Operation Bronch. - OVER.

Hidey Ho Heffers.

I'm home from the bronchoscopy. Well, I mean, I've been home. Since around 2:30 or 3:00 pm. I completely pigged out after the procedure. We stopped on the way home at McDonald's. I got a cheeseburger, large fries, AND 5 chicken tenders with ranch. I ate all of it, except 3 of the chicken tenders. I was STARVING. Then I attempted to get online and check my facebook. But after falling asleep in the middle of fb'in it, 3 seperate times and almost dropping my laptop, I gave up and laid down to nap. A nice long nap.

Of course when I got up, I was hungry again. It was around 6:30 pm so Mom and I walked down to the community kitchen and cooked some generic Chicken Voila for me and some dinner rolls. It was soooo tasty. I ate a big helping of that and then a bowl of orange sherbert icecream. Mmmmmm. Now my tummy is hurting a little, but I think it will go away.

Anyways...about the bronch. Everything went as well as it could go. Except that when Mom and I went out to the car to go to the hospital this morning around 6:40 am (had to be there at 7 am to register, bronch was scheduled for 8 am), our front left tire was FLAT. Just what I needed. *rolls eyes* So we ended up trying to call a cab but in the end my friend Victoria's husband Chris (my bf Luke's brother) came and picked us up and drove us to the hospital. Then picked us up afterwards and drove us home as well. THank God for him today!

So once they sedated me and began the procedure, I don't really remember anything. I guess I fell asleep. The dr. said that everything looked fine, but that I had some pulmonary edema in my vessels. SO, he prescribed me some lasix. YAY! i hope i lose weight! :) He didn't seem too concerned about the edema, said the lasix should take care of it. The xray looked stable he said, the same as the last one basically. I hope that the lasix helps with the pleural effusion as well.

I'm feeling okay so far post bronch. My left side was pretty sore afterwards, but the Dr. told me that it was probably from the biopsies. He said they found a little bit of mucus in my lungs, but not too much and they sucked it out and are culturing it to check for infection. So all in all, I guess things went good. I did have to stay a lil' longer after the procedure b/c my sats were being stubborn and not coming up like they should have. but after a lil oxygen for a bit,t hey came up and I was released to the homeplace! I've been coughing up a little blood off and on from the biopsies, but that is normal. Even though aggrivating!

Well, my tummy is hurting and It's time to climb the pill-alayas once again. So i'll holler at y'all later! Thanks for your prayers today!

Bronchcoscopy - Not a happy camper.

Hi Y'all.

Not much to report today. Had P.T. then went shoe shopping for new sneaks. (AGAIN) I needed a new pair so they can insert that thingie into the bottom to help with my ankle pain. They couldn't use the other ones I bought for it. Poop. There went another $65 into the black hole. Anyways...

Tomorrow I have my bronch and I'm a little nervous about it. Not really nervous about the process or procedure, but about what they may find. If I hadn't been coughing and stuff lately (Which is why they moved it up), I wouldn't be as worried. But, I'm going to try and not worry about it too much. I'm going to bed earlier tonight b/c I have to wake up at 5:30 am so I can be at the hospital by 7am.

Wish me luck tomorrow. *sigh* Thank you, drive through please!

Everyday should be a Duke day!

What's up my people?!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far. Mine is going pretty good. Haven't had too much pain. Sunday was good. I spent the evening alone, all night. My brother left around 2pm in the afternoon to go back home since he had to work yesterday. And Mom didn't come back until yesterday morning in time to pick me up for P.T.

It was nice having freedom to do what I want, say what I want, walk around naked if I want. I watched Hounddog. GOod movie, but a little on the disturbing side. Dakota Fanning plays a young rape victim a little TOO convincingly. Ponder that for a while, folks. *shivers in disgust* Oops, sorry if i spoiled the plot of the movie. But you will probably thank me for it later. I have to admit, while the movie is pretty disturbing, she is good at putting on a REALLY southern accent. No girl her age should be so frickin' talented. It's just uncalled for. Anyways, I digress.......

Like I was saying, It was nice to spend the evening alone for once. But, at one point I did get bored as hell. And then I got a little sad for no reason. (F-You Prednisone - I survived you're attack!) After crying for about 30 minutes for no apparant reason, I took an ativan and calmed down. Yay for ativan!

P.T. went well as could be expected on Monday, with a lame ankle. Enough said.

SO...today was a great day. Mom and I went to Duke! YAY!!!! My first time on Duke's campus since 1993. I was 12 years old. And I walked around all day! It was such a blessing! (Both to be back at Duke and able to walk around and not get out of breath) First we went to the Bryan Center and ate at the Armadillo Grill. It was pretty tasty. THEN, we went to the University Store, where I dropped way too much cash on Duke shit. But it was so worth it. THEN....we went to the Duke Chapel.

The Chapel is so beautiful. Just as beautiful as I remembered it. We sat down and I said some prayers for my Donor and Donor family. I also took the time to thank God again for my new lungs and new life. We took some good pics of the chapel, inside and a few outside.

