Feels like a new day has come

It appears that changes have been taking place in my body and i have finally turned a huge corner in my recovery process. Just the fact that i feel up to blogging today says a lot to me. I am sorry i haven't been keeping up with the blog, but my energy just hasn't been there, as well as the fact that we have a shotty internet connection that hs been acting up this week. So I will give you a synopsis of the week i have had...

MONDAY...
I had my first transplant clinic appointment, and i also go to visit with my friends Steve and Michelle while waiting to be called in to see the doc. My appointment went really well. They were super happy because my creatinine was at 1.4, and all my blood values were all good and everything was headed in the right direction. My INR levels (clotting factors) were right where they needed to be to take out the catheter. The only thing was that my blood pressure started to go up, and they put me on some blood pressure meds. That is normal and a result of the new meeds i am on.
After the appointment we went out to lunch to celebrate, and kill some time before we got to our next appointment at 1pm to see my old lungs in pathology. We went to this crepe place in menlo park, my first outing as a transplant patient. I had not done anything "normal" in so long... it felt amazing to go out to lunch. It also worked perfectly because we were able to sit outside, no one was there, and under heat lamps, so the germs were non-existent. YAY. It was delishious and i was able to eat it. I got a cup of french onion soup, and a caramelized apple crepe. It was fantastic.
At 1 we met Casey to meet the lungs. It was appropriately kept in the gross room. I cant post pictures right now, as i am doing this from the ipad, and my pics are on the computer. But you can check out my mom's blog to see some nasty pictures... i will get some up eventually. It was amazing to see how destroyed my lungs were. They were chopped up from their time in pathology, but you could definitely get the picture that they were "end stage". I was able to see some of the old mucus in the airways, and in disgusting Anna fashion i squeezed the lungs like a zit to get the stuff out. If only treatments had been that easy before. hahaha. It was absolutely fascinating and disgusting to see what i had been carrying around for so long. but i was very thankful for the time the lungs did give me and i made sure to give them much thanks.

TUESDAY...
I got my dialysis catheter removed. We were able to get that done by noon, and come back home to rest. I dont think too much else happened but that was another huge milestone. Oh yea, and Casey took me out for a walk, and i walked for the first time since i have been home without the wheelchair as a walker. I walked all on my own for about10 minutes. Oh yes, and this was the day we realized my chest tube site had finally dried up. No more ridiculous dressing changes all day long. All of my holes are now closed, except the picc line site, where it leaks occasionally, but it isn't that big of a deal.

WEDNESSAY....
The first day since NOV 22 that we did not have to go to the hospital. We just relaxed and rested. I didn't have much energy, and spent a lot of time in my bed. Somethng miraculous did occur. I said to my mom at about 830 am, " I am just going to sit here and enjoy my coffee" WHAT? that is such a normal person thing to say. I have never had time in the morning to "enjoy" myself. I have always been wrapped up in hours of meds and treatments. This truly was the first time i realized how my life has changed dramatically. I have been so wrapped up in the chaos of everything i hadn't had a "normal" moment until then. It was an amazing realization..

THURSDAY (Today)
Today was amazing. I have not had this much energy since before transplant. I can't believe i am still going. This am we went to the ATIC at stanford for my blood draw, which i don't have to do again until MON. YAY. After my mom and i looked at eachother and decided we didn't have anything to do, so we should go out to breakfast. Something i have talked about doing as a wish list thing after transplant. I have never in my life been able to go out to breakfast at a reasonable "breakfast" hour becuse i always had to stay up late doing treatments, then wake up to do more, before i could ever get out of the house. So it was amazing to me that i got to go to eat breakfast at 9am. We went to berrones and ate outside, again, limiting the germ factor. I got a nice scramble and hot chocolate, the best hot chocolate i have ever had, if you haven't gotten one at berrones you must before you die.
Next we came home, watched a show, took a nap, then played banana grams a very fun game, and then i decided we needed some lunch. I suggested pizza and my mom went for it. So we went to Pizza my heart, which is brand new here in sunnyvale. I was able to eat the whole piece, and i was still hungry and i convinced casey to let me get pink berry, which is at the same location, so i got a mini coconut, with kiwi and strawberries, with a waffle cookie. It was the best combo i have had. We then took casey back home, and i saw my park i said "lets go to the park and walk" my mom laughed at me because i have had so much energy today, but she agreed, we pulled over and i walked around the park once, and up and back on the sidewalk. Before transplant i needed to sit on this bench that was about 2/3 of the way through the park loop, but this time, i walked the whole thing without ever needing to sit!!! It really helped me to feel the power of these new lungs. i must say tho, my legs were very heavy, and that is what i am working through now, is gaining strength in my legs, but my lungs work just fine!!! It is so amazing.

I finally feel like i am on the other side, getting a taste of what my life will be like. My mom is already saying that i am going to wear her out. But we will see... i think it will be fun! So many adventures we will go on. This weekend we are planning to head to Livermore. That should be a nice change of pace. We got the blessing from the doc, that i can go that far. The other thing is that i need to work on getting my legs strong so i can deal with the 5 stairs in my house, and be able to go home to see my kitties. I can't wait to get back there, but i am comfortable here with mom, working on getting better. Things are feeling good... keeping moving in the right direction. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers, i could never have done this without you. I know the power of positive thoughts, and i know it has helped me make it this far. It takes a village. I don't feel like I am the one with the transplant, I feel like we have all done this together.....