Lack of Posting/Misc Update

Sorry for the lack of blog posting this past few weeks. Things have been crazy...school is crazy and if I have any free time, I'm trying to spend it studying. I have a huge physiology lecture quiz due tomorrow, an exam next week that I really need to do well on, and several other things for my other 2 classes.

A quick health update: the TOBI has seemed to work pretty well in keeping this pseudo sinus & lung infection under control. I haven't felt any worse since my clinic appointment last week. However, I finish my oral Cipro tomorrow (which I was on for the sinus pseudo infection). I still have 2 weeks left of the TOBI, so I'm praying the infection will clear up even more. I still don't feel 100%, and could really use some additional energy.

My back is still very extreme/sever pain, and it's getting really frustrating. It has prevented me from attending some classes, and overall being able to do a whole lot. Driving irritates it, so I've been limiting my driving. I'm not sleeping well, because i can only lay on one side without being in too much pain. I had missed my physical therapy appointments last week, but got back in yesterday. I'm hoping those visits will help. I'm taking so much pain meds, it's crazy...and when I get in a lot of pain, it makes me feel like crap. I have a HUGE pain tolerance, so when my pain level is over 10...it's bad. And today it's bad. I would love some relief.

I had the opportunity to speak to a group of people about CF on Wednesday. It was a committee that is in charge of deciding which organizations to support for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They have been supporters of CF for awhile, and wanted one of the "agencies" they support to come talk at their meetings. So the council president invited the CF (in particular me) to come speak. They had written an article about CF/our local CFF/and myself for their newsletter publication. So their 1st meeting, which consisted of the council/committee members was Wednesday. There were probably about 25-30 people. I talked for about 10 minutes and according to other people, the speech went exceptionally well. Some of the members asked questions at the end...which I love. To me, asking questions, indicates they really paid attention to what I said and are really interested in Cystic Fibrosis.

I will speak at 3 more of their meetings in March, in which employees are invited to come and see what agencies the Committee supports and how they are involved in the community. I'm really excited about those meetings as well, as it will be employees showing interest in what this committee does, which in turn means interest in Cystic Fibrosis.

My brother's birthday is tomorrow, and he is coming home this weekend to celebrate. Other than that, I plan on resting this weekend and studying like crazy.

Oh..and I did not attend my Neurology appointment last week (which was for my intense hand/body shaking) due to the weather (snow). I have not rescheduled it yet, and may be delaying it somewhat.

I hope everyone's week is going well. Just one more day until the weekend :) I will try my best to post updates more frequently. Next Thursday, I will celebrate my 6th Transplant Anniversary. God has been so great, and I feel so blessed to be here, alive today, and able to pursue my dreams.

Clinic Results

I mean to post this update yesterday, but got busy! I had my follow-up transplant clinic appointment Wednesday from when I was in the hospital recently. Unfortunately, it didn't go quite as I expected....wasn't horrible, but not good either.

My PFT's were slightly lower than the visit in December, but higher compared to September/ last Fall. My FVC was 1.58/47% and FEV1 was 0.99/37%. I usually don't have that big of a gap between the two numbers...so I was a little surprised. My midflow (FEF 25-75%) was 0.33 or 10%. Performing the tests today definitely stirred me up....evidently I've got a lot of junk inside (sorry, probably TMI).

In December, my FVC was 1.49/44% and my FEV1 was 1.10/40%. My midflow/FEF 25-75% was 1.05/31%. In November, my FVC was 38% and FEV1 34%. In September, my FVC was 35% and FEV1 33%. So today's #'s were better than September and November of last year. They weren't really concerned and neither was I. And plus, my PFT's don't always accurately reflect the way I'm feeling.

My WBC count was really high @ 15 something. Mine usually runs around 3 or 4...so definitely indicative of an infection. I haven't had a WBC count that high in probably 2 years. But the weird thing is, my WBC count with this last pneumonia was only 8 something...which is still pretty elevated for me. So we were all definitely shocked to see this number. I don't think I'm contagious in that aspect since I've been on antibiotics. However, I'm going to pay extra attention to those around me that might have colds, the sniffles, etc., right now.

