DAY 1

So there is now a trench in the back garden and a skip in the driveway.  Seb is not very impressed.  He was actually pretty good - I wasn't in when they arrived this morning but the guy said he only barked when skip arrived and then appeared to have settled down.  He seemed quite relaxed when I got home mid morning although obviously I couldn't let him out while the men were working.  I went round with him on the lead to tell them I was going out and Seb immediately tried to climb into the trench (on extended lead).  This is why he must stay in the house at all times!!   So far the skip is nearly full with all that earth - what looks like a small channel equates to a lot of loose soil.   They at least seem very tidy and had swept the patio and tidied up their tools before leaving so my first impressions are very good.

I did go up to the hospital yesterday and am going to get a few more tests.  There was a fungus called Aspergillus growing in the sputum sample from last week but they aren't sure how to interpret this. It can appear in sputum quite commonly, especially in CF because we all inhale the spores from the environment (it grows in damp areas and rotting leaves etc).   You breath in the spores and then your immune system deals with them - it doesn't mean the actual lung tissue is infected.  Prior to transplant I had something called ABPA (allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis) - which basically means you are allergic to the aspergillus spores.  So when you breathe them in your body reacts, causes a bit of inflammation in airways which can cause cough and chest tightness.   There is a known risk of it returning post transplant because after all I have the same immune system so this could be causing the cough - however it is still entirely possible the cough is just post viral and they have only grown this because I actually managed to give a sample (I never really cough now).  I have therefore had lots of bloods taken, including ones to check levels of my antibodies to aspergillus to see if reacting and will also get a chest CT scan to make sure lungs look shiny and in working order.  The chest x-ray looks perfect as always so this is just a belt and braces approach and will hopefully provide much reassurance.  This should be done within 2 weeks so at least will be all done and dusted soon.  I think its encouraging that I was able to take Seb on a long walk today and didn't feel breathless

Finally I will leave you with the latest painting I have done for mum - for her living room.  The brief was 'something with orange and red and quite bright - maybe a scene'.  I therefore have chosen a Tuscan scene as a reminder of the big family holiday we had last year.  I added in some poppies in the foreground for a splash of red to tone in with her new living room :-)  

Let the building work commence...

I can't believe we are starting the extension on Tuesday - I am excited and scared at the same time.  I can't wait until it is all finished but not so sure I will enjoy getting there.   We have chosen the kitchen and finalised designs for this - just need to source our own appliances because we weren't keen on the ones included.  We have decided on tiles for the kitchen and have a rough idea for the shower room (which is the utility at the moment).  I can't order these things too soon as I don't really have anywhere to put them - the dining room currently has boxes of flooring alongside all the raffle prizes I am collecting!  It all coming together and it will be good just to get started.  We had a quote for changing the doors in the house (not the ones I have just painted, the other chipboard ones) but the costs for fitting seemed quite high - so dad and Uncle Francis will now be landed with the job of changing all my doors.  They must love me a lot :-)

I had fairly busy week and spent Tuesday doing lots of work on the CF booklet as hoping to get this finished soon - need to make room for all my other plans!  I made good progress though and am really pleased with how it is looking.  I also have been working away on ball stuff and joined Victoria for a meeting with Santander about how they can help us.   On Friday we went into town for Victoria's New Lungs party which was fab :-)

I have been pretty tired the rest of the weekend so not being doing too much.  My cough seems to have reappeared and I found it really hard to get up this morning so think I will give the hospital a phone tomorrow to let them know things aren't quite right yet.  My temperature has been ok though so hopefully its all just post viral nonsense.

