So this has been one busy week, and today was only Tuesday! Sunday, I went on a Bike ride with Eric (my BFF and (boy) cousin-who is closest in age to me. I should have found a cute picture of us when we were little to put up, but I just thought of that and it is 11:00 pm and I have an 8:30 am apt that's 30 min away tomorrow. :/. Anyways, I went with he and his girlfriend Rachael, who is so sweet. She is a great girl that fits in with the family so well. Both of their fathers are really into riding-her father is a professional rider and my uncle is a coach for team in training and has done rides like the Death Ride a stuff. They both have really long legs and are very fast, and I have very short legs and I am very slow, but she was so sweet and just went with the flow and chatted and rode! That day I did not get up the last hill, but the next day I went on the same ride with my aunt (who is a triathlete and I think has done an ironman-but I am not sure.) and I made it up the hill that day! I was so excited! Since I have been riding so much (I really have-like 4 days or more a week for over an hour each day, about 10 miles or more-my heart feels great each time-the rest of my body is exhausted-lol) I bought a Camelbak-I was anti them because I hate the mouthpiece (its like sucking on a boob) but one of my medications causes dry mouth and I was having to stop for water a lot or I just got too dehydrated and got too dizzy feeling, and I am not that talented to reach down and get my water bottle, so now I have this. It has worked out well so far, and kept my water cool. Another reason for getting it was when I get off my bike I get dizzy and fall over, I don't fall over while I am riding, but when I am just standing, so now I don't have to stop-perfect. And 1 water bottle was not enough for me, this holds 3 liters. Anyways, 1 last thing about my new toy-it was the perfect weekend to buy it because it was $30 off to begin with, then I got $20 off because my dad was a member, so it was half price! I love getting to the register and finding out something I thought was going to be $100, is on sale and is now $50! Woot Woot!
Then Monday I did my little (literally she is less than 5 feet tall) sister's hair (I am a hairdresser). I highlighted her extra long hair and cut it. It took forever, but I was happy to do it, because I was not sure if I would be able to get through it, but I sat in a chair and made it! And I was happy to be able to do it for her, today was her first day of her junior year! Then I took her to get a new back to school outfit, and there was another sale-Woot! Woot!
Today, I finally had an appointment with the chronic pain clinic. It was ok, they prescribed me a new (stronger) medication called Opana. I was/ an kind of nervous to take it, but they really pushed it on me and I felt like I could not say no. When I asked about getting off of it, they said it could be no problem at all. Well I had this awful experience a few weeks ago where I switched from taking a lot of Percocet to Morphine (which made me hallucinate) and then to a low dose of percocet. No one warned me to slowly switch off, so I just stopped the morphine and switched to percocet. Oh mylanta, it was terrible, I should have gone to the hospital. I just though I was seriously depressed because I felt awful all of the sudden and I could not stop crying-I cried over everything-EVERYTHING. Looking back on it, it is funny how I reacted to everything, I had sever anxiety and would cry at the drop of a hat. So, anyways, I took the pill tonight it was supposed to make me drowsy, and I am wired.
So through these last few days, it is just another realization how fortunate I am to have this support system that I do. My Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, have been my encouragement to get out of bed and bike ride and are always telling me I am doing a great job. My BFF Kara is such a great friend. I can't believe she has stuck by my side, I am so luck to have a friend like her (and she isn't even related to me). She visited me at the hospital, at both Santa Clara and Stanford, our "weekend house" that we stayed at after the transplant, and she is now my connection to the social wold. Sometimes I am just not good at calling her back and such, but she is always understanding that I am not feeling well or am tired and is never mad. My Mom, she goes to all of my appointment so I don't have to be alone. I hate going alone places. And she is just always supportive and running errands for me. My Ante and Uncle(s) they all encourage me and are there for me and support me every way they can and do anything anything they can. My grandparents, they keep me busy and have given me one on one time with them after tx, and a quiet place to stay (my grandma just got a new shoulder so I am driving her and my grandfather around). My father, he is willing to do anything I want, or get absolutely anything I need. He took me to my first TRIO meeting and is going back with me. He always wants to be with me and calls me everyday.
To end on an excellent note-I know this is an extremely lengthy post, but I haven't posted in a long time, so it balances out. I GOT A LETTER BACK FROM MY DONOR FAMILY. I will try to write out everything tomorrow, including my letter, the family's letter (its short and generic) the donors picture and what the family wrote in this years Honor and Remembrance ceremony book.