I'm really frustrated and "tired" of being sick and not being able to knock out this dang infection. I knew I had pseudomonas growing in my sinuses from my ENT visit (and more than likely in my lungs again), but didn't expect it to be that bad. My xray looked ok, about the same as it was in December, and much clearer than with this past pneumonia. I am very dehydrated as well...which I had a feeling I would be because I've been thirsty like crazy. Also, in the lab this morning, it took them 5 sticks to get blood...UGH. They said my veins were dehydrated. Of course I'm not sure exactly how much of the dehydration caused the difficulty verses the skills of the lab technicians. One tech did get a vein, but I didn't have any pressure/blood flow to get into the lab tubes--weird.

I have completed 2 weeks of Cipro and about 1 week of inhaled TOBI. We (my doc and I) are hoping the TOBI as well as the final week (week 3) of the oral Cipro will help clear this infection up. I also did another sputum culture to check sensitivities, since we are now dealing with a lung infection and not just sinuses. I didn't realize you could have different sensitivities in the lungs verses the sinuses. If I haven't improved much in the next week, then my doc said we would probably have to do IV antibiotics...which STINKS that this is happening again so quick. Hopefully though, if that is necessary, we will be able to arrange home IV antibiotics. That will allow me to still attend classes. I definitely don't feel as bad as I did with this last pneumonia... I'm not as SOB and are not running any fevers. So as long as I don't feel worse, the home IV's will work (of course this is only if the TOBI doesn't kick in). So we'll see what happens over the next week. If you feel led, please pray that this infection resolves quickly, and that it won't interfere or put me behind in my classes again.

My doctor that I saw today did mention that it seems like these infections are brewing when I'm on my "off month" of the TOBI or not on any kind of oral antibiotic. He suggested alternating the inhaled TOBI with inhaled Colistin. I'm not too thrilled, as I don't want to be on antibiotics 24/7. But I guess if that is what it takes to keep me out of the hospital this semester, then I will do it. I haven't used the Colistin since before my transplant....so I'll be interested to see how it works.

My weight was up 5 pounds from December, which is really good, considering I had lost about 10 pounds with the gallbladder issues/surgery (which is a lot for someone my size). I'm very happy that the weight is starting to come back on :)

My back pain is doing better...still there and extremely painful at times...but definitely getting better. I've had to cancel my 2 therapy appointments this week due to a school exam and today due to not feeling well. I'm really going to try to be pro-active and stay well (which may include missing some classes if it is really cold weather outside). We are supposed to have possible SNOW (not just flurries) on Friday. I'm anxious to see if the weather people are right this time :)

At last but not least, I have a neurology appointment on Friday morning to evaluate the extensive shaking I'm having. I thought it was much better, but has been worse the last few days. Although I'm mostly noticing it in my hands verses my entire body like it had been doing awhile back. I'm sure this will be an interesting appointment...not looking forward to answering a million questions :)

Ok...so a long post...sorry. I hope everyone has a great Thursday...almost the weekend.

Wrap-Up Wednesday

Ok...so my promise of blogging more obviously didn't happen last week nor this week. It has been SO SO crazy, I just haven't had time to blog. In addition, my computer got a virus the end of last week. So I had to take it to get it removed and just got it back and set up in my new room yesterday. So today, Wednesday, I'm going to do another "catch-up" post. BEWARE: LONG POST (but I do hope you will read it)

I have officially moved downstairs...YAY! I really love having my own space. I was going to post some pics of my scrapbooking area, but my computer is not cooperating right now. So I promise I will post those later this week, hopefully sooner than later. Sorry! I finally have all (or most) of my scrapbooking stuff organized. Now I can finally start scrapbooking (I'm so far behind).

My bedroom is complete, with the exception of my wall art, decorations, etc. I had to buy a new desk because the one that I had in my "old room" was too long. In addition, it was really heavy and bulky, and we were not sure we could get it out of the hall and down the stairs without disassembling it. So my Mom is going to use that desk. I also bought some cute valances for my windows, and are hoping to put those up this weekend as well (I didn't have curtains in my old room). The valences are "suede/velvet-like" which exactly matches my comforter. The colors are exact too...and even more exciting was that they were on clearance at Target!!

Ok...so a few more things just to catch you up on.......

Thank you to those who left comments on my blog regarding Emily Mulkey's passing. It's been tough...but ok. For those of you who would like to write a response to Emily's Memorial Service, a letter to Faith, Jason or another family member, or simply express how Emily's life has affected you, changed you, encouraged you, or inspired you (whether you knew her or not), you are welcome to comment on her blog (specifically by clicking here). These will be printed and bound for the family.

