Can we make it £23,000?

We are only 105.80 short of the £23, 000 mark! Any last minute donations to help us reach a nice round number?! Go on...you know you want to...

Just Giving Fundraiser of the Month

I think I mentioned before, but I am fundraiser of the month for May (they are doing 3 months at a time) for the Just Giving site. It means I get a mention on their blog and they donate £25 to our page :-)

You can read the blog entry here

On the subject of Team Jac - the page closes on 9th August, which is less than 2 weeks away - so any last minute sponsors are very welcome!

Greetings from Newcastle

Had a really good clinic appointment today with an all record high on lung function of 2.91 L, which is 103% of predicted. woohooooo!! I know someone is going to ask how I can get over 100% so here is quick explanation. For my weight and height they calculate a 'predicted' lung function based on results from a healthy group of people of the same weight and height. So for example, 2.8 L might be the average for my height and weight group - so if I blow this I get 100% predicted - if I blow a bit more than this then I get a result over 100%. Generally anywhere from 80-120% of the predicted value is considered normal. Lesson over ;-)

I have also put back on the weight I lost after the surgery in January. This has mostly gone back on recently since I started the Gabapentin for my sinus pain (it is a known side effect) but as long as I am back to where I should be then it's a good thing. Blood pressure and oxygen saturations were all great. The Prof was delighted with my results and takes great pleasure in showing me graphs of my lung function which keeps climbing. I guess it has to plateaus some time! He has also said I can reduce my prednisolone (steroids) now, which I am so pleased about. This will help reduce the longer term problems steroids can cause and I hope will also reduce some of the hamster face qualities :-)

I also asked about my kidney function as the GP keeps getting twitchy about it being a bit borderline. He said that nearly everyone takes a drop in kindey function after transplant (due to anti rejections) but that is normally plateaus - and that mine has been relatively stable since the end of last year. They will watch it closely and intervene if it gets any worse but he is not worried at the moment. Phew. I mentioned the joints as well, in particular my hip, which is driving me mad as it is really quite sore. I am seeing the physio next week but he wants it x-rayed in case it is something other than CF related arthritis. Will get onto that when I get home. I have to go back in three months as usual but should move to 6 monthly appointments soon!

After clinic I then had to head over to the other hospital for my endoscopy - this was mainly to see if the cause of my abdominal pain could be determined. The scope didn't show much other than some food stuck - which indicates the wrap they did (bit of gullet around stomach sphincter) is still quite tight - which is why I still have some problems swallowing at times. This may well still slacken off and since I still get some reflux there is no point intervening. Otherwise things looked fine. He said the pain I describe (a stitch like pain when walking after eating) sounds more vascular and related to the small bowel - which he didn't touch when operating. We have agreed to just see how it goes over the coming months but if it really doesn't settle down I can get back in touch and get some x-rays done (small bowel series for medic friends). I am happy that he has not just dismissed me but on the other hand it is so so frustrating to have this pain - it was a real nuisance on holiday when it's nice to go for a meal and stroll home (or not as the case may be!) Hopefully it will just settle on it's own.

I am now back at Pat's and we are staying tonight since I had sedation earlier so was pretty tired so better to head home fresh tomorrow. I'm sure wee Seb will be wondering where I have been as he has just stayed with Andrew this time, since the dog walker was coming today and tomorrow. Apparently he was just sitting at the front door last night watching and waiting for me to come home. Wee shame!

It's been a tiring day so off to bed for me now...

Forgot to mention....

I have a copy of the radio interview myself and Andrew did for the show 'View from Earth'. It's about an hour long (with some music between us talking but mostly me wittering on). It's too long for me to upload online but if anyone really wants to hear it then I can send a copy of the CD - or you can borrow a copy from mum.

Maybe I should be a DJ.....

Back from London.....off to Newcastle!

Both myself and Andrew had a weeks holiday (have to use mine before I move job!) so we were down in London for a few days. We headed down last Friday on the train, along with my friend Claire and her boyfriend Giuseppe. We were staying the weekend with another friend and then me and Andrew were staying another few nights in a hotel. Over the weekend we visited Borough market, did the London bus tour, which was good and visited Tate Modern - for a taste of culture ;-) We also had a couple of lovely meals out and visited a comedy club - the first two acts were good, although we were not impressed with the main act. The London crowd were very polite...I'm sure in Glasgow some bottles may have been thrown! It was lovely catching up with my friends though, which was the main purpose of the trip, as well as celebrating my friends 30th birthday.

