Good for the Soul

Early morning drives are good for the soul.

I had to go out to Rockwood this morning for 7:30am to see the Babies - two french bulldogs who are almost a year old (but i refuse to beleive they are Big Boys now because I love them so much). I've been taking care of them almost daily, twice a day, since Sept. When my time was up I wasn't quite ready to head home, and still had Timmies left, so I decided to go for a drive. I went out to Eramosa, then Erin, Ospringe, all the side country 'towns' that I know so well from having my nana and papa have a farm out in Erin whilst growing up.

The sun was blazing away in it's usual wintery way. Clad in my blue heart flannel jammie bottoms and brown U of G sweater, I drove down the backroads towards the Farm. It still looks the same, all 181 years of it (that's 1830 people!) I was sad that I couldn't see the tell-tale red humungus barn door that dominates the back of the barn (thanks to the sun), but what can you do? I was happy to see that the new people who live there (nana and papa had to sell it in 2000 because it was just too much for them to take care of) were utilizing it well. At the side of the house where the red deck used to live, now houses a pen for horses. I'm glad the people are using the farm for its intended purpose instead of buying the land and eventually selling it to be used for future subdivisions. To take away memories of 4-wheeling, snowmobiling in -30*C weather, falling through the ice in my snowpants and having them heat above the iron woodstove, ect, would break my heart.

It was nice to drive out there and think, and plan, and get things together that i need to focus on in my head. I came home and emailed my boss about next weekend. I actually have it off (so far) and asked if it could stay this way (last minute dogs ALWAYS pop up and I don't know when the last time I had a full weekend off was). Then I emailed Evlyn about our trip, and emailed my friend (who's also my travel agent) about getting things together and tying loose ends. It felt good.

Now it's the shit I don't want to do: like get doctors notes, sort out meds, airport stuff, blah blah. I'm sure it's not honestly all that bad, and that the thought is actually a lot worse than doing it, but ugh. Then I still have to register for the transplant games....

It'll happen. No fuss. Still plenty of time...

I can't beleive it! I need 2 more paycheques (if that even!) and my trip will be paid for! AHH! This is happening people! Saving up for the games won't be that hard either, but I still have to register with the Canadian Transplant Association.

So yeah, the random drive was good for me. I like to go on them and appreciate the scenery and what not, and revel in the fact that I finally have a future.

Hope you're all well!

Whater yer plans fer the summerrr?

*said in Canadian accent*

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a direct link to the trip Evlyn and I are embarking on:

http://ca.contiki.com/tours/113-european-escapade/itinerary

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!


How exciting!!

If you click on the daily things (like, Depart for London) it will expand into an explanation. It's soooooo exciting! So read it:) AND BE JEALOUS WEEEEEEE!:)

BUT! After that we have a week to do nothing, so we're spending it in London, England. One thing we're going to do is see Stonehenge (I almost gave birth when Evlyn asked me if i wanted to. I said don't ask, just drag me along) and THEN it's the Transplant Games!!

AHHH!!

I had a dream last night that you could see my sternum through my skin, and you could see at the bottom of it my wire. People were touching it and it was a stingy-painful feeling. I realize I dreamt this because I was sleeping on my stomach and my body weight was resting on my chest. I told my dad about my dream, to which he lowered his paper and proclaimed "that's incredibly fucked. you have the weirdest dreams'

Yup.

WOO TOURING! WOO LUNGS! WOO DONOR WHO HAS GIVEN ME THIS OPPORTUNITY! :)

GUESS WHAT?!

GUESS WHO'S OFFICIALLY BOOKED TO GO ON THE EUROPEAN ESCAPADES CONTIKI TOUR WITH THEIR AUSSIE FRIEND!?

THAT'S RIGHT!

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GAH!

AND AH!

I'M SO EXCITED!

Usually I fucking hate winter. From Nov-Feb all you hear is me complain about how much I hate it, and how miserable I am, and when the hell will it warm up, and I want the snow to die, and yada yada yada, but this year my friends, I am excited.

Why you ask? BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TAKE UP CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING. Which means I have to buy snowpants. Which excites me.

Like these ones: http://www.sportchek.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=4292741

Debating between the purple or the yellow.

Also, i will need said snowpants for dog walking, since I won't be doing myself any favours by walking dogs in -10*C weather some days, when I'll just be wanting to be inside because I'm at risk of freezing my legs off.

SO weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! This also means I'll have to acquire a pair of cross-country skiis. I'll go with used, since I'm not a pro. I'm just excited to be doing something. Frigging god I love being active.

I have a distinctive memory as a kid of looking out our front window in the middle of a snowstorm and seeing people cross-country skiing down the street. The snow was so bright that outside looked pink and everything was glowing. All i remember thinking was how fun it looked and how much I wanted to try. Well, now that I'm well I'm going to do it. I will NOT hate this winter. I will keep active. I will find enjoyment in it the way a true Canadian should!

*beams with unnecessary barf-worthy pride*

Um what the hell else?