Ok...onto another subject. I had a visit with my ENT last week....only to find out my sinuses looked really good. I was a little confused, as my transplant team as well as myself thought my sinuses were the culprit of this last admission with pneumonia. It may very well have been, but no one knows for sure. My ENT did a culture just to make sure everything was ok. And about 1 week later, the nurse called me to say that my culture grew out moderate pseudomonas. So I am back on Cipro oral antibiotic for 3 weeks...yay! My body is tired of antibiotics...needs a break. But I could tell I was very junky...so I'm glad he did a culture. I started doing an occasional Xopenex inhaled neb treatment to help get the junk out. I also start my inhaled TOBI this weekend. I'm trying to stay well and OUT of the hospital.

School is going ok....I bombed my 1st physiology lecture exam this week...yikes. I knew I wasn't 100% prepared. It's been hard coming in 3 weeks into the semester...still have some catching up to do. I'm praying I can bring my grade up. I have my 1st physiology lab exam tomorrow (Thursday). I also have a nutrition class exam next week as well as a project due.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is going to be a very busy day. It is my 25th BIRTHDAY. I have my 3 usual classes, including my physio lab exam. I also have a nursing school application session where I will be informed of everything I need to apply to nursing school. I'm excited about that!

One more thing...I have been experiencing some severe lower back/hip-area pain. It is really bothersome and really painful. Please pray that this resolves quickly, as it is interfering with going to classes, driving, sleeping, etc. I am attending physical therapy like I have been, and doing some other things to try and relieve the pain. Thanks!

I think that about wraps everything up! Sorry for the long post....I'm going to do my best to update and blog more frequently!

Saturday Update

Once again, sorry for no update until now. The computer I was using sorta crashed, and I was unable to use it at all. I am borrowing Brandi's computer, and very thankful she is allowing me to borrow it. Thanks girl! Brandi just got admitted Friday, so if you haven't visited her blog yet, go ahead and let her know you are thinking and praying for her.

As for me...the lungs are doing good...much better. I am now completely off oxygen. Last night was my 2nd night off the O2, and my oxygen saturations seems to be holding ok. I've definitely got a little bit more energy and definitely feel better. I'm not completely better...but definitely on the road. My goal is to still go home Monday on home IV's, so I can attend classes on Tuesday. We will see!

I ended up getting a unit of blood yesterday (Friday). My HCT dropped 3 more points from Thursday, down to 19. So that gave me a little more energy as well.

As far as my tummy....it really sucks. It has not gotten any better, and last night was probably the worst night. It descended majorly...looking like I was pregnant with triplets. It really was uncomfortable and the morphine was helping much. I managed to tolerate it after 2 rounds of IV morphine and finally fall asleep. Of course this morning is was better. It has started to distend as of now (4pm CST), and I'm not sure what will happen. Several people (nurses, docs, etc.) were really pushing me to get an NG tube to get the air out. I've been really trying to avoid it. I can handle anything else accept for NG tubes, and was seriously traumatized by them after transplant with my bowel obstruction. I talked with my doctor this morning and he said it was entirely up to me. And he wasn't 100% sure it would cure the problem either. He said we could watch it today and see what it does. He is more than willing to give me some more pain medicine to see if that helps. And if it doesn't, he will probably order an ultrasound. The xray only shows air/gas, and I'm doing everything humanly possible to resolve it. I hate this and it's more frustrating that we don't know what is causing it to build up in my stomach. We know it's not an obstruction, because everything is functioning in that area. He has cut back on one of my oral antibiotics: Azithromycin. I usually take this M, W, and Fridays, but the doc who admitted me changed it to every day. So my doc now is changing it back to M, W, Fridays like normal. Please pray that this issue will resolve itself ASAP and it won't affect me going home. I'm still sick and not over this infection/pneumonia, but feel good enough to resume treatment at home, so I can keep up with classes.

The only other issue is my sinuses. I am still congested in my head and cannot hear out of my right ear at all. And none of this has resolved since admission. Usually the IV antibiotics help with that. So I'm not sure what we will do about this. Because a lot of the times, my sinuses are the cause of the lung infections.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will update again tomorrow. Oh...and ROLL TIDE!! BAMA IS #1

Weekend Wrap-Up

WOW! It's been forever since I blogged (or at least it seems). I apologize for that....especially to my loyal followers! It has definitely been a hectic week, good and bad!

