Mmmm

It's really rediculous how great a fabulous cup of tea can make you feel. Shitty tea makes me want to knock children over; fabulous tea makes me want to sing songs and jump in puddles and hold ppl's hands and sing kumbya.

But i won't.

Instead, I will remain ass firmly planted on the couch, watching Build a New Life in the Country on BBC Canada. Drinking my tea on this perfect fall day: wet, mizzley, humid day.

I've walked 4 dogs today, and see the 2 baby French bulldogs at 8:30. So far, totally loving the job and i have a feeling i will continue to do so. I love waking up early and seeing all the little creatures, because unlike humans, dogs aren't bastards in the morning. They are smiley and excitable and overall just love to see you. And i love seeing them.

Yesterday I bought a Northface tri-climate jacket. That means it's good for lots of weather, namely rain, downpours, and winter. I didn't want to cut corners on a jacket since I will be out in all types of weather, but that doesn't mean that i didn't silently give spontaneous birth when i saw the price of $305. Now all I need will be snow pants to stay warm in when the weather turns to utter crap and i'll be good! Weeeeeeeee!!!!!

On the health front, things are good. Sadly, the infusion stuff is getting low and i'll have to order stuff in soon. Ugh. i hate ordering stuff, because i hate talking on the phone. but what can you do, eh? I promise i will post pics soon of the stuff. I'm just lazy.

I think that's it for now.

SURPISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess who found a hidden stash of old (sealed but crumpled) packages of srynges and needle sharps buried beneath the medical rubble of their closest?

ME!!!!!!!!!!

And why am I so excited about this? BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN DELAY THE SCARY PROCESS OF ORDERING MORE MEDICAL SUPPLIES EVEN LONGER!

DOUBLE YAY!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Not suprisingly, the most upsetting part of my day had to do with the fact that Walmart suffered from the complete inability to supply me with my favourite type of chip. Actually, two places are at fault: The Wandering Scot, for telling me that Walmart carried a full bag of cheese and onion chips, and Walmart, for just existing.

I drove all the way from the south end (where I live) to the north-west end to Walmart-ville in search of my muchly wanted cheese and onion chips. Being that it's Wednesday and thus finale night (Americas Got Talent (funny, seeing as NONE of the judges are American), and Big Brother), chips were in high demand. So i get to Walmart, find a spot, stomp into the place, ignore the greeter, and immediately send my sister the following text:

"I'm in Walmart. Where the fuck is the chip aisle?"

Seeing as I never venture into this place, the last time i was there the grocery section was in the middle. Well i searched, and it apparently had been uprooted and moved. To the other side of the store. So i get there, and examine the massive display of chips at my disposal, and not a cheese and onion chip to be found.

Not a one.

I spent 45 minutes searching.

So i figured why not try Zehrs. Nope, they didn't have them. So i decided on plain baked chips and my favourite type of dip: Gay Lea French Onion.

Well you'd think i'd be able to find the fucking thing.

NOOOOOOOOOOO.

ABSOLUTELY NOT A FRENCH ONION DIP TO BE FOUND.

But i stood there. And i paced back and forth. And i huffed and I puffed and I knocked over every one in their food-stained favourite t-shirt and their children. And damned if i'd drive to MY end of the city, to MY Zehrs, where i KNOW they have this dip! Because that would defeat the whole purpose of driving over here in the first place. *scowl*

But it payed off. Because i found it, and stomped angrily out of the store. And now i'm home, and it's 7:33pm and i have to wait exactly 27 minutes until 8pm rolls around so i can stuff my face to the beat of reality TV.

Ok, that's done.

Injection learning day went well! My nurse was awesome and i'll start the injections tomorrow, b/c i need 5 a week, and got 3 on Monday. It's not hard at all. The hardest part is ordering supplies which I will save until the last minute when I run out of things, and will most likely run out of needles and thus miss a whole week of injections. Typical, but w/e. I'll get pics and post them.

My stomach was sore the next day, and thanks to a royal canine punch in the gut from a dog who's kind've an asshole, all is well now. It was a feeling that felt A LOT like how i felt in the weeks post-tx. Honestly, it feels like i did 1000 crunches and had the post-work out soreness, but nope, i just happened to be the fortunate recipient of multiple injections in under 4 hours. Woo. Go me.

I think that's it. Face-stuffing to commense in 20 minutes.

And to JEN - my mum's hair dresser and avid reader of this blog - you rock! Thanks for being such a fan! :)

Night kittens.

Look...!

...at this creature

I want it.

I must have it.

How can you resist that face? I want to squish it, and squeeze it, and love it forever.

In case you're wondering, that's a Newfoundland Retriever, and I've been thinking about getting one for a while. Of course, I have to save up for it, but I'm willing to do that. Hell, I'm saving up for my trip so why not save up for my own dog as well, right? So weeeeee!!!!!!!!

