Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a nice Easter. I ate a Crunchie egg. And then I ate another Crunchie egg that someone left up on a shelf in the kitchen. It's generally survivor of the greediest in my house so unless you hide things, they disappear when you leave the room to do anything. I once came into the kitchen looking for microwave popcorn but there was none in the cupboard. I asked my sister was it all gone and she shrugged. I then made a comment about how greedy people in this house were. Then twenty minutes later, I smelled microwave popcorn, so I dropped everything I was doing, dashed back to the kitchen and saw my sister standing beside the microwave. I asked her where she found that bag. She pointed to *another* cupboard, which we *never* use for anything. She moved it a few days earlier so she could save it for herself. So ever since then, I keep a close on the income of food into this house, I'm pretty sure my talents could earn me money as a card counter in Vegas someday! :)

And also, turns out I have a community nurse (never knew that!) who, turns out, is coming tomorrow to change dressings on my arm. I have no idea what time, I'll probably get up early and wait for her to arrive and then pretend I am important and I have somewhere *urgent* to be when/if she arrives. Just to entertain myself really. I might even pretend to take a phone call and be all "Ok, I'll be there as SOON as I can". And hope nobody actually phones me when I'm pretending to be on the phone...*awkward*. Actually I do have work, but it's not that important if I show up or not. And I actually was planning on going to my library to study too. Anyway, I just hope I don't make a twat of myself and faint on her!

Anyway, nothing else new going on. The past week or so I've been on holidays, I have laid out all my books on the dining room table so it looks like I'm studying. Actually, I have discovered Survivor: Heroes vs Villains is on so I've watched every episode to date. And then I spent about two hours watching clips from "The Room" on youtube. Seriously, if you have nothing else to do, watch a trailer for this film. HIGH-larious. "Zis is naaacht ok!"

Plans for easter

I got a new phone. My old phone which had a bad habit of breaking, broke, and so I was entitled to a new phone. It's the Nokia E63 which is like a blackberry but available on pre-pay plans. I feel very pretentious carrying it around; I only wanted a working phone but in my defence all the basic basic models were sold out. Anyway, this thing has wireless Internet on it so it's very useful.

On Tuesday I went to clinic and unfortunately my lung functions had fallen over 8%. I suspected that was the case as I picked up some funny thing in college a couple of weeks ago and had been wheezy since. Having nightmareish veins which may as well be painted on to my arms, they had to put in a PICC line (a bigger line which goes into a large vein and runs toward my heart) for IVs. Administration wise, an appointment is faster dealt with if you're an inpatient, so I went in for "one night" to have the line put in. Except it took them a while to get the vein to put the line in and once they did? I fainted. Passed out. Embarrassing to say the least. Especially when I heard someone shout 'She's fainting!!!' UGH. So that earned me another night. And then yesterday? Same thing happened again. That earned me a heart scan. And another night. To be perfectly honest, I think it's just the pressure of the line or something technical, so nothing seriously wrong. Thankfully my bed was needed today so I got to escape.

My plan for the rest of my holidays include eating, sleeping, drugging, sleeping and studying. Needing IVs is a bum, but it couldn't have come at a better time! The two weeks coincide with my Easter holidays perfectly. Plus I'm just grateful I didn't book last minute to go away anywhere! Phew! The IVs tend to make me really tired so I have plenty of rest and reading time to manage with. Plus it gives me plenty more *geeek* study time too as I have to be up at 7am and stay up until 12am. Yes, *geeek*. It could always be a whole lot worse! And I feel fine apart from the drama.

PS: thanks Sheryl for your msg :)

Busy.

I took a break from doing college work for about a week, that was nice. I am a calm speaker when I have to do presentations and then i had to do one last week and got SO nervous, like when your speech quivers, so embarrassing. I think I'm tired!

I'm about to begin a two week binge of study as I'm on my Easter holidays and my summer exams are *weeks* away. A lecturer called me rude the other day - *ouch*. I don't know why, I barely have time to talk to her/them in between all the moaning that I have to listen to from her/them!