I finished up final exams on Wednesday this past week. Grades will be posted this Wednesday, the 16th. I don't have a very good feeling about it and don't know if it was even statistically possible to pass the class with a "C" average. I really don't want to have to take it again, but it is definitely looking that way :(

Work has been crazy, so I've been doing as much overtime as possible. I did work Saturday for 1/2 a day. I did manage to decorate my room! I am working on my Christmas cards and have plans on mailing in the next few days. Here is my little Christmas tree in my room:

My stomach is much better from the gallbladder surgery. It seems that all the fluid is gone, and the pain and soreness are much much better. I'm still adjusting to eating, and can only eat small proportions. I still have not gained any of my weight back and have actually lost another 2 pounds...but i have confidence it will come back eventually :)

I have had a pretty intense sinus infection and finally got some antibiotics for it this past Thursday. I ran a fever Friday night and felt pretty crappy, but have felt somewhat better this weekend. I missed out on my Christmas Sunday School Party Friday night, which i was pretty bummed about. But have had a few other fun things this weekend. Last night I attended a local concert put on by an alumni high school (very well known) men's chorus. They chose 2 charities that would benefit from their ticket sales. And CF was one of the charities picked due to certain relationships and connections with some of the members. They raised over $10,000 for EACH charity, which was AWESOME! And this particular Men's choir was the best I had ever heard. They were so nice and generous and glad they could support such a great cause.

We had a community CF Fundraiser Saturday a week ago (the 5th). It was an auction held at a local Starbucks. It was sort of a pre-fundraiser for our upcoming "Scrap for the Cure" event next Spring. We raised about $2600 from the auction, and Starbucks has a charity program where they are going to match that...AWESOME!!!

This upcoming week is busy with work, parties, and doctor's appointments. I have a transplant clinic appointment on Wednesday. I have a CFF luncheon on Thursday. I am supposed to have my surgery follow up appt on Tuesday, but are going to reschedule it. I can't miss that much time during work this week.

Last Sunday I went with a friend of mine to Sips N Strokes. Here is a picture of what I painted...it was pretty fun! I love attending these sessions...so much fun!

It's been very COLD and rainy (misty rain) pretty much all week. But tomorrow our high is supposed to be 69 degrees F...crazy Alabama weather! I hope all of you have had a great weekend. I think I am officially in the Christmas spirit!!!!

Surgery SOON!

My surgery (to have my gallbladder removed) is Monday. I have to be in the admissions area at 6AM...EARLY!!! But hey, I'm all about EARLY as I want this done and over with NOW. This week has definitely been a struggling week: missing work, missing classes, including my final lab class before the final exam. The pain is unbearable, with some days not even being able to stand up and walk. On those days, I'm basically sleeping, taking pain meds constantly and using heating pads constantly. So, needless to say, i am SO SO ready for the surgery. I've also lost about 6-7 pounds (not good for my little petite body). I'm taking anti-nausea meds around the clock, and food just isn't getting along that great with my stomach. I did manage to work the last 2 days...trying to get in extra hours since I will be off work all of next week.

I will update Monday-hopefully-depending on how sleepy and drugged I am :) I will be admitted to the hospital right after surgery to our transplant ICU; as far as how long I will remain admitted is unsure of right now. Definitely until Tuesday; the estimate is Wednesday. Hopefully I will be able to enjoy Thanksgiving with the family and get back into the normal day-to-day routines! It just all depends on how my body tolerates the surgery and recovery. Unfortunately, I have some sort of cold, and my wheezing is out of the roof...crazy and very annoying and making it hard to breathe. I'm hoping everything is just related to sinuses; but it does make me a tad bit nervous about Monday. My blood pressure has been sky-rocketing, which is unlike me. But my transplant coordinator feels it is due to the pain; (so that's my hope too). The pre-op nurse at my surgery consult appointment last week wasn't too pleased. But I assured her it was being taken care of.

Please pray that everything goes well with the surgery and recovery!!! This weekend I will be resting, running a few errands, building a lymph node for an anatomy extra credit project, and last but not least, studying for anatomy lecture and lab finals, which are the week after Thanksgiving. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Still here/update

I apologize for not posting until now. It's been crazy!!! I am back from the beach and will post pictures later this week. It was nice to get away, but the weather was definitely sucky...20-30 mph winds each day, and very overcast..not much sunshine at all. Nevertheless, it was still a good trip (and I managed to get a small tan). I'll post more beach details later! Monday was back to reality...internship all day, as well as today and this Thursday. After that...I'm DONE!!! YAY!! I have MULTIPLE assignments and tests this week in addition to my final program comprehensive exam this weekend (which is a mock-examination of my RHIA licensing exam)....and I'm not yet prepared. So I have a LOT of studying to do between now and then!

