A big part for keeping this journal is to be able to look back on my "journey" and see the progress I have made. Another reason is to give hope to new transplantees. When I was first transplanted and even during the wait, I had absolutely no clue what life would be like after, so I hope to be able to provide some insight into what it might be like.
I feel like my life has definitely made a big turn, I feel like I am back to normal. I still deal with some post transplant issues (mostly pain, anxiety, and fatigue) but I push through and I am going to school full time and working more than full time!
I feel like I have been able to do all of this post transplant because I wanted to so badly. I decided that I was not going to let my health consume me, I would have a life after-hopefully resume the life I was leading before! I did not sit around and "wait" to recuperate, I took advantage of EVERY opportunity given to me and used it to get back.
This past summer I started a "real", adult, full time job at the hospital where I got my transplant (the childrens' portion of the hospital)! I am a real adult with benefits! Haha. I actually did not know if I would ever be able to get back to that level of health and hold a real job. Also, I started back to college Fall 2012 and I will be graduating this summer with my bachelors (as long as I get all my classes. I would have actually graduated this past summer, but I could not get my classes!)! These two things have been my biggest accomplishments. I am very proud of myself that I was able to do it.
Heart and health wise I am doing fair. Almost 4 1/2 years out and I don't have ANY coronary artery disease-that is HUGE! I also have not had rejection in about 2.5 years! For me that has been amazing! Getting on the right medication has been huge-I still have to get monthly blood work, so my dosages of some medications change often. Because I had so much rejection, it has caused slight damage to my heart. I actually have Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (diastolic dysfunction) again-the disease that took my first heart. Its not at a crazy stage, and I can still do quite a bit, so I am not very worried about that.
I do have some other smaller stuff going on, but a big thing I have right now is anxiety. I feel like it is so taboo to talk about mental health at all and it is hard to talk about. I never had the anxiety before transplant, but now I have it all the time. It is very hard for me to deal with-I would give anything to get rid of it. It can be all consuming. Hopefully, one day, very soon, it will just disappear.
Allie, so glad to hear from you and super happy that all is well. We all battle issue every day .... if you need to talk, simply yell. Be well.
ReplyDelete~ DAP @ My2ndHeartBeat
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