Seb has been up to his usual antics this week.  On Wednesday he hid in my bedroom when I wasn't looking and I was forced to leave him in there when I went to work.  When Andrew got back (before me) he was shouting on Seb and couldn't find him - that's because he was in such a deep sleep curled up on our bed that he didn't even hear Andrew come in!  He is a total chancer.  He was also really embarrassing when the guy came to service the boiler.  First of all I hadn't noticed him disappearing from the living room and then found he was in the front hall cupboard with the guy, watching what he was doing!  I shouted him through, which was fine until the guy went upstairs to check the radiators and Seb insisted on following.  Seb then came down the stairs ahead of the guy and stood across the bottom step and wouldn't let him past!!  The guy had to shout me to come and move Seb because he couldn't get him out the way.   Seb was also in the huff on Friday when he realised we were going out and he did his usual thing of lying upstairs with his head sticking through the bannisters in a forlorn way.  I have taken some pictures so you can fully appreciated the ridiculousness of his behaviour. He totally pretended not to see my taking pictures even when I stuck the camera right in his face..

A small caged animal  (note my nice painted staircase!)

Finally I will leave you with a Just Giving link.   For those who have known me a long time, you will also know the Gilchrist's, through my best bud Claire.  Anne Marie Gilchrist is doing a 70ft abseil to raise money for Bosom Buds which is a charity supporting breast cancer.  It is a great cause and something personal to me and also very personal to Anne Marie.  If you can spare a penny, have a look at her page HERE

6 Year Anniversary

It was our 6 year wedding anniversary last Friday  :-)  Andrew had the day off so we just had a relaxing day - looking at tiles and showers hahaha.  Seriously.   We did manage a lunch out and on Saturday went into town for the afternoon.  6 years has flown in but so much has happened in that time - ups and downs that many people don't go through in a life time of marriage but I am sure we are stronger because of it.  Hurray for us :-)

The tile viewing was because we now have a start date for the extension - a week tomorrow.  Eeek!  I think we have more or less decided on tiles and cooker etc but haven't made any purchases yet.  I am converting all my tesco vouchers to Tops Tiles vouchers because you get four times the value which will be a good wee saving.  I like to get a bargain where ever possible!

John managed to get me a Hawick cashmere teddy bear for my ball - he is so cute (the bear that is) and is called Sherlock.  These wee guys are mostly exported and worth a pretty penny (about £100).  I am doing a 'Guess Sherlock's birthday' because I think he is too cute to just give away in the raffle.  He needs a loving home :-)  If you want to guess his birthday then send an email to weejaq@hotmail.com to check if the date is available and I can mark your name in.  It's £1 a guess so if you are likely to see me or mum then you can pass the money on or you could also donate online at the Just Giving site (although £2 is the minimum donation on just giving so you would have to have two guesses).  Not such a bad thing...

Click HERE for direct link

Express Check Up

I was getting a bit worried over the weekend because my cough was starting to sound quite crackly, which is never a good thing.   I did go into work today but phoned the hospital to arrange a check over which they tried to arrange over the lunch period.  It was rather impressive...I arrived at 12.05pm, nurse took obs at 12.10pm, lung function took me in at 12.20pm, Xray took me at 12.35pm and doctor saw me at 12.45pm.  Now that's service for you!!  Reassuringly my lung function was fine and chest xray looked good so no major issues.  Probably a bit of infection secondary to having viral infection last week - although it could just purely be down to remnants of viral infection.  I've got some oral antibiotics for a week just to be on safe side and hopefully will be feeling back to full health within a few days :-)  

I had a fairly quiet weekend, at last.  Our building warrant has been authorised online but we still need the documents, however hopefully we can get started on the extension within a month :-)  So we were getting some kitchen plans drawn up at the weekend which should be ready sometime this week for us to look at.  Very exciting!!  Yesterday was the first really warm day in a while so I just chilled in the garden most of the day and then met some friends for dinner that evening.  A nice Sunday :-)

Andrew didn't think it was so nice because is a bit traumatised after he thought I had collapsed.  We were food shopping and I said I wasn't feeling very well and wanted to get back to the car, so I went ahead.  I got into the passenger side but since I had been driving, decided I better try and alter the driver seat so that Andrew could get in.  So while he went to put the trolley back, I was leaning over but couldn't quite reach, so ended up more or less lying across the driver seat, face down and pumping the wee handle to lower the seat.  Apparently if you approach the car and see someone draped over the front seats, seemingly with jerking limbs, you would think they had collapsed and were having a seizure.  So the car door flew open "Jacqueline, JACQUELINE!" and then when I sit bold upright saying 'What?" it's followed by "what the HELL are you doing???"   After realising what it had looked like, I then couldn't stop laughing for ages.  I'm not sure Andrew thought it was quite as amusing though..