I have a follow up transplant clinic appointment tomorrow (Wed). I'm pretty sure all will go well. My vertigo is completely gone (and was as of last Tuesday). My foot is better, but is still in pain. I'm planning on re-xraying it this week (since I've been walking on it a lot). I've got a little bit of sinus and wheezing stuff going on, but don't think it's anything to worry about!

We've got our Tuscaloosa Great Strides Walk this Saturday, which I'll be attending and working at. I'm really excited, and it's supposed to be HOT and beautiful this weekend!!!

So...a busy, busy week. My sole goal is to complete everything for school and ACE that exam this weekend!! Graduation is just a short 2.5 weeks away...YAY!!! (Still a lot to do before that though).

I'll do my best to post more this week...i have more things to share....promise!! I have been reading and keeping up with everyone else :)

Tues night update

Question: Are their pink lines on my blog when you view it?? I'm hoping it's just my laptop..but I'm not sure and have no idea where they came from. If you are seeing them...any suggestions on how to get rid of them??

So...today has been a long day!! I woke up this morning feeling about the same as last night, which was a little better. My temp this morning was 98.0. Around lunch time I started feeling worse, coughing my head off, wheezing, and sinus trouble. My fever also spiked back up to 100.4...and I could feel it. I asked for an albuterol treatment...but it really just stirred me up even more. I got some Tylenol and it brought the fever down to 98 something and helped me feel a little better. But the coughing was awful. I got some flonase ordered to help my sinuses. So hopefully that will help.

I didn't expect my fever to come back. And around 8:00 it was 99 degrees...so I guess we'll see what it does. I know this past weekend, it peaked in the afternoons, so that may be what it did today...although it needs to be completely gone. I haven't felt like eating or drinking...so I hope that changes soon! I walked to the vending machines with My mom earlier...but it got me pretty out of breath.

So...I'm turning in for the night..my eyes and head are about to give out on me. I have this foam-like bed...which when I sit in it, it sinks....really really bad. And it's VERY uncomfortablefor my butt, back and hips. I asked my nurse if there was a different kind of mattress I could get. She ordered me an overlay..whatever that is. The nurses on this unit are sweet, but it takes about 2 hours for them to respond to your call or request. But it doesn't look good for me moving back to our transplant floor. Evidently there are about 20 transplant patients off unit right now.

I'll update again tomorrow. I know I will be here now at least until Thursday...thinking maybe Friday depending on what my fever does!!

Thanks again for your comments and prayers!!

Busy Week

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. To tell you the truth, I haven't been on my computer much the last few days. It's been a busy, long, and crazy week. I managed to work my usually 4 days this week. Which is great, because over the last 2-3 weeks, I've only worked about 3-4 days overall. We are slammed at work and are very very busy. So on Thursday and Friday, I worked about 1 hour later than usual. Friday I was the 2nd to last person to leave (out of about 60 or so people). I like being busy, but was glad to go home at the end of the day.

I finally made it to clinicals on Wednesday. However, after arriving at 8:15 am, I sat around for 2 1/2 hours waiting for my clinical instructor to get out of a meeting. After missing clinical the entire month of October, I was a little angry with her. Therefore, I only had about 1 hour to actually do clinical work before leaving for the day. This coming week my plan is to attend clinicals all day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to catch up on the hours I've missed. I'm praying I can get everything done that needs to be done in order to complete and pass the course. I've got a lot of school work ahead of me for the next 3 weeks.

As far as my health goes....Tuesday I started having a small cough associated with some sinus issues. Wednesday I ended up staying up most of the evening/night coughing up major junk from my lungs for hours and hours and hours. My ribs, back, head, etc. hurt so bad....which made Thursday a little harder to endure at work. But nevertheless, I made it through. Thursday and Friday were much better. However, last night, the coughing and sinus stuff started up again. And today I don't feel very well. This is still all on top of the major fatigue I've been having. I'm a little worried...but trying to just put it to the side and keep on with work and school.

