Up The Farway Tree

First Day home...

I had a great nights sleep back in my own bed and felt much better this morning for it. I still can't believe how much better I feel in the mornings compared to before the transplant (although I'm still quite partial to a wee long lie). I was up fairly early this morning as I have to take my first dose of anti-rejection drugs at 8am and I couldn't get back to sleep afterwards. I had a lazy morning fixing my eyebrows(!), washing and straightening my hair (everyone in Newcastle thinks I have mad curly hair) and generally beautifying myself. I finished all that and realised it was still only mid morning. Usually by mid morning I would just be starting my physio, having just about gathered enough energy to do so. This would take an hour, twice a day and more if I had a chest infection. That's two whole hours extra I have every day now (or two whole hours extra in bed!) IV antibiotics (which I was on regularly) would take up another half hour three times a day, so that's even more free time. I'm sure soon enough I will wonder how on earth I fitted it all in.

I then spent quite a while trying to sort out my medications into various dosette boxes. Although I no longer have 'CF lungs' I still have all the other aspects of CF (the GI problems, diabetes, osteoporosis, reflux etc) so I still have all my usual medications to take, plus I have acquired quite a few new ones since the transplant (immunosuppressants, anti-virals, antibiotics, magnesium supplements, various painkillers). I will hopefully be able to stop some of these tablets as time goes on but for the moment it feels like I am constantly popping pills. I also have to continue with my nebulised antibiotics twice a day to try and prevent infection in my new lungs - I will still carry some of my old bugs in my upper airway and sinuses which can then infect the new lungs, although I won't have the same problems with sticky mucus as I had before. I have however been able to stop all my inhalers and other nebulisers, so at least that's a bonus.

This afternoon I was itching to leave the house, so we decided to take a drive to the garden centre. We didn't want to go to the local one as it is always very busy and I have to avoid crowded places for three months. So instead we drove to the middle of nowhere to find a garden centre which wasn't too busy. Unfortunately they didn't sell bird tables, which was what I was looking for, but I did manage to spend quite a lot of money on new plants for the rockery. I am also not supposed to touch soil (I can garden with gloves though) so I just wandered around like Lady Muck pointing to various things and telling Andrew to put them in the trolley. He says it's worrying how much money I can spend when I am well....but he hasn't seen anything yet. I have yet to go clothes shopping.

It was absolutely great being able to wander around the garden centre without getting breathless. I can't remember the last time I was able to do that. I was rather overexcited by this and have probably overdone it a little, but I think it's all good exercise and will help me build up my stamina. Andrews mum and dad have also bought me Wii Fit to help me exercise while having fun. For those who don't know, it's basically a game for the Nintendo Wii, where you stand on this step and you can do various exercises, like yoga, hula hooping, running, ski-ing, muscle workouts etc. I am taking it easy just now though, so I don't put any pressure on the wound, but it looks like it will be great fun. Andrew seems to be enjoying it anyway and managed to keep 5 hula hoops going for 225 turns. I had no idea he was so flexible.. but you learn something new everyday.

I'm just going to take it easy tonight and look forward to, hopefully, another good day tomorrow. Wee Seb is coming home so I am really looking forward to seeing him and getting a furry hug. I'm suspect I am going to get the cold shoulder treatment, but I'm sure he will quickly come round when he realises I can take him walks again. It sounds like he has been having a great time at his Granny's, lying up on sofa in the conservatory all day and going to the pet shop once a week to spend his pocket money. I kid you not. It will be back to reality for him, but I'm sure he will be glad to get into his own garden and will probably spend most of the afternoon barking - just so everyone knows he is back in town.