Up The Farway Tree

I am still alive!

I think I might have worried a few people by saying I wasn't well then not updating my blog. Oops - apologies for that!

I am feeling a lot better this week, especially since I stopped my antibiotics. Within 12 hours of stopping them all the aching muscles and sore joints disappeared so I think that was a large part of the problem. My chest seems much clearer although I will feel a lot more reassured once I have my lung function rechecked at Newcastle next week and it (hopefully) has gone back up again. I have still found it a little harder walking Seb but I think this is just some deconditioning from over the Christmas holidays and then not being able to move much post op. I am back to taking him out every day again so I am sure I will quickly rebuild my stamina!

The eating is a bit better but I am still having problems swallowing some of my tablets and eating anything more substantial than mince. I think he said six weeks to heal fully and it's only been just over three, so hopefully there will be some improvement yet, as clearly I cannot live of mince forever. I have a review next Tuesday anyway so can discuss it then. I must admit it's rather frustrating not being able to eat what I want after so many years of having no appetite. I am managing the home baking though, which in the grand scheme of things is much more important than anything else ;-)

I have been quite busy this week with various crafty type things. I finished the canvases for Anne and John, I have been making invitations for various things (including a Murder Mystery I am hosting this month) and also making some birthday cards. Andrew would probably say what I have in fact being doing is generally making a mess.

I also have a concrete back to work date now - Tuesday 17th Feb. I am going to work Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to start with and possibly some other work at the university, depending on whether they need extra facilitators. Unfortunately my funding for work is only guaranteed for 6 months and I don't know what the chances of extending this are. It's rather complicated and I wont go into the ins and outs, but I should probably start looking at other options fairly soon. I had been hoping for a years funding to give me some breathing space and a chance to work out how many hours I can cope with, however sometimes things are supposed to happenfor a reason and I am sure it will all work itself out in the end. I am excited about going back although cannot believe it has come around so quickly. I feel as if I only had my transplant recently...not 9 months ago! Where has the time gone??

I have also been trying to finalise some numbers for Team Jac - we are currently sitting at 114 members but I still have some more people to chase up. If you have not replied to the email I sent looking for confirmation and whether you need a place on the bus, please reply. It is difficult for me to chase up 114 people individually! Lecture over now ;-)

I will try not to leave is so long between blogs this time :-)