaction because my face was just sooooo swollen, unrecognizable, so i called the ambulance, it was all very scary, turns out it was just paratitis from having dry mouth (and dealing with diabetes) where bacteria crawled up my salvia glands and then made them stop working...the cure...lemon drops to suck on, to make the glands start working again, and massaging my face....it hurt so much though because my skin was stretched to it's most possible amount
April also diagnosed me with cystic fibrosis related diabetes...April was not a fun month
May brought the CCFF new cast, which inspired me greatly by the talk of the 4 woman post transplant. It also brought me into my tune up of IV antibiotics. May was also the month, I started gutting and cleaning the apartment on my parents house, so I could move in to it, and have some independence.
June was a continuation of May, many doctor appt's, still on IV antibiotics, still tired of weekly dr's appts, still on homecare nursing, still just trying to be a 21 year old girl with a boyfriend, girlfriends, get togethers and a jewellery business to run....all while doing it on IV's. June also was the first time I got a blood gas done in my life (where they stick a big needle in your wrist into your artery, and check your oxygen level) I nearly fainted. It was also the month I realized I needed oxygen for working out.
July was the month I started exercising and made it my goal, my life, my priority. Also was still on IV anitbitoics. This was the month I went for my lung transplant assessment. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life. It was a week where I was tested emotionally, and physically...it was draining, and awful. It was the week I realized how lucky I am to have such a wonderful support system for the day when I do go through a lung transplant and am on the list waiting.
August I was able to stop IV antibiotics after 12 weeks. phew that was a long time...
I went on a wonderful Vacation up North to visit my brother where he was working, with my aunt, grandma and mom.
September brought the decision not to return to school. I wanted to travel while I still could, focus on exercising and my business...there was just no time for school....ha
October brought Halloween. I went to a Halloween wedding, dressed from the 1940's, which was the greatest time ever.
November brought a trip to New York City. November also after seven months, I was able to get my picc line pulled. Freedom.
November also brought me a broken heart... I Never want to return to that again...so I left for Barbados and came back in December.
December brought me new girlfriends who I cherish and have been having a blast with. December brought my 22nd birthday, Christmas and new goals that I'm working towards.
Good bye 2009...hello 2010
January of 09 brought a new roomate at University for me. My third roomate went away to Sweden on an exchange, a new one moved in, who had an interesting out look on life, and I definitely took a lot from him.
February brought an amazing vacation with my cousin and aunt and mom in Barbados
February also brought me starting prednisone...and almost a year later I am still on. I was 103lbs last Feb 09, I am now a healthy weight of 115lbs.
February also was the month the doctors told me I should consider going for a transplant assessment since despite rigorous and constant IV's my lung function would just not improve over the last two years...
March brought me closer to finishing my business plan.
I started voriconazole for my apsergillius, this has been a savor drug as well as prednisone, because I have not had a coughing attack/fit where i have thrown up since this...i have not thrown up in 9 months from a coughing fit....amazing, considering before these two drugs I was throwing up every week from the attacks.
April brought me paratitis ...my face blew up to the size of monica geller in a fat suit...no one knew what was wrong with me...i thought i was having an allergic reaction because my face was just sooooo swollen, unrecognizable, so i called the ambulance, it was all very scary, turns out it was just paratitis from having dry mouth (and dealing with diabetes) where bacteria crawled up my salvia glands and then made them stop working...the cure...lemon drops to suck on, to make the glands start working again, and massaging my face....it hurt so much though because my skin was stretched to it's most possible amount
April also diagnosed me with cystic fibrosis related diabetes...April was not a fun month
May brought the CCFF new cast, which inspired me greatly by the talk of the 4 woman post transplant. It also brought me into my tune up of IV antibiotics. May was also the month, I started gutting and cleaning the apartment on my parents house, so I could move in to it, and have some independence.
June was a continuation of May, many doctor appt's, still on IV antibiotics, still tired of weekly dr's appts, still on homecare nursing, still just trying to be a 21 year old girl with a boyfriend, girlfriends, get togethers and a jewellery business to run....all while doing it on IV's. June also was the first time I got a blood gas done in my life (where they stick a big needle in your wrist into your artery, and check your oxygen level) I nearly fainted. It was also the month I realized I needed oxygen for working out.
July was the month I started exercising and made it my goal, my life, my priority. Also was still on IV anitbitoics. This was the month I went for my lung transplant assessment. It was one of the hardest weeks of my life. It was a week where I was tested emotionally, and physically...it was draining, and awful. It was the week I realized how lucky I am to have such a wonderful support system for the day when I do go through a lung transplant and am on the list waiting.
August I was able to stop IV antibiotics after 12 weeks. phew that was a long time...
I went on a wonderful Vacation up North to visit my brother where he was working, with my aunt, grandma and mom.
September brought the decision not to return to school. I wanted to travel while I still could, focus on exercising and my business...there was just no time for school....ha
October brought Halloween. I went to a Halloween wedding, dressed from the 1940's, which was the greatest time ever.
November brought a trip to New York City. November also after seven months, I was able to get my picc line pulled. Freedom.
November also brought me a broken heart... I Never want to return to that again...so I left for Barbados and came back in December.
December brought me new girlfriends who I cherish and have been having a blast with. December brought my 22nd birthday, Christmas and new goals that I'm working towards.
Good bye 2009...hello 2010
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