Up The Farway Tree

Trying to take it easy..

I've been feeling quite tired the past few days, but suspect it's just the comparison with how much energy IV steroids give you. Also add the fact I really can't sit back and relax and feel like I should be doing something all the time. I haven't watched any TV since I have been home because I just can't stay still long enough and my mind is constantly whirring and I seem to be constantly pottering around the house, without realising how much energy this uses up. I felt very much like this after my false alarm as well, so it's really like my body and mind has been in high gear for the past 3 months. I am now making the concerted effort to calm down and give my self a chance to heal. Hopefully the weather will pick up soon and I can sit in the garden and read (not lift heavy watering cans).

I did do a little painting at the weekend when the expected hot weather did not materialise. The only problem I found was that my tremor (side effect of anti rejections) became much worse when I was painting, which made intricate detail much harder. Hopefully this will settle down soon, or I will just have to resort to painting giant canvases using industrial sized paintbrushes. Could prove interesting.

I have continued to walk Seb every day, although finding it really variable in difficulty despite doing the same route. I am walking for about 20 minutes, although that does include a great deal of stopping to allow Seb to sniff every tree and lamp post. I do have a tendency to worry whenever I find it hard going because I am aware that I didn't pick up the subtlety of the acute rejection last week so am now a little hyper vigilant for any signs. I think I just have to accept that some days it will be harder, depending on what else I have been doing, how much sleep I've had and how fast Seb decided to walk! I did do a lovely long walk (about 40minutes) at the country park on Sunday morning - dragging Andrew out of bed and arriving at the park just after 9am. He says he preferred it when I liked a long lie at the weekend. It was a lovely sunny morning though, so would have been a shame to miss out. Seb was absolutely exhilarated by the experience - he was diving about, running at all the dogs and generally behaving like a dog that had never seen the outside world before. Needless to say it was all a bit much for him and he spent the rest of the day fast asleep ..but very happy. Unfortunately since this walk I have developed a really sore foot - pain in my heel shooting down the sole of my foot. My self diagnosis is Plantar Fasciitis, which basically means I have strained the fibrous band of tissue that runs along the sole of your foot. One of the commonest causes is doing activity you are not used to, which sounds pretty much spot on. I have bought wee cushion things for the heel of my trainers but they aren't really helping and from what I understand you should really rest the foot but this is kind of difficult when I am meant to be exercising! I will just keep my fingers crossed that it eases up soon, because I really am hobbling like an old woman.

Me at country park

On a cheery note, I had the great pleasure of removing my peg tube at the weekend. The pain disappeared instantly when I removed the tube, and I have had no pain at all from it since! It also has not been leaking as I thought it would and appears to be nearly closed over already. It does however look like I now have two belly buttons which is quite amusing, in a strange sort of way. The only problem is that I still haven't put any weight on, and in fact when I weighed myself this morning I appear to have lost a kilo. I really don't want to resort to NG feeding at this stage, so plan to get a supply of the high calorie supplement drinks to see if those help. I am eating ok (although appetite not great) but I do wonder if the period of rejection has been on reason that I haven't gained weight and also the fact the high dose steroids have sent my blood sugars haywire again. I have been baking myself lots of goodies and trying to drink lots of full fat milk, so it's just a case of perseverance and I'm sure I will get there.

In response to my question and answer post, Emmie was asking me how Seb has been acting since my transplant. He was pleased to see my home, which did surprise me. I am used to the cold shoulder treatment when I have been away, but maybe he knew this time it was different. At first he was really quite suspicious and confused by the fact I kept moving around the house instead of just sitting on the sofa and he followed me around for a few days, wanting to keep an eye on what I was doing and generally being quite unsettled. He was also rather overexcited every time I took him for walk, as it was so novel. He has however adapted very quickly and is now expecting a walk and harassing me to do so. He comes and sits and gives me 'the stare', sometimes pawing my foot or just standing at the front door indicating he would like to go out somewhere. It is difficult to ignore him! He is also now fine about me moving around the house and doesn't really pay much attention to what I am doing, unless he sees me putting my trainers on and thinks he is going for a walk. My trainers have velcro on them, which he can actually hear from the garden!! He comes bombing into the house whenever he hears the velcro, so I have to try and do it really quietly if I'm not taking him out. He is a funny dog.

Well, I am off to sit in the garden now, as it looks nice and sunny. I wonder how long I can sit still for...

Me and Seb pretending its sunny enough to sit out (note how seb has own chair!)