Stress.

I think I have finally mastered the solution to my stomach problems (if you can ever master something with so many variables!). I realise I have mastered it once I stop taking the solution and recognise the need to start taking it again.

Busy.

Happy Easter!!!

Updates from less stress more success

Life is good. I had a couple of episodes last week where I fainted in my sleep. Google told me this was possible, as mad as it sounds, and it can be a symptom of sleep apnoea. Luckily, I think I was beyond exhausted and a little run down at the time so I think they were collectively once off. Imagine! What a random experience.

College is busy, busy, busy again. I am busy doing extra curricular work at the moment.

I read this on a blog somewhere about study and control. It was interesting. I can be incredibly lazy and procrastinate-y, but I love to do well. Not necessarily insanely competitive (I swear everyone believes I'm genuinely competitive) but I feel like I'm a waster if I don't aim for high grades. Over the years, I really feel like studying and working is something I have a control in.

I was incredibly ill when I sat my Leaving Cert. I was 17 and it was the first time I thought I might not make it home. It was a bizarre time in my life where I wasn't really ''with it'' enough to acknowledge how ill I was, all I wanted was a dark room and to sleep permanently. Luckily, I came through it, but also began to turn the tide on that nasty infection a few days before my first exam. Of course, I sat 7 of the exams in hospital, slept in between all of them, and honestly did no study. The thought of doing that nowadays would make me throw up- being so unprepared!

I got good results despite the circumstances, I mean not fabulous results by any stretch of the imagination, but good, enough to get my first choice in college. The right things came up on the papers too, which really helped! But I always felt sort of.....not embarrassed, but I wish I'd done better. Everyone congratulated me, but I felt I could have done better.

And now I have the opportunity to do better, to learn, to have a free college education, to be taught by very intelligent people, some experts in their field, some whose career paths I would LOVE to follow, I feel like if I don't seize this opportunity, then I'm wasting it.

Now back to this research proposal due soon....

Procrastinating Observations

I never do so much learning (or blogging) as when I have a deadline looming. Surprise, surprise, I have to argue for the death penalty in a mandatory debate on Wednesday, and as such am supposed to be looking up information which backs up my point. To date, I have found out one of my friends has upgraded her farm on facebook, another has been rewarded with mystery chickens and about four of my friends are updating their statuses from around the world. So not much the death penalty then! Other random useless information:

1. Some people, however, simply do not exist on the internet. Not that I am a serial stalker or anything, but seriously, the mind boggles.

2. I am embarking on a diet. I think it's time.

3. There are not enough hours in the day, and yet I seem to accomplish so very little some days!

4. Thomas Harper Ince was a big hot shot in Hollywood in the early 1900s-20s and then he mysteriously died aboard his yacht. On his birthday. I mean, of all the days in the year, jeesh! Allegedly Charlie Chaplin was 'aving it off' with his gal. But whether it was murder, foul play or simply a sudden death has been debated ever since.

5. Adidas was founded in 1924

6. The guy who was in a coma for 23 years who supposedly came alive again a couple of months ago and began communicating, is in fact, still in a coma after 23 years and is not communicating after all.

end of midterm

I can't believe it's the end of midterm already. How time flies! Here are some observations:

1. All people with a size 5 shoe are wearing black knee high boots at the moment. Because, let me tell ya, there's none to be had in a size 5, anywhere. Oh sizes 3,4,6 & 8 but no 5. An occasional 7, mind.

2. Is a problem still classed as a problem when you can live with it despite the symptoms? Yes, that problem is lurking again. I should really stop saying how marvellously I recovered. But, I can live with it for the moment.