Wednesday after clinicals I had lunch with some of my favorite nurses from HTICU (our transplant floor) at UAB. Since my clinical is there, one of the nurses invited me to walk over and join them for lunch. All lot of my nurses are just a few years older than me, so we are able to be good friends and hang out every now and then, which is nice. It's nice to be able to have that kind of a relationship with people who also take the best care of you when you are sick. Because I'm a frequent inhabitant of HITCU and UAB, I've become friends with MANY MANY of the nurses--young and old! After leaving UAB, I came home to complete some school work...then went off to work (my babysitting job).

(I know I don't mention much about the above job.....I keep kids every other Wednesday night for a church that has what they call "community group" which is like a home-based Sunday School Class. I've been keeping these kids for about 3.5 years now and love them to death. I used to do it every Wednesday night, every Sunday morning and every Sunday night. However, they've cut back a little, and some of the kids have grown up, therefore they only need me on the Wednesday nights. I love this job..and wouldn't give it up for the world. It's nice to have another set of prayer warriors to when I need them.)

I slept in today and are just relaxing and taking it easy. I'm going to go hang out with a couple of friends tonight at someones house for a fun and relaxing evening. I'm hoping to make it to church tomorrow morning. And more importantly....I hope to accomplish a WHOLE LOT of school work.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. I will try my best at updating more frequently. I can guarantee you I will post tomorrow and Monday!!! (have them already planned).

Saturday

Sorry I haven't blogged anymore this week. Things have been crazy!! In Alabama it is now Saturday morning at 12:48 A.M. My mom and I are going to the lake today to spend the day. I hope to just enjoy the weather, sun, and relaxation.

It has been a rough week as far as feeling good. I'm continuing to experiences sinus issues along with extreme wheezing and some coughing. And like usual, I haven't gotten much sleep either this week.

I've had a lot of school work due this week, including quizzes, clinical class, and an SGA meeting. I have 2 more tests next week along with 3 more assignments due.

So in all in all, it has been a very busy and tiring week. But I am looking forward to the weekend!

I promise to update again soon. I have my photo sessions again next Wednesday and Thursday, so if I'm not feeling MUCH better, I will approach my transplant coordinator about that.

I also have several other exciting things happening next week, which I will share on a later post. I need to get some sleep now!!

Have a good weekend!!

Up-date

So yesterday (Wednesday) I felt really bad, really sick. I had an ENT appointment as well. Overall, it went pretty well. I do have a sinus infection with some edema and mucous in my sinuses. But he said they looked pretty good. He gave me 6 days of abx. He did a culture to see what bacteria was growing and to see what abx I am sensitive to. I should know the results by next Tuesday. Other than that, I spent the rest of Wednesday in bed or scrapbooking (Wednesdays are my days off work and my clinicals don't start for another 2 weeks). I called my transplant coordinator to check and see if they were having clinic next week and told her I might need to come. So I'm on the schedule for next week. I had (and still have) an appointment the following week (the 10th). Unless I don't feel better over the weekend, I will keep that appointment.

I felt better today and did go to work, but didn't get much sleep last night. I've also been dizzy a good part of the day for some reason too. In addition, I have not eaten breakfast or dinner (meaning a meal..i've had a few snacks) the past 4 nights. So I'm off to bed to hopefully get some rest. I am actually going to the lake tomorrow after work until Monday night. I'm praying we have beautiful weather and I can just enjoy laying out in the sun and maybe doing some water sports if I feel like it.

I will update probably either Monday night or Tuesday. I have another photo session next Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Labor Day Holiday!

Crazy next few days

So if I don't post in the next few days (or rather 5 or so days)...here is why:

The school summer semester ends next Thursday. I've already taken 1 final exam (last week) and I have two more this week. I also have a lot of paperwork due for my clinical class I had, which involves 2 papers, flow charts, proposed stuff, etc. It's a nightmare in my opinion. I'll also be working Monday and Tuesday like usual, and attending my clinical on Wednesday morning for my final evaluation. Then Thursday morning I take a final exam, and then I leave for San Diego right after lunch. So needless to say....i might go insane until then :) (hopefully not though).

To top it all off.....my sinus infection has come back, and has not left me feeling too well. I only had 10 days of abx for my beach trip, so I'm not sure what's going to happen or what I need to do for this next trip. I was also supposed to go last week to get lab work redrawn, since my WBC count was so low. So I'm not sure if I'm going to try and do that before my trip or not? The week after I return, i have another photo session, so I might wait and get reevaluated then...who knows?

