6 month

Today 6 months ago I received my second double lung transplant. My gratitude to both of my donors is un explainable.


I am so sorry for the family's loss, I hope that in there hearts they can find some peace from such a huge grief. I know that grief doesn't fade or lessen but I hope that maybe through this donation they can find some comfort. With every breath I am thankful for this gift, the gift of life that both my donors have given me. I live every second with the purpose to live it to the full.

For now that is all I can say, I'm planning to write to my second donors family soon.





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Clinic = amazing

Today I had clinic at harefield, I'm 5 months and 13 days post second double lung transplant. Me and stu turned up bright and early and got to spend most of the day with my friend Emily assin, her baby Sophia and sister Abbey. Emily and Sophia visited regularly when I was in rejection and Sophia would cuddle up with me while Emily made sure I was fed, watered, pain free and calm. So as you can tell already these visits were very special to me. Emily is 7 years post transplant and had her baby through surrogacy. Sophia is 8 months now.




Me and Emily.


Me and baby Sophia!

Clinic started with blood, an achievement in its self, my veins are now accessible and bleeding well after a well earned break. Yep 4 1/2 months free of un planned hospital admissions, iv only been in for a couple of days for planned bronchs! This feels amazing to me!

Then lung function, my fvc = total capacity = 88% and my fev1 = amount I can blow out in the first second showing how well your lungs are working = 96% so I can blow out 96% of 88% in the first second = 100% amazing!

I them had a 6 month exercise test, walking for 6 minutes I covered 570meters the most my physio had personally ever seen! Which again is amazing!

Also over the last month or so my blood sugars have been playing up first my insulin need went up dramatically, I tried incredibly hard to tackle this, which resulted in a fair few hypos and now after going back to the gym and trying to cut down my carbohydrate intake iv been off insulin for two days and still managed to have a hypo. Obviously a hypo isn't good but it's really something that I'm off insulin I now just have to get the right amount of carbs in to keep my blood sugar stable. So that's pretty.......amazing.

The only slight issue is my white cell count is to low and so are my neutrophils. I have stopped a medication and will have to keep an eye.

I'm really enjoying life and feeling like things are going in the right direction. I'm so happy and thankful it's positively sickly ;-) I'm now on my agents website and waiting for the work to come in, which will hopefully result in being able to leave my job at next and focus full time on public speaking, tv presenting and get back to teaching pole (once my garage is converted in to a studio).

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Pole jam with Felix cane

So today me and 2 of my students traveled up to surrey to Taylor's retreat is for a 3 hour ole jam with Felix cane. I knew my lungs being at 45% I would struggle, I'm weak from the high dose prednisalone for my organised pneumonia, as it strips muscle. So I knew I wasn't going to be at the top of my game but I'm so keen to get back to full strength and emerge myself in the world of pole I decided a pole jam with Felix was a amazing opportunity and a chance to see my idol and just simply amazing lady well unmissable right?

So here's some pictures from today.
































































Felix sandwich












It was a awesome day and I realised I'm not as weak as I thought I'd become, that I still have a lot of pole potential that isn't being used and it's my responsibility to make use of it, that I love being upside down whether its pole, hoop or silks!

I had my consultation this week for the fundo operation I will blog about this another day when I have muddled through all my thoughts on it. I have to say it was rather scary and emotional for me and my mum who came with me,


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Felix cane

I'm not one to follow celebrities, to idolise or be star struck. I admire certain people and think what they've done with the careers is notable but it wouldn't have me weak at the knees. Only one person has ever made me do that and I met her when she came to visit me in hospital. Felix cane. Your probably thinking who? Unless your interested in fitness pole dancing her name isn't greatly known in the wider world, but let me assure you it should be!

I'de had a bronch that morning and just felt ready to take 02 off, in my pjs, no make up and to be honest I couldn't have cared, if I had known my idol was going to walk in then well I might have made more of a effort. My friend Sam Ames from Taylor's retreat was hosting Felix workshops the whole month and I had already expressed how upset I was that I was not well enough to go or to meet her. Shes from australia and travels the world so its not every day you get the chance. Sam walked in on her own which was a nice enough surprise anyway, she gave me a card expressing that Felix was sad we couldn't meet, next thing Felix is there in front if me! I then did the geeky thing, started crying and breathing stupidly! In fact I had to put my 02 back on I was that bad.

I then proceeded to spent a couple of amazing hours chatting with Felix and Sam, in some surreal world. It was crazy.

I'd like to explain why Felix is my idol. She is a world champ at pole, cirque due Soleil performer, you can't even imagine the things she can do on a pole, the strength, grace, skill and beauty of it is something unimaginable. It is something that my whole 6 years poling has inspired me to the core and since meeting her has inspired me to recover so I can train hard and possible achieve one eight of what she does. I really can't describe what her visit did for me and what a huge moral boost it was.

So here's a few pictures of my time with the extremly funny, witty and strangely down to earth women.




















Just a quick health update, I am home and have a consultation in London for the fundo operation Wednesday, I had a bronch last Tuesday which showed I have something called organised pneumonia, it's a inflammatory response that collapses the airways, I'm on 6 weeks treatment of high dose steroids for this, in which I will eat everything in site and become fat and bloated. I don't know if my lungs will recover and I don't know when the operation will be, I may have to wait to the end of this treatment as steroids affect healing. I am still extremely positive but unfortunately also extremely breathless. I guess I didn't really want to do a full update on health as I'm just trying to focus on one thing at a time and not worry about the operation or if ill get any better, I just want to think about trying to getting better.

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