Leaking!

Well despite my 'ok' scan yesterday which showed everything was fine yet left the question open as to what was causing my occasional 'leaks', I leaked again today with some blood too. Sorry to be graphic.

This all stems from the fact that I was tube fed for 17 years, 15 of those were directly into my tummy. Since I no longer require such feeding, the plug was pulled out leaving a nice little hole where it was. It actually looks not too bad at all, and looks more like a belly button than my belly button. When it's not reminding me what I ate for lunch. Sorry to be graphic!

And today I became the Chairmanperson of our Skiing Society in college. There was no vote and I didn't even put myself forward, in fact I didn't even know the position needed filling. The treasurer just told me that I was it for next year. I told her I'd actually prefer to be the treasurer as I'd get all the moneeyyysssssss be a good responsible figure for our treasury!!! But she shot that idea down. I wonder did she see the €€€ signs in my eyes?

Anyway I can't ski that well but I can chair meetings so whoop. I think next year is probably the year to admit to the fact that I'm a diabetic and have had a lung transplant to the society. I chickened out this year because I was afraid it might result in me needing special insurance, having to fill out forms, admit to things and yawn, yawn.

So this year, with me in charge I can do what I like! I'll just come clean to me and nobody needs to know! Changes need to happen though, starting with a name change I think....something along the lines of 'Rosie's Club'....yeah...and upping of fees...yeah....whoooo!

Goody Friday

I'm off my antibiotics at last and have been given a bill of good health (touch wood, bang head etc). My only problem (yes, I can't resist being centre of attention) is that my second belly button- the site where my feeding tube was removed last year- has been acting up and my Mum, who has been pestering me to mention it to my team for ages, told me to "REMIN.THM.A.BOUT.TUMMY.THING" (she's not used to texting off the house phone) yesterday which I did. I thought they'd tell me it's fine and normal, but in fact they've ordered an ultra sound, followed by a CT scan with contrast if the ultra sound shows abnormalities. Goodness! I probably should have told them about this a while ago...

And then I slept yesterday for a total of 17 hours (go me!) and I hope that's my 'jet lag' from Switzerland dealt with!

Switzerland was fantastic, I had SUCH an amazing time. Admittedly I should have either had more lessons before I went or just not bothered forking out for lessons at all as they didn't do me much good. Luckily my 'kinda' cousin who has skied down volcanoes in Russia (!!!!!) helped me out a great deal and I got the hang of parallel turning (which I swear I knew how to do last year) on the last day. I'm going to keep going skiing somewhere every year until I get the hang of the bugger as I hate not being good at something that I try. Except for snowboarding - the concussion taught me that.

I was a bit of a drama queen the first day when I fell as I heard the ski binding snap and immediately thought I'd done something, at which point my head screamed "altitude, altitude, don't panic!" at which point I panicked internally. And then when I started skiing again, I couldn't catch my breath properly and my legs hurt and all that was missing were the violins.

And then the next morning my knee was so stiff it kept twinging when I moved, which meant I couldn't even go skiing that morning and my Mum thought it was because of the 'fright' I got the day before. Which it wasn't! And I might add here that I am convinced I have some sort of joint problem or Arthritis of some sort as lately my hip ACHES when I walk for a period of time, but that's for another doctor's appointment.

So I chanced it and went up to the slopes that afternoon and felt much better.

To thank my 'kinda' cousin who has skied on volcanoes, for all his help, we bought him a ridiculous green hat.

Verbier is an incredible place it must be said, and our "Woodland" family were so hospitable and kind and generous. I know there won't be enough space on my 'thank you' card!

I'm Back...

...In one piece!

I did manage to sleep in this morning for my clinic appointment - they didn't seem too fussed when I rang them so I'll go tomorrow instead.

Wish Me Luck!

I start school tomorrow - ski school that is!! (I know BF will appreciate the 'ugh'ness of that 'joke') I'm getting up in 2 and a half hours to get ready. We begin our trip up north and flying out from there.

Five years ago, I went up to learn how to ski with my school as some of them were going to Boston on their ski trip. I wasn't going but wanted to try it anyway. I missed my first lesson as I was sick/had clinic and my PE teacher came to me and said I wouldn't be allowed to continue unless I made up that lesson on my own time before returning for the second class. That same PE teacher always had this thing about me and my CF and never seemed to 'get' it, I always seemed to be 'faking' to her. Terribly unreasonable that one. I could go on but maybe another time.

So needless to say I didn't bother going up for a lesson by myself, on my own time and decided to just wing it. Anyway we ended up in the same class the second week and that instructor was incredibly understanding and didn't even question WHY I was absent. She thought I took to it well (better than my PE teacher who had her eyes constantly on me and who had zero coordination, so ha) and I progressed well. Although I wasn't going to Boston, I was motivated to try skiing again some time.