I'm trying to pack and prepare for my plane trip too. One of the things I have to make sure I have is documentation of all my medicines that i have to take. So I'm calling my coordinator on Monday to get that amongst a few other things. I need to get on the airline website too and read all the guidelines pertaining to liquids, etc. I don't fly much at all, and knowing me, I'll probably pack something illegal. And...I've never flown by myself. And from Alabama to California...that's a long way. Nevertheless, I'm so excited!

So, I need to get back to studying..These flow charts are driving me crazy and take up enough brain power for one day. 1 down...2 more to go!

I'll post before I leave for my trip.

2,000 HITS!

I am still in shock of how many visitors I've had on my blog. Wow....it's now over 2,000. I know other blogs are well beyond that number...but I've only had my blog for a little over 1 month. Thank you to all who read my blog!

Quick update: So, my sinus infection has progressed even worse, and I'm feeling pretty crappy. I'm coughing, wheezing, tired, short of breath, and everything else that goes along with a sinus infection. So I decided to ask for some abx today, since I leave for the beach on Thursday. And I was successful. So I'm hoping that the abx will kick in quick, so I can have a good time at the beach!

I have a lot of school work due before Thursday...so if I don't post again until next week, that's why. The beach trip is with my singles group at church, and we always have a blast. I'm SO looking forward to it! I desperately need the time away (only to return to final exams)!!

Continuation of Post-Tx Complications

Here is more information regarding post-tx complications. This post and the previous one about rejection, is more of an informative post. Please don't think I'm complaining about any of it. Like I've said many times already, I would NOT trade the post-transplant side for anything. It's worth it to go through some of these complications and be able to live a fairly normal life and to be able to BREATHE! So please don't get the wrong idea....Some people just don't realize all the stuff that can happen post-tx. (BTW: Tx=transplant)

OK...so I reviewed the rejection and it's possibilities. Another possible complication is infections. Because your immune system is highly suppressed, you are more susceptible to catching "colds." Getting an infection post-transplant is much different than before, with CF. With CF, usually the infection was related to CF and either oral or IV abx for 2 weeks would cure it. It wasn't infections like the normal person would get, and your immune system is much stronger prior to transplant. CF infections were called "CF exacerbations."

After transplant, CF still remains in your sinuses and digestive system. So you are still prone to getting sinus infections which can move into your chest if you are not careful. Usually, if you catch an infection soon enough, a round of oral abx can cure it. However, sometimes you might have an infection and not know it until things get a little more severe. For some reason or another, my body gets infections 4-5 times a year. A few times, oral abx are able to treat the infection. However, several times mine have turned into pneumonia (or maybe even started that way). Usually (not always) I will start running a fever and I usually don't feel too great. Because of the fever, my coordinator usually makes me come in and get evaluated. After that, my chest x-ray will usually show a spot on my lung (pneumonia). When I get pneumonia, I usually stay in the hospital for 1 week, then go home on home iv abx for another week. I will also get albuterol aerosols for a few days to help clear the pneumo up. And sometimes, depending on my breathing, I might use a little oxygen at night. Last year, 2007, I had pneumonia 4 times. It's not fun to get, but treatable if you catch it quickly. If you don't, it can be extremely serious and life-threatening. (which has happened once, but won't go into detail about that here). So....keeping your sinuses clear and paying close attention when you start feeling bad is VERY important, especially if you are prone to infections. You can also diagnosis infections by a high White Blood Cell Count. However, using that lab test doesn't always indicate an infection. For me, mine count is rarely elevated during infections. They usually say, once you get pneumonia once, you are very likely to get it again. And so far, that's proved to be true. I've had it at least twice every year since transplant, and have been hospitalized for all occasions.

Because CF remains in the sinuses, sinus infections can be frequent depending on the person. Usually, a CF patient has sinus problems anyway. However, for me, I never had trouble prior to transplant. Last year I began having major sinus problems (which once caused pneumonia) and ended up having sinus surgery last July. Since then, I've stayed pretty clear and have not really had any problems. Thank the Lord!

This post ended up being a little longer than expected, so I will do one final post summing up the remaining possible post-transplant complications.

One quick note: Although these complications are POSSIBLE in all post-transplant patients (mainly CF), that doesn't mean that every CF post-transplant person experiences them. I have many CF/transplant friends who are 4 and 5 years post-transplant, and have never had pneumonia. Most do have sinus issues and may get a very mild infection, but nothing serious like pneumonia.