OH YES: i've decided on a thing to do for the WTG!!!!!!!!!!!! The 3K walk. Alice will be doing it, so there is no need for me to not out-walk her. And push her off the course and into the Swedish bush.

I think that's it.

Getting excited...

THIS is what life's about!


http://contiki.com.au/tours/161-ultimate-european-greek-islands

Talking to Evlyn right now on facebook (heart-lung tx, she lives in Australia..went to the Aussie games with Alice while i was recovering from my tx...) annnnnnnnd *drum roll please*

IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA DO 45 DAY TOUR OF EUROPE AFTER THE GAMES AND MAYBE 2 WEEKS IN IRELAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GAMES!

It's over a year away, but i'm already SO excited! Thankfully I have over a year to save, but god i'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!

1) World Tx Games in Sweden
2) Go to Ireland for 2 weeks afterwards
3) Spend 45 days travelling Europe
4) Go home BROKE but with a LIFE TIME of memories with an AWESOME chicky!

I don't think anyone can know how much this means to me...To be able to look ahead and know that i can do this and that lung problems don't hold me back anymore. It's no longer, "when i get my transplant..." or "after my transplant..." now it's, "next year, after the transplant games..." it's FOR SURE!! AHHHHHHHHHH! Obvs we're still talking about it but in my heart i know it's going to happen. And i'm so excited that I probably won't even sleep tonight. I've never been able to travel - ever. And to be able to say that I can and not let medical stuff get in the way? I will worry about the amount of meds to bring with me later, that is not an issue. The issue now is that Eve (Alice, yes?) and I are gonna do this massive trip and have a blast. That is my goal for the next year: to save up, have fun, love life and live it the way a normal 24 year old should. How many people do i know who've globe trotted? TONS. AND NOW I WILL BE ONE OF THEM!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH SCREAM WITH ME PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you ready?

http://www.wtg2011.com/

LET'S GO!

The following people i expect to be in attendance at the the 2011 games: Alice, Evlyn, Meghann, Marjolein, and Cassie. Anyone else who wants to attend (granted u've had ur tx and are healed and have the go-ahead) is more than welcome to show up! But the afforementioned are demanded on behalf of myself and...myself.

Seeing as i missed out on Australia - for a good reason tho - I am uber stoked for Sweden 2011! I have 2 years to a)figure out what i will do; b)learn what i am good at; and c)TRAIN!. My friend Sarah (who had a double lung and actually went to high school with me tho we didn't know eachother at the time) have decided to train though we don't know exactly what we will do seeing as we're not really good at anything. I'm a dancer...tho i doubt dancing is an event. I suggested cycling...but i don't know if that's an event either. I don't particularly enjoy running - or rather, didn't - but that could change in the next 2 years! I shall scope out the site more thoroughly and get back to you people about this.

The last 2 nights i've had issues swallowing my cyclosporin. It seems to lodge itself in my esophagus and slowly crawl its way down into my stomach. I had no issues taking my meds with oatmeal this morning tho so i don't know what it is. Maybe tea is losing its effect. Also, i had PFTs this morning and they were the same as last week, which suprised me considering the amount of walking and exercising i've been doing. However, i understand that a)wanting them to be higher than they are in one weeks time considering i'm only almost 4 weeks post is asking too much and extremely unrealistic; and b) i was in horrendous pain b/c i had clotted post-bronch goo slowly making its way up and out. Even tho it's the tiniest bit of brown gooiness, it is so incredibly painful to cough up! But fuck, once its out the pain is gone! This however, did not stop me from clutching my left side, bitching and moaning, and being overly dramatic about how much pain i was in. I made a point of informing everyone about how much pain i was in if they willing to listen.

Yesterday afternoon saw mum and i walking around downtown Toronto for 3 hours. We walked from the hosp to the giant HMV, ate lunch at Red Lobster, finding sales at Guess (found a $44 tank on sale for $29 but it came to $16!!!!!!!!!!!!!), got my post tx shirt made (will post a pic at some point), and eventually found our way back to the hosp, into the parking garage, and home the appt where i promptly napped away my tiredness. As a result, my legs wanted to nothing to do with my today, but i made them.

Today i had bloods, pfts and physio. I rode the bike for 16 minutes...didn't do the treadmill due to my epic walk around DT yesterday, and came home, where i napped and lounged. Tomorrow it's up at 8am for xray, clinic at 9, physio 10:30, then HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!

Hope you're all well! And yes, i'm feeling better!!!

**UPDATE**
I found the sports! Thanks to Megs help, i needn'tve looked under 'events' to find out what activities there were but rather should've scrolled up to the top and looked under 'sports'. There listed in the link provided was, as thought, was a list of sports to be entered into! And yes my friends, CYCLING is one of them!!!! http://www.wtgf.org/page.asp?section=000100010024&sectionTitle=Sports

As of now i would like to unofficially enter myself into cycling, badminton, maybe kayaking, and to stereotype myself a little further, winter sports (b/c all Canadians can do wintersports - Snow People Building is by far my fav Canadian sport - that and making Igloos).