I'm not working tomorrow so will try and have a restful day. Honest.

The Sun is Shining

At last, the sun is shining outside.   We have had non stop rain for all of July and most of August so I am hoping we get a few days at least - I really need a sunshine boost!  My cold is lingering and I have a slight tickly cough, which is just weird because I have got used to not coughing!  It is rather pathetic compared to the great crackling cough I had before but is annoying all the same.  More so because I worry about the wee lungs but I am otherwise feeling ok so clearly just remnants of viral infection, which incidentally is being blamed on Andrew who dared to breath near me when he had the cold last weekend.

Last weekend was very busy but great fun.  We had the big family party for my Uncle Hugh's 70th Birthday on the Friday night, so it was a mad dash to get home in time.  It was a great party with a nice mix of dancing and chatting - I was mostly dancing I must admit.  Mum had also written a fantastic ode which she read out after the cake cutting, and this went down well.  I decided just to stay at home for the weekend because my aunt and uncle were up from Grantham so it was nice to all catch up.  Saturday was pretty chilled although another quite late night and then on the Sunday we headed through to Rosewell for the party his parish had organised.   It was really good and they had clearly gone to a great deal of effort.    We had to leave a little early to get back home for a reasonable hour as we both had work the next day.  I was totally shattered!

Uncle Hugh with the cake

 It's me!

Work has also been rather busy this week for various reasons so in between I have not being doing a lot and just trying to rest up.   On Tuesday (my day off) I accidentally fell asleep for 2 hours in the afternoon just sitting on the sofa and only woke when my ipod, which was playing on shuffle, started playing 'working 9-5'. This is also my phone ring tone so my subconscious thought my phone was ringing.   I woke to find that Seb was no where to be seen, until I found him curled up on my bed fast asleep.   There is something not right about me sleeping awkwardly on the sofa and Seb snoozing in my bed!

He has been quite naughty lately (well, more so than normal).   When we left him at mums to go out on Friday he had managed to jump from a chair onto the kitchen work top, where he then wandered round, clambering over the cooker, until he found a bowl of blue berries and raspberries to stick his snout into.   He also knocked over 2 glasses (which smashed) and I suspect drank the dregs of Gin and Tonic because he really wasn't feeling too well the following day and didn't eat a thing!   No matter how Seb proofed we think the house is, he still finds something to get up to.   This morning I went out of the living room for 5 minutes and came back to find him tucked in behind the ornament on the window sill.   He tries to stay very very still in the hope I don't notice him.  It is hilarious.  I can't imagine it was even comfortable...

Stares straight ahead and avoids eye contact with me...

 Lies down and still tries to avoid eye contact...

Daddy's Boy - this is how Andrew carries Seb around the house - he sits there like it is a special ledge for him and then looks down on me from his perch!!

Ball preparations are coming along nicely and we do have a fair few confirmed ticket sales.  We are still waiting on the bank account to be sorted which is taking a ridiculous amount of time, so that we can start taking payments.   We have a band confirmed to play now, and also a few other interesting parts to the entertainment which I will keep as a surprise.  I am still pushing ticket sales so if you are interested please let me know so I have an idea of numbers.  Equally the just giving page will be running along side (link at top) so please feel free to pop a few pennies on there if you can't make it and therefore feel so guilty you are compelled to donate to my cause regardless.....!!

Victoria rises to fame...