3. Manchester is a cool place to live. Seriously.

4. Tiger Woods is a tool bag. And the world is one collective tool bag for giving a care about his issues.

5. My car. My new car. Sigh, sigh, sigh. It has developed a habit of the back right door flying open while in transit ("OMG MY DOOOR!!!!)". Oh the passenger door has the same habit ("OMG MY...EH...OTHER DOOR?..!!!!"). I DON'T EVEN HAVE CENTRAL LOCKING!!!! Meaning, these two problems are not connected, just coincidental! I swear whoever invented the car (google that and find a definitive answer) put in the blueprints "This will be a marvelous mode of transport for everybody. When the world becomes equal, even a woman will be allowed to operate one. Oh except the following people:" and my name was top of the list. That, or the cars I buy have decidedly weird previous owners! Still, we shalt not complain.

6. Total number of original body parts working today: -1. I am going to sleep until Monday I think.

So it's been a week. Or over a week? And I'm thrilled to say I am SO much better.

When I was discharged after the four days, I certainly felt better, but very tired. And then the weekend I spent feeling horrendously ill. But yet I knew the original problem had been fixed, so what was making me feel like I was chronically hungover? I lasted until Monday before I had to put a call in again.

So, following another xray and an abdominal scan, it turned out the new medications I was put on were the cause of the new problem. This was confirmed by the fact that my xray (thankfully) came back as ok and once I stopped taking all these new potions and pills, I felt miraculously better. I haven't heard back about the scan, but I chatted away to the technician during it, and it would seem it looked good. It was funny, because during it, she kept asking me to breathe in and breathe out and used my first name the whole time. Then she went quiet and said 'ok, just take a breath there, pet' and I always think people are nicer to you when they feel sorry for you, so it worried me what she might have seen, but apparently slightly enlarged abnormal vein(s?) seen in my liver is normal considering my medical history. Peeee-hewwww! And the fact that my team haven't phoned me yet about it either says they are sick to death of talking to me, or it's all ok. I would say it's most likely a combination of both.

So the newest remedy in compete contrast to last week's new regime, is to stop ALL the new medications. AND a couple of others that I was also on. I was able to keep up going to college and this week is the final push to midterm or "reading week" as they *insist" we call it. Not that I'm doing much reading when I go on my holidays!!!!! And apparently if 'they' hear that that's how we're doing that 'they' will cancel the reading week. I don't even know who 'they' are and why 'they' would be hanging around listening to my conversations. Or reading my blog...

Thanks for all the good wishes recently too xx

One night turned into four days. Four long days. The problem is sorted (they hope) but a lot of the symptoms have not. I am now on four new medications and cocktails and have been let home.

They say these stomach problems may be a once off or a totally new stage in my life, one which I will have to get used to and look after. So one or the other. Got to love vagueness!! Of course I would love the former but am happy, or content, to settle with the latter.

Anyway at the moment it sort of feels like I sort of know what I'm doing, or supposed to be doing. A bit like going through a forest blindfolded and carving out a trail that I can follow.

Everything could be a LOT worse and four days on a transplant unit is a sobering reminder of that.

In the meantime I have the weekend to get used to a slightly altered medical routine, observing myself and observing my dog who has now developed a habit of fainting if he gets too excited. Interesting....

There is nothing like a entire night spent out of bed in pain to realise a 'stomach problem' really can only be avoided for so long. A trip to the hospital after college has resulted in me being kept in for tonight and potentially tomorrow while they work on treatments. Well actually, the treatment for the stomach is not that complicated or complex, it's just that they want to observe me over night. I'm not going to complain, if they have nice painkillers in that building which will result in a night's sleep, I will gladly be the first to sign up.

I also notice when I talk out loud to other people (and not just to myself) it's almost like I can pieces of a jigsaw fall slowly into place.

"So this pain came on last night?"
"Yes, and I never want to feel it again"
"Were you feeling ok yesterday?"
"No, I was a bit off yesterday....actually all weekend...actually I had bouts of pain on Friday too when I was in the library...oh no that was Thursday come to think of it"
"So you're nearly a week in this state?"
"Well not quite as bad as last night, but, yes, I guess"

Anyway, my ipod is charged so I am off for some rest and recuperation.

