Going Home!!!

I finally got a definite answer on going home tomorrow...YAY!! I am SO SO ready to get out of here! I think I still have a little more to improve, but feel like that will happen once I get home and back into my normal routine (although, I'm not sure what that is right now or will since I'm done with school and not currently working). My doctor wants to continue doing high dose steroids (Prednisone) for about 2 more weeks. UGH!! At least it will be oral and I will be tapering the dose! And I don't have to deal with home iv abx this time. Right now I am still on 40mg of Solumedrol per day (which is a lot). They are tapering me to oral Prednisone tonight, so that will be good. I just took an oral dose of 40 mg, for a total of 45 mg today. But tomorrow I will begin 40mg once a day. I'm not used to taking this much steroids at a time. But I definitely feel better from it!! But at the same time, I hate being shaky and having headaches. I also think it is giving me some joint pain as well.

They actually sent a Diabetes Nurse Educator in just a little while ago to "refresh" my memory on checking blood sugars and taking insulin. I really didn't need it, but didn't argue with them. I have a meter at home and check it occasionally (well, a few times a year). I'm actually going to try and get an insulin pen to use instead of the needles. The educator showed me how to use the pen, and it looks awesome. And it will last me the entire time. This will only be probably a two week ordeal, or less, so I'm not too concerned. And it is just using a sliding scale, and fast-acting insulin. I may just have to cut back on my McDonald's McFlurry's for a little while :) I've been extremely blessed not have any issues with my sugars the last 4 or so years. I never had any issues prior to my transplant either (with the exception of a few months). Most CF patients have diabetes and have had it a long while, so I am really thankful I don't have to deal with this on an ongoing basis.

I did wake up a little short of breath and with a high heart rate this morning. But once I finally got moving around, it got better. I was extremely sleepy too and haven't slept that great, especially the last few nights. I've also been in a lot of back pain, which probably contributes to the high heart rate. I finally got some Ultram ordered instead of taking the Lortabs, will which will hopefully help! My heart rate is back into the 80s and 90s now while sitting in my bed. And my O2 sats are hanging out around 94-95 right now. Hopefully they will continue to improve as well, and get back up to 100% at home. I am really going to get back into jogging/running once my energy returns! Or that is my plan!

My lungs are moving air much better, according to the NP and the doctor. I asked the NP about the cause of the inflammation. She just said for some reason my lungs are more prone to it and due to my CF. But I'm planning on the steroids knocking the inflammation out for good. They may decide to do a bronch later on if the wheezing and pneumonia continues (which is fine with me). Once the steroids are completed, my doctor does want me to try the inhaled TOBI the first of July. He said we can talk about it later, and I may not have to do a full month of it. Possibly just a couple of weeks, which would be nice. I am also going to try using the Advair inhaler again to help with my wheezing. We'll see if that works. I imagine I will be returning back to transplant clinic in about 2 or 3 weeks as well.

I have a dinner with the CFF staff tomorrow night at one of our Great Stride's walk chair's house (just the 4 of us). So my plan is to get out of here by lunch time tomorrow, go home, take a shower and get to the dinner by 6:00.

Oh...my passport came in the mail today...YAY!! I had another visitor from my church this morning as well. I also went up last night to the CF/Pulmonary floor and visited Richard (Kori's husband) and another CF patient who is on the transplant list. Brandi and I are ordering Chinese food tonight..YUMMY!!

Thanks for all the support, prayers and comments through my hospital stay!! It truly means a lot!