My friend Victoria (main instigator of this ball) will be on The Hour at 5pm today on STV - watch it!  It should be available online if you miss it.  They said she can advertise the ball  :-)   For those who get the Daily Record, then yes, that was her last week with the bright green dress.   She is trying to outdo me in newspaper coverage and the TV thing is really taking the biscuit..

I will be back later to update on my adventures, although I have ground to a halt with a sniffly cold at the moment - think my body is telling me to sloooooooooow down.   Which is why I am blogging at 7.30am ;-)

A Week of Escapades

Wow, I have been busy and I am shattered!   After the wedding last weekend myself and Andrew headed down to London on the Monday.   We had a couple of nights in the city, met up with Corey and Monika and did a spot of shopping (obviously).   This spot of shopping involved me getting a dress for the Masquerade Ball.   Sadly it doesn't match either of the two masks I already have so I will now be forced to purchase a third mask.  It is tragic.

On the final night we went over to stay with Emily and her husband, which was fab.  We had a lovely afternoon and evening - and would have had a lovely morning I am sure had Emily not been admitted to hospital in the middle of the night!   She has been feeling really sick and although was discharged yesterday is now back in because they are not sure what is causing it.  Her chest is fine though so that's a big relief but hopefully they will get to the bottom of this asap and she can hurry home and enjoy her summer holidays.

 Peeking through railings at Westminster Abbey (because I wouldn't pay the £15 to go in!)

On our return I had a mad scramble day of meeting Victoria to check out the Oran Mor venue for the ball - which was amazing, and tanking through to Bathgate to pick up my little pooch.   He was SO huffy.   He would not make eye contact and when I lifted him up he deliberately turned his head away to face the other direction!  He was pretty keen to get in the car to come home though.

Here are some (blurry) pics of the venue:

 This is set for a wedding - see the vaulted glass ceiling and arches down sides - nice :-)

Tables will look something like this - but with our decorations (secret!)

Then on the Saturday we had lots of friends (Andrews school friends, but considered my friends too now - especially since it's always me who organises the get togethers!)   There were 11 of us and 7 people staying over (not including me and Andrew).  I had blow up mattresses in every room but it was great fun.   We were supposed to be having a BBQ but it rained on and off all day and we ended up having to fry the burgers and sausages instead.   Not quite the same but it was all demolished never the less.  Seb was quite well behaved and did not steal any food - however when he decided it was bedtime he did go round everyone huffing, sighing and staring intently in an effort to get everyone to bed haha.  He is so rude sometimes.

Sunday was another wedding!  After making breakfast for everyone I had to then kick them out by late morning so we could get ready.  It was our old flatmate Al's wedding - it was a lovely day and we really enjoyed it.  The service was really different as they had written their own vows and had a lot of personal touches which were nice.  It was good to catch up with friends and I think everyone had a great day.

Al and Clare

 

 

 With some of our old flatmates

I had Monday off but it wasn't really enough to regain my energy and I am still quite tired, funnily enough.  Probably because in every spare minute I have been doing 'ball stuff' - trying to get prizes (some good stuff but secret just now!), trying to get people to buy tickets, setting up just giving pages etc etc.  Victoria and Kirsty are the same so it can't be said that we are not enthusiastic at least :-)   I do somewhere in the middle of this have to try and finish the booklet as well, but annoyingly I had to go and do that thing called 'work' as well.   Not got time to be going to work haha! 

So of course I am having a quiet weekend to recover.  NOT.   It is my uncle's 70th birthday so there is a couple of things happening over the weekend, so I am off to mum and dad's until Sunday.  I might go for a nap just now and start building some reserves....

Just Giving

We have made a Just Giving Page so that people who cannot attend the ball but would still like to support this event can make donations - these go directly to Live Life Then Give Life.   There will be no escaping me and my fundraising hahahaha....!

Promoting!

This company has very kindly offered to give us a hamper for our masquerade ball auction/raffle and I in return have offered to display their link for all you people who might like to browse some scottish gifts.  I will also leave the link at the side for future reference

http://www.scottishhampers.co.uk

Full blog updating on my escapades to coming soon.....