What's up Nina? Thoughts from a Cystic Fibrosis Survivor & Lung Transplant Recipient

Woo Hoo!

As it says… CELEBRATE LIFE!

So I got to spend the weekend in Tacoma, LOVE my aunt and cousins, got the stay with them, always miss them a lot. Went to my friend Austin's graduation party (they are all growing up so fast *tear*) and then had yet another check-up with my transplant doctor. Before going to the doctor my mom, aunt and I went on a walk that I had done some time before my transplant, where I had barely made it back to her car because I could barely breathe. The walk is a loop around 3 miles or so with a very large hill at the end, the rest isn't that flat either. We even have a photo of us in the dark because it took me so long it was dark out! (and we weren't even done yet)

Well I made it this time with ease and also ran up the big hills for fun (and to see if I could) anyway the new lungs conquered that walk! So the next morning I go to my checkup, my mom and I had our bikes because I was hoping to get to ride in Seattle. My Blood work (besides a sort of high white count), X-ray and CT Scan looked good. My lung function test was a bit down, 57%, but I guess not enough for them to worry, and definitely not enough to keep me down. Sounds like I won't have another checkup for 2 months which is a NEW RECORD!!! There is a test they want to do coming up where they will put a tube down my nose, throat and to my stomach to watch my acid pH to make sure my stomach acid is not hurting the new lungs, that will go for 24 hours but I will be able to do it as an outpatient.

Half way sportin' my new Team Transplant Jersey

Finally we got out of that hospital and on to our destination, Red Hook Brewery, where we would eat after our ride, because the brewery is placed right along the Burke Gilman Trail as I wrote about once before. Best trail ever, minus the busy crowdedness, but you get over it, and I'm pretty sure that it goes for like 1,000 miles . I knew my last ride was 20 miles so I knew I just wanted to do more. Besides the fact that I hadn't eaten barely ANYTHING, mostly because of my fasting for blood levels and waiting for Red Hook food, I did fairly well. We rode and rode, all the way to the grocery store that I had walked to so many time while in Children's Hospital for clean-outs.

Momma & I half way! (I need a tan)

Turns out all in all we went over 30 miles, which is my new record. So not only new record for a check-up scheduled, a new record for my bike distance. Most of all I was excited by the fact I was able to wear my all new bike jersey to show some support for the American Transplant Foundation and Team Transplant and of course because the back says "Celebrate Life" AND I was given the gift of new lungs, THE ONLY REASON I CAN RIDE MY BIKE RIGHT NOW, AND THE ONLY REASON I AM ALIVE.