Tomorrow I have P.T. again at 11 am. Then on Thursday - THE BRONCH. :-( *sigh* Such is the life of a lung transplant patient.

*cue theme music as curtain falls*

Bagels and cream cheese anyone?

Hey everyone!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend so far. My weekend is going splendidly if I do say so myself. Last night I went out to eat a fabulous dinner at Mama Dips with my friend Ann and her husband Alex. It was so tasty. But I HAVE to stop going out to eat before I go broke. But it's just so fun to enjoy being able to go out and not getting tired or out of breath and to just enjoy myself or have to worry about running out of O2. :)

Then today my Mom went home for the weekend and my brother drove up here to hang out and stay over with me so I wouldn't be alone. We ordered pizza for lunch from Alfredo's and it was super tasty. I love their pizza. So good. Then we just hung out, he watched some football while I facebooked and chatted. lol Around dinner time we went out and rented a couple movies, so I'm writing this while we're watching The Last House on the Left. Boy this movie is more disturbing than the first version! I also rented Hounddog with Dakota Fanning. Bree told me that it was also pretty disturbing. Great.

Clinic went pretty well yesterday. They still are waiting to put me back on a profalactic antibiotic. Which makes me a little nervous but, I trust their expertise. They said my x ray looked fine, a lil better. Which is good. But, they discovered a pollup in my nose, which they said COULD be what's causing all of my coughing and the blood streaks in the sputum those times. Or it could be something else. or it could just be nothing to worry about. B/c I haven't had any temperature or shortness of breath or anythign else. But, just to be on the safe side, they've moved my 3 month bronch. up from the 17th of Sept. to this coming Thursday. I'm a little nervous about it. But, I'm being positive. :)

Tomorrow night Bo (my brother) is going to be back at home since he has to work in the morning. And Mom is staying home again and coming back up here Mon. morning in time to take me to P.T. So, I'll be staying alone tomorrow night. My FIRST night alone post transplant, all by myself. With no Dr.'s or nurses or Mom around. I'm a bit nervous but more excited than anything! Wish me luck!!!!

GUESS WHAT! I believe I've discovered what I inherited from my Donor!!! BAGELS! She must have loved bagels. B/c ever since my transplant I have craved them non stop. And before transplant i hardly EVER ate them. Not that I didn't like them at all, It's just i rarely ate them. And when I say rarely - i mean like once ever 6 months to a year, I'd eat a bagel. Now I can't get enough of their goodness! I clump on cream cheese and spread it allllllllll over and then practically inhale them. I eat them with breakfast at least 4 or 5 days out of a week. And still crave them during the day (but don't eat them during the day). Well occassionally I will if i didn't eat them at breakfast that day. :) Its so odd! But definitely cool to have such a connection with my Donor.

Well I'm going go watch Hounddog now. I'll blog at y'all later! Here's a pic of my Pomeranian Prince, Neeko, to make you smile! He always makes me smile!


Neeko loves corn on the cob!

Shrimp Sauce, Shrimp Sauce, where for art thou, Shrimp Sauce..????

Helloooooooo y'all.

Hope everyone had a great Thursday. I had a pretty low key day. It was one of my day's off from P.T. so I just lounged aorund all day until time to get ready to go out. Then tonight I went out to eat dinner with Stephenie. OHhhh my gosh. I'm so effin' full. All I've done all day is eat it feels like. Prednisone is NO JOKE! It makes me so hungry!!! We went to a Japenese steak house in Durham. It was soooooooooooooo tasty. It was the first time i'd eaten Japanese since my transplant. It sooo hit the spot. I ate sooo much! Oh how I've missed that shrimp sauce!!!! While, the food was wonderful, our cook was lacking on the trick skills. He messed up sooo many times. He must have either been new or he was having an "off" night. He went to flip the bowl up ontop of his hat and dropped it on all 3 tries. One time it missed his head completely and flew behind him.

But that's okay. It was just super exciting to be back at a Japanese steak house for the first time in forever. The first time sans oxygen. EVER. I didn't have to back away from the table or cover my face when he did the fire trick!!! Yay! Fire is no longer my enemy!!! :)

Then we went to Super Target, b/c she had to get some little gifts for her trainees at work. Okay I have a confession. Even though it is the stupidest ugliest thing I've ever seen...I've really wanted a Snuggie blanket ever since I first saw the commercial. Well.....they had them at Super Target...and....well...I was weak! I bought one! A pink one! I can't wait to get cold again so I can use it! :) Don't laugh at me! I hear your cackles! You're just jealous you don't have a Snuggie!!! lol

Tomorrow I have tx clinic and P.T. Then, I believe I'm going out to eat with Ann and her husband. God, I feel like all I do is eat these days. lol

Okay, I'm done for now. I'll see y'all later!!!!! *POOF*



Steph and I at the Japanese steak house! Her last night in Durham!