I got a new car. A second hand car but a new car to me. I then had a new radio cd ipod thing installed. It means when I put a cd in it actually plays and when I want to eject the cd it isn't swallowed forever. I also discovered the 'City' button on the car which is supposed to be used to make parking easy but it also aides taking corners in 5th gear at 40 m/ph. Good times.

I have been having a few problems with stomach pain lately of which I cannot figure out the cause. I'm blindfolding myself and picking tablets at random each day to see if they help (not really, but essentially that's the selection process) so far with minimal success. Luckily the pain and sickness aren't there the whole time (in fact thankfully a lot of the time it just comes and goes) but when it arrives it makes me really tired too. If ever there was a good time to get insomnia, this would potentially be it.

On other medically fronts, I'm still taking Roaccutane and that's going well so far. I'm still only on half dose and it seems to be working very, very well. I don't know if that's because skin issues are generally easier to treat the second time around? Because I really don't think I'm going to need a full dose in a couple of months, but time will tell.

It must be pointed out that I am extremely well aside from the aforementioned problem(s), and you can never be more thankful for that!

And despite it being January, I am already planning my summer! I am trying to strike the balance between suitably geeky activities and fun ones too. It's all about planning for the future while enjoying the present.

Can't beat good timing...

I took my first dose of Roaccutane today. And we've lost water on our road now. NO WATER!!!

About three years ago I went on Roaccutane to improve my skin. The drug is a working miracle. And it worked. Until this past August, I noticed my skin began getting bad again. I gave it four months before deciding it wasn't a 'phase'. I went back to my dermatologist today and he prescribed me some more. Yay. I think it's going to be another 180 or so days of treatment. He said that it's a harsh but brilliant drugs, and for nine out of ten people it works first time, but there's always that 3% of people who need a second round (not sure about his maths there but anyway...) and I fall into that 3%. With my history of medical minority lotteries I seem to win, this doesn't surprise me.

The drug is a strong one, and stops your body producing any oil at all. So the risk of side effects is long. And to even get a prescription for it, I had to pass a pregnancy test! And you *have* to go on the pill with it, it's pretty much a legal requirement. Too bad, I fell into a minority of suffering a dangerous side effect of that one too! (I swear they should just post my photo at the end of those warning leaflets and say 'go ask her' for the rare side effects). It also means I have to get my hair done this week before starting because your hair goes crazy dry on it too. Inevitably I will have lots of people offering their own solutions to their skin problems when I tell people I'm on this. Kind of a "what would you be wanting to be on that for? My auntie Josephine always swears by grapes before bed time for her skin" etc, etc. Akin to telling someone your drive took 6hours and they respond with, "did you know it's possible to walk and you'll still get there?"

But I digress. I am vain. I like my skin and my hair. And I'm impatient and this drug works. Or it's supposed to work. Fingers crossed!

FREEEZE

Most of the news at the moment is dedicated to the "big freeze" that's going on. My flight home from London was cancelled last week (I did manage to get home later) and when we arrived, what we saw was a scattering of frost. To be fair it has got a lot worse since, but nothing on the scale of the UK or anything, just a LOT of ice.

I was busy during the week saying how I felt Ireland really went to extremes by way of practically closing down due to the ice; I had all of two lectures this week with about 10 people showing up, and the rest were cancelled. It was only ice after all.

Of course, that is, until I went out to my car to get to college at which point I got left with an imprint of my phone on my ass in bruise form. Our driveway is on a slope/hill. I went to put my hand out to open my car door, and the next thing I knew I was thinking "Oh my, I am falling!". My feet left the ground, I was momentarily frozen mid air, and then "clump" "crash" "bang", I was down. I was stunned and unbelievably embarrassed. I popped up and looked across the road to make sure there was nobody gawping over (there wasn't, but you can never be too sure - I once saw a neighbour fall off a ladder and I can bet by the way he reacted he was sure nobody had seen).