* * *

Two years ago, I approached my physiotherapist about the possibility of going skiing and she said because of the altitude, I could only go so high and I'd obviously need to use oxygen tanks all the time, and I'd need to be 100% fit of course as well. Now being able to plan a trip in advance and knowing I would be 100%, when my lungs didn't function and I'd get an infection every 10days or so meant that the odds of that happening were.... about as good as my lung function (circa 22-30%).

Ever the optimist I questioned her about the 'ifs' and 'ok, but assumings' and she said it could be possible. My hope raised at that and at the end of the conversation I said to her 'OK, now I won't be hurt, but honestly, in your opinion do you think it's possible...I want the truth.'.

Her head turned and she made about 10 facial gestures in a second concluding in a weak, apologetic smile and replied "no".

She was right of course.

But that's all in the past, as tomorrow I'm getting to finally ski. Considering in the past I've been known to break my arm, have the cast removed and on the same day break the other arm, a bit of luck may be needed!!! Toodle Pip! x

Um

Well skiing wasn't cancelled, in fact we had our lesson on 'snow' which in all honesty was more like ice. Slippy scary ice. But ...

Can someone please hand me a hearing aid, a paper bag for my head, a hole to jump down, the ground to swallow me up...anything!!!

We were practising leaning all the way forward on our skis, with our poles outstretched when the instructor noticed someone only had one pole. She asks:

"'X', why have you only got one pole?!"

What I heard:

"Emm...Because I've only got one pole".

I laughed, because of the cheekiness of it. I mean talk about back answering!! It was funny. If you'd been there you'd have laughed at the blunt honesty too!

Except I heard wrong.

What was actually said:






















..."Because I've only got one arm".

Whether the Weather be cold...

Or whether the weather be hot; Whether the weather, whatever the weather, whether you like it or not.

It never snows here....ever! It rains. Constantly. The only difference between winter and summer is the direction of the rain. But now it's snowing!!! Did I mention it never snows here?! Now most likely it won't stick, it'll be gone by the time I've clicked "Publish Post" but still, it's ever so pretty.

Now I know where some of you out there live, you can have your snowmen over for tea but here, no, so let me have my moment and don't tell me how great your igloos are.

The funny thing? I'm going skiing in an hour. To ski on DRY slopes. What do you want to bet my ski lesson will be cancelled due to the fact that it's snowing?

Skiing

As some of you may remember, I spent a few months last year during Skiing season finally learning how to ski. On our dry slopes here they have five sets of lessons: A-E. 'A' for people who have never been on skis before and 'E' for which "teaches variations on the parallel turn, practising techniques for confident and efficient mastery of the pistes!"

Last year I got as far as D4.

I got back up tonight and I had forgotten everything. EVERYTHING. It didn't help that they gave me 140 size skis and not 150s which I'm used to. That set me off because it was different and I don't like change.

So I'm off to book lessons.

Still, my friend who I went with is 17 so when they asked her age they presumed I was the same age, so I paid child's fare.

Rosie: 1, System: 108583025872. Take that SYSTEM!!!

Saturday-Patterday

• I finished my ski lessons today, and hope to begin my next set ('C' lessons) next weekend. We finally got to go up on to the black slope ("expert ski-ers beyond this point only!") and generally just brushed up on our skills. As far as I know, once you are able to ski on black slope, you can ski mostly any slopes around the world. I can't wait to begin my next set now! I don't think my 'Saturday-very-serious-take-notes-class' shared my enthusiasm for the black slope, and I think my instructor saw this, as she would have the class go off and do stuff but hold me back and give me other exercises to do, (and no these weren't special dumbed down exercises before anyone asks)

• I didn't get back 'til early afternoon and after having lunch, went out shopping. I picked up one or two books and some ski socks. I now officially own a piece of ski clothing! Yay!

• There was a girl up at the club today, and she looked the business with her slick sunglasses, expensive (and pretty) ski jacket and her own boots. (Not entirely dissimilar to Eileen!)Needless to say I was rather impressed and rather envious too! Here was I, in my own non ski jacket, rented boots and poles, woolly jumper, basically the stereotypical pauper of the slopes! Anyway I expected that I would see her zooming down the black slope, so when she passed me to go on to the 'A' slopes (never-in-my-life-skied-before-slope) I had to laugh! Oh dearie!

• My Dad said he would bring me to '53 degrees north' to get some ski gear, but he took the wrong exit off the motorway, gave out, got annoyed and came straight home again. He went on and on and on about how he didn't know where he was, how it was getting late, and yadda, yadda, yadda. Somehow this was all my fault. I felt like telling him 'Yes I did hear you the first eleven times you said that', but couldn't be bothered arguing with someone who had the argumentative mind of a two year old at the time. Some people....

• Brendan and Anonymous, thank you for the answers to my question! I will know where to come when I need some more song information, (and am too lazy to do a Google!)

• Off out tonight for what hopefully will be an enjoyable evening. Today is my five month anniversary of getting my transplant. Every first of the month is always a reminder. I got called on the first of July, but my operation didn't happen 'til the second.

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