We are now in April!!

So I'm a terrible blogger!! 

Lots to catch up on and lots of pics, it's been an interesting few months! 

So let's start with a little talk I done with a fellow transplant/CF friend Holly Pereira, we went to a 6th form college in Burpham to talk to the students about Organ Donation and why we needed a double lung transplant and how unwell we were prior to getting one. 

Holly was originally doing this with her auntie who is a GP and a nurse from the organ donation  donor side of things. So as I lived near by Holly asked me to join her! 

It was really great to spread some awareness and encourage kids to talk about it, learn more about it and sign up for it! 

I find this generation a lot more open to the idea than say the oldies! 

Kids these days just don't see why you wouldn't be one! Which is a fantastic attitude to have! 

Really enjoyed the talk and meeting everyone! 

A week or so later I came down with shingles! 

This is the adult form of chicken pox! It was so bloody random though! 

I hadn't been near anyone with anything wrong with them that I was aware of, but as I was told it's very common in transplant patients as we have low immune Systems for it to just flare up now! 

Up until this point you kinda forget your more vulnerable to infections and viruses etc, I've spent my life having chest infections etc, now feeling so well you take things for granted and forget that actually everyone around could be potentially life threatening to me! 

....but that doesn't mean I'm now some freak who is going to live in a bubble, yes be more careful and use hand gel a little bit more than I was! But I haven't been given this second chance to live my life worrying about what "could" happen! 

Anyway so this shingles for me was very mild compared to stories I have heard so I think I am very lucky, it started off with a sore thumb which I actually thought was a splinter at first, had that for about a week or so and then a small rash appeared, then a week later after, the rash got worse and my thumb began to blister and puss (sorry graphic, obviously I have pics too) ha 

I went to walk in centre and they thought it was just a fungal infection, was sent back to my gp which also said fungal infection and started me on some cipro.

 I wasn't  convinced so I sent pics to my cousin Sally and she showed her dermatologist who she works with (Sally is a doctor) and she came back and said it was herpes zoster which is another name for shingles...I'm just going to call it shingles as saying you have herpes sounds like I have a disgusting noony area...I would just like to claify that part of my body was NOT affected hahahahaha 

So contacted Harefield and was started on a high dose of Aciclovir, 800mg 5 times a day and within a week it had already started to clear up and heal. I was exhausted, before I found out what it was I was saying to mum and lee I just don't have as much energy as I have had, something wasn't right, my lung function dropped slightly so it was a relief once I knew what it was. They also gave me some codeine and pregabalin as my arm the same side of my rash and sore thumb was so painful and achey, constantly throbbing, but once all that kicked in, I felt like me again just a bit tired still! 

I have to say it's been over a month now and I still don't feel 100% back to my crazy self. I'm pushing myself more instead of it being a natural way to be. 

Anyways so that was that! 

What else has happened in the sprogs life.....

Well some very exciting news, I'm going to be a fur mummy again!  To a little whippet called Archie!  

He was born on the 4th March and we get him next weekend! So exciting these are the piccys of him so far! We found him at 4 weeks, but he's grown so much already! He's now 6 weeks old! 

So last week I spent the week in the Lake District for a girly break! All the girls in the family! 

I'd forgotten after arranging with the family that I had a talk I had agreed to do at Harefield for an Organ donation study day! I couldn't let them down and it was a privilege to be asked Aswell. 

So we traveled up on Sunday, me, mum, auntie Pam and of course my little Mason! 

Was so nice to be up there, it's my favourite place in the world! So peaceful and free up there! And not forgetting so beautiful! 

On the Monday we were very lucky to be invited out my aunties friends boat! It was gorgeous! And I even got a chance to drive it down lake Windermere which now makes me want to be rich and buy a boat!! We stopped off on the lake at a very posh hotel for some lunch, most people park up there cars, we just casually parked up the boat! Haha 

Had a lovely lunch and then went home later that day after talking LOADSSSSS of selfies! 

We went back and spent the evening pampering! My cousin Nicola was the best she gave me a lovely set of lash extensions even though she is all preggers and looks like she's about to pop! 

And then I enter the world of a spray tanning! Never had one before and although I looked like an umpa lumpa before I washed it off I loved it!! Mum mum also joined me!! 

The next day we got up early and was dropped to oxemeholme station to travel down to Milton Keynes and then change to Watford and then a taxi to Harefield by 3.30 for my talk! Was quite a nice little journey down on the train with mum! 

I felt quite calm about my speech, had about 6 pages written down and was ready. When I got there I became a little more nervous, there was about 50 people there, and one of which was my old transplant co ordinator brain who got me back on the list both times but had left before I got my transplant so it was so great to see him!! And I mentioned him in my speech, was a lovely surprise as I didn't know he was going to be there. 

During my speech I mentioned about my donor and how I had written to the family, I read out the letter and also my donor family reply to my letter leaving out personal information, and as I read out a certain part about how the coordinator had approached my donor family, who name was mentioned in the letter as Lucy, it turns out she was there that day!! In the background of my speech I played my transplant journey on YouTube so it wasn't all focused on me reading out. I got a lovely applause after the speech and I felt buzzing and a lot of people came up to speak to me after to say well done for eveything and how good it was to hear the other side of the journey as most only saw donor families. That's when I met Lucy my donor families co ordinator! Was a bit weird, but I also thanked her! If it was for her approaching the family who nos!! All in all a great day and felt so positive and happy after it! 

My dad and sister Hannah met us there after and we went for a yummy harvester and then dad dropped us back to Watford Junction to travel back up to the lakes!! This time Hannah was coming back with us! We spent the journey looking at a crazy man, who was clearly loving life, he literally sang and danced the whole 3 and half hours and when I got a glimpse of what he was listening to it was the SPICE GIRLS! Haha he was a big black man around 40 years old! I was loving it! I want what he's on!! Haha 

 

Our train didn't get in until 10.10 so was late, had a little natter when we got back and the we all went to bed! 

Next day was a kinda chilled one, we done my cousins belly cast of her baby bump! 

Then we got ready and went to a cocktail bar down in Windermere and had some lunch! The weather was awful but it was nice to chill! 

Then Thursday had to be one of the best days! Me Sally and Hannah done a go ape style tree obstacle, it was amazing and I have to say im not that scared of heights now! 

Haha I think I laughed the whole way around and almost wet my myself from falling so much! 

The we did a zip robe at the end was such a buzz! 

Then after that I went onto this kids tree thing that was nets and you climb up them and slide down and bounce around, I was knackered but was good fun with Amelie! Done my exercise for that day! 

Then we went back and had the best Chinese that night followed by karaoke!!

I haven't been able to sing that much in forever! 

Not saying the voice was great but I could do it haha and now no I do a not so bad impression of Cher!! Hahaha 

We all left on the Friday as Hannah and I had work on Saturday, was gutted to be going home even though I missed lee, went too quickly and love it up there!! 

But I have to show off Mason, I like to think he loved it up there and got some gorgeous pics of him! 

So that brings me to today! I had work and I was in so much pain, I think the tree climbing and bouncing around on the kids thing caught up on me today! I couldn't wait to finish work and get into my pjs!! 

Now we have ordered a pizza for dinner even though I should be watching what I eat now I'm chubby! And tomorrow me and Veronica are baking for the Harefield cake bake on Monday competition! The mayor of Hillingdon is judging so let's hope we win!!...not that I'm competitive  Hahahah also at Harefield clinic to see Simona and Aron! 

Promise not to be a long blog next time 

Mucho loveo 

Xoxo