If my fall had paralysed me, it wouldn't have mattered, I sprang up and ran back inside to gather my laughter. To add insult to (actual) injury, I was wearing a big black puffa-jacket, and no hat, so I probably looked like a female Mrs Blobby with wild hair going everywhere. My brother came thundering down the stairs thinking I was having a seizure (no joke), turns out my laugh is slightly abnormal.

Anyway I eventually went back for attempt two and managed to keep both my feet on the ground this time. Although I'm sure I looked like a mad person laughing to myself the whole time. Later that evening my bum cheek hip area was naturally rather sore and when I looked at it the mirror, a perfect black, purple rectangular outline could be seen where my bum went down, phone in back pocket. In fact, if it weren't for the jeans I'd been wearing when I fell, I'm pretty sure you'd be able make out the 'LG' logo such was my bang!

Keep safe out there!

Sandy update

We brought little Sandy down to the vet on St Stephen's day to be put down. He was miserable as could be and we reckon he must be over 12 years old (although he acts and looks like a puppy). When we got there the vet said his temperature was sky high and he wanted to get some IVs and fluids into him as well as an abdominal scan. It all sounded a bit much considering they were looking for 'growths' and the like in his stomach, but sure Sandy is 12+ so even if they find something is it fair to put him through surgery etc?

ANYWAY, they took him away (cry!) and told us they'd phone in the morning. They phoned and said the scan had found nothing but he was still very ill. So they'd give it 24 more hours and then decide what to do.

Today we got a phone call saying his temperature was normal and he was back to being fine. I swear that dog has nine lives!!! It's been horribly lonely without him around the house, and whilst I acknowledge that he is "only" a dog he still has a major presence in our house!

I don't know what's going to happen next but fingers tightly crossed he will be ok.

Of course this makes me think of people who are ill this Christmas, and my thoughts go out to all the families who are dealing with difficult human situations right now.

Merry Christmas...and lucky socks

It's the post morning Mass, pre afternoon snack time, and I'm uploading my new CDs on to my laptop so I thought I may as well pay here an ole visit. And, well.... I didn't get a car. Yet. I still have my fingers crossed...ahem.... I did receive lots of equally nice things though. My sister, the copycat, managed to buy my brothers and my mom the *exact* same things as I did. Only she bought hers up the north so had no way of returning them (although I suspect she would have found another excuse if she had bought them down the road). Luckily, because I am extremely nosey like to make conversation, I discovered this a few days ago and managed to change mine. And nobody had to know. Until now.

The sock factory must be very grateful for our family this year, I think we are responsible for at least half their profits this year judging on the number of pairs of socks that we all got. I think I alone got 12 pairs (no joke). And then bizarrely, last night I was coming back to my car after visiting a friend and I stepped on this Kenneth Cole bag that was beside my car door. Only when I stepped on it, did I realise there was something inside. I was a bit dubious about picking up what was essentially a piece of rubbish from the ground (not that I don't care about the environment or anything..) but luckily because I am extremely nosey am rather curious, I bent down and peered inside. And lo and behold, there were four pairs of socks!!! New socks I might add. So I instinctively kicked into Jessica Fletcher mode (without the murder) and thought if I could find the receipt, if it was paid by credit card, there might be a name or some clue of some sort. But alas, it was paid by cash (who would spend €20 on socks???) and it was purchased a week ago :( So not entirely sure what to do, I put the socks in my car, left the bag back on the ground and brought them home. I was told by my family to give them to my brothers. So that's what I did. They now own about 18 pairs of socks each, two of which are luxury wool socks.

In order to ''pay it on'' I think I'll go give some money to charity or something.

On a sadder note, my doggy is not so festive today. We were going to bring him to the vet to "say goodbye" but he seems to have perked up a little bit but unfortunately it doesn't look like he'll be with us long. I got a present from him today too, a Topaz gift card, seriously. We were joking last week, because the Topaz gift cards were being advertised on the radio. And I was like, who on earth would buy someone a gift card for a GARAGE?!?! It's like giving someone money...only unlike money, they can only spend it in a particular shop, in this case, a garage. Well obviously my Sandy didn't hear the jokes!

