My Double Lung Transplant

Friday, February 22, 2008

Aspergillus

I am le sick.





Aspergillus is thy name. Aspergillus is a form of fungus. Yummy. So needless to say that 10 day course of Avelox I just finished probably didn't do anything. Remember that sputum sample I gave last week? Well my doc sent me a letter in the mail today, saying i've got Aspergillus and a requisition to get blood taken to see how bad it is or if there's other fun stuff in there. So yay.

Not sure what they treat it with either - prob more antibiotics.

In the mean time I have suffered 2 massive nosebleeds from both nostrils within the last 2 days, the last one mere minutes ago when it felt like my polyp exploded and blood flew out everywhere.

Oh the life of a respirologically disabled person. Not only that but it's reading week and i've done dick all. I must catch up on work as i've got mounds and mounds it of.

Ugh.

In other news, J-Lo exploded babies everywhere today and had twins with that disgusting hubby of hers.

That's it. Hope you're well. My friend Kayla got her lungs today so yay Kayla! Alice celebrated her 1 month anniversary of her tx today as well. Hopefully next month they will list me - YAY!

Cheers,
Bree:)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Infection(s) and Retail Therapy

Emphasis on 's'.

Yay. I went to the doc today - my chest doc for my regular appt. She was happy with how my eval went and seems to think there's a good possibility I'll be listed in March - which is good but scary. She hasn't heard anything about me starting rehab tho but said there's a good possibility the transcript is still in the mail. I told her I was more productive, but I'm not sure if i'm sick b/c it changes day to day. Regardless she presribed Avelox b/c she thinks i may have pseudo. I told her my throat and chest were sore so she thinks I'm sick. Also, I told her i had post nasal drip and that it's bright green and she gave me a kit for a nasal rinse. I may have a sinus infection too.

I'm falling apart.

I came home and cried - not b/c i was upset just b/c i'm frustrated with everything. I fell to the ground and hugged my dogs and forbade him from leaving me. I hugged him for 10 minutes and I knew he knew I was upset. I got upset b/c the garbage was full and it was gross. Sometimes sh*t happens.

I had to drop a sputum sample to see what i'm culturing and dropped my prescriptions off as well. Then i went to the mall where i indulged in some retail therapy. I smelled a sale so i wondered into Access but nothing caught my eye. I then ventured into Sterling where it was empty. Suddenly, the skies opened up and a light shone from heaven. This Immaculate light proceeded to fixate itself on the purse wall, which enabled my eyes to catch red tags which means SALE.

My eyes widened and I couldn't get in there fast enough.If i had to push, shove, and crush tiny children under foot to get into that store, I would have honestly done it. I would have run too...voluntarily. So in I went straight to the Wall of Purse and stared.

The cash lady asked me what i was looking for and i said " a giant purse" and she said, (like words spoken from Jesus) "It's your lucky day...everything's on sale with an additional 30% off"

*shock*

She pointed out all the big ones and suddenly, her hand rested upon the most gorgeous, expensive looking purse ever. My heart sunk b/c she said it may not be on sale, but checked the price anyway. As luck would have it - IT WAS! So there I was, retail therapy complete..when I was in for a huge shock:

Originally$120 (with tax prob $130 or higher) came to *ding ding ding* $62! For a second (in my mind) confetti fell from the sky and angels swooped above. For all the sh*t that's happened this week...this truely makes up for it.

I left a happy camper, completely ready to flaunt it off to the world and my sister. My sister last week got retail therapy by scoring a pair of shoes. Well....Giant Purse trumps Special Shoes anyday. I fully intend to make her jealous in every sisterly, selfish way possible. In fact...I told my mum it will sleep in my bed tonight.

It's like a museum peice: you can look - but you can't touch!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Black Ice Spin-Out

Holy fuck.

Let's put it that way.

Let me begin. So my 2 friends, Ash and Jess and I went shopping tonight. The weather is gradually growing crappier, as tomorrow the temps are supposed to plummet and the winds are supposed to gust to 90 km/h. It began to get windy tonight, when our shopping expedition came to a close. While it wasn't quite 9pm yet, we decided to drive to the opposite end of town to Jess's house. Since we were in my end of the city, I decided to lead the way I usually go.

So down the long road we descended. Driving wasn't too horrible. Pretty soon we had passed the heavily driven, snow-sodden roads and were on a less populated, traveled one. It hadn't been salted yet either. Conditions here are barren and the snow whipped and danced across the asphault. I was in the lead. Behind me was Ash, then Jess. We weren't going fast for obvious reason...I was going 40 km/h at the most. We keep driving and I noticed that I didn't feel like I had good control over my steering. I didn't really pay much attention to it...I thought it was just the way the snow driven path on the road was. I looked in my rearview mirror only to see Ashley's car behind me turning the other way. "What the hell?" I thought. "Why is she turning around?" I thought maybe she didn't like the direction I was taking and decided to turn around....

It was as I was thinking this that I began to spin out. Ash spun-out behind me, 360 degrees and I spun-out at the same time. My mind went blank. Everything I learned in driving school about what to do when you hit black ice and spin-out left my mind. I braked. I turned my wheel into the spin instead of keeping my foot on the gas with the wheels in the opposite direction of the spin. I screamed. I thought I would die. It seemed like my car would never stop. Finally I turned my wheel in the opposite direction and I came to a rest at a snow bank at the other side of the road. I was facing the complete opposite direction I came down the road in. I spun completely around...twice I think. I sat there in my car...Ash a few hundred meters in front of me. She turned her 4 ways on. My mind went blank and I couldn't remember how to turn my 4 ways on or where to find them.

I was shaking. I began to cry. Someone pulled over and went to Ashley's car. I just sat there. I decided to get out...maybe she was hurt...afterall she smashed into a snow bank. I'm not sure if I did...I'll check the car tomorrow. I ran out to Ashley's car. She was crying...I got in and hugged her. "We're fine" I said. "We're ok. We made it".

Ashley's cell rang. It was Jess...Jess was behind her and watched us both spin out...but she couldn't stop b/c she had her daughter in the car. Ash told her we were find and to keep going. I think we freaked ppl out. I won't lie; it was pretty cool, the way our cars spun-out at the same time...almost like a dance.

It was scary....I took a completely different route home. I can't help but wonder how many others spun-out after us...and if the ppl who were driving behind us are talking about how they saw 2 cars spin out at the same time on the same sheet of black ice.

AHHHH WINTER!!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Stupid Assumptions


Not to be confused with "stupid people". This is about stupid assumptions.

First let me begin by saying this: don't you hate it how someone can say ONE thing to you, and completely ruin your day? And you want to kick that person in the head? Well that happened to me. I inquired about probably not being able to work full time this summer if I have to do physio 3 times a week, and someone said, "Well...still apply!" like they thought i'd sit around on my fucking ass all summer with no intention of working. Well, it was enough to greatly upset me and I stormed off. I said, "Of course I will!" not adding "you dumb shit!"

Sometimes I think that b/c I didn't get listed, this person thinks that suddenly my lung problems have disappeared miraculously. Like a Jesus conception.

I'm trying not to let it upset me, but i think tonight when I eat I'll pant and choke just to remind them that I still have breathing problems.

Also, I spilt mustard on my freshly washed sweater twice today, got dirt on my other white top ( that i initially changed b/c it was dirty, only to get mustard on that one), and the pickle i had been spying to eat all day turned out to be partially rotten with black speckles on it.

So to make myself feel better I'm watching people get attacked by whales on youtube.