Bra Shopping Of All Things! September 2011

September started out as a really sad time for me with my dear, dear friend Linda's passing.

I think Alan, my husband, and Cheryl got together and planned a day for them to visit us and hopefully cheer me up. Cheryl and Brickie come from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia and she is waiting for a lung transplant too.  Although, she has been here a lot longer than me.

So on Sunday of Labor Day Week-end, over they came. We visited for awhile and decided to go shopping for bras.  Apparently,  we can't wear regular bras after surgery because the stitches run along where the bra lands.We need special ones with no wire, elastic or bands   She came equipped with a Warner bra number and off we went.  First we arrived a Wal-Mart, remember now it's Sunday just 2 days before the kids so back to school. The boys dropped us off at the door and went to park. We proceeded in and there was no shopping carts and we needed these to lean on cause we didn't bring our walkers. SHIT this is when WE remembered it was the holiday week-end. Finally, the Wal-Mart greeter found us a cart. haha In went her oxygen tank and then mine and we both were short of breath all ready, so we just leaned and pushed.  Too bad we didn't have a camera, I think it would've made a funny pic. We didn't find any bras there, Alan came running in to tell us that they couldn't find a parking spot, so we left.

if she sees this she will kill me so shhhh!

Our next spot was The Bay, Cheryl was sure they had them. So off we traipsed and guess what she found them.  Unfortunately,  I was the only one buying them, they didn't come in her size.( lol one up for small- breasted women)

Back home we feasted on Alan's famous lasagne (it's delious) When we were stuffed and heading back to the living room. Cheryl's cell phone started ringing and her then her beeper started beeping.  Oh my God! it has to be her lungs, sure enough.  Luckily she had until 11pm to get to the hospital, lungs must not be there yet. She was shaking, I was screaming.  How exciting is that!

Cheryl received her new lungs after midnight so it's officially on my birthday. What a story  and what a birthday present! Certainly, a much happier story.

Over the next ten days I had lots of tests and appointments.  Starting on the sixth, we had to make a extra trip to the hospital.  I had a clinic appointment (which is something like a doctor appointment but sometimes we see respirologists and other times we see nurse-practitioners)   This time I saw Susan ( nurse-practitioner), she listened to my lungs and started me back on antibiotics, I have another infection in my lungs.

 On Wednesday the 7th,  I did blood-work first, then onto an appointment with Dr. Rotstein.  My liver counts are starting to come down but very slowly. Still staying off the T.B. meds. Next onto 1 1/2 hrs of physio.Then home to a well-deserved nap.

Monday the 12th found me feeling much better, antibiotics kicked in over the week-end. First we did my physio for 1 1/2 ( I say we because my husband is also there with me, filling out my chart, cheering me on, getting my weights, sterilizing my machines.) We are a team! ♥♥♥  I love him more and more everyday.  Next we went down to floor 10 to see Cheryl who is now in the first step-down ICU and doing fantastic!  Later down in the lobby we saw Bill Hocken bringing back Linda's walker he looked so sad and broken, it broke my heart. While talking to Bill the Wheel-Trans arrived and we had to leave. Back home, I realized that I left behind my Sony E-Reader at the hospital, it was my Christmas gift from Alan last year.  He figured that it would be a lot easier to take it than move a bunch of  boxes of books to Toronto. Oh well, maybe some nice person will turn it into the desk. lol

Wednesday the 14th.  No such luck with the e-reader, I hope the next person enjoys it as much as I did.  Today I had to do blood work for Dr. Binny (respirologist).  Then on to physio. Next I had my P.F.T.'s.  The results are my lung capacity is at 16% same as last January.  Good news, I haven't gotten any worse!

Well thanks for reading, love yas!

In Memory of My Friend, Linda Hocken

RIP Linda Hocken born April 2, 1950 died September 2, 2011

One And The Same

Have you ever seen a butterfly with 2 broken wings?

I have and her name is Linda and amazing to watch.

Somehow she still flutters, flies and sings

Mentoring and smiling while waiting for the  new wings that match.

From Ontario's city of Guelph she came,
I hail from the salt seas of P.E.I.
Our differences didn't matter cause we are one and the same,
Our diseases similar, the quest for breath and the freedom to fly.

We shared one week of Hell, our assessments they did mark,
Scat- scanned, prodded and seventeen vials of blood they poked.
They measured, weighed and shot radio active into our heart.
Each days end left us exhausted and bruised but still she smiled and joked.

