The Sweet Escape

I am absolutely shattered now from driving 2 hours each way, spending the day at hospital and seeing a few mates! There is no rest in my life..all go...go go!!!!

The first procedure is to get my blood tests done, and in the last blog I said that after nearly 3 years of them...still clueless. So, I made a point to find out what and why there were doing..lol. There are 8 blood samples done in total being:-

1) a full blood count - which checks for infections and if I am anaemic or not
2) a sample to check my kidneys are working
3) a sample to check my liver is working
4) a sample to check my glucose levels, whether my sugars are too high or low, and for diabetes
5) a sample that checks for more infections (a specialised test..!!??oooer..lol)
6) a sample that checks my tissue type, and my anti-bodies (this is done every 3months)
7) a sample to check whether my blood is clotting
8) and lastly a sample which checks my medications - that they are still working fine, or whether levels need to be adjusted.

Then weight, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation levels are done.
Then a light walk to get my lung x-ray...and I can't seem to go anywhere without bumping into staff that I know there..have a good old chit chat and some giggles...Oh..better get my x-ray done..tee hee!!
Then off to the "lung room"...as I call it, where I have to breathe into a machine to get my lung function results. As much as I exercise, this is really hard work.....my first result bizarrely was ok, and the other 3 declined each time. I was running out of puff, and had had enough!! I actually felt good for the first time in ages after doing my lung function (slight decline from last visit, but nothing to worry about).

Ok Ok tests all done..now I was off to meet a mate for lunch, Carrie in Uxbridge - where I ate the biggest jacket potato known to man with tuna mayo and cheese......yum!! Hopefully next time, I will get to meet with Liz - hope you get better sweetie. Now my drive back to the hospital feeling full and wondering what my Doctor would say......But, I still needed and wanted to see Sally who about a week ago had a double-lung transplant, and Grazyna another LAM lady staying in for a short while.

It was great to meet Sally, and going great guns!!! Just look at the photo at the top of the page!!

And fabulous to see Grazyna....both Grazyna and I last remember seeing each other when we had our oxygen tanks, and it was so nice that we were both without oxygen and tubing! Woohoo!!!!

So after more chats with other patients and staff.....time to get my results, and I flew away with flying colours. Yippy!!! My next check up is in 6 months time, which will be slightly after my 3rd year annual MOT....which will require more tests. But, I am delighted to be leaving hospital feeling happy, and ironically a tune played on the radio called, "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani. Those who have been following my diaries from my website may remember how this song played a big part in my life every time I went to hospital in the early days...as I feared rejection. So.....loud as you like I was singing away in my car - no care in the world how stupid I may look!!! Lol

Thanks for all the lovely messages, and thanks for still being interested in my life post - transplant!! x x x