I had a meeting with a bone doctor the other day. Things are fine and i'm on the proper meds for it, and I inquired about my sternum pain and she said it's to be expected. She called it "rheumatism" *aka, layman's term* for arthritis. She was a nice doc and tested everything else and said that i was essentially fine.

What else? Life has been normal. Waking up at 6:30am almost every day to walk dogs. I love it. It's great.

And that's about it.

WOOOOOOOOOO!

Thanks Merv!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't thank you for all you've done for me!! You truely are a wonderful friend:)

Go here:

http://www.mervsheppard.blogspot.com/

And then freak out!:)

(if the link doesn't work, go to my tx links bar and it's called "Merv's Blog" (who knew)?

How cool is this!?!

My phone has been ringing every hour on the hour since 3:24pm. I couldn't answer the first time b/c I was driving (it's illegal to be on the phone and drive in Ontario) the rest of the times I just havent been around my phone when it's gone off, but have seen some annoying person calling me with no traceable number.

Finally, it hit me: my coordinator! If they call you and you don't answer, it is programmed to call you every hour on the hour until you listen to the message. So finally, at 6 something, I called the number and low and behond, a message was waiting.

So i start listening and my co-ordinator says, " I heard actually through the people at Trillium..." to which I rolled my eyes and thought, "Fuck. What've they heard now?!"

But it was good! Good, good GOOD i tells ya! More than good! MIRACULOUS!!!! Ok *sits down* The people at Trillium Gift of Life were so moved by my letter to my donor family that they were calling to ask if they could use it for medical students while they train - learning about organ donation. They wanted to know if they could use excerpts of it for the students to read so they could get a better understanding of just how impacting organ donation is. She said that they found it exceptionally well written, moving, and heartfelt. She hoped that it wouldn't damage the relationship I have begun to build with my donor family. I called back ASAP and said to go right on ahead, that they have my permission to use whatever they would life - half of it, some of it, all of it.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Then i made my mum listen to it. And then my dad. And then I will listen to it again and make myself realize that i am AWESOME and this is EXACTLY what i want to be doing with me life!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, screaming aside, things are grand! Dog walking is busy busy busy, and I am gone from 8:30-3pm pretty much, zooming all over the place and walking dogs. Life really couldn't be more awesome right now. No stupid people to deal with, no stupid stuff, no stupid anything. Just doing a job where i can do what i want, wear sweatpants if i want, a dress if i want, sandles if i want, shoes if i want, eat when i want, listen to music if i want, be silent if i want, avoid contact with people if i want, squeeze animals all i want, kick children in the park and run if i want, knock children over it i want.

It's beautiful. *squeak out tear at happy thought of knocking children over, whilst in sweatpants, with iPod in*

It's been a wicked day! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's so awesome to finally have a job that i don't flat out hate, that i feel inadequate at and where people are judging me. Animals don't judge, they just want love my friends. And that's what i've got : love love love!

"We're on shit that could kill a horse"

Upon investigation of possible side effects of antirejection meds, Cassie and I accumulated this list:

Cellcept:

- rare untreatable brain disease
- can give you HIV
- lukemia
- lymphoma
- uable to control muscles

Prograf:
- can make you go into a coma
- seizures
- decreased pee
- weight gain
- back pain
- rash
- itchy
- hearburn
- vomitting

Cyclosporin:

- facial swelling
- hair growth
- high blood pressure
- kidney and liver probs
- headaches
- high cholesterol
- loss of appetite
- vomitting
- acne or oily skin
- the shakes
- joint pains and cramps
- weakness and anxiety
- tingling in face and extremities
- night sweats
- hearing loss

Prednisone:

- vision problems
- eye pain, redness or tearing
- sore throat
- fever, chills, cough, or other signs of infection
- seizures
- depression
- confusion
- muscle twitching or tightening
- shaking of the hands that you cannot control
- numbness, burning, or tingling in the face, arms, legs, feet, or hands
- upset stomach
- vomiting
- lightheadedness
- irregular heartbeat

...and the very best, lets all yell it out together!:

LOSS OF CONTACT WITH REALITY

Fucken eh! That's all I have to say about that! So my tx friends, when you're feeling down and out, or ready to smack a bitch, or get on board your spaceship, take a peek at this special little list and find some comfort in the fact that it's not really you that's making you feel so effed, it's your medication yo.

Upon other things, things are grand! My new job is amazing - seriously busy, with a confusing schedule, and lots of zooming around and the like, but i love it. Thanks to my affinity for hating people (ok that's a lie: they're assholes), dog walking is pretty rad. The time is good too, which is fab! Some early mornings which I don't mind, some live out of the city, some need to be seen 2 to 3 times a day, most of them walked for 30 minutes, some are only walked certain days of the week, all must be seen at or around the same time each day, it's good. And i have to squeeze in appts in the mean time. And squeeze in seeing Finn.

And learn to give myself injections. And keep a stupid log *shakes fist in anger*

But other than that, i wouldn't have it any other way! Oh, and school starts next week, and I'm going to be joining a walking group with a fellow tx friend.

Weeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Ok, off to fill my pill box.