Back home now awaiting our results
We emailed, face-booked and phoned every week,
Trying to keep our home life from doing summersaults,
While we waited and worried for the General's approval we did seek.

Accepted lung transplant listed, back to Toronto we did roam,
We exercised hard to keep ourselves strong,
But only God could see how ill she was and he took her home,
Leaving me here without her for so long.

But I close my eyes and it's her smile I see,
I open my heart and it's her strength I find
That butterfly has become a soaring angel for me,
Forever my friend, and with my new wings we will bind.

You see it's in her honor that I shall name,
My new lungs Linda cause we are one and the same.
  

To Linda's Family

Love Always

Coleen

Glum...End of August 2011

Things here in Toronto have been very hot, humid and boring.


  Dr. Rotstein called to tell me  to say my liver counts have sky- rocketed again.  Here we go again, more blood work and off the T.B. meds again.


Went in to see him the last of the month and there has been no improvement yet.  I guess like everything up here, it's just a waiting game. GLUM.

What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger( Aug 2011)

 

After our girls left,  we spent a very quiet and sad week-end. Since sadness or any other kind of anxiety makes me short of breath (SOB) and I can't have that so it's time to blow my nose, wipe away the tears and pull up my bootstraps and move on with my life, such as it is. You know what I mean "CHIN UP and SMILE" attitude.  As my beautiful daughter would say, " Put myself into my bubble."

After having such a great week of physio, while the girls were here.  I went back on Monday morning to find all my weights, tensions and speeds have been upped by my respiratory therapists.  "Shit a God Damm"  and that's a quote from me.  Well it was a long hard week full of low oxygen stats, high heart rates, pain and sweat but I was able to complete it all in one session on Thursday.  Man was I proud of myself.

One afternoon we headed over to the Toronto Western Hospital see my family doctor and start the first of my Hepatitis shots which is required before transplant.  This wasn't unpleasant because thank God I never minded needles. Dr. Burnsky's nurse is so nice we had a long talk about P.E.I. She has been there for many vacations.

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Summer Vacation 2011

Up early this morning for our trip to the Toronto Zoo.  It is suppose to be a very hot day here in Toronto.

The Zoo is very hilly so we traded in my walker for a wheel chair for the day and poor Alan and Ashtin were tuckered out, trying to push me up the hills and in the heat.  Thank-you both for allowing me to see the zoo with the family xoxoxo!

Just a note to let you know that the Toronto Zoo is so large we had to pick which animals we wanted to see and we will be here until late afternoon. The first pic is of a Rhino.  I had never seen one before and they are huge. and I also never realized that their body looks to be made up of armor plates, so cool and a scary animal!

Turtles

  Orangutans, my God their are so cute!

Still with the Orangutans. haha

White-faced Suki, primate of South America, really cute!

We stopped for a break and this peacock just wandered up to our table, so friendly.

Not sure if she thought us to be boring or because we didn't have any food but off she went.

Too bad she didn't open her plumage, but she was beautiful none the less.

Mr. Gorilla 

Kirstin standing in front of one of the fish aquariums

 meerkat

this is one of the three elephants that Bob Barker is trying to get down to California.

OMG follow those footie prints Kirstin, I wonder what we'll see?

African Penguins through a glass into their pool.


Cherisse and I are both in love with Penguins! Aren't they adorable.

Beautiful penguins! xoxoxo

While most babies carry around their blankie, Kirstin has always carried around a stuffed polor bear named Polie, she doesn't always sleep with him anymore but he still goes places with her, so he was packed and landed in Toronto on this trip.  Needless to say she was quite interested in the Polar Bears

This guy was such a showoff !!!

Kangaroos

They can hop very fast, and I wasted a few pics trying to catch them hopping,  Unfortunately,  this is the best I could do!

It sure was nice in the heat today to get sprayed by this whale at the waterpark also located at the Zoo.


Wednesday& Thursday's morning bright and early Alan and I are back at the hospital for my physio.  Never has my physio felt so easy as these 2 days. Maybe what they say is true with lung disease is the more you do the better you'll feel.

It all has to end.  Thursday late afternoon we take our girls to the airport, their vacation is over. It was a very sad day for all of us.  :(                                                                                                                                                                                   We will miss them so much.  I do have to say that this has been the best ten days of my life! Thank-you girls xoxoxoxoxo