There is nothing like a visit to clinic to bring you back to reality. I'd been given a whole eight weeks off, which was fantastic, but it had flown and come round again really quickly. It is a catch twenty two really, it's great to be away from doctors, tests and hospitals and be leading more of a normal life, yet it is a huge relief in some ways to be back at clinic to get checked out and be told by doctors that all is looking fine and going well.
So I had all the usual tests: bloods, x- ray, ECG and lung function and then saw the transplant nurse, followed by the doctor. Once again, thank goodness all is looking good and I was told that whatever I'm doing to keep it up, as it is working well. After the blip with my lung function recently, it is now higher than it's ever been, so we were all delighted with that.
They were going to let me go a whole three months until my next clinic, which is pretty good going seeing as I'm only seven months post transplant, but there is still the ongoing issue of the chronic cough I have developed since my operation. They are concerned it may be due to stomach acid - this is a very common problem after a lung transplant and can be very damaging to transplanted lungs- therefore I've been booked in to have tests on my stomach over a couple days in June. I then need to go back in July for my results. That is still a month though before I'm back at hospital and two months before I'm back at clinic, so that is great.
The only thing that may change this is that I'm still waiting for news about my other surgery from the Lister Hospital and the transplant doctors have advised that if it cannot be done there, then they can arrange for it to be done at Addenbrookes, who work more closely with the Transplant Team. I don't think it will be too long now before I know properly what needs to be done next and where and what I have to deal with.
I am just pleased that so far everything is still going well and I'm positive that these next two hurdles of more surgery and tests for my stomach, will all just get sorted out and be part of the process of getting me even more better and back to normal.
We managed to escape clinic fairly early and as it was nearly lunchtime, we went off to a nearby village pub for some lunch. We like to try and turn a hospital day into a more positive day if we can and feeling pleased with the outcome of my visit, we went on to St Ives, which is only a few miles from Papworth, but is a very picturesque, historic town.
We had a browse around the shops and then had a lovely walk through the meadow by the river, it was a gorgeous sunny day, rounded off with an afternoon tea at a river side cafe. We have visited St Ives once before my transplant and I couldn't really manage very much or walk very far.
Life's feeling pretty good now - what with the glorious sunshine, coupled with a good clinic visit and the incredible difference in what I can now physically manage - it doesn't really get much better!
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