SNOWWWW!!!

Has not come...yet. Quite frankly, I'm content without. For two reasons.

1. My car doesn't start when it's cold outside. At all. So I do not relish walking in the snow for a bus. (Still have my fingers tightly crossed for a new Audi for Christmas though ahem)

2. My college is about 3miles from my house. It takes about 20 minutes to drive in the morning, 25-30 on a bad traffic morning. Last year we did have snow. And the whole city came to a complete standstill, literally, nobody knew how to drive. So it took me 3 hours and 45 minutes to get home from college. And I think that snowfall measured about 2.5cm.... !!!! Seriously, and people freaked out.

So while I'd love a white Christmas, I'd be happier with my Independence and my ability to drive quickly!

Oh dear, another couple of months have passed and no blog post. This is a good sign though. I am incredibly busy with college and work and life and *thankfully* my health is great. *Clunks head off wooden table here* I am back to clinic for bloods on Monday, but I think I have made it a year without IVs and about 6 months with no oral antibiotics. The only trade off of this is that I have no anecdotal stories to tell you about hospital life or appointments and, weird to say, no even complaints, imagine!!!

Whilst I was away this past summer, one of my doctors left. One minute he was there and then *poof* he was gone. And now one of the transplant nurses is going too. The good people seem to be dropping like flies in that madhouse. It's true to say you don't know what you have until it's gone. Despite this nurse only ever managing to successfully taking my blood once the entire two (three?) years she was there, she was definitely a good 'un. She'll now be teaching the nurses of the future something about being nurses of the future. Bah humbug!

We get our Christmas holidays start this Friday and I can not wait! My brother (the BFG) comes home from Australia/the rest of the world next week. My car has also developed this attitude whereby it does not start if it's too cold outside. I'm serious. It means I now check the weather every night so I can make plans of how to get places the next day, ie if I need to take a bus. Ridiculous. In reality however I say 'bus', but during the day, there's usually a car in our driveway so luckily I've been fortunate to borrow when my car has frozen over. But I'm more concerned about going out somewhere in my car and then it having a hissy fit and refusing to take me back home. And my Dad does NOT like the prospect of lending me his 2L turbo engine car; he prefers to have either my (multiple car bumps - admits she'd fail her test today) mother drive it around so I can have hers, or for it to sit wasting its life around in the driveway. The fact that I barely peep over the steering wheel is of no relevance to the issue. Or the fact that I'm a fan of speeding while making 'vroooom' sounds with my mouth and cackling wildly.

So to conclude, I have my fingers crossed tightly for a new car this Christmas. My dad nearly choked when I asked for an iTouch because of the cost, but I know with his logical thinking will mean he will have no qualms about spending a small 20k or so (I want a reliable car this time after all) for his darling daughter.

Observations

So I'm continuing to put on weight (I've put on half a stone since September), but if you know me at all, you'll know I'm not bothered by this in the least. In fact, I have space to put on another stone or two anyway, and as it is I'm the heaviest I've ever been.

Only the problem is, I seem to have developed a kangaroo pouch with this new found fat. I picked up some delectable items when in Topshop in London last week which really complete my wardrobe but unfortunately they are as good as having a bright flashing arrow that says 'Pouch, pouch, pouch' pointing to my stomach. Or, even worse when you compare the pouch to my skinny arms, you begin to see 'baby, baby, baby' or 'bun in oven, bun in oven, bun in oven'.

So last night, the following conversation took place:

"Mom, look at this fat I have here now"
"Oh that's not fat"
"Yes, it is, look at it, ugh it's fat"
"No that's just muscle"
"Eh, no that is NOT muscle, it's anything BUT muscle"
"Oh yes, but that's where your muscle should be"
"So basically it's just fat!!!!"
"Well....until you tone it up".