Andrew and myself then headed to our hotel, which was really nice, and four of our old flatmates from uni, who now all work in London, and their partners, came over for dinner that night. It was great catching up - I really miss them all as we did have a lot of fun at uni! We also managed to catch up with Corey for a long overdue catch up. The weather was a bit dodgy but we managed to visit Covent garden, the Tower of London and also fitted in some shopping, of course! After being accosted in the street with a buy one, buy one free ticket, we ended up on some London Bridge Experience - people dressed in period costume explaining the history, then a kind of London dungeon experience. Basically walking through dark corridors, with strobe lighting, heads hanging from the ceiling and people in costume jumping out. Now normally I am a very jumpy person and fully expected to squeal my way to the finish however the lady in front of me started totally freaking out and I thought she was going to have a panic attach. Being a psychiatrist I couldn't really help myself and ended up pacifying her all the way round. I had to lead the whole group, opening doors ahead of this lady so I could tell her what to expect and reassuring her all the time. In the end I was so NOT scared...maybe I should have asked for my money back :-)

I forgot my camera but Claire said I could use some of her pics..

On London Bridge

Stopping for some lunch from Borough Market

Me and Claire with the invisible man!

Borough Market

Tower bridge going up - see the road markings?!

The most amusing, albeit very embarrassing story, occurred on the journey home. It involves a toilet and a bare bottom. The train had one of those new fancy toilets - you press an electronic button and this curved metal door slowly opens. Once inside you press one big button to close the door and another to lock it - the lock button flashes continuously to tell you the door is indeed locked. So I follow all these instructions, use the toilet and stand up.....with jeans around ankles. I then think it's getting a bit drafty before realise in horror that the curved metal door is very slowly opening to reveal a very surprised lady on the other side. It happened in slow motion - the door slowly opening - and the fact it wont respond to the close button until it has damn well finished opening. The lady on the other side very helpfully hid to the side of the door - but unfortunately we had also just pulled in at a platform so I am not certain of the exact number of people to view my little derriere. At least it's quite a small derriere and not too distressing to view (in my opinion). I would rather not display it mind you. I had to wait for what seemed like hours before the door would start closing again - but sadly the damage was done! Never shall I use the toilets on a train again.

On a less traumatic note, since we got home we have taken Seb on quite a few off lead walks and he is definitely getting bolder! He like to run ahead until he can't see us...then I know he is just waiting to be called so he can get a treat. Not daft! I have also been teaching him to walk to heel off lead and he is doing really well. Yesterday we had to pass two other dogs straining on their leads to get to Seb. At first he tried to run over but when I called him and told him to walk to heel he did it! The other dog owners were really impressed - I was largely just surprised but pretended as if Seb is always this well behaved:-)

I have routine transplant clinic in Newcastle on Tuesday morning and then I am having another endoscopy in the afternoon at a different hospital. This is a follow up on the surgery I had in January because I have still been getting abdominal pain when walking (which only started after the surgery). I don't really expect them to find anything but just have to go through the process. We will probably have to stay at mums friend on Tuesday as I will have been sedated so maybe not in state for getting home that night. I will update my blog with results as soon as I get the chance.

Leave you with a pic of my bedding plants..

May

June

July (think I put too many plants in one container, lol?!)

Resting...a bit

I had a less physically challenging weekend - I decided I would do nothing in the garden and give my wee body a rest! I have been really tired, to the point I have randomly fallen asleep during the day, which I have never done (even when really unwell pre transplant). I think it might be the new drug for sinuses but it seems to be helping a bit so I am trying to persevere. These side effects should start to wear off after a while. I was however worried that it was a sign I was trying to fight off a virus as my temperature was also flickering a little. However this has now settled and I feel otherwise well so all seems to be on track.

I went to see Singing in the Rain musical in Edinburgh. It was very good and I really enjoyed it. I only knew two songs however so I missed that feeling of singing along (very quietly ;-) but it was still a lovely night out. Yesterday we went shopping because I was having a crisis of confidence. Since I had this operation in January my stomach swells up during the day. It looks ok-ish in the morning then by evening I can look 6 months pregnant. No kidding! I know people will say, oh but you are slim and it's ok.....but the fact I am otherwise slim makes it more noticeable (to me anyway!) I was struggling to find a top to wear on Saturday night so decided I would see if there was anything in the sales. I managed to get a few tops in New Look sale (oh I love their sale - you can get about 5 things for £20!) I could not think of a reason that little patent purple shoes would make the stomach issue better but I bought them anyway. To be fair everyone needs some purple patents shoes :-)

We have had Seb out for a few more walks off lead and he is loving it! There is a grassy, hilly route nearby that takes you several miles up to the country park but you can just do a circular route or turn back. So I have been taking Seb up there and he has been so good. He has still come back on every recall and been very good meeting other dogs. He doesn't go too far away and is always looking back to make sure we are still there. He was hilarious last night when I let him off - he bombed off at high speed then as we passed a wooden bench he jumped on at one end, ran along and jumped off then kept running - like he thought we were on an obstacle course! I reckon he would be good at agility....must look into that! I will have to get some pictures but for now I will leave you with some of Seb in the garden..

Chilling out on top of the recycling box

Something has caught his attention

Squirrel chase!

Hiding amongst some rubble bags
(I told him it was bed time - he ran outside and hid, only popping out for a photo!)

Overdue Blog!

It's been a busy week at work because the consultant is on holiday for 2 weeks and the Staff Grade doctor phoned in sick with possible Swine flu....eek! I have been a bit worried but reckon if I had caught it last week I would have had symptoms by now. Might be impossible to avoid it really but hoping I can do so long enough to get the new vaccine they have developed (being immunosuppressed makes it more risky for me to catch it). So it's been a little bit manic at work and I have left late everyday - just trying to deal with all issues arising. However I am not back at work until next week now so they will have to cope without me haha :-)

Last weekend we were super busy in the garden - the forecast said rain all weekend but it didn't happen in the end so we just got as much done as possible. It's the first time in ages we haven't had something or other to do at the weekend, so that was nice in itself. I perhaps overdid it slightly though - I put up trellising for the honey suckle and clematis plants - this was quite successful other than the whole 6ft panel falling on my head as I tried to secure the bottom and it came off the nails at the top. Comedy moment! I actually also had another classic comedy moment when I stood on the bottom of the rake and it pinged forward and hit my head. Andrew seemed more amused than concerned I must say! I then cut the front grass before insisting on having a go at using the strimmer. It's a petrol strimmer which is rather large - in fact you could safely call it 'a beast'. Andrew had to start it since it involves some complicated procedure of turning dials to give it choke and pulling on the cord thingy until it starts - I then tried to hold it - it was heavy! I managed about half the lawn before giving up, which was quite good going. My arms however are now covered with bruises where it was resting on my arm - and my knees are covered in bruises from kneeling in the garden (stupid steroids). I also planted lots of alpines and heathers in the rockery. Now it's been established a year I have a better idea of what is growing and where needs filling in. Unfortunately we have 2 large trees in the rockery - one is dead and has been taken down but the roots are still everywhere, so it can be really tricky to find a good spot for new plants. Meanwhile Andrew managed to get a lot more digging done where we want to lift the lawn at the side and put down chips. A very productive, but tiring weekend!

Seb is still getting on great with the dog walker and in fact was away for 3-4 hours today because they went up to Loch Lomond. He is lying flat out now! We also had him off lead again - where it was quite busy and other dogs were there. It was a route in the country park which is more off the main routes but busy enough - well away from any roads though. He was very good! He sometimes trotted beside us then would get caught up with a smell and we would keep walking - he would then see we were ahead and would run at top speed until he caught up again. He met quite a few dogs and was very good at approaching them slowly, having a sniff and walking off again. He did meet one dog who seemed to want to play - but Seb didn't. I was shouting Seb and he was trying to come but the dog wouldn't let him past! The owner was just sitting on a bench watching and saying nothing. Eventually Seb got past but he seemed a bit stressed out and stayed by our side after that. He was really good at coming when called though - I would give him a treat and then tell him 'off you go' and he would dive off at high speed so excited! Hopefully we will be able to do that more often as it is much more stimulating and tires him out more.

I am already starting to feel nervous about my new job, which I should start on 17th August. It will be very different to my current job with regards the kind of patients and illnesses I deal with. Although both jobs are in Psychiatry, old age is quite different and deals a lot more with illnesses such as dementia, and also depression etc in older people. General adult psychiatry looks after a lot more patients with psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia, and also mood disorders (depression, bipolar) and personality disorders. I am going to start some reading to brush up on my knowledge and skills. I am sure I will be fine and I would be a bit strange if I wasn't a bit nervous. Interestingly as I am typing about this I am wondering what people's perceptions/understandings are of illnesses such as schizophrenia.....maybe I should do an educational post some time :-)

On the medical front - I think the new tablets are starting to help but I am still trying to get them up to full dose without making myself feel too spaced out. I am definitely tolerating them better and I am sure I have taken significantly of my other pain killers this week. In fact I have more taken them for my sore hip than for the sinuses......fingers crossed we are onto a winner here.

I will leave you with some garden pictures:

Potatoes! In case of famine.

Tiny tomatoes!

Veg bed with carrots at front, parsnips at back (we think!)

Other veg bed with peas at back, various lettuce in middle and onions at front

One of my hanging baskets - violas I grew from seed. I clearly didn't understand how many would grow and have managed to cram far too many into one basket! You live and learn :-)

Planter with geraniums and pansies grown from seed

A lovely lily we have in the garden

Andrews basil factory. We will be eating a lot of pesto I think....