*Sigh* Does anybody know how to get a four pack? I used to have one years ago, it was the side effect of a 18year old chronic cough. I'd like a silent method this time.

I am back and I am alive

I felt since this is still viewable to other human beings, I should make an effort to update it again. A LOT has happened since June 11th (the last time I blogged....not just some random date that popped into my head...).

I went off to America (West Virgina, to be specific) and worked as a camp counselor (American spelling because I can't spell counselllourlourellr) and headed their drama department. To say it was a fantastic summer would be a great understatement. It was amazing. I have made friends for life and saw places and experienced things I never even dreamed of. Whilst I don't know if I will return next summer yet, I will treasure those memories forever.

I then travelled to Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Diego, LA, San Francisco before pit stopping in New York on the way home. I arrived back to rainy Ireland just shy of two weeks before college restarted.

Oh and between all of that I had a brief affair with swine flu!!!!! Well, type A flu at any rate which was never confirmed swine flu but my hospital in Dublin seem to assume it was as it's rare that one would just randomly pick up flu in the middle of the summer. To be fair, I was extremely lucky as whilst about a third of the summer camp turned into shivering, vomiting, zombie like children, I ran a low grade temperature twice, then got a dose (or ten days worth) of Tamiflu and I was as right as rain. Of course, naturally the story is a LOT longer than that but since I'm doing an update here and not a 'so then I went to the hospital where I was put into a hotel like room and had amazing and constant room service, an en suite, my temperature checked by staff but not like the people in "Grey's Anatomy" which saddened me somewhat but then again I was very much bedazzled by the fact that I had my own bathroom and a tv controlled by my bed so maybe the intern was having an affair with a consultant but I never noticed and oh yes I only had to fork over $3000 for the luxury but my insurance covered that except THEN I got billed an additional $260 dollars as a late fee when I got home and then I panicked because I feared I'd never be allowed set foot on American soil again but it was ok because the insurance stepped in and whisked it away' kind of update. (PS: How do people survive in that country with insurance is beyond me!) But I will do one like that soon.

And seriously, apart from that I've been *touch wood* very well. I blew my highest ever lung function a few weeks ago (105%) and have another clinic next week. I had to fill out a 'satisfactory scale' thing on the clinic the last day I was there, and I bet they were overjoyed when I asked for extra paper. Or maybe they just thought I was a bit sad since I'm sure most people just tick the boxes and get on with it. I chickened out handing it to anyone though so just left it on the desk and ran away so I'll be interested to see what they say!

So yes, my life these days consists of college with early starts, a broken car which fails to start, a mother with a broken foot (well it's better now), a design competition with the prize of going to Atlanta, Georgia in April, my new Internet radio which I listen to BBC radio on, my dog who I sat on yesterday and still feel guilty about but doesn't look *as* squished as he did (what can I say, a sandy coloured dog on a black couch can easily be mistaken for a corner cushion).

And that's it. For now.

This is a pic from the day we cycled across the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco to Sausalito and back.....16 miles. Beautiful!

Phew! Again, it's been a while. A couple of weekends ago, I completed the 10k Mini Marathon, which was fantastic. I did absolutely NO training, and was by far the most unfit in the three years I have been doing them. This clearly didn't affect my time, but the pain in my body for DAYS later was obvious!

Whether the mini marathon and overall nice weather we have been enjoying lately (with the exception of the tropical downpours - gotta love global warming) have had any effect is unknown but my lung function went up a little bit in clinic the other day! It had been going down ever so slightly (nothing significant) and then began to come back up again. It now stands at over 100% again, can't get much better than that!

These next few days will see me panic and plan as I head off for the summer. I have the most important things done I think, although knowing me, it's very possible i could turn up to the airport without my suitcase.

I'll stick up another (proper) blog later. In the meantime I have important commitments this afternoon such as Home and Away and Ellen to watch. I think I am VERY well suited to this 'free time' malarkey really!